Jesus Loves the Little Children, All the Children of the World

"Jacob and Mr. Greenleaf"
from Mr. Greenleaf's Unforgettable Summer
by my friend and talented artist, Dawn Copeland

This is what the Lord says..."I have loved you, My people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to Myself." (Jer. 31:3 NLT)

For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son [Jesus], so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NLT)

Jesus said, "Let the children come to Me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children." (Matt. 19:14 NLT)

              This morning at 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, I believe the Lord said, "Jill, pray for the  hearers, as well as the readers, of Mr. Greenleaf's Unforgettable Summer."

              Why would God give an instruction such as this? It's because Jesus loves the little children of the world and their mamas and daddys and grandpaws and grandmaws and aunts and uncles and older brothers and older sisters and teachers and whosoever will read a biblical storybook to little ones.

Oh, Father, thank You for loving people enough to send Jesus to rescue us from our own sins. Thank You, Jesus, for dying in our place that we may have forgiveness of our sins and everlasting life with You. Please get this storybook into the hands of many families and use it as a tool to draw readers and hearers very close to You. Please teach them to love You, obey Your voice, and hold fast to You all the days of their lives on earth till the day we will join You in heaven forever. To God be the glory! In Jesus' sweet name I pray. Amen and amen.

Sneak peek into storybook-in-the-making, Mr. Greenleaf's Unforgettable Summer:

               “Mamaw, it’s time for another Bible story,” said Elizabeth.

            Mr. Greenleaf’s teensy ears perked up as tall as a little, green tree frog’s ears can perk. He wiggled down the handle and perched on the watering pot spout so as not to miss a single word.

            Splendid, thought the froggy, another Bible story!

            “Have I ever told you about the forty year camping trip?” said Mrs. Willowkins.

            “I wanna go camping,” said Isaac.

            “Not for forty years!” said Elizabeth.

            “Papaw, did someone really camp out for forty years,” said Jacob, “or is Mamaw just pulling our leg?”

            “It’s true. A camping trip through the desert that should have taken only eleven days turned into a forty-year journey in the wilderness for Moses and the children of Israel,” said Mr. Willowkins.

            “How come?” said Elizabeth

          “Well, God’s children, the Israelites, had lived in Egypt for a long time - Exodus 12:40 says 430 years,” said Mrs. Willowkins. “And even though the Lord loved His people greatly, they had become slaves to the Egyptians.”

“When something bad happens, it doesn’t means that God doesn’t love us,” added Mr. Willowkins. “And when we sin, or do something wrong, God still loves us, just like your parents still love you even when you make mistakes.”1

1 MR. GREENLEAF'S UNFORGETTABLE SUMMER. Copyright Jill Glassco 2015