Devotions for Teens

[Soldier4Christ]

  Applications

So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows.  Matthew 10:31

As you enter your late teen years, it seems as though all of your time is taken up by filling out applications.  There are applications for jobs, colleges, clubs, and I could go on.  The other day I spent at least an hour filling out an application to take the ACT.  The fact that I have to pay for a test and fill out a huge application for it amazes me.

Every time you fill out an application, you are telling someone something that they need to know about you.  It would be so much easier if you didn’t need to fill out an application to get what you needed.  Did you know that there is one person that you don’t have to fill out an application for you?  This person knows you inside and out; they even made you.  This person is God.  He has already completed your application for you, and after you repent, He wipes it as clean as snow because there is nothing that you have ever done wrong in His sight.  With all of the companies that won’t consider you because of something that you have or haven’t done, God leaves that method behind and accepts you as you are.

It is an amazing feeling to know that God will always be with you and that He will always accept you.  You don’t need to fill out an application to God’s kingdom because His love did that at Calvary when your slate was washed clean because Jesus died.  Never forget to thank Him for all He has done.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Born To Change

Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Matthew 10:34

I encourage you to read Matthew 10:34-42. It is a very interesting passage of scripture. In this text we find Jesus saying that I didn’t come to bring peace, but a sword. Jesus came and was born to change things. What does a sword do? When it pierces, it cuts and it separate. I believe that what Jesus came to do, he came to change things, to separate us from our sins, from the world. He had a mission; he came to fulfill the will of the father. His mission didn’t mean everything was going to be fine. You find that he had to endure some things. Face some situations, dealing with all kind of people. He didn’t come to please people. He came to change things. Jesus had to go through some things while on his mission to changing things. Sometimes when God give you an assignment to do, it may not be all that great. It may not be something you want to do. Some of you would say God can I do something else. Some of us know our calling and purpose but we don’t want to do it because it will offend people, you will be laugh at or criticize or humiliated for what you are going to do. Jesus had a mission. He was born to change things. He receive instruction and direction from the father what he was going to do and what he was to complete. The bible even says that in Matthew 10:35 that he have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. We find that Jesus mission was to change things. You are born to change things. The things that you will change will be difficult. You will go through persecution. People will question what you are doing. People will look at you funny. People will talk behind your back. Put you down. Let this be a sign that you are following in the footsteps of Jesus. Know your calling and purpose here. Find out what your mission is. You are born to change things.

[Soldier4Christ]

  God Will Save Us

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.  Zephaniah 3:17

Have you ever thought of God as your rescuer?  How about someone who is your biggest admirer?  That He is a God who will rejoice over you because of His great love for you?  If not, perhaps it is time for you to begin to understand that He is exactly like that.  God is Omnipresent, which simple means He is everywhere at once.  So, is there any doubt that He is with you at all times?  This is not the only verse that provides that assurance to us, as in Isaiah 35:4; "say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you."

Since God conquered the grave through His resurrection in the form of a man, Jesus Christ, He provided a way for us to be saved, or for our salvation.  When we choose salvation, that is when He takes great delight in us.  The Angels in Heaven sing at the moment we receive salvation through Jesus Christ.  The delight that God has for us then opens the door for us to be blessed in ways that we have not been before. 

As we draw closer and closer to God, through the reading of Scripture, worship and praise and fellowship with other believers, heaven will light the way for us as we travel the path He has placed us on in our life.  A new peace will come to us, through the love we begin to feel from Him in our hearts.  This is one of the ways that other people notice we have changed, and arouses their curiosity.  God can then use that as an opportunity for us to share the Gospel message with our friends who do not know salvation.

As we accomplish the missions sent to us from our 'boss' in heaven, God is pleased, and He rejoices over us by literally singing praises for what we have done in His name.  Isn't that the type of experience that you would like to have?  How would you feel knowing that God was rejoicing over you for being obedient to His requests for you?  For me, and several of my friends, this is what we call feeling "Heavens High."  It is a feeling of being so lifted up spiritually, that your heart is lightened and you can feel the "heartbeat of heaven" in it.  I don't know about you, but that's a feeling I would so love to have everyday.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Hear and Be Wise

Hear, my son, and be wise: And guide your heart in the way. Proverbs 23:19

After my mom tells me something that I believe she thinks I should know or understand, she always asks me if I heard what she said. 

Just the other day, she told me that my room looked like a pig’s pen. She was having some guests for dinner and she did not want to be embarrassed by my messy room  and I needed to clean it up.  Well, I was on the phone with my best friend catching up on the latest “who’s who and what’s hot and what’s not.  My mom opened my door and said, “Did you hear me? I asked you to clean this room!“ 

I didn’t think my room looked quite that bad, but then this scripture came to my mind.  “There is a way that seems right to a man(in my case, a girl), but it’s end is the way of death.”  Proverbs 16:25.

I knew the wise thing to do was listen to my mom, because if I did not, I would regret it.  That was not my only motivation for listening to my mom.  If I didn’t my mom would suffer too.  She could be ashamed or embarrassed.  “The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who begets a wise child will delight in him.  Let your father and your mother be glad.  And let her who bore you rejoice.” Proverbs 23:24-25

Also this is a verse that helps me to remember to Hear and be Wise.  “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with PROMISE: that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”  Ephesians 6:1-3

Here, God gives us a commandment……to honor our parents.  But then He gives us a promise if we do this. ….. Things will go well with us and we will live a long life.   I know first hand, by experience that this scripture is true, and you may have learned it the “hard way” too.  I know that when I do not “hear and be wise”, when I do not honor my parents, then things will not go well with me, I usually get grounded.   My parents get disappointed and God is not pleased.   But when I do what my parents say, and especially without grumbling or complaining, something good always comes of it. 

So, I did clean my room the other day and my mom was happy.  Not only was she not embarrassed but she even  told me that I did a great job and I was a big help to her and that she wanted to do something nice for me.  So I asked her for a new shirt that I saw at the mall.  I am believing that because I honored my mom, something good will happen to me!

If you want to please God, your parents, and you want things to go well with you and live a long life…then,… Hear and be Wise!

[Soldier4Christ]

  You Have To Start Somewhere

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

We all want to do great things for God. We all want to accomplish certain things in our lives. In order to do something great, you sometimes have to start from the bottom. You have to start somewhere. Anybody who has gotten a big position whether in the church or in the secular world, had to start from the bottom. Some leaders or Pastors first started doing little things before God elevated them. Some had to clean the church or open the door on Sundays or teach a Sunday School class. In the secular world, some had to start from the mailing room or be a secretary or cashier before God elevated them to Manager or CEO. Don’t despise small beginnings. When you’re faithful over a few things, God will make you ruler over many things. Some of us just want to get to the top now, don’t care who they step over or how they get there, they don’t want to work to get there. I believe when you work hard and do all the necessary things to succeed, you will reach the top. We have to be humble. We have to be faithful. You have to start somewhere. If you have a dream, begin to write out your dreams and plans, do some research to find out more to how to get your dream to come to pass. Take a look at your life, what big thing or things you want to accomplish? How will you get there? What are you willing to do to get there? Remember you have to start from the bottom. Any business or church or any person that you see is successful and doing well now had to start from nothing. You have to start from somewhere. Good examples in the bible are Gideon and David. Gideon was threshing wheat when God called him. David was tending sheep. They were doing something, it may not be popular or something great but they were working before God elevated them to a higher level. Do what God want you to do. When you’re obedient to God, God will reward you. Some of you will have to go back to school and you may be thinking I am too old and I don’t want to go back, go back get your degree for there is a great work God want you to do. Some of you are wrestling with that gift or dream inside of you and you are always thinking about it, it is in your dreams, you can’t shake it. God is trying to get your attention, move forward with it. A great work lies ahead of you. You have to decide that you will do it. Again don’t despise small beginnings. You have to start somewhere.

[Soldier4Christ]

  The Promises of God

The LORD will demonstrate his holy power before the eyes of all the nations. The ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.  Isaiah 52:10 

God took away our sin, and the sin of the entire world when He sent His Son Jesus to take it all for us.  When Christ died, he gave us over to God's care, so that we would be looked after, guided and protected throughout our lives.  This is one of the promises we have been given, that God will never leave us nor forsake us.  If it were not for Christ's death on that cross, it could never have been fulfilled.

To go a step further, this verse has even more meaning.  Since we are under God's care, anything that we undertake for His good purpose and is pleasing to Him, will be accomplished and in fact, prosper. "But it was the LORD's good plan to crush him and fill him with grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have a multitude of children, many heirs. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD's plan will prosper in his hands. What an amazing promise for us in the body of the church to be given."  Isaiah 53:10 

I like to think of those verses as I head out on a mission trip.  Every one I have been on, I have witnessed the most remarkable events take place.  When we see the fruits of our days labor in the fields come to pass, it is an awesome experience and one that spurs us on to do it again the next day.  Every year I travel with a mission team, arranged through an evangelism organization in Dallas.  The purpose of our missions is to plant new churches, which is something we believe is for God's good purpose.  In the process, we go out every day and share the Gospel to the residents in the area of the new church plant.  When we are out working in the neighborhoods, we can actually see this verses' promise being delivered.  God has literally gone out before us and prepared the hearts of those He has called to be a part of that new church.  People's lives are literally changed right before our eyes.

It is the most awesome experience I have ever witnessed and been a part of.  I have recently shared this verse with a friend of mine from Australia.  We will be traveling on a mission this year, the very first for her.  I am so excited for her to witness first hand, the power of God's spirit moving, as we work in the neighborhoods each day.  The most incredible reward we receive on these missions is to see so many people give their hearts and lives to Christ.  If you have never been on a mission, I encourage you to go.  Your life will be changed forever, and you will witness firsthand, God fulfilling one of His many promises.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Bridges

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  John 1:1

Last week was my youth week at church.  It was absolutely amazing.  Our theme was “Bridges” and how you could make bridges between almost everything in our lives.  I was privileged to speak at church Sunday night on one of the spiritual bridges in our lives, the Word of God.

The Word of God not only is a bridge to God, but it is God.  John 1:1 says that the Word was God.  Since the Word is God, we know that we can turn to it whenever we need comfort or are lonely and He will always be there.

The Bible shows us how it can be a bridge when Jesus points out prophesies while teaching in the Temple.  He is able to prompt discussion about His identity by pointing out these things in the Word. 

Today when you need to be close to God, pick up your direct bridge to Him.  You can learn about Him, be comforted by Him, and see that great things that He has done and will do. 

[Soldier4Christ]

  God's Faithfulness

Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Psalms 36:5

God is faithful to His children.  His children listen to Him and obey Him.  That is the key element to exercise to receive the promises that God has in store for us.  Are there times when you might wonder why life isn't going as well as you had thought, hoped or wished it to would?   I am sure that if you are anything like me and many of my friends that sort of experience may have visited you on at least one and possibly multiple occasions.

Interestingly, God has spoken about this subject in various places throughout Scripture, Psalm 36 being just one example.  Psalm 86:15 is another wonderful example for us: "But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness."  So, not only is God faithful to us, but He is compassionate, gracious and slow to anger.  Isn't that comforting to know?  He's not going to deck us when we probably deserved it?

Psalm 91:11 shows us even more about this aspect of God's character:  "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart."  Not only will He not deck us, but He will protect us and defend us.  This of course depends on our obedience to God to be provided to us. 

When we are obedient, as Joshua was when God told him to step into the Jordan River so that he and the Israelites could go into the Promised Land, He will do the same for us.  He will part the waters, open the doors, lay a bridge, or provide for a need in just the right way, at just the right time.  This is how God fulfills His promises to us, in so many different ways.  All we have to do is say, "Lord here I am, I am yours and will follow you."  When God hears that, He knows you are ready to receive the promises that He has for you.  All He really wants to know is that we belong to Him.  Are you one of His children?

[Soldier4Christ]

  Choose Your Friends Wisely

He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed. Proverbs 13:20

What are your friends like?  Are they Christians?  Do they encourage you?  Can you share your belief in Jesus with them?  Do they give you Godly advise?  Are they really concerned about your moral, well being as a Christian?  Or do they tear you down or try to control you?  Do they inspire you to draw close to God?  Or do they cause you to slip away from God?  Do you mostly try to please them or God?

This is very IMPORTANT stuff!  It does matter, for you own well being, who you have as friends and who you marry. 

We, as Christians are called to love everyone, to be kind to everyone, to witness to the lost, BUT we have to be very careful who we spend a lot of our time with. Who we listen to and who we trust our hearts with.  We are to be wise as serpents and gentle as doves. That is true.   BECAUSE our close companions, those we share our very personal lives with WILL have an effect on our lives, either for our good or for our harm. 

God’s word tells us what kind of friends and spouses we should choose.  “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.  For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness?  And what communion has light with darkness?  And what accord has Christ with Belial?  Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?  And what agreement has the temple of God with idols?  For you are the temple of the living God.  As God has said;  I will dwell among them, I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”  Therefore, Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord.  Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.”  2 Corinthians 6:14-17

How can two walk together, unless they agree?  If you are “yoked” up with a non-believer and you are a believer, you are not going to agree.  There will be conflict.  You will be tempted to  compromise.  No friendship is worth forfeiting your beliefs. 

“Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Ephesians 5:17
“Do not enter the path of the wicked.  And do not walk in the way of evil.  Avoid it, do not travel on it. Turn away from it and pass on.” Proverbs 4:14-15
“Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse, he who guards his soul will be far from them.” Proverbs 22:5

If you are “hooked” up with the wrong people causing you to compromise your morals, your Christian standards, your beliefs, your faith, you need to find some new friends.  God will send you some really good friends, He WILL reward you!

[Soldier4Christ]

  We All Have Issues

And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. Matthew 5:25

Most of us know this story of the woman with the issue of blood who was suffering for twelve years. She came up behind Jesus and touched his cloak because she thought, if I just touch his clothes, I will be healed. Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. This woman had an issue. There was something that was beyond her control. Money couldn’t solve this problem. The doctor couldn’t help her. I find in our lives that we all have issues. We all have an issue or issues that are bigger than us that we need the lord touch and his help. No matter who you are. What title or position you have. No matter what you have done on this earth. No matter what impact you have impact in this world. We all have an issue that we battle with. An issue that we struggle with from day to day. We all have something that tried to destroy our lives. It is an issue that makes us weak. Even Superman had kryptonite. Can you imagine having to deal with something for years? This woman dealt with this issue for 12 years. Let’s not forget about the man in Bethesda who was sick for 38 years. Take a look at your life, what issue or issues do you need the lord help with? Let’s be real and honest. We have to be real if we want to be healed. What is the thing that is bothering you? What is the thing that you’re trying to break free from? What is the thing that you can’t shake off or get rid of? Once again no matter who you are or what you have accomplish here on earth, there is something that you can’t solve and you have nobody else to turn to. You have even turn to the wrong people for the answer. You have turn to the wrong thing for the answer. Your answer is in Jesus. Only he can help you with your issue. He wants to help you. Will you put down your pride? Will you get off your high horse? Will you admit that you have an issue and you need help? The lord want to help you today, will you turn to Jesus the problem solver? He is just one prayer away.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Changes

…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.  Hebrews 13:5

“Endings are usually sad and beginnings are usually scary, but it’s everything in between that makes it all worth living.”  I recently found this quote online and have adapted it as one of my life motto's.  This statement seems to be a fact of life.  I have recently made a large transition in my life, and I can see how this statement comes true.  It was hard to end my past experiences and it was scary to encounter a new situation, but I wouldn’t trade the memories of my past for anything.  I know my future will hold more experiences that truly are worth living for.

God said He would never leave us or forsake us.  We never have to worry about what is to come because our future is in His hands.  He will be with us through the endings, the beginnings, and the journeys.  We can always know He will be stable and with us.

Another quote I have recently heard that I have claimed is, “If nothing ever changed, there’d be no butterflies.”  God wants to walk with us along life’s journeys and turn us into beauty from whatever we have been.  He will guide us and turn us into the butterflies He created us for because of our willingness to follow Him throughout change.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Are Your Feet Wet?

And the Lord said to Joshua, 'Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: 'When you reach the edge of the Jordan's waters, go and stand in the river.' Joshua 3:7-8

When God told Joshua to tell the Israelites to go to the Jordan and put their feet in the water so the river would stop flowing He was testing his faith.  First, Joshua had to believe God would follow through on His promise.  Then, he had to have the faith to go tell the Israeleites to do it.  The significance here is that God would not stop the water from flowing unless the Israelites first stepped into it.  This was a huge test of faith for the surviving generation of Israelites who had just spent forty years wandering in the desert due to their unbelief.

Has God ever asked you to take a step of faith like this?  if so, how did you respond to it?  If He has not, how do you suppose you might?  Believe me, there will come a time, if it has not already happened, that God will put your faith to the test, just as He did Moses, Joshua, David and many others who served Him  Gos wants to know in whom and in what we trust.  As Isaiah once spoke; "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" 

That's an example of ultimate faith!  God is looking for people who are faithful to Him.  For those who are obedient to His requests and the directions He sends to us.  Joshua knew this also, having witnessed his father's generation losing there entry into the Promised Land due to their lack of faith.  Joshua was one of two, the other being Caleb, who had enough faith in God to believe they would be delivered into the Promised Land.

Do you believe That God can deliver you into the Promised Land he has waiting for you?  Are you willing to get your feet wet?  All of God's promises are true, every one of them.  "Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed."  Joshua 23:14  Believe His promises and dare to get your feet wet!!

[Soldier4Christ]

  Blessings

God shall bless us…  Psalm 67:7

Life can be very stressful. You never know what will come and you must be prepared for it all. Sometimes there will be big projects that seem to overload on each other, like the day that your teachers decide they are all going to have tests on the same day.  There are so many expectations you must live up to.  Being a teen is not always the carefree life people want to make it out to be.
Life isn’t all bad though.  Reading through Matthew 5, you can see the Be Attitudes that Jesus talks about.  He explains the blessings that come to people whose hearts are pure, are merciful, are meek, etc.  There are tons of blessings that God pours out through the scriptures. When you search them, you can see how blessed your life is by God. 

Even when things seem to be going bad, don’t forget all of the blessings God has in store for you.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Get on the Devil's Nerves


The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10

The devil main objective is to steal, kill and destroy. We should expect the devil to attack our lives. If we are tearing devil kingdom down we ought to expect the devil to do something to us. We ought to be getting on the devil nerves. The devil wants to destroy your life. He will do whatever it takes to have you. He knows you. He knows your weakness. He knows what you like. He knows what gets to you. We ought to be working against the devil, doing what God has called and chosen us to do. If the devil has been attacking your life, it is a sign that you are doing damage to his kingdom. You are getting on his nerves. When you get on someone nerves, they usually yell or hit or do something to you or make a reaction letting you know to leave them alone. Can you imagine that you are on the devil mind? You are all he thinks about. He is plotting and strategizing how to get to you. The devil will attack you because he knows your future. He knows what is coming. He knows the blessing is coming. He knows your victory is ahead so he is doing all he can to mess you up and prevent you from getting to where you need to be. That’s why you had a rough childhood. That’s why you went through some things in your life that were unbearable. He wants to have you. Get on his nerves by doing what you are called to do. Get on his nerves by being obedient to God. Get on his nerves by living a holy and pure life. Cause the devil to hate you. Cause the devil to not stand you. Strike a blow to the kingdom of darkness. Are you getting on the devil nerves or is he getting on your nerves? What are you going to do to get on his nerves? Go get on the devil nerves.

[Soldier4Christ]

  How's Your Thought Life?

We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.  2 Corinthians 10:5

How do you deal with thoughts that you either think or know will offend God, or others?  The kind of thoughts I have in mind are not limited to any particular subject area.  We can have all sorts of thoughts that would offend God; like wanting to hurt someone emotionally or physically, to having impure thoughts towards the opposite sex.  The last one that is generally more troublesome for the males out there.

I was having a discussion with a good friend just today about this.  It has sort of been my opinion that females ought to dress in a way that would not attract attention to certain areas of the female anatomy.  However, I was challenged by my friend, a female, on this thinking.  After listening to her I began to realize that she made some very valid points.  One being the fact that men need to be able to control their eyes and where they tend to go and perhaps even stay for longer than might be considered appropriate.

This was one of those WOW moments!!  Another point she made was men really don't have a right to tell women what to wear.  In a sense, that could be construed to being manipulative or controlling.  Certainly, women might consider modesty as a virtue, however, just because they may not, that doesn't give a guy a "license" to stare or look so long that the woman is made to feel uncomfortable.  It's very easy to develop a bad habit and not realize how seriously it might be affecting your life, and relationships.  Guys, do your eyes linger longer than they should? 

I believe the above verse is a useful one to keep in mind when a situation where your eyes might stay 'stuck' longer than they should, or when impure thoughts start to creep into your mind.  Paul wrote about taking license with the liberty Grave provides.  We ought to be careful to not destroy our own souls, not only our Brother's, by allowing ourselves to fall into the brink of evil by lusting after things we ought not to be.  For all you guys out there, try looking at your female friends through the eyes of Jesus, and see what a difference it makes.