Young People’s Blog

Clean on the Outside — Part 2

When David sinned, and his sin was brought before him by Nathan the prophet, he didn’t try to hide it, or just make things clean on the outside (Read 2 Samuel 12). No, he got right into the presence of God and confessed it. He knew that he could hide nothing from God. Here is part of what he prayed at that time:

“Behold, Thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part Thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow … Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me … Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free Spirit” (Psalm 51:6-7, 10, 12). Take time to read that whole Psalm, and notice the title and context in which it was prayed. “To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.”

Remember, it isn’t just enough to clean up on the outside — God is looking for reality and cleanliness on the inside as well. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Clean on the Outside — Part 1

To this very day, I can still hear my mother telling me to go and clean up my room. Often, I would go and start the process, only to get distracted by some book I was reading or some painting I was working on. The trouble was, I would soon be interrupted by a warning that inspection time was in five minutes. That’s when I would try to hide everything, either under the bed or in the closet, hoping against hope that she would not look in either place.

This is sort of what we do with our lives sometimes. We clean up the outside hoping that no will look on the inside. We even rationalize our sins and actions by making excuses that it is just the way we are, we can’t help it, or by blaming others for our faults.

The fact of the matter is, while all may look neat and clean on the outside, God sees the mess that is on the inside. He is the Master Inspector, and misses nothing. We cannot hide one thing from Him. That is why it is good to pray the prayer of David, who said, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).

Dear Young Christian:

With my wife sick the past few days, I have had to learn what it means to do the following three things:

1. “Stand still” (Exodus 14:13).

2. “Sit still” (Ruth 3:18).

3. “Be still” (Psalm 46:10).

It has reminded me of the words of the prophet Samuel when he spoke to Saul — who was to be the future king of Israel. He told him, “Stand thou still a while, that I may show thee the word of God” (1 Samuel 9:27). The world is a busy, noisy place! We need to take time to listen, meditate, and quietly enjoy the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is easy to talk about it, quite another matter to do it.

Elijah had to learn a similar lesson as well. Only when he was still and quiet did he hear “a still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12), which was the voice of God. Only when he was still and quiet was he able to finally communicate with God.

Make sure you are not too busy in the din of life to hear the voice of God speaking to you this week.

 Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

We would love to hear from you.

Send your comments and questions to jhyland1959@gmail.com

The Resurrection

“He is risen” (Mark 16:6).
“I am the resurrection, and the life” (John 11:25).

Christianity boasts of an empty tomb and a living Savior. No other religion can claim a Savior who “died for our sins … was buried, and … rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Today we look back and remember the work of Calvary accomplished long ago for the glory of God and our eternal blessing and happiness. But don’t forget to also look up and remember that the Lord Jesus is no longer on the cross, nor is He in the tomb.

Here are seven exercises that will make the living Lord more real and precious to your heart today:

1. Read of His life.

2. Remember His death.

3. Rejoice in His resurrection.

4. Recount His ascension.

5. Rest in His love.

6. Revel in His coming again.

7. Render to Him worship, praise, and thanksgiving.

Melting Hearts

“If the Son therefore shall make you free,
ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

When I was a boy, we learned a little rhyme that went something like this:

An icicle hung on an old brick wall,

And said to the sun, “I don’t like you at all!”

Drip, drip, drip.

Yes, the sun melts the snow and ice, and, for those of us who live in northern climates, we are thankful for sunny days, even in the dead of winter, when things melt — at least to some extent. Then for warm spring days when things melt away for another season, and we put away our shovels for a few months.

But there is another sun that melts cold, hard, sinful hearts. It is God’s Son the Lord Jesus Christ. His love has conquered many stubborn hearts, and turned many to Himself. I have known many who have been melted to tears of repentance and gratitude, and who have come to know the Son as their Savior and Lord.

If your heart is still icy toward God and His Son, let their love shine in today, and change you forever.

Spiritual Eyesight

“Now the just shall live by faith” (Hebrews 10:38).
“For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Good eyesight is a real asset, and certainly physical sight is vital to walk with confidence in this physical world. Without sight we grope; we stumble; we fall; we get injured. But faith or spiritual eyesight, not physical sight is what enables us to walk confidently in the spiritual realm. Faith counts on God for each step of the way, believing that He is good, loving, and directing according to His wisdom and what He sees and knows is best for us.

Faith trusts God who is not seen by the physical eye, but who is no less real to the spiritual eye of faith. Faith believes in spite of circumstances, and in spite of hindrances, resistance, and opposition from the enemy. Like Moses, of whom we read, “By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27). We have trusted Him for our salvation, now let’s walk by faith until we are safe home in the Father’s house. Then we won’t need faith anymore, “but then face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Loved

Have you ever felt unloved, that nobody really loved you? Well, you are certainly loved — both by God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is proof:

“For the Father Himself loveth you” (John 16:27).

“Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 13:3).

“I have loved you, saith the Lord” (Malachi 1:2).

“Having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end” (John 13:1).

“As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you” (John 15:9).

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John 3:1).

 It is a wonderful thing to be able to echo the words of the Apostle Paul, who could say with full assurance, “The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). If you feel unloved by earthly friends and family, remember, you are loved with a divine love that never changes.

Sickness — Part 2

“Behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick” (John 11:3).

You never know how much the Lord really loves you until you go through some sickness. At least for me this has been the greatest lesson of the past few days of my wife’s illness.

Another thing we have learned, is how loving and caring the family of God is. It has given a new and real meaning to the verse that speaks of the “unfeigned love of the brethren” (1 Peter 1:22). The outpouring of love and concern expressed through emails, texts, phone calls, visits, and in so many other ways, has really overwhelmed us, and moved us to tears. What a wonderful family we belong to! There is no other family on earth like it, and we marvel at the grace of God who has placed us in His family.

Someone else has said, “It is worth being sick just to know that the Lord is at your bedside, and that He loves and cares for us every moment of every day … Sometimes the Master puts us down so that we can look up.”

On beds of sickness, thus we learn,

Deep lesson from the Lord,

Lessons we otherwise might miss,

Or well might be ignored.

Sickness — Part 1

“The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: Thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness” (Psalm 41:3).

My wife has been sick and in the hospital this week. Each day, they come in to attend to her. They do it because this is their job, and there is a paycheck at the end of the pay period. They do it well, because they are constantly being assessed and they know they could lose their position if they don’t perform to standard.

There is another one who cares for us in a far more wonderful way. This is the one that David spoke of in the above verse — the Lord, the Great Physician! He makes our bed, not out of a sense of duty, but because He loves us. Not only that, but He is constantly at our bedside day and night. The nurses and staff at the hospital do their duty and go on their way. Shifts change, people come and go. However, the Lord is still there. He promises, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5).

He makes our bed, and takes His place,

Beside the bed He makes,

And through the nights and dreary days,

His station there He takes.

Dear Young Christian:

It is the Lord’s will that we should cast our care and trouble on Him each day. In the Old Testament, David, exhorts us, “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22). In the New Testament, the Apostle Peter urges, “Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

The Lord also asks us not to cast our confidence away. “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward” (Hebrews 10:35).

My problem is that I, so often, stupidly cast away my confidence and carry all my cares and burdens around with me. This only makes me miserable, complaining, fault-finding, and weary in the path of faith. Don’t cast your burden on the Lord, and then take it back.As we start another week of activity, let’s leave our burdens with the Lord, and go forth in complete faith and confidence in Himself. This will allow us to have a spiritually profitable and fruitful week.

 Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

We would love to hear from you.

Send your comments and questions to jhyland1959@gmail.com