All photos courtesy of Unsplash
People living in Merseyside, indeed people everywhere, have been devastated and shocked by the recent killing of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in the Dovecot area of Liverpool. We extend our prayers and deepest sympathies to the Pratt-Korbel family. What a waste of a young life, bringing heartbreak and pain to her family and friends. It is evil to take a life, but for most of us, it is stepping far over the line when a child is killed. Children are precious and the foundation upon which the hopes and aspirations of succeeding generations are built.
The Lord Jesus had a special place in His heart for children. One day a group of parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them[i]’. His disciples scolded the parents for bothering Jesus. They were, no doubt, amazed when Jesus turned and told them, ‘Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God’ [ii]. What did Jesus mean? He was saying that children are like those who are going to heaven. They trust with simple faith, just as those going to heaven turn from their sin and trust God with childlike faith. Isn’t it wonderful how a child trusts a parent! The belief that the parent is there for them and will look after them is very special. When that trust is betrayed, it has lifelong adverse effects on a person’s life. God will never betray your trust. One Bible writer says, ‘we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men’ [iii].
There are three passages in the Bible that describe what happened with Jesus and the little children. One of the passages states that the Lord Jesus was indignant with the disciples for forbidding the children to come to him. In other words, He was angry that the children had been treated this way. The Lord Jesus and His Father, God, are passionately interested in the welfare of every human being, and God is angry when evil things occur upon the earth. Another passage records that Jesus took the infants in His arms and blessed them, laying his hands upon them. Overall, the New Testament paints the picture of the Lord Jesus as a wonderfully kind person who had time for everyone. He spent time with the disadvantaged, people with disabilities, the poor, and people whose lives had been dragged into circumstances that made them very vulnerable. The amazing lesson I learned from this is that the Lord Jesus Christ has time for everyone, including you. The challenge is – do you have time for Him?
We must regroup as a society and re-evaluate how to make our streets safer. How to help parents to provide safe homes and streets for their children. However, I must remind you that there will never be complete physical safety until evil has been eradicated from the world. New political policies or societal changes will not achieve this. Things will only change when God judges the world and brings Jesus back to rule it. The Bible says that God has ‘appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man (Jesus) whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead’ [iv]. The good news is – we can have our own personal sins forgiven now if we come with childlike faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
[i] The Gospel of Luke 18. 15, NLT
[ii] The Gospel of Luke 18:16, KJV
[iii] 1 Timothy 4:10, KJV
[iv] Acts 17:31 KJV
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