Young People’s Blog

Dark or Bright

“The Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light” (Isaiah 60:19).

Not every day is sunshine bright,
Not every evening sunset light;
The moon shines not on every night,
Nor stars come out to guide aright.

But this I know, my Lord is near,
And dark or bright I need not fear,
For this to faith is very clear,
He whispers comfort in my ear.

So on I go, He leads the way,
He holds my hand from day to day,
He tells me thus to watch and pray,
And trust Him always, come what may.

Yes, I have proved His love and grace,
And with His power each day I face,
And all His resources embrace,
To run with joy the Christian race.

Dear Young Christian:

Recently, while I was going through a trial in my life, someone sent me this quote:

“Ah Lord GOD! behold, Thou hast made the Heaven and the earth by Thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee. Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:17, 27).

“If God could…

Close the lion’s mouth for Daniel,

Part the Red Sea for Moses,

Make the sun stand still for Joshua,

Open the prison for Peter,

Raise Lazarus from the dead …

Then He can certainly take care of you!

Nothing you are facing today is too hard for Him to handle!”

I so appreciated this encouragement that I am passing it along to you for your help as you face another busy week.

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

Finished

“Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work … . For I came down from Heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me” (John 4:34; 6:38).

“I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do” (John 17:14).

“It is finished” (John 19:30).

To meditate on the finished work of the Lord Jesus here on earth is an awesome contemplation indeed. So often in this life we begin, but never complete, the tasks we have been given. But there was one great work completed by the Lord Jesus Christ, and that was the work of atonement on Calvary.

It was finished there at Calvary,
There the mighty deed was done,
Jesus all the work completed,
There a victory fully won:
There He bore our sins in total,
Died and shed His blood to save;
God, now satisfied forever,
Raised Him from the dead — the grave.

The Cure

Driving through the crowded city of Cairo, Egypt, the other day, I noticed a large sign advertising a seaside resort where condominiums and other accommodations were offered as an escape from the busyness of life in the city. In large letters the slogan proclaimed,

“I BELIEVE SALTWATER CURES EVERYTHING!”

“Everything?” Well, not quite! It may be helpful in relaxation and the treatment of some physical difficulties. But there is one thing that saltwater definitely will not cure, and that is the disease of sin. There is only one cure for that disease that affects all humanity and that is the blood of Christ. “The blood of Jesus Christ … cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

This is the one and only cure for sin. If you have not availed yourself of this cure, remember that there is no substitute. If we are to be saved from hell and saved for Heaven, it must be by the blood of Jesus. “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

Have you been cured from sin-sickness? If not, don’t delay to take God’s wonderful cure.

Monthly Question Page

Q. Could you explain why the Lord is referred to as the “Word” in John 1:14? Part 2

A. The Lord in His life here in this world fully expressed who God His Father was and what was in His heart. “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him” (John 1:18). At the end of His pathway, the Lord said, “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father” (John 14:9)? This was in response to Philip’s request in verse 8, “Show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.”

“God … Hath in these last days SPOKEN unto us by His Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2). The Son of God has been the full revelation, or expression, of who and what God is. “Who being … the express image of His person” (verse 3). Every quality and attribute of God the Father has been brought into full and complete display. The Lord Jesus at the end of His life could affirm, “I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do” (John 17:4).

Listening & Speaking

God gave you two ears and one mouth for a very good reason. This is because the ability to listen is an essential life skill. When I was growing up, my mother would often rebuke me by saying, “Listen to yourself.” This was because I was going on and on about something, and as we often say, running at the mouth. A few times, mother would even quote the words of King Solomon, who said, “Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in Heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few” (Ecclesiastes 5:2).

Sometimes, it is good to stop and listen to ourselves to realize how others are hearing us. If we do this, we can judge what we say before the Lord and often find that it is better not said at all. This exercise can spare us from many an embarrassment and, even more importantly, from saying things that will hurt or discourage others.

Here is a check list you can run through before you speak:

• Think about what you are about to say.

• Check your own heart as to the matter.

• Control your tongue — Guard your lips and speak kindly.

And then we can pray, like David, “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3).

Monthly Scripture Reading
Zechariah 12

9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

11 In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.

12 And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart;

13 The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart;

14 All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.

Floated

“And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth. And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters” (Genesis 7:17-18).

At a Bible study recently, someone made this interesting and thought-provoking remark: “What flooded the world, floated the ark.”

Noah, because of his faith and obedience, was able to rise above the waters of judgment and rest in perfect peace during the storm that destroyed the world with a flood. We too can rise above the storms and difficulties of life as we find our joy and confidence in the living God and our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ. The ark in which Noah and his family were safely housed is a beautiful picture of the Lord Himself, and we are reminded by the Old Testament prophet. “A man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest” (Isaiah 32:2).

If you are going through some stormy circumstances, you don’t have to sink under the trial. Just keep your heart and mind focused on the Lord, the true ark of refuge, and you too can float peacefully on the sea of life.

Dear Young Christian:

“All is vanity and vexation of spirit” (Ecclesiastes 1:14).

In other words, “everything is emptiness and trouble.”

Here in North America where I live, we have more temporal things at our disposal today than a generation ago. But are we really happy? Apart from God and the enjoyment of Christ in the heart there is no real peace, joy, satisfaction, gratification, or stability in life. While we should be thankful for the many practical mercies that God gives us to get us through this world, we know that these in themselves are not what give real substance to our characters and lives.

What are we setting our hearts on? There are many empty, aching, hearts, even among Christians, because the hearts are set on something other than the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is a good Scripture to keep in mind: “Seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1-2).

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

“Christ died”
Yes, what a precious truth,
Christ Jesus died for me:
He shed His blood, to cleanse my sin,
On Calvary’s cruel tree.

“He was buried”
He in the tomb was laid,
By faithful, loving hands,
And nothing there could hold my Lord,
Not even Roman bands.

“He rose again”
Triumphantly He rose,
And now He waits above,
To take me there to be with Him,
Where all is peace and love.

And I await that day,
Though filled with praises now,
With worship, thanks, and joyfulness,
Before Him gladly bow.