I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. (3 John 1:4)
As a parent this verse sure rings true. It is my continual prayer and hope to see my four children love the Lord and walk in truth. But this verse stretches us as John is talking about his spiritual children. He writes as a church father concerned for the children of God, whom he so often refers to as “little children.” Could you say this about the church? It is hard to imagine feeling this way about the church if you had not invested in it as you would your own children. The church is often an ugly place and we are consequently tempted to walk away from it. But you would never do that to your own children (though you might threaten too!). Wouldn’t it be something if we loved the church like we did our own children. Let’s pray for God to give us that.
McCheyne’s Bible Reading Plan: Dt 1, Ps 81-82, Is 29, 3 Jn
