“The commander took his hand, led him aside, and asked, ‘What is it you want to tell me?’”
Acts 23:19 (NLT)
Paul’s nephew was young, but he carried something important. He went to a Roman commander with a warning about the plot against Paul. This commander had authority, age, experience, and multitudes under him. He easily could have dismissed the boy because he had no position, no title, and no maturity compared to the men around him. But he didn’t. He stopped, took him by the hand, led him aside, and effectively asked, “How can I help you?”
That detail moves me. The commander did not make the child speak in front of everyone. He gave him privacy. He gave him attention. He made space for the boy’s nerves to settle and for his voice to be heard. That is grace. And it reminds me of the heart of our Heavenly Father. Almighty God does not need information from us. He formed us in the womb. Yet He still draws near and asks, What is it you want to tell Me? What’s on your heart, son or daughter?
Jesus told His disciples that unless we become humble like little children, we will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The greatest in the Kingdom are not the most impressive, but the humble. And the way we receive our little ones matters deeply to Jesus. In 1 Samuel 3, God came to Samuel when he was still a boy and kept calling until Samuel learned to say, “Speak, Lord.” God does not only wait for children to come to Him. He goes to them and speaks. Our God gives vision, insight, encouragement, and instruction to kids.
So how much more does God want to speak with those who have known Him for years? But do we still remember how to come like little children? They are gentle and humble in heart, like Jesus. Children ask without restraint, without eloquence, and without pretending. Maybe life’s experiences have trained us to exalt what we have seen possible over what God’s Word says is possible. Today, I want to ask, seek, and knock like a child who still believes the Father can move mountains. I want to tell God what is on my heart like a child, but also listen when He speaks with a child’s trust.