Kids Devotional #4 --Kejujuran Gantinya Kebohongan--

 "Segala dusta kubenci, tetapi hukum-Mu kucintai." Mazmur 119 : 163

Nathan datang kepada ibu guru dengan kesal. Mukanya masam dan amarah masih tersisa diwajahnya. Dengan lembut ibu guru bertanya apa yang terjadi. "Ibu Jane memaksaku mengatakan sebuah rahasia. Aku sudah menolak tapi ia terus memaksa." Ibu guru diam sejenak lalu berkata, "Rahasia? Rahasia bukan lagi jadi rahasia kalau dikatakan."

Nathan menjawab, "Itulah. Aku juga tahu itu. Karenanya aku mengarang sesuatu untuk menutupinya. Tapi Ibu Jane tahu aku mengarangnya dan memberi aku hukuman karena berbohong." Ibu guru mulai lebih serius menanggapi ucapan Nathan.

Ibu guru meminta Nathan duduk. Mereka kemudian melanjutkan pembicaraan. "Ibu guru setuju dengan tindakanmu untuk menjaga rahasia. Ketika seorang teman membagi rahasia itu artinya kamu adalah orang yang bisa dipercaya." Nathan bereaksi, "Itulah sebabnya aku mengarang cerita. Aku tidak mau membocorkan rahasia yang dipercayakan kepadaku." Ibu guru melanjutkan, "Tetapi seharusnya kamu tidak boleh mengarang cerita untuk menutupi rahasia itu." Nathan menatap ibu guru dengan heran. "Kebohongan akan terlihat buruk apapun alasannya. Yang seharusnya kamu lakukan adalah mengatakan dengan jelas kepada Ibu Jane bahwa kamu akan merusak kepercayaan yang diberikan kepadamu jika kamu mengatakan rahasia itu. Kamu juga harus mengatakan bahwa menjadi orang yang bisa dipercaya adalah sangat penting. Dengan begitu kamu tidak perlu mengarang cerita dan tetap bisa menjaga rahasia. " Nathan tersenyum. Kemarahan lenyap dari wajahnya. Senyuman Nathan membuat Ibu Guru percaya bahwa ia mengerti.

Kebohongan tidak akan membawa kita kemana-mana selain pada satu masalah. Alkitab mencatat banyak kebohongan yang berakibat fatal. Salah satunya adalah kebohongan yang dilakukan Akhan. Dia berbohong karena menyembunyikan harta jarahan saat Bangsa Israel menang terhadap bangsa lain. Akibat dari kebohongan itu sungguh mengerikan. Akhan dan seluruh keluarganya harus mati. Jangan pernah bermain-main dengan kebohongan. Mintalah roh kudus hari ini untuk membantumu menjadi jujur dan hidup tanpa kebohongan. Tuhan Yesus akan memampukan anak-anak mengatakan kebenaran dan menjaga lidah kita dari ucapan-ucapan yang menipu.

(Maria Soeharto Untuk Anak-anak Kesayangan Kristus)

Kids Devotional #3 --Cinta Yesus Itu Manis--

 “Akan tetapi Allah menunjukkan kasih-Nya kepada kita, oleh karena Kristus telah mati untuk kita, ketika kita masih berdosa. (Roma 5:8)

Hari itu Rian, Deven, Justin, dan Jose belajar makanan tradisional Indonesia. Mereka diperkenalkan pada rawon dengan kuah hitam yang berasal dari bumbu istimewa keluwak, juga pada nasi pecel dengan sayuran segar dan bumbu kacang. Makanan selanjutnya adalah rendang. Jika dua makanan pertama berasal dari Jawa Timur, rendang adalah makanan asli Sumatera Barat.

Setelah mempelajari kekhasan masing-masing masakan, anak-anak diminta untuk memilih makanan yang disukai dan juga alasannya. Suara tawa ceria Deven, Justin, dan Jose pecah saat mereka bercerita makanan yang disukai. Namun Ibu Guru Arian tiba-tiba terhenyak saat menyadari Rian menangis di sudut kelas. Dengan lembut Ibu Guru Arian menyapa, "Rian, apa yang membuatmu menangis?" Rian kecil menatap ibu guru dengan mata yang berlinang. "Aku tidak tahu harus menjawab apa. Aku tidak pernah mencoba semua makanan itu." Ibu guru Arian tersenyum sambil berkata, "Tentu saja. Kamu tidak bisa mengatakan bahwa kamu menyukai atau tidak menyukai sesuatu jika kamu tidak pernah mencobanya." Rian menyeka air mata dengan tangannya yang kecil. Ibu guru berkata lagi, "Kamu boleh tidak menjawab pertanyaan itu sampai disaat kamu sudah mencobanya. Saat itu kamu boleh datang kembali pada ibu guru dan menceritakan pengalamanmu." Rian tersenyum dan langsung menyetujui saran ibu guru
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Cinta Yesus itu manis. Tapi bagaimana kita bisa menyukainya jika tidak pernah mengalaminya? Yesus selalu mengundang anak-anak untuk datang kepadanya. Ia mau mengajar anak-anak untuk menurut dan menikmati indahnya hidup bersama-sama dengan Dia. Jika kamu belum pernah merasakan manisnya kasih Yesus, datanglah padanya hari ini. Mintalah Yesus untuk menjadi sahabatmu yang paling istimewa. Dan lihatlah betapa kamu akan memilih kasih Yesus sebagai hal termanis yang pernah kamu rasakan. Alasannya karena hanya Yesus yang mampu mengubah duka cita kita menjadi suka cita.

(Maria Soeharto Untuk Anak-anak Kesayangan Kristus)

Kids Devotional #2 ---Saat Allah Berlari--

“Maka bangkitlah ia dan pergi kepada bapanya. Ketika ia masih jauh, ayahnya telah melihatnya, lalu tergeraklah hatinya oleh belas kasihan. Ayahnya itu berlari mendapatkan dia lalu merangkul dan mencium dia.” (Lukas 15 : 20)

Dennis berlari ke arah Jaden. Setelah berputar-putar sejenak dan tersandung batu yang tidak kelihatan, mereka berpelukan erat layaknya ayah dan anak. Tepukan dan suara tawa anak-anak pecah melihat adegan itu. Itu adalah bagian klimaks parodi singkat yang dibawakan anak-anak kelas 5. Mereka mengisahkan cerita perumpamaan Tuhan Yesus yang terkenal Anak Yang Hilang.

Anak bungsu dalam cerita Anak Yang Hilang telah menyia-nyiakan kepercayaan ayahnya, menghambur-hamburkan uang dan melukai hati ayah yang sangat mengasihinya. Saat uangnya habis dan butuh makan, ia bekerja sebagai penjaga ternak babi dan terpaksa berbagi makanan dengan hewan itu. Bayangkanlah bagaimana perasaanmu ketika kamu harus makan-makanan basi saat kamu begitu lapar dan tidak ada makanan lain yang bisa dimakan. Saya bisa merasakan betapa tercabik-cabik hatinya.

Dennis menangis dalam adegan itu. Dia teringat kehangatan rumah ayahnya.Jaden menerima Dennis kembali sebagai anak hilang yang pulang ke rumah.

Tapi apakah kamu tahu siapa yang paling bersedih dalam cerita itu? Anak bungsu yang sudah menderita, anak sulung yang cemburu, atau ayah yang membiarkan anaknya pergi darinya serta membawa separuh hartanya? Ya, kamu benar. Sang ayah adalah orang yang paling bersedih. Dan siapakah yang paling berbahagia di akhir cerita? Ya, kamu benar lagi. Sang ayah adalah juga orang yang paling berbahagia.

Anak bungsu melambangkan kita –umat manusia. Sang ayah melambangkan Bapa surgawi kita – Bapa yang sungguh sempurna. Apapun yang kita lakukan, betapapun Bapa kita bersedih melihat setiap kita berbuat kesalahan, Ia akan selalu menerima kita. Ia akan selalu memberi kita pelukan hangat dan kedamaian. Setiap kali kita datang padaNya, Allah sungguh berbahagia. Dan yang lebih hebat lagi, Bapa kita itu akan berlari menyongsong kedatangan kita.

Hari ini, naikan pandanganmu kepada Bapa di surga. Berjanjilah untuk tidak mengecewakanNya. Lihatlah, Ia akan berlari mendapatkanmu dan memberikan kasihNya yang luar biasa. Sangat nyaman rasanya.

Jakarta, 11 Oktober 2011

(Maria Soeharto Untuk Anak-anak Kesayangan Yesus)

Kids Devotional #1 ---Teratur Itu Indah---

“Sebab Allah tidak menghendaki kekacauan tetapi damai sejahtera.” 1 Korintus 14 : 33

“How come, how come, how come?,” Ingrid seorang anak Aspie berusia 10 tahun mendekati saya. Ia bertanya kenapa hari itu tidak ada pelajaran Matematika. Minggu itu adalah minggu olahraga. Pada akhir minggu, semua guru sepakat menggunakannya untuk berolahraga bersama. Itu berarti ada beberapa pelajaran yang ditiadakan.

Seorang aspie (anak dengan Asperger Syndrome) tidak bisa menerima perubahan begitu saja. Ingrid membutuhkan penjelasan spesifik dengan data akurat dan terkadang catatan secara fisik. Saya menemaninya duduk sambil membuka buku agenda. Kami membahas mata pelajaran hari Jumat dan perubahan yang terjadi khusus hari Jumat di minggu olahraga. Saya membantunya membuat jadwal baru. Kami melipat kertas jadwal dan Ingrid menyimpannya di sakunya. Dia tersenyum pada saya meski saya masih merasakan ia tidak nyaman dengan perubahan yang terjadi.

Dalam beberapa kasus ekstrim, seorang aspie berpotensi membuat keributan hanya karena ia tidak suka perubahan. Para aspie hidup dalam dunia serba teratur dan terjadwal. Perubahan dalam bentuk apapun sama artinya dengan kekacauan. Dunia mereka berjalan teratur dan terstruktur. Dunia yang saya rasa terasa sangat indah.

Allah kita adalah Allah yang teratur. Ia menciptakan segala sesuatu dengan prosedur yang sempurna. Ingatlah pada saat Allah menciptakan dunia ini. Allah menyiapkan segalanya begitu rupa sehingga pada saat manusia ada di hari ke enam penciptaan, manusia bisa menikmati taman dengan segala keindahannya. Allah sangat tahu bahwa keteraturan akan membawa kedamaian. Perhatikanlah bagaimana bulan dan matahari bergantian menjadi penerang bumi. Perhatikanlah bagaimana proses biji bertumbuh menjadi pohon yang kokoh. Perhatikan juga bagaimana bayi kecil mulai berjalan dan menjadi anak-anak yang lucu. Semuanya berjalan teratur. Allah selalu memberikan contoh dan mengajarkan kita untuk menjadi teratur seperti Dia.

Hari ini mulailah belajar untuk teratur. Kerjakan segala sesuatu sesuai urutan dan langkah-langkah yang benar. Perhatikanlah bahwa hidupmu akan berubah lebih indah dari biasanya.

Jakarta, 11 Oktober 2011
(Maria Soeharto Untuk Anak-anak Kesayangan Yesus)

Lessons of Life : Life Through Death

The lesson of seed sowing teaches liberality. "He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully." 2 Corinthians 9:6.

The Lord says, "Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters." Isaiah 32:20. To sow beside all waters means to give wherever our help is needed. This will not tend to poverty. "He which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully." By casting it away the sower multiplies his seed. So by imparting we increase our blessings. God's promise assures a sufficiency, that we may continue to give.

More than this: as we impart the blessings of this life, gratitude in the recipient prepares the heart to receive spiritual truth, and a harvest is produced unto life everlasting.

By the casting of grain into the earth, the Saviour represents His sacrifice for us. "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die." He says, "it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." John 12:24. Only through the sacrifice of Christ, the Seed, could fruit be brought forth for the kingdom of God. In accordance with the law of the vegetable kingdom, life is the result of His death.

So with all who bring forth fruit as workers together with Christ: self-love, self-interest, must perish; the life must be cast into the furrow of the world's need. But the law of self-sacrifice is the law of self-preservation. The husbandman preserves his grain by casting it away. So the life that will be preserved is the life that is freely given in service to God and man.

The seed dies, to spring forth into new life. In this we are taught the lesson of the resurrection. Of the human body laid away to molder in the grave, God has said: "It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: it is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power." 1 Corinthians 15:42, 43.

As parents and teachers try to teach these lessons, the work should be made practical. Let the children themselves prepare the soil and sow the seed. As they work, the parent or teacher can explain the garden of the heart, with the good or bad seed sown there, and that as the garden must be prepared for the natural seed, so the heart must be prepared for the seed of truth. As the seed is cast into the ground, they can teach the lesson of Christ's death; and as the blade springs up, the truth of the resurrection. As the plant grows, the correspondence between the natural and the spiritual sowing may be continued.

The youth should be instructed in a similar way. From the tilling of the soil, lessons may constantly be learned. No one settles upon a raw piece of land with the expectation that it will at once yield a harvest. Diligent, persevering labor must be put forth in the preparation of the soil, the sowing of the seed, and the culture of the crop. So it must be in the spiritual sowing. The garden of the heart must be cultivated. The soil must be broken up by repentance. The evil growths that choke the good grain must be uprooted. As soil once overgrown with thorns can be reclaimed only by diligent labor, so the evil tendencies of the heart can be overcome only by earnest effort in the name and strength of Christ.

In the cultivation of the soil the thoughtful worker will find that treasures little dreamed of are opening up before him. No one can succeed in agriculture or gardening without attention to the laws involved. The special needs of every variety of plant must be studied. Different varieties require different soil and cultivation, and compliance with the laws governing each is the condition of success. The attention required in transplanting, that not even a root fiber shall be crowded or misplaced, the care of the young plants, the pruning and watering, the shielding from frost at night and sun by day, keeping out weeds, disease, and insect pests, the training and arranging, not only teach important lessons concerning the development of character, but the work itself is a means of development. In cultivating carefulness, patience, attention to detail, obedience to law, it imparts a most essential training. The constant contact with the mystery of life and the loveliness of nature, as well as the tenderness called forth in ministering to these beautiful objects of God's creation, tends to quicken the mind and refine and elevate the character; and the lessons taught prepare the worker to deal more successfully with other minds.

Lessons of Life : Sowing in Faith

Of the almost innumerable lessons taught in the varied processes of growth, some of the most precious are conveyed in the Saviour's parable of the growing seed. It has lessons for old and young.

"So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." Mark 4:26-28.

The seed has in itself a germinating principle, a principle that God Himself has implanted; yet if left to itself the seed would have no power to spring up. Man has his part to act in promoting the growth of the grain; but there is a point beyond which he can accomplish nothing. He must depend upon One who has connected the sowing and the reaping by wonderful links of His own omnipotent power.

There is life in the seed, there is power in the soil; but unless infinite power is exercised day and night, the seed will yield no return. The showers of rain must refresh the thirsty fields; the sun must impart warmth; electricity must be conveyed to the buried seed. The life which the Creator has implanted, He alone can call forth. Every seed grows, every plant develops, by the power of God.

"The seed is the word of God." "As the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth." Luke 8:11; Isaiah 61:11. As in the natural, so in the spiritual sowing; the power that alone can produce life is from God.

The work of the sower is a work of faith. The mystery of the germination and growth of the seed he cannot understand; but he has confidence in the agencies by which God causes vegetation to flourish. He casts away the seed, expecting to gather it manyfold in an abundant harvest. So parents and teachers are to labor, expecting a harvest from the seed they sow.

For a time the good seed may lie unnoticed in the heart, giving no evidence that it has taken root; but afterward, as the Spirit of God breathes on the soul, the hidden seed springs up, and at last brings forth fruit. In our lifework we know not which shall prosper, this or that. This question it is not for us to settle. "In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand." Ecclesiastes 11:6. God's great covenant declares that "while the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest . . . shall not cease." Genesis 8:22. In the confidence of this promise the husbandman tills and sows. Not less confidently are we, in the spiritual sowing, to labor, trusting His assurance: "So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." Isaiah 55:11; Psalm 126:6.

The germination of the seed represents the beginning of spiritual life, and the development of the plant is a figure of the development of character. There can be no life without growth. The plant must either grow or die. As its growth is silent and imperceptible, but continuous, so is the growth of character. At every stage of development our life may be perfect; yet if God's purpose for us is fulfilled, there will be constant advancement.

The plant grows by receiving that which God has provided to sustain its life. So spiritual growth is attained through co-operation with divine agencies. As the plant takes root in the soil, so we are to take root in Christ. As the plant receives the sunshine, the dew, and the rain, so are we to receive the Holy Spirit. If our hearts are stayed upon Christ, He will come unto us "as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth." As the Sun of Righteousness, He will arise upon us "with healing in His wings." We shall "grow as the lily." We "shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine." Hosea 6:3; Malachi 4:2; Hosea 14:5, 7.

The wheat develops, "first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." Mark 4:28. The object of the husbandman in the sowing of the seed and the culture of the plant, is the production of grain--bread for the hungry, and seed for future harvests. So the divine Husbandman looks for a harvest. He is seeking to reproduce Himself in the hearts and lives of His followers, that through them He may be reproduced in other hearts and lives.

The gradual development of the plant from the seed is an object lesson in child training. There is "first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." Mark 4:28. He who gave this parable created the tiny seed, gave it its vital properties, and ordained the laws that govern its growth. And the truths taught by the parable were made a reality in His own life. He, the Majesty of heaven, the King of glory, became a babe in Bethlehem, and for a time represented the helpless infant in its mother's care. In childhood He spoke and acted as a child, honoring His parents, and carrying out their wishes in helpful ways. But from the first dawning of intelligence He was constantly growing in grace and in a knowledge of truth.

Parents and teachers should aim so to cultivate the tendencies of the youth that at each stage of life they may represent the beauty appropriate to that period, unfolding naturally, as do the plants in the garden.

The little ones should be educated in childlike simplicity. They should be trained to be content with the small, helpful duties and the pleasures and experiences natural to their years. Childhood answers to the blade in the parable, and the blade has a beauty peculiarly its own. Children should not be forced into a precocious maturity, but as long as possible should retain the freshness and grace of their early years. The more quiet and simple the life of the child--the more free from artificial excitement and the more in harmony with nature--the more favorable it is to physical and mental vigor and to spiritual strength.

In the Saviour's miracle of feeding the five thousand is illustrated the working of God's power in the production of the harvest. Jesus draws aside the veil from the world of nature and reveals the creative energy that is constantly exercised for our good. In multiplying the seed cast into the ground, He who multiplied the loaves is working a miracle every day. It is by miracle that He constantly feeds millions from earth's harvest fields. Men are called upon to co-operate with Him in the care of the grain and the preparation of the loaf, and because of this they lose sight of the divine agency. The working of His power is ascribed to natural causes or to human instrumentality, and too often His gifts are perverted to selfish uses and made a curse instead of a blessing. God is seeking to change all this. He desires that our dull senses shall be quickened to discern His merciful kindness, that His gifts may be to us the blessing that He intended.

It is the word of God, the impartation of His life, that gives life to the seed; and of that life, we, in eating the grain, become partakers. This, God desires us to discern; He desires that even in receiving our daily bread we may recognize His agency and may be brought into closer fellowship with Him.

By the laws of God in nature, effect follows cause with unvarying certainty. The reaping testifies to the sowing. Here no pretense is tolerated. Men may deceive their fellow men and may receive praise and compensation for service which they have not rendered. But in nature there can be no deception. On the unfaithful husbandman the harvest passes sentence of condemnation. And in the highest sense this is true also in the spiritual realm. It is in appearance, not in reality, that evil succeeds. The child who plays truant from school, the youth who is slothful in his studies, the clerk or apprentice who fails of serving the interests of his employer, the man in any business or profession who is untrue to his highest responsibilities, may flatter himself that, so long as the wrong is concealed, he is gaining an advantage. But not so; he is cheating himself. The harvest of life is character, and it is this that determines destiny, both for this life and for the life to come.

The harvest is a reproduction of the seed sown. Every seed yields fruit after its kind. So it is with the traits of character we cherish. Selfishness, self-love, self-esteem, self-indulgence, reproduce themselves, and the end is wretchedness and ruin. "He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." Galatians 6:8. Love, sympathy, and kindness yield fruitage of blessing, a harvest that is imperishable.

In the harvest the seed is multiplied. A single grain of wheat, increased by repeated sowings, would cover a whole land with golden sheaves. So widespread may be the influence of a single life, of even a single act.

What deeds of love the memory of that alabaster box broken for Christ's anointing has through the long centuries prompted! What countless gifts that contribution, by a poor unnamed widow, of "two mites, which make a farthing" (Mark 12:42), has brought to the Saviour's cause!

Lessons of Life : Law of Ministry

All things both in heaven and in earth declare that the great law of life is a law of service. The infinite Father ministers to the life of every living thing. Christ came to the earth "as He that serveth." Luke 22:27. The angels are "ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation." Hebrews 1:14. The same law of service is written upon all things in nature. The birds of the air, the beasts of the field, the trees of the forest, the leaves, the grass, and the flowers, the sun in the heavens and the stars of light--all have their ministry. Lake and ocean, river and water spring--each takes to give.

As each thing in nature ministers thus to the world's life, it also secures its own. "Give, and it shall be given unto you" (Luke 6:38), is the lesson written no less surely in nature than in the pages of Holy Writ.

As the hillsides and the plains open a channel for the mountain stream to reach the sea, that which they give is repaid a hundredfold. The stream that goes singing on its way leaves behind its gift of beauty and fruitfulness. Through the fields, bare and brown under the summer's heat, a line of verdure marks the river's course; every noble tree, every bud, every blossom, a witness to the recompense God's grace decrees to all who become its channels to the world.