Devotions for Teens

[Soldier4Christ]

  God Has a Still Small Voice

Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: 12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 1 Kings 19:11-12 (KJV)

Over the last few weeks, I have been studying how to hear God’s voice. This subject is really a whole lot deeper than I really thought. I have learned that Go d speaks to us when we stop what we are doing and take the time to listen and then be obedient. Little did I know how much comfort would be in that one little sentence. Take time to listen and be obedient. This afternoon, I read this story and realized that God does the very same for us, His children. We are just like Elijah and at times we can have so many things happening to us that God needs to speak to us in a still small voice and remind us that He loves us. No doubt that everything is going to be all right. Lately, I have been having so many things happen in life, that I feel like it has been a whirlwind, but I have to remember that God speaks to me when I slow down and hear Him in the still small voice. I pray that as you read this story and this devotional that you too will feel the comfort of the Holy Spirit on your heart as much as I did. May God's grace abound in you and know that He loves you more than you will ever know.

A man by the name of Max DePree related the following heart-touching story: Esther, my wife, and I have a granddaughter named Zoe, the Greek word for life. She was born prematurely and weighed one pound, seven ounces, so small that my wedding ring could slide up her arm to her shoulder. The neonatologist who first examined her told us that she had a 5 to 10 percent chance of living three days. When Esther and I scrubbed up for our first visit and saw Zoe in her isolette in the neonatal intensive care unit, she had two IVs in her navel, one in her foot, a monitor on each side of her chest, and a respirator tube and a feeding tube in her mouth. To complicate matters, Zoe's biological father had jumped ship the month before Zoe was born. Realizing this, a wise and caring nurse named Ruth gave me my instructions. "For the next several months, at least, you're the surrogate father. I want you to come to the hospital every day to visit Zoe, and when you come, I want you to rub her body and her legs and arms with the tip of your finger. While you're caressing her, you should tell her over and over how much you love her, because she has to be able to connect your voice to your touch." God knew that we also needed both his voice and his touch. So he gave us not only the Word but also his Son. And he gave us not only Jesus Christ but also his body, the church. God's voice and touch say, "I love you."

[Soldier4Christ]

  I've Never Kissed a Girl

“And being found in appearance as a man, he (Christ) humbled himself and become obedient to death - even death on a cross.”  Philippians 2:8

One of my favorite games is one called “I Never!”  It’s pretty simple.  First you get a group of people in a circle with one person in the middle.  The person in the middle makes a statement like, “I’ve never worn makeup.”  Everyone who has done that thing (worn makeup) must get up and change seats.  Obviously this would cause all or most of the girls and some of the more adventurous guys to get up and move.  The person in the middle tries to “steal” a seat.  Whoever doesn’t get a seat is in the middle and the game keeps going.

Some things are funny like I’ve never. . . eaten cantaloupe, worn pantyhose, kissed a girl, or eaten dog food.   It’s a lot of fun because you can find out a lot about people.   You also find out that if you’ve done something embarrassing, someone else has probably done the same thing. 

When you’re hurting or embarrassed it’s amazing how good it feels to know that you’re not alone or that others can relate to your problems.  The Bible says that Christ was beaten, mocked, spit on and had the hairs of his beard pulled out.  Then. . . he went to the cross.  He had nails driven through his hands and feet.  Then those around him insulted him more and told him that he was nothing, a loser.   They made fun of his claims to be a King and even laughed while he died. 

Don’t ever think Jesus Christ doesn’t care or that he doesn’t know how you feel.  The purpose of Jesus coming to earth was to die and rise again, but along the way he understood exactly what it means to be uniquely human.  “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children.”  Ephesians 5:1.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Just Like That

"Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise." Jeremiah 17:14 NIV

So many people have said to me, "Praying just doesn’t work for me. God won’t accept me. Getting saved is too much for me, I just can’t do what you do." The above verse from Jeremiah is about as plain as can be in the area of God’s salvation for us. In faith, he writes, "save me and I will be saved…" And it’s that simple. If any person, anywhere in the world, really wants to be a child of God - no matter what sins they’ve committed - they only have to repent, and ask. And it happens just as Jeremiah writes it. Ask to be saved, to have Christ in your heart, and BOOM! You’re saved.

When you ask for Jesus, all sins REALLY ARE wiped off your record, forever! From there, of course, there is a long road of growing ahead, because you have just been "born again". An infant doesn’t just get up and trot around the room the minute it is born, but through months of growing and learning under LOVING parents. In the same way, FRESHLY FORGIVEN and saved Christians must grow through praying (talking with your loving God), studying the bible, being discipled, going to church, and learning from your loving Father. You may fail at times, and you WILL sin again in your lifetime. But the good thing is because you have accepted Jesus, you are accepted by God forever! Your acceptance is NOT based on performance! So if you are one of those who doesn’t think you can be forgiven, or has this picture of being saved as immediately having to become this super-holy, sinless Christian (obviously an impossible thing), I have GOOD NEWS! This is God’s loving message to you: "Ask and you will receive, knock and the door will be opened to you!"

Have Jeremiah’s faith. Go to Jesus and say, "save me and I will be saved!" If you are sincere, even the very second you finish the sentence, you ARE saved, a new born child of GOD, and EVERY sin you ever did has been forgiven! Amen!

[Soldier4Christ]

  Live for Today

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21

Have you ever waited in anticipation for something you knew was going to happen? Like when you're baking cookies, but suddenly decide you want a cake? Obviously you can’t just drop the cookies, you have to finish them before you can start on another project. Yet you know that when the cookies are done, and not until then, you can make the ever wanted cake.

It can be torture waiting for things, and when your like me and have a very impatient spirit it makes it all a lot worse. Having cancer, my sisters and I have to go in once a year for all sorts of blood work. Now first of all, we despise getting our blood drawn, and all three of us have passed out while it was done. To top it off though, we have to sit in agony at least a week for the results to come back. Each day passes as if it wont end, lagging on and on till finally the ever anticipated phone call comes. ‘Ring, ring’ the sweet sound. The past few years that’s happened we haven’t received any terrible news. There is always a first for everything though, which is why we always get anxious while waiting. Who can say what they might find inside of us.

As Christians, sometimes because we know that Christ will be coming back soon, we sit and wait not doing anything, just anticipating for Him to come back and give us the all go ahead. Most of us have heard the saying, “live like today were your last.” We fail to realize how that can be applied to our lives. We're not promised tomorrow, or the day after, or next month. We're given today, to live to the fullest, honoring, and glorifying God. We’ve all been given cookies to bake, and can’t start on the cake until were finished what we have already started.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Focus, Not Hocus Pocus

Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives'
tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 1 Timothy 4:7 (NIV)

This morning I dragged myself out of bed and meandered outside to see what the weather was like so I would know how to dress.  As I stood out on my balcony I looked down and saw a black cat walk right in front of me.  I laughed to myself thinking "if I were superstitious, I guess I would have a bad day so I should go back to bed now."  Although the whole "going back to bed" thing was really appealing to me, I knew I couldn't because I'm a Christian and I know that this is a day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.  It doesn't matter if it turns out good or bad, I will still be blessed.

There are a lot of myths and old wives' tales of things that will supposedly bring us bad luck, like walking under a ladder, breaking a mirror, or having a black cat walk in front of you.  These are all just goofy myths that we don't need to pay any attention to.  It's easy to get involved in these things since
they seem a little scary and thrilling, but when we do that, we turn our attention away from God to the devil.

The scripture verse says we need to train ourselves to be godly.  Well, how do we do that?  Well, we need to know what is true and what is not.  In the spiritual world there are only two kinds of power and they are God's power and the devil's power.  God's is more powerful because He is the creator.  Satan was an angel, he was created.  He could never be as powerful or more powerful than God.  God's power is the only
good power; Satan's is bad, although both are very real.  A good example of the way the devil confuses people is with witchcraft. I know witches and warlocks who claim to practice "white" or "light" magic.  The truth of the matter is that they are using the devil's power to cast the spells they use.

Right now, it's 12:30 and I haven't had any bad luck yet. Is it because I'm lucky?  No, it's because cats and mirrors and ladders don't run the world.  God does.  God promises us that we will be blessed everyday.  Does that mean everyday will be great?  No, but we will still be blessed.  The only way these fairy tales can have power over you is for you to allow them
to.  It all comes down to what you believe.  Do you believe God is more powerful then a cat?  If so, how can a weak little cat stop me from being blessed?  It can't.  God wants us to live life to the full and we can't do that if we are worried about small, furry animals and pieces of wood.  If a black cat happens to walk in front of you today, pet it.  The worst it can
do is bite you.  But it can never stop you from being blessed.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Swallow Your Pride

“A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.” Proverbs 29:23

I want a boyfriend like yours. I want a hot car just like yours.  I want an amazing job like the one you got. I’m smarter than you. I’m prettier than you.  I think I’m better than you. We’re constantly comparing ourselves to others.  And unfortunately many a time, we fall into traps thinking “I want to be where you are with God” or “I’m closer to God than you are.”

I once read, “Swallow your pride occasionally, it is nonfattening.”  Pride comes in many forms, one of which being spiritual pride. Spiritual pride occurs as a result of comparing our spiritual lives with that of others and wishing that we were at their level or thinking that we are at a better level than they.  But who determined these levels?  Does such a hierarchy exist in Christ’s body?  Sure, some of us know God better than others do but that doesn’t necessarily mean that God favors some of us over others.  The biggest problem with spiritual pride is that it makes us loose focus.  Instead of focusing on who God wants us to become, we focus our growths in comparison to that of others.  This makes us forget that we each play a very unique role in Christ’s body.  All of us are formed so uniquely that there is none other just like us!  How then can we expect to have similar roles in Christ’s body?  God has created each of us so differently so that everything He wants will get done!

As we grow in Christ, more often than not, we tend to think that there are certain things that keep us close to God and therefore, we expect others to do the very same things.  For instance, many of us unconsciously believe that regular attendance at church or a Christian club or Bible study keeps us close to God.  These things most certainly can bring us closer to God, but it is not our right to judge those who do not follow the same routines as us.  Christ is everywhere.  He lives in every place and every moment.  One can be just as close to Him sitting at work or at a Christian club meeting.  God has called some of us to lead others at places like the church or fellow believers at school, while others have been called to set examples amongst a group of nonbelievers.

It is our responsibility to help each other grow spiritually.  That means that we do need to share our experiences in Christ with one another.  But this can only be done with a humble spirit.  If we put ourselves on a pedestal or see others as being on a pedestal, we will never be able to reach out to each other.  If we are quick to judge and categorize others into “spiritual levels,” we prevent ourselves from truly understanding someone else and establishing a deep and meaningful fellowship with them.  When we place others on pedestals, we distance ourselves from learning from their experiences or tend to think that God can’t use us like He uses them.  All of the above thoughts poison our minds and block our communication with the Almighty.

No one person is better than another in Christ -- we are all drowning in sin, learning to swim to Him.  Swallow your pride, before you sink in it.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Smile, Jesus Loves You

I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. Psalm 6:6

Wow to think that the great anointed psalmist David cried is a marvel isn’t it? Then again, who of us haven’t cried a time or two? Now gentlemen, I’ve heard the rumors that guys aren’t manly enough if they shed a tear, but we all know that’s not true. So let’s put all reputations aside for a moment and give this some serious thought.

John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the Bible saying “Jesus wept.” Wow, think about that…the Savior of the world cried! Now, I myself have had my share of tears. I could have drowned the world a few times probably. After awhile though, I began wondering what good was it to mope around all the time in sorrow? When I get shy or anything I have a permanent smile on my face, everything makes me laugh. People look at me weird, wondering what’s wrong with me and such. When I had cancer a few years back and had to go in for an operation, the whole time while waiting before hand in the hospital, I couldn’t stop smiling. It bothers people a lot when they’re trying to have a serious conversation with me, and I suddenly burst out in laughter. Mind you, I didn’t start smiling because I was tired of crying, it just suddenly happened one day.
Nehemiah 8:10 tells us “the joy of the LORD is your strength”. How are we supposed to minister and tell others about the love of God when we are sad all the time? They won’t see anything different in us, and therefore have no reason to give us the time of day. Don’t get me wrong, Ecclesiastes 8:6 says, “For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter.” I go to God all the time crying and dumping my troubles on Him. That’s where most of us go wrong though. We cry to God, but we don’t leave Him with what’s bothering us, we continue to carry our burdens ourselves. Not trusting Him.

God is the ultimate comforter, the soother of all pain and distress. He says that if we are to give it all to Him, He’ll take care of it, and we’ll have no need to worry anymore. With all the stress that living in this world can put on us, I urge you to take time, and smile. The God of the universe is your dad, and He cares more for you than anyone else could ever hope to.

[Soldier4Christ]

  The Sweet Smell of Ownership

“You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body.”  I Corinthians 6:19b-20

You know, it’s funny the things you remember as you look back over your life.  I remember the Christmas that my sister and I sat at the top of the stairs and watched our parents set out and assemble all kinds of gifts from “Santa.”  We acted very surprised the next morning in a performance worthy of the Oscars.  I remember the time I told my neighbor that I was a champion knife thrower and demonstrated my ability with a handy screwdriver.  My foot bled a lot and I think I still have a scar.  I remember the time my neighbor (he got me in trouble a lot) insisted that his air rifle was empty of pellets.  I KNOW I still have a scar from that one.  But probably one the most memorable events of my childhood was a black and gold BMX bike that cost $66.

I was somewhere around 5th grade when I was walking through a store with my parents.  Then I saw the most amazing BMX bike ever.  I knew I just had to have it.  The problem was our family didn’t exactly have an abundance of extra cash lying around, whose does?  But my Dad told me that if I earned the money I could buy it.  Man I went to work.  If it could be cleaned, I cleaned it.  If it could be moved, I moved it.  If it could be . . well you get the picture.  It took me several excruciating months before I had the $66, but finally it was mine.  No bike was ever better. 

I’ve had a lot of bikes, a go-kart and even a motorcycle over the years, but nothing was ever so awesome as riding that $66 BMX.  The reason?  I bought it!  It wasn’t given to me, I earned it.  Nothing is quite so sweet as something you earn.  That’s the same feeling Christ has toward you.  You see he bought you!  And even though Christ is rich, He used His life to purchase you on a cross.  It cost Him so much more than we can imagine.  Why did He do it?  Because of His intense love for you.  You are His!  Don’t ever forget it!  God’s love is the greatest!  It’s too bad it’s taken me so long and so many scars to figure that out.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Changing Weather

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. Revelation 3:15-16(NIV)

God is always the same for us. One of our favorite sayings is that "God is the always the same: yesterday, today and tomorrow." In our quest to go deeper in to God, why can't we stay the same way for Him? Sure we have our good and bad days, sometimes even good and bad minutes. Why do we almost totally lose our walk with God during the year, then go to a youth retreat and have to rededicate our lives to Him again? God wants us to remain consistent. We may fail at times and we may fall, but we can still continue to climb.

I love living in Texas. I've lived here my whole life and plan to live here the rest of my life, unless God changes the plans on me. One thing you have to get used to in Texas is our weather. At the beginning of this week it was 34 degrees and rainy and today it's going to be sunny with a high of 80. That may sound like an easy winter, but it's actually very tough. As a matter of fact, since the weather is always changing, I am constantly sick. I often lose my voice and am almost always stuffed up. Everyone I know faces the same thing. I would prefer for it to just stay cold or stay hot. The changing weather also makes it terribly tough to know what to wear. Am I wearing long sleeves or shorts? It can make life very confusing.

Our walk with God is the same thing. We are like the weather and God wants us to either be hot or cold. He doesn't want us flip-flopping back and forth. It's very possible to be on fire for God and to fall or fail, we are human. The important lesson to remember is that we need to always strive and fight to stay on God's side. We have an enemy who is actively trying to get us out in the cold and he will do what he has to do to drive us down. When we are feeling beaten and broken, it's important to remember "greater is He who is in me, than he who is in the world." I imagine the way the physical weather affects human is the way our spiritual weather affects God. He wants us to be one way or the other. What is has the spiritual weather trends been in your life? Has it been consistent or has it been changing? If it's been changing, repent and change now. What is your forecast today? The decision is made before you get out of bed. What is your decision?

[Soldier4Christ]

  Starlight

Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. Matt 7:6

Wow that’s kind of a vivid verse. Just reading it among many others, you might not pay attention to the real meaning of it. Last august my first boyfriend ever broke up with me. I was devastated to say the least, but eventually time really does heal, and I began letting God wipe away my tears. 6 months later though, I got a call, and on the other end was my ex. Hearing his voice brought back all the terrible memories of that relationship, and what made it worse was he confessed to me a number of things he had done while we where dating.
I was furious at him, and said some words that shouldn’t have ever came out of my mouth. After that though I cried, and cried, and cried some more. I had thrown away a pearl from my precious strand, one that I could never get back.
What good would dwelling on that mistake do? None. Talking to a friend about all that had happened, he told me, “don’t cry, he’s not worth your tears.” How true that is, you should never cry over someone who made you cry.

I used to complain that God hadn’t kept me safe, that he could have stopped it all from happening. But God can’t stop us from doing something we willing want to do. He won’t interfere unless we ask Him to. Looking back at it now, God kept me safe from many things that I didn’t even realize. I had put myself into a lot of compromising situations in that relationship, and easily could, and would have, given up my virginity to that guy.
Thankfully, I serve an awesome God, and He was still looking out for me even when I wasn’t paying attention.

In the world we live in it’s so easy to give away one of our pearls without ever giving it a second thought, but soon our cherished strand will get smaller and smaller, until there’s no longer any left to hand out. Before that happens, turn to God, and surrender your life. He knows where your pearls should go, at what time, and when.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Wondering What If...

From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. Acts 17:26

Have you ever wondered how life would be if you had been born in a different country, perhaps with different parents, or even at a different time in history? Many of us have fantasized about this and maybe even felt that things would have been much better for us if we lived in a different country with different parents.

This scripture verse clearly demonstrates that it was God who determined the exact time when each one of us would be born, who our parents would be, and where we would live. He does not make mistakes, for He is the master planner. He foresaw your life and placed you in your family. While it is understandable for some people to feel cheated out of a better life, the truth is that you were born at the right time and place according to God's plan. His love will conquer the most terrible circumstances in our lives, and His grace can restore all of the wasted years that the locusts have eaten.

Instead of feeling like you were cheated out of a better life than you might have had, begin to thank God for His incredible purpose in the life you are now living. He placed you in the family you are in, and he chose the exact time of your birth and where you would live. His plan for each one of us is that all things will work together for your good according to His good purpose because we love Him!

Father, help me to realize that You chose my parents, the time of my birth and where I would live. I am thankful that You do not make mistakes. Help me to realize that Your love can conquer any situation or circumstance that I find myself in and You desire to cause all things to work together for my good according to Your good purpose!
In the name of Your beloved Son Jesus, I pray, Amen

[Soldier4Christ]

  Who Is This?

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" Mark 4:39

We’ve heard this story before, you know Jesus calms the storm, pretty simple in itself to explain. We often overlook the latter part of it though. The disciples had been traveling with Jesus for a few months by now, they’ve seen him perform miracles, and Peter has already talked with Jesus about Him being the Christ. So why the sudden doubt on who Jesus is?

We all dread getting that phone call, the one that says “there’s been an accident and so-and-so is in the hospital.” Well for me it came last October. My sister Krissy was heading to work and my mom was going to take her. I wanted to go to but a television show came on that I decided I wanted to watch. At the last minute my other sister’s bf said he’d take Krissy to work. Ok, thats great, less driving for my mom. 10 minutes go by and Katie’s phone rings, its Eddie. He tells her that something happened and the police want to talk to our mom. My mom gets the phone she hears, “Ma’am, there’s been an accident” and then the phone dies. Thinking about that now we laugh, but at the time our minds went wild. They called back on a land line and we found out that my sister and Eddie had been in a car accident, the car had been totaled, and my sister was being rushed to the hospital. Wait what? This was one of those times where you doubt the person. Get a second opinion and everything.

Why do we doubt? Perhaps because we don’t want to believe that the inevitable has now become evitable. Maybe we don’t want to face reality, the world we made up seems easier. Or is the answer really because we don’t have faith? I’m constantly getting bashed by my talks about faith, people don’t want the blame to be on themselves. They want to believe that they have faith as big as a mustard seed, and yet not that it could possibly be there own doubt that causes their healing, or action to faulter. Even the wind and the waves obeyed Jesus, don’t you think the body will also? When Jesus left earth He told the disciples, “Greater things than these will you do in my name.” Don’t you think its time we start believing in that?

[Soldier4Christ]

  Staying Too Close To The Edge

Wherefore leaving the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on unto perfection; not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 of the teaching of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. Hebrews 6:1


There's a story about a little boy who fell out of the bed. His mother came running into the room to find out what happened. When she asked her son, he said, "I don't know, Mama. I guess I just stayed too close to where I got in."

How's your Christian walk? Are you growing daily or are you pretty much in the same place you were a year ago? Hebrews 6:1 tells us to leave the elementary teachings and press on toward maturity. We can't stay baby Christians forever. We have to learn and grow and mature. Take a look back into your walk with Christ...one month ago, three months ago, six months ago, a year ago...have you made any progress or are you still taking baby steps?

If you're still in the infant stage, still suckling on milk, don't you think it's time you progress toward real sustenance...the meat of the word of God? Are you hungry for his word? Dig in...the feast is ready! Remember, there's danger in staying too close to the edge.

[Soldier4Christ]

  The Letters of Our Lives

Your lives are a letter written in our hearts, and everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. Clearly, you are a letter from Christ prepared by us. It is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on stone, but on human hearts. (2 Corinthians 3:2-3) NLT

In my personal devotions this past week, the writer asked if people saw me just as "affectionate and unusually moral" or as a Christian. The more I thought about it the more I realized that just because I am a kind person does not mean that people see that that kindness is God in me. In conclusion, I came to see that most probably just saw me as a good person.

So, I began to pray. I prayed that God would give me opportunities to do something that would show that my faith is real, and not just an illusion. I also asked to be tested so that I could be sure that I had a REAL commitment to my God. Well, God answered my prayer. I was asked to say a prayer over the loudspeaker at the football game Friday night for a friend of mine who was in a car accident and is in serious condition. God gave me an opportunity to public show my devotion to Him. What I failed to mention, is that this completely tested my commitment because I am desperately afraid of talking in front of people. So, after being nauseated for hours, I did it. God answered my prayer in less than a week!

We're told that our lives are a letter to be read by all who see us. Our actions should reflect the beauty of our Lord. But, even more, we should be open and willing to show people that it is not just our actions, but God acting through us. God wants to blow you away with His miracles...so start asking! I encourage you to live a life so that you are a letter worth reading!

[Soldier4Christ]

  Heaven in a Second

“And this is what he promised us – even eternal life.”  I John 2:25

Time is so weird!  Why is it that a great 2-hour movie is so short and waiting for someone for five minutes is so long?  Time has a knack of getting longer the more you do one thing – think about time!  Time can best be judged by what we’re doing as it passes.  An hour spent with a close friend is infinitely better than 3 days of summer school.  And 3 days on vaction is infinitely better than an hour spent at the dentist.  See what I mean?  The value of time is how it is spent?

Think about eternity.  Don’t think about it too much because it will just make you crazy, but think about it a little.  Did you ever wonder why God made heaven for eternity?  Eternity isn’t a really long time, it’s the lack of time.  I have a theory, now go with me on this.  I think eternity exists outside of time because if it didn’t it would be over in a second.  Did I lose you?  Okay, think about this – if time is relative to what you’re doing (i.e. good things – time goes fast, bad things – time goes slow), then eternity in heaven with God would last about a second. 

Take a few minutes and dream your greatest dream.  Think about the best, most wonderful thing that could happen to you, the best place for that thing to happen and all the greatness that comes with it.  Okay, got it?  Remember, the absolutely best thing you can imagine.  Now . . .  heaven is most assuredly many, many, many times better than that.  How do I know? Read I Corinthians 2:9.

Life gets crazy, scary, stressful and sometimes even boring.  But what God has prepared for those who are His is never, ever any of those things.  Try to stay eternally-focused.  It will brighten the darkest day.  But it may cause your day to go by a little bit faster!