Lessons from Asa

The following was a gift from Daniel to me...expressing his heart on page, of what the Lord has been teaching.  Asa, is already teaching us.

There are certain moments in life, certain events and times, where the curtain that separates us from heaven becomes so thin, a watchful eye may glimpse angels in attendance or hear the strains of a perfect chorus singing to the Creator. 


One of these moments is that of passing on from this life to the next, another perhaps of two lives being joined together, the sealing of two souls into the bond of marriage. I had the joy of experiencing a third such moment recently as my wife gave birth to our first child. The pain of birth and the joy of life parted the heavenly veil and our reality became something of a dream as we gazed into the face of what God had knit together in the womb. Asa was born! We rejoiced at the beginning of new life, and the gift God had given, star-struck with love at His amazing handiwork.

Two weeks have gone by now and we are growing used to the rhythms and rhymes of having a son to care for and raise. God has been so good and the newness and strangeness of this season has brought with it wonderful opportunities to die to self and live in the grace that God pours out each new morning. 


Part of that Grace has come in the help of other saints who have gone before us; there insight and encouragement have helped to strengthen and supply us in areas where we new parents were struggling to just survive!  That brings me to my thoughts today.  I pondered  how to respond when asked what I have learned the most through the process of becoming a dad. 


My answer surprised me but the more I thought about it the more convinced I am that it is the case. The thing I have learned the most about during this past week, is our baby. What he does, how he works, what he needs.  From all the stories and adventures friends have told us, it appears that Asa is a very normal baby. He eats all the time, often when we would rather be sleeping, he loves being held and he gets upset when he is pooping or has dirtied his diaper. He requires an almost constant contact with Mom or Dad and only when full and content does he drift off to sleep for a few hours before waking up hungry to be fed and held close again.

I have often used these common baby traits to look at others, perhaps like a spiritual gauge of where a brother or sister is in there walk with God. 


Does someone constantly need attention and maintenance? Does someone always fuss or vomit if they get anything that's not sweet tasting milk? Does someone scare easily or must be constantly moving to stay comfortable? Is the only message they appreciate or receive relate to, me, me, my, my? Do they get sick easily and need protected from almost everything seen or unseen? Can they see the whole picture or struggle just to open there eyes in the light? There are many more examples I could write down but I think many of you realize what I'm saying.

These traits are natural and I believe many experience them when dealing with babes in Christ who lack maturity and frequently need extra care in learning how to bear the spiritual fruit of a son or daughter who helps in the Father’s business. Much endurance is needed and many sleepless nights will happen before these people will find life in the blood and body of Christ. But as I was thinking of these things, I received a call from an older saint in the Lord. And as we talked, the reminders of how God calls us to be like little children came across the phone with such truth, I knew that I should write them down.

As Jesus said in Mathew 18:3 "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven”.  Many might take this verse as an excuse to stay in the state I mentioned earlier, not doing any work for the King, but merely playing while others do the chores of spiritual life. God is not mocked though, and as I talked to this older saint, the powerful message of becoming a child of God has caused me to examine my own heart. I have seen these “natural” truths in my son, and want their spiritual parallels to be found in my own life.

As soon as Asa was born, he wanted to be fed, and ever since his birth there has been a driving hunger that will only be satisfied for a few hours at a time. A constant need for food is a major indicator of a healthy baby. As children are we in constant need of spiritual food? If this is not the case in your life, you are in danger of becoming a sickly and very needy child.

As a baby, Asa is most comfortable when he is very close to his family, wrapped up tightly in a warm embrace; this is the place that he loves the most. He almost always can tell if he is left to himself, and he does not like it! Sleeping is the one thing that keeps him content to be alone for a little while, apart from that he wants fellowship, especially if he is not feeling well. As children, are we comfortable in a tight space spiritually? Does our Father’s embrace scare us or comfort us? How about the tight places of fellowship where family and friends know what we are doing and can comfort or correct us during times of weakness? Everyone knows the danger of leaving a child alone, but how often do we realize we are children and left to ourselves we are very vulnerable.

As adults we have adapted to the harsh conditions of the world around us, but do babies? We guard Asa from the weather because his immune system can‘t handle the extreme change of hot or cold. Babies can rapidly develop dangerous conditions, partly because there body is so open to receiving anything that passes by. Do you get a rash on your heart when someone else tells you something full of fear or contaminated with slander? Can we be happy or tolerate it when our ears or eyes are being exposed to sin? Just as a child, shouldn’t we be so uncomfortable around (sin/poop) that others want to keep it away from us because we are going to cry out? And at the same time, like a child being so open to what God sends our way, do we embrace it rather than put up a wall of doubt, or battle with having faith?

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Father, teach us what it means to have a child like faith,
that brings You honor, and teaches us how love should really be expressed in our lives, and through our lives.