Devotions for Teens

[Soldier4Christ]

  Roadblock to our destiny: Pride

Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more….When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him…
Gen 37: 5,10

Most all of us have dreams that God has given us either a long time ago or recently. However, there are times when the dream does not come true right away. As a microwave society, we have a hard time waiting for something. Sometimes, even our microwaves are not fast enough. God does not work in our time schedule though.

Joseph was given his dream at age 17. It did not come to pass until he was 30. There were several reasons for this but the first reason that we see is because God needed to work out the pride in him. If you read all of Genesis 37:1-11 you find that Joseph tells his brothers and his dad both dreams he had and basically is boasting about them. It is one thing to share the dream God has given you, but to brag about it is another. God knew that it would take time to work the pride out in Joseph’s heart before his dream could become his destiny.

How long has it been since God gave you your dream? Have you given up on it or do you still pursue God about it? Take a look, pray about it, and see if the reason God hasn’t allowed that dream to come true yet is due to pride. Pride is innate in humans. We all have to deal with it in some area of our life. Even if we have passed a pride test in the past, God tends to go just a little deeper or into another area just to show us that we continually have to rely on Him to purify us. He keeps turning up the heat. If we can’t handle the dream, we can’t handle the destiny. When we continue to pass God’s tests and prove to him we are ready, it is at that point, He will give us our destiny. Next week’s roadblock: Difficult times and how we handle them.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Jehovah-jireh

“Seek first the kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself...” Matthew 6:33,34

In this passage Matthew is making an appeal to us to understand that God has every intention of providing for us so we don’t have to worry about what we’ll eat, drink, or wear. Look at the birds. They don’t sow, or reap, or store things away, yet God feeds them. If we’re more valuable than they are, then what are the chances that God will do the same for us? And what about the lilies in the fields? They don’t run around looking for a flower to go with their stem, yet the stem of a lily is clothed with beautiful petals. I was recently challenged in this area of my life---letting God be my Jehovah-jireh.

When I moved out on my own over the summer I was happy to have a float device called a “savings account”. The savings has helped but I was naive to think that it was my lifesaver. I have used some of my savings towards various things and I thought I had it all under control until I was in a car accident, which left my car unrepairable. I was left with a ticket, towing fees, and without a car. I felt so defeated and almost in acceptance of “what’s done is done” that I hardly took the time to wonder how I would ever get an affordable car with my flotation device almost deflated. I was completely overcome, left with nothing. I didn’t ask for the things that followed, but God provided.

After the accident I went in to work and was informed by another employee that her brother was about to put his car up for sale---his nice and very affordable car. He even lowered the price for me after his sister told him about my situation. The day after that I was surprised to find that the back seat of the car I was borrowing was filled with groceries. Days later I received a call from someone at the church who, totally unaware of my accident, informed me that I would be receiving a gift basket of food and a gift card due to hearing that I was living off of ramen noodles since being on my own. And as if that’s not enough, I also had an offer for my heating bill to be paid for the winter.

Sometimes God allows us to go through unpleasant things so He can remind us that we can trust Him to provide for us. God’s got my back. Can He have yours too?

[Soldier4Christ]

  I was crushed!

“Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations where they are carried captive, because I was crushed by their adulterous heart which has departed from Me . . .” Ezekiel 6:9

As I think back over my life, I cringe as I remember 6th grade – it was the worst three years of my life.  Just kidding!  But something tragic and horrible happened to me in 6th grade.  Something so dark and filled with horror that just the thought of it causes me to shrink into a corner. Okay that may be a bit dramatic, but it wasn’t exactly my proudest moment.  That particular day started out just fine as I passed a note to the girl of my dreams during class.  The note held the future of our relationship with those immortal words, “Will you go with me?  Check yes or no!”  I was thrilled to get the note back and see the big checkmark next to yes.  What a feeling!  I had a girlfriend and life was good.  Then. . . we went to recess.

Recess wasn’t bad, in fact, I liked it a lot.  Until that day, anyway!  As we headed outside our teacher informed the class that we would be playing softball.  Great, one of my best sports, this should be good!  After splitting up teams we came to the pivotal moment.  My newfound girlfriend was pitching for the opposing team and I was up to bat.  The pitch came lofting in like a beach ball and, man, I got all of it.  I just knew the sight of that ball flying way, way, way over the fence would impress her and let her know that she made the right choice.  That is, if in fact, the ball had gone over the fence.  Instead with all the blistering speed of a rocket it went . . . squarely into the nose of my new girlfriend.  Needless to say the romance was over.  It lasted a whopping 15 minutes.  I was crushed!

Being crushed is not a good feeling.  I hated it.  What hurt the most was the fact that she was “attached” again as soon as the swelling went down.  In Ezekiel, God tells us that He was crushed.  Why?  Because his people had dumped him and fallen in love with idols.  God has real emotions and His love for us runs deep.  His desire is that we remain in a love relationship with him and not allow anything to come between us and Him.   When it does, you can expect Him to be hurt. 

God is real!  His love for you and me is very real!  And He desperately wants more than anything else. . .you!  Try returning the favor and see what happens.  By the way, if you see my “girlfriend” from 6th grade, tell her I’m now rich and famous!  I’m not, but tell her that anyway!

[Soldier4Christ]

  Knowing Jesus or Knowing About Jesus

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world." John 4:39-42 (NIV)

Why is it that people who have been Christians for years can only offer a few scripture verses and nothing more to comfort someone when they are in pain? Why is it that so many Christians are called hypocrites? Why is it that so many Christians are satisfied to sit in a pew on Sunday morning then completely dismiss all they heard as they walk out of the church doors? Why is Christianity a religion where most of the followers know very little about spiritual things? The answer is simple, too many Christians don't know Jesus, they only know about Jesus. They believe in Jesus because of what someone else has experienced, they never experience Him for themselves.

Imagine you were a person in the Samaritan village when the women came back screaming and making noise about the Christ being a few blocks away. Imagine listening to her as she was telling the crowd about what He had done and the things He told her. Then imagine going home while a few people in the village went to see what the lady was talking about. This is exactly what we do in Christianity when we listen to the sermon on Sunday then leave the church without letting the message make a difference in our daily lives, we would be better off just staying at home.

A true seeker could not resist going to the well as fast as they could. They could not resist seeing this man in person, they could not resist listening to Him and asking Him questions. They could not resist following what this man had to say if they were truly touched by what He said to them.  They could not resist knowing Him. The same is true for a true seeker in the church today. A true seeker could not resist trying what the preacher says. A true seeker could not resist taking a bible and comparing it to what the preacher was saying. A true seeker could not resist praying and trying to hear God's voice.  A true seeker could not resist stepping up and living the life God wants us to live. This is the difference between knowing Jesus and knowing about Jesus.

Do you know Jesus?  Or are you happy just knowing about Him?   If you were in the Samaritan's village, could you say "now I believe because I've seen it for myself."?  Or would you tell her "it's really great what that guy did for you. It sounds pretty cool."?  Do you think Jesus is the savior of the world or do you know that Jesus is the savior of the world? If you have been a Christian for a while and the biggest event that you can talk about is being baptized in to the Lord, you are missing out on the living experience. The only way to know if you know Jesus is if you've truly heard Him and experienced Him for yourself. Have you? Jesus says that all who seek will find, all who ask will receive and all who knock will have the door opened for them. Have you? If not, start asking, seeking, and knocking and you will be amazed at what the Lord begins doing in your life.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Right Hands Up

For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Isaiah 41:13

Having taken a logics class last semester, the first thing that pops out to me after reading that verse is, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’ Doesn’t it sound kind of like God is going to help you fear? Alright, all silliness aside. One of the greatest cases of fear that I see in the Bible is Elijah.
Yes, that prophet whom appeared out of nowhere, and was anointed by God himself.

1 Kings 19:2-4 says “So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, 'May the gods deal with me … if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.'  Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He…prayed that he might die. 'I have had enough, LORD,' he said. 'Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.'

Here we have an awesome man of faith saying that he can’t do it any longer. Talk about some major let down for the people reading his story. Elijah started out his ministry by being fed by ravens, and drinking from a brook for quite some time. Then cried out to God and raised a widow’s son to life. Thirdly, he proved to the people his God was real by making an altar, drenching it in water, then asking God to prove Himself by sending fire down. And He did. So what caused this great prophet to fear a mere man? The simple fact that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers and powers of the spiritual realm(Ephesians 6:12).

Most of us know of the infamous ‘jezebel spirit’, with the well known characteristic of being seductive to get what it wants. Elijah ultimately knew what his fate would be if Jezebel got ahold of him: most certainly death, but maybe even worse things that would have caused him to stumble. Instead of taking him away though, God grabbed hold of Elijah’s right hand, and pulled Him to safety once again, preparing him to further God’s kingdom even more. Don’t we serve an awesome God?

[Soldier4Christ]

  Rights or God's Will?

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)

As we try to walk the walk as a Christian, it's sometimes hard to know what battles we need to fight and what battles we don't. Satan has really established his authority on this earth by putting the statement "It's my right" in our mouths. "I have the right to….", "They have the right to …..". Every time someone says that, they are using the very words of Satan. God calls us to follow His commands, He calls us to walk in His way. He tells us not to demand our rights but to follow His will in all we do.  If we want His authority, we must be under His authority.

Throughout history we see great and powerful nations falling due to pure selfishness. The citizens quit being part of the nation and started fighting against the nation on their own personal quests for rights. Jesus says a kingdom that is divided against itself will fall (Luke 11:17).  We will see pretty soon that America is no longer a world superpower because the citizens are no longer interested in the American way, they are more interested in getting their own way. Are you seeing Satan at work here? Remember his mission is to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10).

Mahatma Gandhi said, "I like your Christ, but I do not like your Christians.  Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."   When we become Christians this means we want to become a part of something bigger, we pledge our allegiance to God.  We say, I no longer control my life but I place that in the hands of God. Jesus is our Lord, which means that He has authority over us; it means He can tell us what to do. For a Christian to say "I have the right to……" means that person has not yet understood the heart of Christianity. Sadly, too many proclaiming Christians have not accepted the attitude of Christ. The attitude of Jesus was one of submission (Matthew 26:39) "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

As Christians we need to get rid of the saying "It's my right" and begin asking the question "What is God's will?" The very heart of Jesus is one of submission. As a matter of fact He said that He came to serve, not to BE SERVED(Matthew 20:26-28). When we are fighting for our "rights", we want to be served, not to serve.  When we are fighting for our own rights, we are not walking in God's will and worse yet, we are causing the world to see our selfish actions, allowing them to more fully believe that all Christians are hypocrites. Jesus charges us to be the salt and light to the world.  Are you being the salt and the light to the world or are you one of the Christians that Gandhi was talking about?   The choice belongs to you.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Tackled to the Ground

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises from the dead. 2 Cor 1:8,9

Have you ever felt that no matter what you tried you just kept getting knocked down? Sometimes it seems that no matter which way I turn there is something waiting for me to just bring me down. Walter Payton, a famous football player, averaged out his yards ran and how many times he had carried the ball and found out that on average, every 2 steps he was getting knocked down. Can you imagine? Don’t you think that he would’ve gotten discouraged? Yet, he didn’t. He didn’t go into the game thinking ‘if I get hurt I’m not playing anymore.’ Rather, he anticipated getting knocked down and getting hurt. His performance actually depended on how well he dealt with the pain.

Paul seemed to have gone through the exact thing. He endured great pressure but yet he anticipated and knew that it was going to come. He realized that this was the only way he was going to rely on God and not Himself. Therefore, he had the mindset that was looking at the positive of what he was going through. He didn’t look at the negative even though there might have been a lot going on.

How do you handle during pain? Do you buckle? Do you throw the ball on the ground and say ‘I quit. I’m not playing anymore’? Or do you know that things are going to come your way and anticipate the pain and hardships? Our pain is our opportunity to connect with God. Don’t let that opportunity pass you by. One thing that I have learned throughout my Christian walk is that it is not an easy road to walk. A huge lesson that all of us need to learn and continue learning is to anticipate the pain but to get back up and head towards the end zone again.

[Soldier4Christ]

  It's All About Me

Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done. Luke 22:42

Living in a world were we can get almost anything, anywhere, anytime we want, it's hard to be able to give something up; to say, “I really want this, but if I don’t need it, then I guess it’s alright.” A month or so ago I found out my sister was pregnant. In shock, I thought how she wasn’t yet 18 and much less how she wasn’t married! After praying about it for awhile, I told God that since every child is a gift from Him, I would love that baby, and more importantly I would show it Gods love.

Well that dream was short lived, because about 2 weeks later she had a miscarriage. I lost myself. Here I had come to accept that I was going to be an aunt, but now God had taken away that precious baby? Although I tend to not practice it very often, I have a lot of faith in what God tells us we can do in the Bible, for instance the raising of the dead (John 14:12).
I had no doubt that that baby could be brought back to life, but I didn’t know if that would have been the best thing. My sister is still very young, she has only been dating her boyfriend for a few months. Would it really be good for them to have a child already? At a loss for what to pray for I told God “I want that baby to live, but not my will God, yours be done.” That was one of the hardest prayers I have ever said.
It’s easy to say we want God's will to be done not ours, but most of the time we don’t realize we're really telling Him that we're willing to give up ourselves, for Him, for anything He has in store.

When bad things happen people say “Why did God allow this?” Well, God didn’t allow it, He just didn’t stop it. And here comes an even harder question to answer, “Why didn’t God stop it then?” Being human we will never be able to grasp the big picture of things: why an innocent baby dies yet a mass murderer lives. We can't see the long term consequences of things. Maybe that baby would have become a mass murderer and maybe the mass murderer is going to change his ways and become the greatest evangelist ever. We just don’t know.

So next time something bad comes your way, just remember: God is the creator of the world. He ultimately knows what’s best. So not your will, but His be done.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Sinking like a Rock

‘Lift it out,’ he said.  Then the man reached out his hand and took it. II Kings 6:7

I’ve never been a big fan of science.  In high school, I struggled through my only science requirement, General Applied Science.  Numbers are fine and history wasn’t too bad, but science just kind of didn’t mesh in my mind.  Although I did like the playing with fire and combining elements stuff.

But even with my small scientific mind, I can comprehend one thing – iron does not float!  You know the heavy stuff they used to make sinks out of.  Get it, sinks?  Anyway, iron is heavy, it goes to the bottom like a rock.  And yet, here’s the problem.  In the verse above a man is commanded to “lift it out.”  What he is lifting out is an iron axe head which fell into the Jordan river.  He’s not lifting it out because the Jordan is so shallow but because the crazy thing was floating.  But we already established that should not happen.  So what made the difference?  In a word, God!  You see, He told Elisha to cut a stick and throw it in the water and the iron axe head began to float. 

Think of all the things going on in your life right now – school, family, relationships, etc.  Many times it feels as if a lot has just settled to the bottom of life.  What we need is a way to lift some of those things up, to make them float so that we can get a better handle on them.   That’s where God comes in.  He has the great ability to “lift up” the burdens of life.  Take a moment now and ask Him for his help.  Ask Him to lift some things up for you, so that you can “lift it out.”  The best part is He’ll do it, even if you don’t like science!

[Soldier4Christ]

  Submission & Respect: Dirty Words or God's Will?

Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. 1 Peter 2:13-17 (NIV)

It's easy to respect someone in an authority position when they are good and just, but it's not easy to submit when the person is not fair, a liar, or a straight-out crook.   Regardless of a person's intentions, we are to respect the position they hold and the rules they make, unless their rules go directly against God's laws.   Authority figures include our parents, teachers, principles, police officers, our bosses, judges, the president and his staff, and anyone else in authority positions that I haven't mentioned.

Our fallen nature craves to get things "my way"; it is very selfish.  This selfishness really shows up when it comes to respecting those in authority positions.   As soon as we see an authority figure doing wrong, not making a decision that we want, or making a wrong decision, we decide that they aren't the right person for the job and that we don't need to respect or listen to them.   The bible says it is God who places people in authority positions, so when we make this decision, we are directly questioning and rebelling against God.

God set up these positions for a reason and will punish those who have been in these positions but not doing His will.  Our job is not to judge these other people, it is to respect the position and let God judge the person.   When a person gets in to an authority position and does bad things, it's because they themselves are not following higher authorities, including God. By deciding we don't need to listen to these people we become just like them.

If we can't respect someone in authority that we can see, then we can't respect someone in authority that we cannot see, namely God.  As Christians we are called to respect and submit to authorities simply because of their position.  Our selfish nature tells us we don't have to respect someone until they earn it.   Who are you letting guide this part of your life right now, God's word or your selfish nature?  The choice is always yours.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Paperboy

“As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him…” Colossians 2:6

Meet the cool kids on my side of town.  You know, those who live by their own set of rules, no questions asked.  Everyone knows who they are – they’re infamous.  Now meet the famous one – the one who left the crew, the one who’s been shunned for good.  Danny’s the one who left the crowd too soon after he joined it.  At just fifteen, he put down his shot glass for the last time answering to a bigger thirst deep within his heart.  He turned away from his so called friends and set out into the world, without a clue where he was headed.

Getting lost in the middle of the night, with no friends to call for directions, has got to be one of the more frustrating feelings in life.  Yet we never get stranded on a random road forever.  It may take the whole night, but we know that somehow someway, we will find our way home.  And what a feeling it is to arrive home after a long wearisome trip.  It’s almost as though there’s a huge sign at our front door: Welcome home!  All of a sudden, there’s a sense of relief in our hearts to once again be in our comfort zone.  And if we led others off the lost road too, there’s contentment in being their guide.

“Do not go where the path may lead.  Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”  Emerson’s quote perfectly describes what Danny did one stormy night a few years ago.  He had no clue where he was headed but it wasn’t long before he found Jesus, holding up a “Welcome home” sign for him.  Danny doesn’t quite know that there aren’t as many cool kids left.  We all saw him go, and with a boldness provided by the Spirit, he never looked back.  His actions absolutely spoke louder than words.  Lucky for a few of us, we’ve started a hike down this trail that Danny made.  I’m not saying this road doesn’t have bumps in it, but I wouldn’t give it up for the world.  Danny’s making it big these days, not for himself, but for the Almighty.  I hope to one day thank him for bringing me to the One who’s changed the course of my life, but this guy is always on the go.  He ministers to youngsters all over, touching more lives than he’ll ever know.  When someone asks how Danny’s doing these days, I like to tell them to meet the cooler kid in town.  He used to work for the local newspaper but I still call him paperboy, literally delivering the good news.

Ever wonder what they call you these days?

[Soldier4Christ]

  Stop Trusting In Man

"Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils.Of what account is he?" Isaiah 2:22

How often in this new age world do we feel the need to have acceptance from our peers? We have to dress right, say the right things, and act the right way. It's like a list of rules that if we don’t follow we're frowned upon. A few years ago I was in the ‘cool clique’ at my church, I was popular, had the title of being a girlfriend, and dressed oh so hott. But something inside of me was screaming out for help! I would sit in my closet at night, begging God to take me away, telling Him that was the only thing I wanted. I had everything most girls would give anything to have. I had the acceptance of man and his approval. Yet that wasn’t all I needed.

I remember sitting in youth group one night when they had an alter call for anyone who needed prayer to come forward. My soul yearned to go up, but being unwilling to yield to my spirit I selfishly stayed in my seat, mocking others who walked down the aisle. The thing that hit me the most was looking up and seeing at the front a guy whom I had liked before was staring at me with tears streaming down his face. I made fun of him. In May of 2004 I went to a conference called ‘The Making of a Princess.’ And while there God placed a restlessness inside me. I knew I couldn’t keep going down the road that was lit with romantic candles and soothing smells. So when they called people up for prayer, without any hesitation I literally ran up to the alter. Mind you it didn’t get any easier after that night, but I knew now that God was with me no matter what, when heaven and earth passed away, his words never would (Matthew 24:35).

As Christians in a compromising world its hard to not go with the flow and stand out. But remember that God is the alpha and omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end(Revelation 22:13). And while people will come and go all your life, God will always be there, no matter what.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Even To The Depths

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalms 139:23-24

Can you imagine that the God of the universe who knows everything sees everything that is in our heart and in our thoughts? Kind of scary, huh? When I first started praying this prayer in Psalms, God really started showing me things in my life that were not pleasing to Him. I began having a hard time with coming to grips with all my sin. I then came across this song by Chris Tomlin that says “You see the depths of my heart and you love me the same You are amazing God!” (Indescribable, Chris Tomlin). It hit me hard. I can’t begin to fathom how God can still love me even though He sees the depths of my heart and all my sin.

But you know what, the same is true for you. God sees it all: your lying, your cheating, your pride and yet He loves you the same. However, because He does love you, just as a father loves his child, He’s going to discipline sin. The point is that we can never do anything that can make God turn His back on us. No matter how far we go on our own, He’s still waiting there for us to come back.

I challenge you to begin praying the prayer in psalms. Ask God to show you where you need to change. Be ready for him to show you, but know that He loves you, even with all your sin.

[Soldier4Christ]

  The Jail Cell Door

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:34-36 (NIV)

Upon taking a quick glance at Christianity, you hear some of the rules and some the ways Jesus asks us to live and you can almost picture Jesus standing at the door of a jail cell wanting you to go in and be locked up. "Thou shall" and "Thou shall not" can seem like a death sentence to any fun you may ever possibly want to have. But that is simply not the truth. As a matter of fact, it's radically not the truth. Living the life of a Christian is more freeing than you could ever imagine.

It's easy to just look at the Christian faith as a bunch of rules meant to suck all the fun out of our lives. As a matter of fact, some Christians treat Christianity this way too. This is not what God wants. Yes, there is a moral code God has given us and expects us to live by, but these aren't just rules that God made up because He's mean and wants to take all the fun out of life. God loves us. As a matter of fact I want you to personalize this: God loves you. Say that out loud "God loves me". He does love you deeply. He wants the best for you, not only in the afterlife, but in this life as well.

The things God tells us to do and the way He wants us to live is for a reason. That reason is that God wants the best for us and He can't give us the best when we aren't around. We have an enemy who is actively trying to hurt us at every turn. Satan will take any weakness you have and use it to his advantage. Through God's word, prayer and His people, Jesus will free us from every weakness we have if we will allow Him in.

I used to think of Jesus just being a jailer, trying to make me do His bidding. But when I started walking closer and closer to Him and that jail cell door, I started to understand that He really does have my best interests at heart. He has your best interest at heart in everything He says and does. When you finally close your eyes and take that last step through that jail cell door to stand beside Him, He smiles greatly and says "welcome to freedom, my friend". Then as you look back you will realize that Jesus wasn't trying to lead you in to a jail cell, He was trying to get you to come out of one. Walking beside Jesus is not a jail term; it's a death row pardon. Keep walking with Jesus, the view just keeps getting better and better the further away from the prison you get.
   
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[Soldier4Christ]

  Get Unplugged from the Matrix

Romans 12:2 NLT – “Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is.”

Do you remember the movie, The Matrix?  In the movie, Morpheus was trying to show Neo that what he believed about his life was not the truth.  Neo believed he would never amount to anything and that his life did not really matter.  When Morpheus approached him to tell him that he was stuck in The Matrix, it was scary for Neo to believe he was great, even though deep down inside Neo had a feeling that what Morpheus was saying was true.  However, the things that happened to Neo during his life caused him not to believe what he felt and just accept his ordinary, boring life.

Just as with Neo, things that happened in your life might have you believing that you will never amount to anything and that your life does not matter.  However, I would like to challenge you to get unplugged from The Matrix of your mind.  As Morpheus stated to Neo, I state to you…  “I know why you're afraid to go through that door.  You can't get free of thinking that I could be wrong.  You must believe me.  There is a greatness inside of you.  A greatness that is going to lift you to unimaginable heights and that in time will change the world.”

So, how do you get unplugged from The Matrix?

1. Find out the truth of what God says about you.  John 8:31-32 says, “Jesus said to the people who believed in Him, "You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings.  And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  You can find the truth by reading God’s Word.  The word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It can cut through the negative thoughts that we have to allow God’s truth to become our new reality.

2. Repeat those Scriptures that back up the fact that you are great.  Romans 10:17 NKJV says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”   So, in order to have faith in yourself, you must continually hear those Scriptures that say you are great. 

3. Surround yourself with friends that believe in you.  People you hang with will affect what you believe and how you behave.  “bad company corrupts good character (1 Corinthians 15:33).”   How can you tell who your friend really are? The bible says in Psalm 119:63, “Anyone who fears you is my friend — anyone who obeys your commandments.”

So, remember that in order to do great things you have to believe you are already great.  In the words of Morpheus, “Come on.  What are you waiting for?  You're greater than this.  Don't think you are.  Know you are.”