Message for youngster – Part 2

I was recently invited to a birthday party and in the last-minute I was asked to speak a few minutes. This the birthday of a teenager. The child was going to start school after the summer vacation. Other teenager were also there who were going to start highschool and college.

This post is a continuation of the previous post with the same subject.

4. Do not yield to peer pressure
Rom 12:2 says Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. The word of God has power to transform me and help me prove the perfection of God’s will. Meaning it not only helps me stay clean from being contaminated by the world, but also testify God’s perfection.

5. Know your worth
Rom 12:3 instructs to not think of myself as too high. Nor does it let me stoop myself to the ground. But it tells me to think soberly of myself in a balanced manner. God made me in his image. He made me a little lower than the angels and gave me/humankind dominion over the works of his hand. Thats a very privileged position if you ask me. So despite what the world may say to crush me, God made me something of worth to him. He carved my name in his palm. So I have to rejoice.

6. Serve God in any capacity possible
Rom 12 continues to say that I have been granted certain gifts according to God’s mercy. I have to use those gifts to server the Lord in any capacity possible, be it as high as teaching other to as low as cleaning up. Anything I do for God and for His glory helps me grow in God.

Message for youngster – Part 1

I was recently invited to a birthday party and in the last-minute I was asked to speak a few minutes. This the birthday of a teenager. The child was going to start school after the summer vacation. Other teenager were also there who were going to start highschool and college.

I prayed to God and this is what I received from the Holy Spirit for the parents and kids present on that occasion.

On the way to the party I was thinking of Psa 23. In Psa 23:4 psalmist talks about not fearing evil. It got me thinking. Sometimes when faced with difficulties or see the suffering in war zones and impoverished parts of the world, I inadvertently say “why is God doing this?”. Bible says that God doesn’t do evil. It is against the very nature of God. So I interpreted this verse as below.

1. Trust in the Lord. Fear no evil
So when I read this verse I got to understand that, Since God is my shepherd, He will not harm me. But He will guard me and take care of my needs. So I don’t have to fear any evil from Him. At the same time I don’t even have to fear the evil from Satan either. My Shepherd is here with me. His staff and rod defend me against any attack of the devil.

2. Equip yourself read the word fo God
The reference of valley of the shadow of death in this verse also brings to mind the portion in pilgrims progress where the devil is attaching the pilgrim with fiery darts. But the pilgrim is equipped with the right armor or the sword and shield. This armor is described in Eph 6.

I too have to equip myself thru the word of God by reading it as often as possible. Equip myself thru prayer as written in Eph 6:18. Just reading wont suffice but to follow and obey it in my daily life.

3. Delight in the word of God and parents’ instruction. Flourish
Psa 1: 1,2,3 instructs me to not only obey but delight in the word of God. This will also include the 10 commandments. One of these commandments is “honor your father and mother”. Sometimes a teenager may feel like talking back or question what authority parents have. But bible tells me to honor my parents. Being born to christian parents I as a teenager should delight in my parents authority. They pass on the wisdom that God gave them for me.

As a result, God promised in Psa 1 that I will be like a tree planted next to rivers, and bring forth fruits in due season. Texas has suffered one of the worst draughts of 50 yrs. We planted some beans, fertilized and water them almost everyday hoping to harvest home grown veggies. The vines flowered profusely but they didn’t bear fruit. Found later that the heat is causing them to lose the fruit. If the plants were sheltered they would ave probably yielded some beans.

Just so, in spite of having the smarts, the knowledge and all the talents, without the protection of parents from the world the flowers may not bear fruit. Parents know how to nourish and protect so that I will bear the fruit in the right time.

CONTINUES….