Devotions for Teens

[Soldier4Christ]

  Arguing with God


Shamefully, I must admit, I am the queen of arguing with God. When my mom
first became ill I got angry, I told Him that He needed to heal her now.
Well, he didn't and that infuriated me even more. When he called my nanny
home, I screamed at Him for hours. When he took away my best friend, I
turned away from Him.

He lovingly accepted me back when I was willing. But, I didn't stop. He
called me into ministry, I said no. I would not speak in front of people. I
wanted a quiet, stable job. I didn't want to be a youth minister!
Eventually, He got me to agree. Now, he's changing my heart so that not only
am I doing it for Him, But; I want to do it.

Today I was talking with my best friend Lauren. She is moving to France for
a year to further her education there. I became so angry with God. Why would
He put such an amazing person in my life and then let her walk away? I
sobbed as I told her I was happy for her (which I was, but oh so sad for
me). Then I sat down and opened my Bible.

Then the LORD said to Job, "Do you still want to argue with the Almighty?
You are God's critic, but do you have the answers?" (Job 40:1-2) NLT

OK, you win again God. Why do I ask such questions? Why do I doubt the
judgment of the creator of this beautiful world? I will never understand
why. But, I gave it to God. I handed Him my broken, lonely heart. I know His
plan is so much bigger, and who am I to argue? If you are wrestling with God
about a situation in your life, let this verse stop you in your tracks, just
as it did for me. God knows what he is doing. Trust Him and don't argue!

[Soldier4Christ]

  Revolution


Cesar Chavez, the founder of the United Farm Workers Union, had this to say one time...

"There's no turning back...We will win. We are winning because ours is a revolution of mind and heart..."

You've probably also heard the old saying, "If you set your mind to it, you can do anything!"

The cause of Christ and His kingdom is a revolution that has been going on for over 2000 years now. The origins of this revolution were in the mind and heart. When Jesus came to live among the people of His day, He challenged them, in a sense, to revolt against their own hearts and minds and to expose the injustices they were committing against themselves, others, and God. It was a revolution against those things that they appointed as kings in their lives, pride, greed, sin, lust, complacency, etc. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, wrote, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your MIND, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 11: 2)

Jesus is confronting us today, challenging us to be reconciled to God through His sacrifice on the cross. It is time to overthrow the ruling ties of sin in our hearts and to welcome in the King of Glory. Renew your mind and your heart will surely follow. This is your day. Jesus is challenging you by asking; "Who do YOU say that I am?" (Matthew 16: 13-19).

[Soldier4Christ]

  Storms In Life

You see a man struggling to stand and survive in the midst of a great storm, the wind is howling and rain is beating down on him.  He can't even see because of the sting of the hard rain.  He is holding himself to try to keep warm.  He finds it difficult to walk for the wind is blowing so hard in resistance.  The wind and rain force him to his knees.  He holds his ears trying to keep out the howling of the wind and blasts of thunder, while trying to shelter his face from stinging pain of the driving sheets of rain. The lightening is horrifying as it cracks near him.  The flash shows nothing but ugliness around him with its distorted lights and shadows.  This man is in a difficult situation, a storm in his life. All he can do at this point is sit and try to protect himself till the storm blows over.

We have many storms in our lives, one after another.  I get letters for many TDDM members who tell me some of the storms in their lives.  The letters are full of deaths, abuse, emptiness, heartache, and illness, just to name a few.  When we find ourselves in the middle of one of life's storms we feel like the man who is being pounded from every which way, being pounded to the ground by the misery of the storm.  Just because we are Christians doesn't mean we won't have storms in our lives.  But what is does mean is that God will go through the storm with us. 

The man hears a voice that tells him to reach out.  He feels a hand on his arm as someone helps him to his feet.  He feels a warm blanket being wrapped around his cold body.  Someone is helping him into a place of shelter.  The man is scared and hurting, dripping wet and cold but he knows he is safe from the storm now.  God is with us through every storm in our lives.  We will still feel the sting but God is there to give us warmth, guidance and comfort for all we have to go through in this life.  Next time you are in a storm and see no way out from the pain, remember God is right there with you waiting to take you to a safe place.  All you need to do is reach out for Him.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Stand Firm In Your Faith


If you do not stand firm in your faith,
you will not stand at all. (Isaiah 7:9)

       Former President Harry S. Truman once remarked that no president of our nation has ever escaped abuse and even libel from the press. He noted that it was far more common than rare to find a president publicly called a traitor. Truman further concluded that the president who had not fought with Congress or the Supreme Court hadn't done his job.
     
       What is true for an American President is also true for everyone else. No matter how small people's jobs may be - there will be others who oppose them, ridicule them, and perhaps even challenge them to a fight. That is why people cannot expect to conduct themselves as if they were trying to win a popularity contest. Rather, people need to chart the courses they feel compelled to walk in life. and then they need to do so with heads held high and their convictions intact. It's simply a matter of taking life in stride and recognizing that all people will eventually face the test of ridicule and criticism as they uphold their principles or defend their morals.
     
       It's inevitable that you will be criticized or attacked sometime in your life. But collapsing from fear of an attack isn't inevitable. Stand firm in your faith and the Lord will stand with you.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Getting Real About Pornography


"Some people say that looking at a porno is not a sin. God made the human body and sex, why is it a sin then? What are your thoughts?"

Let's get real.  We know what's right and wrong.  I think it's safe to say that it is almost impossible to look at pornographic photo of a woman or man and consider it objectively as a work of art.  Rembrandts, Monet, or the Sistine Chapel is works of art, not photographed naked women, or men, romping around in a sexual tryst.  That is a perversion.  We know the difference.  Whether we choose to fool ourselves by saying there's nothing harmful about it is something else.  We know the truth.

Jesus spoke the truth before Pilate as He was being condemned.  When Jesus proclaimed to Pilate the fact that everyone who is of the truth would hear His voice, Pilate sarcastically replied, "What is truth?" as if to say, "Your truth is different from my truth."

Isn't that the struggle today?  What is art?  What is obscene?  What is considered pornographic?  God made the human body, shouldn't it be naked for all of us to behold and admire?  Unfortunately, this worldly way of thinking has permeated even church youth groups all across the nation.  Do you believe that the Bible is the Word of God?  Then, let's see what God has to say...

1 Corinthians 6: 9... "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived.  Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortionist will inherit the kingdom of God."

1 Corinthians 6: 18-20... "Flee sexual immorality.  Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.  Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."

Galatians 5: 18-21... "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanliness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."

Jesus said it best.  Matthew 5: 28... "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

Truth is truth, no matter what you believe.  I've never been to the Grand Canyon and I really don't believe it's that big.  Well, the truth of the matter is that it IS that big, no matter what I personally believe.  Heaven and Hell exist because the Bible says they do, and we will ultimately end up in one of them by the way we live our lives.  Pornography, sexual immorality, lewdness, course joking, sexual innuendoes, and the like will send us straight to Hell.  It doesn't get any more REAL than that!

[Soldier4Christ]

  Wholehearted Devotion


Hezekiah sought his God wholeheartedly. As a result, he was very successful.

(2 Chronicles 31:21) NLT

What is success in our culture today? Is it money? Power? Fame? Friends? And
how do people get there? Cheating? Lying? Stealing? Is it really success
then? I think you'd agree with me when I say that our society is very
materialistic. Worth is based on things like money, fame, power, and
influence.

But then, where does God fit in? Is he something that we should hide? I
don't think so! Hezekiah is a great example. He sought the Lord even above
what was popular or what society thought would make him successful. He
abandoned material things and sought only God.

What was the result? He was successful. Not only was he just successful, but
very successful. Do you think maybe God was trying to tell us here that if
we seek Him above all else and with all of our heart, we will find so much
more than those who value worldly success? I do. So, what are you seeking?
Are you seeking God? Are you doing so wholeheartedly? I encourage you to
assess where you stand and make things right with God. He wants to give you
success in abundance, but He knows that true success is found in Him alone.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Blessings in Disguise

Sometimes a problem is actually a blessing in disguise. It prevents you from getting involved in something more harmful.

"It is better to suffer for doing good than for doing wrong..." 1 Peter 3:17 (NCV)

In other words, suffering is cool, when it's for the right reasons.
Another homework assignment for y'all.. Start reading in Genesis chapter 37 about Joseph. He had eleven brothers who hated his guts. He was the favorite son; his dad spoiled him rotten, he gave him a coat he didn't give everyone else. One of the eleven brothers decided to gang up on their younger brother and said, "Let's take Joseph and sell him into slavery." They take their younger brother, sell him to some traveling guys going to Egypt, selling him to slavery. Then they tell their dad, "Poor Joseph was eaten by a lion." You think you have dysfunctional family!

The first 40 years of Joseph's life were all downhill. Sold to an owner whose wife tries to seduce him. And Joseph says,"No, you are married. I'm going to do what God says to do." So she frames him for rape. He's thrown in prison as a slave, in a foreign country for a crime he didn't commit. He was suffering. in the will of God. How do I know that? Because you read on...

You'll see that God was positioning him to be raised up as second in command in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. He came up with a plan to stockpile grain for seven years of famine and save the Middle East. All the countries of the Middle East had to come to Egypt for grain. His own brothers ultimately were forced to come face and face with a brother they had betrayed. Joseph could have had them beheaded.

But he says in Genesis 50:20:
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good..."
Genesis 50:20

A problem is simply preparation for future success. You're going through the fire right now - you don't realize, God is looking out 10 or 15 years, he sees how it's all going to work out, and how your suffering is going to pay off.Learn from suffering and failure. And remember - the problem you are going through might keep you from something much worse! We must..

Ask: "How might this problem be preventing something?"

[Soldier4Christ]

  A Glass Of Milk

I think that so often we are consumed by some temptation or desire to do something bad when we know it is wrong. We even know it is wrong while we are doing it. And instead of helping ourselves out and practicing on preventing these things from happening, we continue to do these things. The answer is of course a mystery, but I think I have a pretty good explanation and analogy.

Picture this. You get a glass of milk. You fill it up as you would if you were going to drink it. Take a look at the glass as it sits on the table. The white would be the light. The Lord is the truth, the light and the life. So we'll consider Christ the white milk. Now, get some food coloring and add just a drop to the white milk and mix it around. What happens? It begins to change colors. If you were to add blue food coloring, it would be a light blue at first. But if you continue to add the coloring, it will become darker and darker. And before you know it, the white milk, which was filled to the top with Christ, is now dark and filled with vanity.

I think that is what so many of us do in our lives. I know I do. There are so many things you could compare this to. You may be having a problem with lust, or using cuss words, or drinking on the weekends, or pre-marital sex, or any other sinful thing that may be slowing your run to Christ. The good news is that there is such an amazing way to control the problem.

Just like any other thing you do in your lives, the bad things become habits, so I know it is hard to just stop doing something. But look at the greater glory of just putting in an effort. Start filling that glass back up with white milk. The glass may need to get bigger and you may have to pour it out and start over, but either way, the more white milk you add, the lighter your milk will become. And the closer you will grow to the Lord.

Ecclesiastes is a great book to read about the world's vanity. Even though it isn't always nice to read about the bad things, realizing that you can change those things and "whiten" your life is an amazing feeling.

[Soldier4Christ]

  What Is A Prayer


I know that over the years I have seen how prayer works for me.  Several years ago I started a Prayer Journal and wrote my prayers to God every week or so.  I can look back now and see how God answered these prayers.  Sometimes He said yes and gave me what I prayed for and sometimes He said no, because He had something better in mind.  And there were times when I had to wait on His timing.  Even though I have had hard times in my life I always could feel God's presence because I talk to Him and Him to me, by constant prayer.  Prayer is one of the most gratifying and easiest things to do. Make it a habit to pray often and see how God will work in your life.

In Luke 11:1, one of Jesus' disciples said, "Lord, teach us to pray."  It was obvious the Jesus' strength came from His time in prayer.

What is Prayer?
Basically, prayer is communication between you and God.  "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know." Jeremiah 33: 3

Just try to think of trying to cope with your problems if there was no way to communicate with God. Remember that God created us for fellowship with Him.  He desires that we learn to spend time with Him in prayer.


Why Do People Fail to Pray?
We often convince ourselves that we can make it without prayer. 
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding: in all you ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs: 5-6

How to Pray
Be real; be yourself.  You must be honest, genuine, open with God.  "Who may stand before the Lord?  Only those who do not practice dishonesty and lying."  Psalm 24: 3-4

Come before God as a child.  "The greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven is the one who humbles himself and becomes like this child."  Matthew 18:4

Talk to God as you would a friend.  "Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend." Exodus 33:11

Pray without ceasing.  "Pray at all times." 1 Thes. 5:17
Pray with persistence.  "Pray and never give up." Luke 18:1
Pray believing. ".... all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you." Mark 11:24
Prayers must be specific. Pray generally -- you'll never know. Pray specifically -- you'll see God at work.

God always answers prayer, in His time. 
God sometimes says, "No."
God sometimes says, "Wait."
God sometimes says, "Yes," and can even say "Yes" but in a different way than you expected.  Usually when you seek God, and you are praying according to His will, He will answer your prayer far beyond what you could ever dream.

Pray with Action.
A prayer can never take the place of action.  Like love, it must be expressed in action and not merely words.  "Be ye doers of the word." James 1:22

Don't just pray:
"Dear God, please help John today "

Example of How to pray:
"Dear God, I really hurt for John.  I want Your will for his life to be accomplished today. If there is any way that You can use me, I am available.  Please make me sensitive to any doors that You might open to use me in his life today."  Be specific for his needs according to God's will and for your needs in this request as well.


Elements of a Prayer
Remember A-C-T-S.
A - Adoration is praising God for who He is.  This can be done by reading scriptures of praise or through music.
C - Confession is agreeing with God about your sin.  True confession always includes repentance, which is a change in your life.  Confession is important for spiritual growth.
T - Thanksgiving is thanking God for when He has done.
S - Supplication means requests.  These are the things that you ask God for.  There are 2 categories.
  1.  Petition is praying for our own needs.  We pray when we are in a bind.  We pray for our daily needs.  We need to pray for character development, physical abilities and material needs.
   2. Intercession is praying for others.  Praying for salvation as well as areas listed above.  "....... far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you" 1 Samuel 12:23

~ PRAYERS CAN'T BE ANSWERED UNLESS THEY ARE PRAYED~

Life without purpose is barren indeed ~
There can't be a harvest unless you plant the seed.
There can't be attainment unless there's a goal,
And a man's but a robot unless there's a soul.
If we send no ships out, no ships will come in,
And unless there's a contest, nobody can win.
For games can't be won unless they are played
And prayers can't be answered unless they are prayed.
So whatever is wrong with your life today,
You'll find a solution if you kneel down and pray.
Not just for pleasure, enjoyment and health,
Not just for honors, prestige or wealth,
But pray for a purpose to make life worth living,
And pray for the joy of unselfish giving,
For great is your gladness and rich your reward
When you make your life's purpose the choice of the Lord.
Helen Steiner Rice

~ LET YOUR WISH BECOME A PRAYER ~

Put your dearest wish in God's hands today
And discuss it with Him as you faithfully pray,
And you can be sure your wish will come true
If God feels your wish will be good for you...
There's no problem too big or question too small ~
Just ask God in Faith and He'll answer them all ~
Not always at once, so be patient and wait,
For God never comes too soon or too late...
So trust in His wisdom and believe in His word,
No prayer's unanswered and no prayer's unheard.
Helen Steiner Rice

[Soldier4Christ]

  Emotional Restoration

You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life
again and lift me up from the depths of the earth. You will restore me to
even greater honor and comfort me once again. (Psalm 71:20-21) NLT

Have you ever been emotionally dead? If not, have you ever been hurt so
badly that you felt like giving up on someone or something. I think most, if
not all of us have been there. When we reach this point in out lives, we
crash and break. Sometimes it seems as though it would be impossible to
repair.

My childhood wasn't a very happy one. By the time I was 13 I was emotionally
dead. I couldn't function and feel. There was way too much pain, bitterness,
and shame in my heart. But when I decided to let Christ to enter my heart,
He opened me up. He brought me back to life again. He unlocked the chains in
my heart that bound me and set me free. He brought me back to life again.

Jesus raised many people from the dead in His lifetime. He promises that His
power didn't end there. Now, even in today's world, he brings people back
from the dead. He brings them back from the deepest of deaths...emotional
death. He takes those that have been hurt beyond repair and pieces them
together again to make them even more beautiful than before.

Are you there now? Are you spiraling your way towards emotional death or
numbness? God promises that he will raise you up, lift you from the "depths
of the earth," and give you greater glory in Him. I encourage you to pray
with confidence in asking for emotionally healing. Why wait, God is ready to
heal you now.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Kissing It All Goodbye


I've been receiving a lot of email recently concerning the Bible and kissing. The consensus is that many teens want to have a godly relationship with their boy/girlfriends and want to wait to have sex until they're married. However, many want to have a kissing relationship, and want to know if this is okay with the Bible. Let's take a look...

It's interesting to note that the first recorded kiss in the Bible involved deceit. Genesis 27: 22-27 describes the story of how Jacob betrayed his ailing father Isaac with a kiss, and stole the blessing that rightfully belonged to his brother Esau.

Moving on to the New Testament, Matthew 26: 48 & 49 describes how Jesus was handed over to the Roman guards by the signal of a kiss.

Now, I know that the kissing that we're talking about is different, but is it? We fool ourselves by saying, "Well, sex before marriage is wrong, but kissing is innocent." While kissing, in and of it, may seem harmless, it's what it can lead to that is dangerous. So, in a way, kissing still betrays and deceives us, making us believe that it is harmless. The statistics on teenage pregnancy are clear evidence that sexual promiscuity is a spark that can, and usually does, become a raging, out of control fire, leaving untold damage in it's wake.

Contrary to popular belief and modern culture, kissing and other forms of physical affection are 'adult' issues and should be reserved for the marriage covenant. You're young. Enjoy your teens. Remember the Creator in your youth. Don't get involved in things that may have the potential to mess up what God has planned for you.

1 Corinthians 3: 16, 17... "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of god, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are."

1 Corinthians 7: 1, 2... "Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man NOT to touch a woman. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband."

Romans 6: 12... "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts."

Your life is too precious to kiss it all goodbye. Stay pure, stay strong, and keep the faith.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Spiritual Health


Dear friend, I am praying that all is well with you and that your body is as
healthy as I know your soul is. 3 John 1:2 (NLT)

Can you remember the last time you were really sick? Was it the flu? Was it
bronchitis? Pneumonia? Appendicitis? There are so many sicknesses that
plague the world today. There are even some illnesses that don't go away.
Things like asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, Cancer, and in my case, Fibromyalgia,
are chronic-that is, they are always with us.

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia after many years of seeing clueless
doctors. I was living in serious pain and was completely exhausted all the
time. I wasn't really functioning. Thankfully, they have since figured out
what it is causing the pain, and I am being treated for it. The pain and
exhaustion are still there, but manageable.

In John's letter he comments that he is "praying...that your body is as
healthy as your soul is." Wow. During times of illness, how many of us can
say that our souls were very healthy? I know I can't. I can be tired,
irritable, and at times, downright mean. But, wouldn't it be amazing if we
could remain joyful, peaceful, and full of contagious love even through
illness?

If you are in the midst of a battle with illness, no matter how large or
small, try to remember that there is more to life than physical health. No
matter what our physical condition, we are called to be of good Spiritual
health. Seek God in the midst of pain...He'll make it so much easier. Then,
you will be able to say that you wish your body were as healthy as your
soul.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Compassion

Colossians 3:12 "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." (NIV)


I truly believe that today's biggest obstacle as disciples of Jesus who are redeemed by the blood is a simple lack of compassion.

Our main belief radiates from the greatest example of compassion dealt in history.  Why, then, is being compassionate such a struggle?  Perhaps the lack of compassion generated by us believers is a direct reflection of a misunderstanding of the term.

When someone is having a problem, a natural instinct inhibits us to feel sorry for that person.  Compassion?  No, sympathy.  Then sometimes we tell another person of the problem.  Gossip. Prayer certainly helps, but a person having a multitude of problems is seeking a direct interaction and something deeper.  "Something," in its generality, describes what we disciples possess a relationship with the Almighty Father and the amazing benefits reaped.


Therefore, when you encounter someone who is hurting or struggling with worldly issues (drinking, popularity, self-worth, etc.), change your sympathy into compassion by telling him that Jesus absolutely adores them and/or providing a loving heart and listening ear.  This will display prominent compassion, indness, humility, gentleness, and patience. This said,now, "Go become fishers of men."  May God's shining light find you, his beacon.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Worshipping


"But an hour is coming, and now is, when true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be his worshippers. God is spirit and those who worship Him, must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:23-24

What is worship and what does it have to do with me, an ordinary Christian? In these verses we see that we are to be worshippers of God the Father, that God is spirit and he desires for us to worship Him in spirit and in truth. In fact, John says in verse 24, we MUST worship in spirit and truth. Worship is to be something we do with thought and even preparation. We must look into our lives and see what is there before we go to God to worship Him.

You may think of worship as a one-way street; something you do to or for God. You feel good when you're done and overall the experience was about you. It was what you did for God. However, these verses are so much more about God than about man. They tell us what our heart and mind should be like before God. In order to worship God we must know something about Him. In footnotes to these verses Charles Ryrie states, "the English word 'worship' was originally spelled 'Worthship' and means to acknowledge the worth of an object worshipped…" It isn't possible to acknowledge the worth of someone or something that we know nothing about. So, perhaps we could begin our journey into the arena of worship by spending time getting to know God. By reading God's word and allowing the Holy Spirit to show us the truths found therein, we can begin acknowledging the worthiness of God. This would be a form of worship to God.

Worship can take place anywhere and at any time. The focus is to be on God alone. When we are obedient to do His work, or to follow a lead He has given us, we are worshipping Him! When we get out of ourselves and clear our minds of the busyness of the day and pray or sing to Him, we worship Him. When we read from His word and experience the Holy Spirit imparting to us the truths found there we are worshipping. Don't think that you can only worship God in one way and that it must be at church. Worship can be very personal or it can be corporate with the family of God. Either way it is about acknowledging God and His greatness. He is Almighty God and He is worthy of our praise! Read Psalms 29 and Revelation 4:9-11 for a picture of the majesty and power of God!

These verses in John also state that we're to worship in spirit-for God is spirit; and in truth-as God is also truth. As we move ahead in our times of worship we need to continually be aware of sin in our lives and to ask God's forgiveness so we can come before Him in truth. Perhaps a way to start each time of worship would be with the words of this psalm/chorus, based on Psalm 51:10-12:

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a right spirit within me.
Restore unto me the joy of my salvation and
Renew a right spirit within me.

We need to be honest before God. We need to lay aside all the busyness of life around us and move into a time of fellowship and worship with our Lord. Singing, praying, being quiet and listening to God speak to our hearts are all forms of worship. Find someplace today to worship our Lord. Cleanse your heart before Him and enter into His gates with thanksgiving in your heart for who our God is!

[Soldier4Christ]

  Hope Amidst Despair


(Elijah) sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough Lord," he said, "Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors."
~1 Kings 19:4

When I was 13 years old I lost my best friend to suicide. I was beyond devastated. The one person I really loved had chosen to end his life. I felt a whirlwind of emotions. I couldn't understand how I had failed him. I couldn't understand how he could have left me. I didn't understand why he would WANT to die.

I found out less than a year later. I became suicidal. I felt so alone and unwanted. Why should I fight through the pain to live if I was unwanted? I was extremely close to ending it all when I found my faith. I was introduced to Jesus and He quickly became my best friend.

As I have grown I have learned that everyone feels the temptation to end it all. Far too many act on those temptations. But, as in my case, sometimes it is the catalyst for wonderful things. Elijah, a wonderful prophet who is known for his amazing faith and deeds even wanted to die. Had he acted on those desires we know that he would not have seen the wonderful glory he did when he went to heaven on a pillar of fire. But, he didn't.

The good news: You don't have to either.

God is ready and willing to help lift you out of the pit of despair and depression. He is ready to hold your hand as you stand back up. Until you can do that on your own, He is ready and willing to carry you. You have people around you who DO love you. You have Christian brothers and sisters who pray for you. Lean on those who love you...especially on God. If you can't see those people in your life, or if you need direction on where to look in the Bible, or simply need a friend, feel free to e-mail me.