Young People’s Blog

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).

It is a good thing for us, as Christians, to do everything possible to “follow peace with all men.” This means that we do not do things that irritate other people, or things that cause hard feelings and provoke fights. As Christians we still have our old sinful nature, and we can certainly do things that cause problems, if we are not watchful.

On the other hand, we are also to follow holiness. We must not give up holiness in order to live in peace with people in this world. Many years ago, some of those with whom I went to university wanted me to do something that would have displeased the Lord. When I refused they became upset with me, but I was thankful for the courage the Lord gave me to refuse to do something that was wrong.

When it says, “Without which no man shall see the Lord,” it means that we will not be able to walk in fellowship with the Lord, if we do not follow holiness. It is more important to follow holiness than to be at peace with all men.

“Can a woman forget her sucking child…yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands” (Isaiah 49:15-16).

Have you ever written something on your hand because you did not have a piece of paper handy? Probably we have all done this at times, and then, when we washed our hand afterward, the message was easily erased. But in the past, people sometimes made marks on the hands of slaves or prisoners, using techniques that made a mark that would not come off. It was like a tattoo or a brand, so that others would be able to identify the person easily.

The Lord Jesus has graven us upon the palms of His hands, so that nothing can take that mark away. If our names were only written there, we might be afraid that they could be washed off. But our names are graven there to assure us that He will never forget us. He died for us, and loves us too much to forget us!

“I gave My back to the smiters, and My cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not My face from shame and spitting” (Isaiah 50:6).

This verse is a prophecy that was made about the Lord Jesus hundreds of years before He came into this world, for Isaiah lived more than 700 years before Jesus was born. Godly men like Isaiah wondered sometimes why the Spirit of God led them to write this way, for there is no record in the Bible that Isaiah himself ever suffered this kind of treatment. It clearly refers to the Lord Jesus, and what men did to Him when they took Him to be crucified. All this was fulfilled exactly as we read in our verse, for Pilate scourged the Lord Jesus, while others pulled the hair off His face, and spit on Him. He went through all this because He loved us so much!

While we do not believe the Bible simply because prophecy has been so accurately fulfilled, yet it is one of the strongest proofs that the Bible is true.

“They helped every man his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage” (Isaiah 41:6).

Here we find those who were wishing to encourage one another, and help one another. This is something that every Christian ought to be doing, and especially today. The Covid virus and everything that is happening as a result of it are proving to be very difficult for us, and for some of our brothers and sisters in foreign lands, it is even more difficult. It is a time when we need to help one another, and encourage one another.

When times are difficult, it is easy to withdraw into ourselves, and be concerned mainly about our own lives and our own problems. But let us look around, and notice when others need a little help, or someone to give them a kind word. Not only will it encourage them, but the Lord is honored when we do this, and will reward us for it in a coming day!

“Be careful [anxious] for nothing” (Philippians 4:6).

John Wesley lived during the 1700’s, and traveled extensively in England preaching the gospel. At one point a messenger came riding up to him, having ridden a long distance in order to reach the place where he knew Mr. Wesley was preaching. (There were no cell phones in those days!) His message was short but very distressing — “Mr. Wesley, last night your house caught fire and burned to the ground.”

John Wesley thought for moment and then replied, “No, it was the Lord’s house that burned. Now I have one less thing to worry about.” He put very little value on possessions down here, for he lived in view of eternity.

Of course, to lose his home was a big loss, yet he trusted the Lord, and did not allow himself to be overcome. His possessions were the Lord’s, not his, and he knew the Lord would look after him.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37).

This verse has often seemed to me to be one of the saddest verses in the Bible. I grew up on a farm, and we had chickens. When little chicks hatched, they would follow their mother all around the barnyard. If any danger approached, they would run to her, and she would spread her wings over them to protect them. She would sometimes attack a dog or a cat if they came too close. The little chicks looked to their mother for protection until they were big enough to look after themselves.

The Lord Jesus wanted to do this for His beloved people Israel, but they would not have Him. They would rather face the danger and be hurt than take refuge in Him. In the same way many in this world are facing serious danger from coming judgment, yet will not come to the Lord Jesus.

“Without faith it is impossible to please Him [God]: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews. 11:6).

There are some people today who claim that they do not believe that God exists; they call themselves atheists. But deep down inside, all human beings have a God-conscious part of themselves that recognizes that there is a God. However, simply believing in God is not enough. Many people believe there is a God, yet have no wish to seek Him.

In order to seek God, we must believe that (we speak reverently) He is worth seeking! Some feel that God takes little or no interest in them, while others feel that He is a God of judgment, and want nothing to do with Him. But our verse today reminds us that He is a “rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” God is a God of grace and love, as well as a God of judgment, and He wants to bless us, not condemn us. If we go on in our sins without God, we compel Him to judge us, but He has provided a way that we can have our sins forgiven, and be reconciled to Him. This requires faith, but surely God is worthy of our trust!

“Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he” (Genesis 6:22).

Noah lived over 4,000 years ago, yet he is a wonderful example for us today. When Noah lived, he had probably never seen rain before, for the earth was likely watered by a mist from the earth itself, and had a fairly constant climate. The Bible does not mention seasons like summer and winter until after the flood. Yet when God told Noah that He would bring a flood of water upon the earth, a flood so big that it would destroy everything that breathed air, Noah believed God.

He built an ark, a job that must have taken him many years, and prepared everything according to what God had told him. He is a good example for us, for God has told us faithfully in His Word that judgment is coming on this world. Many do not believe it, and are going on carelessly. But if you and I believe God, then we will do what He tells us to do: we will prepare for the coming judgment by coming to Christ, and accepting Him as our Savior.

“Those eighteen, upon whom the tower of Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:4-5).

As I write this in the year 2021, I am reminded that the above date is the twentieth anniversary of so-called “9-11” — the date in 2001 when the World Trade towers in New York City, U.S.A. were attacked by terrorists who hijacked four commercial passenger jets and then flew two of them into the buildings. This set both buildings on fire, and eventually caused them to collapse, with the loss of hundreds of lives.

Events like this have happened throughout this world’s history, and the Lord Jesus called attention to a tower that had evidently collapsed in Jerusalem, killing eighteen people. He pointed out that this was a warning from God, and that if others did not repent, they too would come under judgment. Sad to say, people focused largely on the terrorists that attacked the World Trade towers, and paid little or no attention to the fact that God allowed it to speak to this world. If you are not saved, this warning is for you!

“Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

In this chapter of Second Corinthians, the Apostle Paul has been speaking to the believers in Corinth about Christian giving. He was showing them the importance of setting aside money, and then having it available to use for the Lord, and for the help of others. But then, in both the eighth and ninth chapters, he uses the example of the gift of the Lord Jesus, and all His work on the cross, as a basis for our giving. This is beautiful, for what gift on our part could ever compare with what God gave, and what the Lord Jesus gave, on Calvary’s cross?

After concluding his talk to the Corinthians, Paul sums it up by saying, “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.” Truly the gift of His beloved Son was “unspeakable” — a gift that words could not describe. But God loved us enough to give His only Son to die for us. We may thank others for a gift that they give us, but how many thanks are due to God for His gift! It is a gift for which we will thank Him for all eternity.