Evie Polsley is passionate about helping kids engage with God’s Word in ways they can understand. She has worked with kids at her church for more than 20 years, and more often than not, as she experiences the Bible through their eyes, she gains a deeper understanding of who God is and how much he loves us. Evie is a member of the Bible team at Tyndale House Publishers, where she helps provide resources to people of all ages who want to better understand the Bible and apply it to their lives. It’s a joy to welcome Evie to the farm’s table today…

Guest Post by Evie Polsley

We live in the Midwest and love being able to experience the differences of the seasons. Fall is one of my favorites, as the world bursts forth in vibrant colors. But as fall transitions to winter, what was once a glorious vision can quickly become a laborious chore.

When my daughter was two, a storm blew through that shook the leaves from our trees, littering them across the front yard. I let out a frustrated groan, knowing my hours would be filled with raking.

I opened the door, and she rushed out into the leaf-filled yard. I, on the other hand, did all I could to ignore the mess. As I tried to avoid the leaves, she knelt down, grabbed a handful, threw them in the air, and yelled, “Celebration!”

She went all over the yard grabbing leaves and yelling, “Celebration!”

For me, the leaves were another chore; but for her, they were a reason to celebrate.

Maybe this was the perfect example of why God tells me to become like a child. We need our perspectives changed. We need to see things with new eyes and a fresh sense of wonder. We need to see him through childlike amazement and awe. But it’s so much more than just seeing.

God gave us five fantastic senses to help us explore the world he created and better understand who he is—to know him more fully. How many times have we limited ourselves in experiencing him because it seemed childish?

So often we think of time with God as this quiet, reflective moment where we need to be still. We see the images on Instagram of the Bible with a cup of coffee in some remote room of the house. Those are beautiful, treasured moments, and there are definitely times we need to be silent before God.

But what if He wants us to experience Scripture in a more active way too?

Isn’t there also a place for exploration, getting messy, laughing, shouting praise, and experiencing him in a less serene way?

“To fully experience God, maybe there are times we need to become like a child.”

To fully experience God, maybe there are times we need to become like a child.

When our youngest daughter sees someone she loves, she is all-in! There are topple-down hugs, jumping up-and-down, endless chatter, and contagious enthusiasm to just be together.

What if we sometimes looked at our moments with God like that? What if we let down our grown-up walls and opened all our senses so we could taste, feel, smell, see, and hear all of who he is?

He is a hands-on God who is constantly creating. He played in the mud, and humanity began. He tells us to “taste and see” his goodness. We are invited to his banquet table. If that is how God is revealing himself to us, then what’s stopping us from experiencing Him in that way?

Throughout the Bible we read how God expresses who he is through all the senses.

“Throughout the Bible we read how God expresses who he is through all the senses.”

For instance, when we read of the priestly offerings in the Old Testament, we are drawn to the importance of a sweet aroma to God.

“Afterward take the various breads from their hands, and burn them on the altar along with the burnt offering. It is a pleasing aroma to the Lord, a special gift for him.” Exodus 29:25

In Psalm 119, the psalmist connects God’s law to the sweetest thing he’s ever tasted.

“How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey.” Psalm 119:103

When Jesus healed people, he could have just used words. But over and over again he touched them.

“Jesus reached out and touched him. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be healed!’ And instantly the leprosy disappeared.” Matthew 8:3

And while teaching, Jesus often used hands-on ways for people to tangibly connect to truth.

Like using five loaves and two fish to miraculously feed more than five thousand people so they could taste the abundance of his provision and blessings.

“‘Bring them here,’ he said. Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children!” Matthew 14:18-21

Let’s bask in the beauty as we read his Word.

Let’s spend time in quiet awe as we listen for his voice.

“Let’s be hands-on worshipers of a hands-on God.”

But let’s also feel him in the hug of a friend.

What if we could find Him in the amazing aroma of freshly baked bread and praise him as we savor a perfect bite of our favorite meal?

What if we could shrug off what hinders us, throw the leaves in the air, and shout, “Celebration!”

What if we chose to really be hands-on worshipers of a hands-on God?

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[ Our humble thanks to Tyndale for their partnership in today’s devotional. ]