Young People’s Blog

Reading Daily – Part 1

“Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart” (Jeremiah 15:16).

There is a tendency among Christians in the present day of neglecting the reading of God’s Word. This is an important subject, and one which we need to take to heart. We can never neglect the Word of God without loss to ourselves, and no doubt it is one of the causes of the spiritual weakness which abounds on every hand. If a magazine or book — even a good book — takes the place of the Scripture, it is so far more of a hindrance than a help to the believer.

The Word of God and prayer are two things absolutely necessary if we are to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). What would have happened to the Israelite had he neglected to go out of the camp in the morning and gather manna daily? He would have been without food and therefore weak and unfit for the rigours of the wilderness journey.

Continued…

 

The Words of Jesus

“How sweet are Thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103).

We love the words of Jesus,

So good, and pure, and true;

Like cool, refreshing breezes,

They stir our hearts anew;

The gracious words of Jesus,

Fresh as the morning dew,

Their sweetness wholly pleases,

Their power, our strength renew.

We read the words of Jesus,

We marvel at their force;

And yet His words so seize us,

His love to reinforce:

The precious words of Jesus,

Will never run their course,

Spoken with soothing meekness,

Our constant, full resource.

 

Dear Young Christian:

Here is a good word for young people from the Prophet Jeremiah. “Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth?” (Jeremiah 3:4). This is really a plea from the Lord Himself to His people who had turned away from following His Word and ways.

Maybe there is a young believer reading this calendar page, and you have to admit that you have not been following the Lord as you should. Perhaps you are choosing your own way instead of looking to the only true Guide, for youth and all through life as well. Don’t be discouraged or give up. Hear these words of the Lord to you, and return to the One who says, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye” (Psalm 32:8).

It is wonderful to have a lifetime guide. “For this God is our God forever and ever: He will be our guide even unto death” (Psalm 48:14).

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

We would love to hear from you. Send your comments or questions to jhyland@primus.ca

Risen & Ascended

“God the Father, who raised Him from the dead” (Galatians 1:1).

All the Godhead was involved in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, but this verse specifically mentions God the Father. By raising Christ from the dead, the Father emphatically declared that the work of His Son was acceptable in every detail: sufficient, complete and victorious; never to be repeated. In fact, the resurrection of Christ was God the Father’s “Amen” to the work of Calvary.

Not only Has God raised Him from the dead, but we also read, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory…raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:17,20).

Risen and ascended! Seated in heaven! What a glorious truth! We rejoice in His accomplishment and praise God for such a risen, glorified conquering Saviour and Lord.

Nothing can be added or subtracted from His finished work. God is satisfied, and we are the satisfied beneficiaries of His death and resurrection. “Hallelujah! What a Saviour!”

 

Running From Rescue

“Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto Thee to hide me” (Psalm 143:9).

In 1981, a Minnesota radio station reported a story about a stolen car in California. Police were staging an intense search for the vehicle and driver, even to the point of placing announcements on local radio stations to contact the thief. On the front seat of the stolen car sat a box of crackers that, unknown to the thief, were laced with poison. The car owner intended to use the crackers as rat bait. Now the police and the owner of the Volkswagen Bug were more interested in apprehending the thief to save his life than to recover the car.

So often when we run from God, we feel it is to escape His punishment, but what we are actually doing is eluding His rescue. To run from God is to despise His salvation through His Son Jesus Christ, and this will eventually lead to eternal ruin in the Lake of Fire. The rescue call is out, the gospel is giving warning. Are you running from God and His way of escape from judgement, or are you running to the only refuge there is?

 

We See

“But we see Jesus” (Hebrews 2:9).

Yesterday we noticed something that we do not see. But in this verse we find something, or rather someone, that we do see. JESUS! The verse goes on to tell us in what state we see Him, “crowned with glory and honor.”

In light of yesterday’s meditation, I trust there is no thought of this being the reigning time now. However, he does want that place in our hearts now. There is the line or two of a hymn I have often sung that expresses this very well: “Reign Thou within our hearts alone, And let us to Thy glory live.”

As we look up, by faith, and see the Lord Jesus given His rightful place in heaven, we should give Him that rightful place in our hearts. When I was a young person going to hymn sings, we often sang,

“Lord of my life, I crown Thee now,

Thine shall the glory be.”

May it be true in all of our lives! To see Him and own Him as our Lord is the best and happiest thing of all.

 

We See Not

“We see not yet all things put under Him” (Hebrew 2:8).

The Lord is not reigning in the world today. He is the King in rejection as the parable the Lord told indicates, “He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return” (Luke 19:12). The Lord is in heaven, the “far country” and will not reign until He returns to earth in power and glory at a future time. Only then will the kingdom be established.

And so He allows the world to go on in sin and rebellion, until the day when all things will be put under Him. “And He shall judge the world in righteousness, He shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness” (Psalm 9:8).

We need to be careful in thinking this is the reigning time now. No, we follow a rejected Christ! While we are here in this world we do not look for nor will we see better things. We don’t expect righteousness in an unrighteous world. We don’t count on equity and justice always being done. “We see not yet all things put under Him.”

 

Prayer Ever Answered

Lem Cheong, a Cambodian youth, questioned his family’s beliefs. He was taught that a person seeking guidance should go to a temple and shake a container of numbered bamboo slivers until one fell out. The priest then interpreted the meaning. But this practice didn’t satisfy his longing for clear answers, or fill the void in his heart that only God could fill.

Cheong asked his uncle, a priest, if he had ever had a prayer answered. Shocked by the brashness of his nephew he admitted that he couldn’t remember a single time one of his prayers had been answered.

Later Cheong asked a Christian if God had ever answered his prayers. The man recounted several instances. Cheong was so impressed that he accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour that day. Since then, prayer has become a vital part of his life. The Lord Jesus said, “Ask, and it shall be given you” (Matthew 7:7). Christian prayer is effective because God is the living and true God who hears and answers according to His will…and His will is always good. How wonderful to know the prayer-answering God! “I will call upon Thee: for Thou wilt answer me” (Psalm 86:7).

 

Talkative

“Let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God” (1 Timothy 5:4).

If you have never read Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan, it is well worth taking the time to do so.

In Pilgrim’s Progress we are introduced to a character named “Talkative.” He is referred to as a “saint abroad and a devil at home.” Young people, and sometimes those who are not so young, are sometimes like that in their speech. They are courteous and kind with neighbors, friends, fellow-students, and coworkers, or even when meeting strangers. Yet they snap at, and fume impatiently with members of their own family and household.

This does not please the Lord Jesus! We should speak kindly and lovingly to those at home as well as those abroad.

“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32).

 

Dear Young Christian:

How much do you think about heaven? Sometimes in the middle of a busy travel schedule I like to stop and think about how wonderful it will be to be home in the Father’s house. When we arrive there, we will be in happy, uninterrupted fellowship with the Lord Jesus. As a result of that we will be in happy, uninterrupted fellowship with one another. We can hardly imagine what it will be like….around the Lamb…singing His praise…seeing His glory…being with Him forever!

In the meantime we have the grace of God to keep us and teach us to live for Christ now, in view of His soon return.

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11-13).

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

We would love to hear from you. Send your comments or questions to jhyland@primus.ca