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of days. That’s the child that Jesus had. They are too young to
have a disposition. They are too young to have faith. They are
too young to be humble. They are too young to be naïve. They
are too young to behave. When Jesus said that we must be like
children, He wasn’t talking about a disposition. He was talking
about a condition, a condition of a newborn babe and its
helplessness; total dependence. The indispensable condition of
redemptive living is helpless dependence. Do you see that
powerful illustration?

On one side you have the disciples asking, “How can we be
great?” On the other side you have an infant of days; helpless
dependence. That’s the indispensable condition. What is the
indispensable disposition that we must have? Now I’d like to
share what that is.

I think it would be helpful if we used a Bible illustration. I’d
like to take that illustration from the Song of Solomon. If you
study the Song of Solomon it’s the testimony of the bride. She
does all the talking. In fact, she can’t shut up. When you read
the book, she does the talking but He wrote the song. Husbands,
we will write the song that our wives will sing.

In the Song of Solomon at the beginning, this woman felt very
low. She kept cutting herself down. She looked at her husband
and said, “He’s so wonderful that I don’t deserve him.” She’s
working hard to gain His approval. She tries to make herself
attractive. Then the groom says Song 4:12-15, “A garden
locked is my sister, my bride, a rock garden locked, a spring
sealed up. Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates with
choice fruits, henna with nard plants, nard and saffron, calamus
and cinnamon, with all the trees of frankincense, myrrh and
aloes, along with all the finest spices. You are a garden spring.
A well of fresh water, and streams flowing from Lebanon.”

When she heard those words, “You are my garden,” she was
amazed because she thought she was the gardener. He said,
“You are not the gardener; you are the garden; a garden locked