The Holy Spirit's Interruption
OPENING PRAYER:
Holy Spirit, open my eyes to see what breaks Your heart. Stir in me a willingness to be interrupted by Your call, even when it takes me to places I never imagined going. Give me courage to respond when You speak.
"People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.' And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them."
This passage reveals one of the rare moments when Jesus showed visible anger—not at sinners, but at His own disciples for blocking children from reaching Him. In first-century culture, children held little social value and were often seen as interruptions to important work. Jesus radically challenged this perspective, elevating children as models of faith and objects of His tender affection.
REFLECT:
In the message, we heard Mary Kamau's story, how a young college student visited Mathare Valley in the early 1990s and saw something that transformed her life forever. She witnessed children living in one of Kenya's oldest slums, characterized by crime, substance abuse, poor sanitation, and families surviving on less than $2 a day. What shocked Mary most wasn't just the poverty, it was that no one seemed to be stepping in to help.
That moment became Mary's holy interruption. She had her own plans: get a good education, work in a bank, escape the disadvantages of growing up seventh of twenty children in a polygamous family. But the Holy Spirit had other plans. When Mary saw those children, she couldn't stop thinking about them. Neither could Wallace, her future husband, who had also visited Mathare Valley and carried the same burden.
Think about what it means to be interrupted by God. Mary and Wallace didn't have a strategic plan or funding or organizational backing. They had fifty kindergarten students, a rented building, and a conviction that Jesus cared deeply about children the world had overlooked. They stepped out in faith in the year 2000, and God blessed that obedience with growth beyond imagination—38 schools, over 32,000 students, churches planted, families transformed, communities experiencing holistic hope.
The question for us isn't whether we have the resources or the perfect plan. The question is whether we're willing to be interrupted. Are we paying attention to what breaks God's heart? Are we willing to let the Holy Spirit redirect our comfortable plans toward the overlooked, the disadvantaged, the children Jesus said belong to the kingdom of God?
Across Pathway this weekend, people are responding by choosing to sponsor a child. At the campuses, there were physical cards available to pick up and fill out. Through this devotional, we're able to provide you with a link that connects you to the very same opportunity.
If you're able and feel led, you can click the link and take that step today:
Sponsor a Child Through Missions of Hope International
Maybe your next step is prayer. Maybe it's having a conversation with your family about what God might be stirring in your hearts. Maybe it's learning more about Missions of Hope and the communities they serve. However you respond today, you're part of the story God is writing through Pathway.
Take time this week to pray specifically about child sponsorship. If you're married or have a family, have a conversation together about what it would mean to sponsor a child. Talk about how it could shape your family's understanding of God's heart for the world. If you're single, consider how sponsorship could be part of your discipleship and generosity. Don't rush the decision, but don't ignore the invitation either.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Father, thank You for the example of Mary and Wallace, who said yes when You interrupted their plans. Help me recognize Your voice when You call me toward the overlooked and undervalued. Give me faith to take the first step, trusting You to multiply what I offer. Amen.