One day, he might switch sides and join enemy forces. Every true purpose and every act of right doing will be recorded in the book of life. He who would achieve true success in life must keep steadily in view the aim worthy of his endeavor. In the meantime, Moses’ older sister, who is estimated to be about ten or twelve at this time (McClintock, Vol. He sought so desperately to bring rebellious Judah back into conformity with the law of God. The mind is narrowed and the intellect dwarfed that can be gratified with these frivolous things to the neglect of high responsibilities. There are few characters in the Bible about which nothing bad is said, and Joseph is one of them. There is no happiness or safety but in the fear of the Lord. They went to try to reach a Stone Age tribe that later murdered them. Second, for anything that we may “miss out on” in this life, God has promised ample repayment. They would betray sacred trusts. “Jesus does not require of man any real sacrifice; for whatever we are asked to surrender is only that which we are better off without. Something of her spiritual depth is seen in the psalm she uttered when greeted by Elizabeth, while visiting her kinsman in the hill country of Judah. The noblest king to reign in the territory of Judah was Josiah. They would form a link between Satan and the true soldiers, so that through these living agencies the enemy would be constantly working to steal away the hearts of Christ’s soldiers. He began his ministry in the thirteenth year of Josiah (626 B.C.) He wants them to be heirs of immortality. Making a commitment to God involves entrusting your life to Him and choosing to serve Him, whatever the cost. In one of his books, Harry Rimmer noted that this little song, of ten verses in the English Bible, draws from twenty-three separate passages in the Old Testament (118). He who accepts Christ as his personal Saviour, will love Jesus, and all for whom Christ has died; for Christ will be in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life. Now and forever.” Elisabeth Elliot, Let Me Be A Woman, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois, 1976, VIII. The prophet Jeremiah shows how perseverance, often through many trials, is required to carry out God s mission in our lives. “Will our youth heed this voice of invitation? A commitment to Christ is about living for God no matter the cost! Does this not speak volumes about how God trusts spiritually minded youth? During the course of the service, Tyner leaned over and asked the lad: “What does Jesus mean to you?” The boy quickly replied: “Why, he’s my everything. . It is not easy to commit to anything, especially when we, as modern young people, have to commit to so much. I wish I could arouse the youth to see and feel the sinfulness of living for their own gratification and dwarfing their intellects to the cheap, vain things of this life. ]” Conflict and Courage, 237. But if they would continue to stand with Him they must constantly look unto Jesus, their Captain, for His orders. Adolescence? Young friends, morning and evening let your prayers go up from unfeigned lips that the Holy Spirit may take possession of your hearts and keep you from the seductive influences of the world. Commitment is sometimes stated explicitly, other times implicitly. Does this say something about how God values youth? He contended: “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, I have no pleasure in them” (Eccl. Youth ever are attempting to find some sense of identity; that is why they sometimes act and dress so weird. The Commitment of Covenant. and concluded his work among his people when the Babylonian force destroyed the temple in 586 B.C. Which is the most difficult era of human life? Assuredly it does. “Do not for a moment suppose that religion will make you sad and gloomy and will block up the way to success. [Ecclesiastes 12:1; Proverbs 8:17; 4:18. In fact, it will be much harder. God does not always call us to be successful, but to be faithful. Youth can accomplish magnificent things for the Master’s cause. First, God has said in His Word, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; . Access date: December 5, 2020. https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/866-the-value-of-youth-to-the-cause-of-god. They are left free to choose which they will. Bible: Luke 9:23-27 (The Message recommended). The entire future of the Hebrew nation — the instrument to be employed for the conveyance of the Savior — was entrusted to a young girl. The commitment to marriage appears to be almost lost—by the church as well as by the world—and commitment to God, our faith, and many other things seem to be losing out also. 20:9 “Six days you … A consideration of these cases, and others that might be noted (cf. A copy of “the law of Jehovah given by Moses” was discovered in the temple (2 Chron. You may turn souls from sin to righteousness. Instead of giving laws to Egypt, he by divine direction enacted laws for the world. “You may have your name upon the church books and claim to be a child of God, yet your example, your influence, misrepresents the character of Christ, and you lead others away from Him. IV, 330), was posted some distance away, keeping watch. The religion of Christ does not obliterate or even weaken a single faculty. 34:14). There are several answers that I have found in inspired writings. We are formed for activity; every power of mind and body must be developed, strengthened, and increased by use. “The burden-bearers among us are falling in death. God can use them mightily. Another person whose commitment to the Lord came first was Jim Elliot. In the audience he was seated next to Bill Tyner. In the 1976 Summer Olympics, Shun Fujimoto competed in … To be weighed in the balance and found wanting in the day of final settlement and rewards will be a fearful thing, a terrible mistake which can never be corrected. Remember the verses of Matthew 8:19-22 Never mind; God was with this “youth,” who may have been about twenty-two or so at the time (Clarke, 264). Has the attraction of the world allured you from the service of Christ? A soldier cannot be effective in an army if he is not committed to the work of that army. Mature adulthood? 4:12), which was some fourteen years after the lad joined the apostle on that preaching tour, it is believed that he was eighteen to twenty when he started working with Paul. Young friends, shall the book of God be searched in vain for your names? Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your … Fill me and seal me with Thy Holy Spirit. With principles unsettled, unconsecrated as they are, the waves of temptation sweep them away from what they know to be right, and they do not make holy endeavor to overcome every wrong, and through the imputed righteousness of Christ, perfect a righteous character. God wants a large army of earnest, consecrated youth to gird on the armor, and to fight manfully the battles of the Lord. When the apostle wrote to the church in Philippi, the congregation for whom he had the greatest affection, he pledged to send Timothy to assist them. Let your name be enrolled in the heavenly records as one of the chosen and elect of God.” Our High Calling, 219. “Early piety insures to its possessor the full enjoyment of all that makes life happy, and will give him a right to the future, immortal life. This is the reward of those who commit themselves to God’s service. Committing to Jesus was not easy; for many, it is no easier now. He counted it so because it was so. One of Josiah’s important accomplishments was the restoration of the Passover, which had not been observed with care since the days of the judges (2 Kgs. A young lad, in a strange land, separated from his people and his center of religious strength — yet faithful to his God. Commitment, that's the key. In this lay the hiding of his power.” Education, 54. But there are many precious promises on record for those who seek their Saviour early. What is commitment? 17:33,42). Jonathan Pokluda | 2016-02-09 Let's face it — our generation is scared of commitment. . “God has appointed you a work to do for Him which will make you colaborers with Him. Accordingly, these hateful siblings sold Joseph to a caravan of Ishmaelites who transported him down to Egypt, where the younger brother was bought by an Egyptian officer named Potiphar. The Spirit of Generosity — A Study in Contrasts. Here is a fact that makes this even more astounding. ]” Review and Herald, July 15, 1884. “Dear youth, the very best thing you can do is to enlist freely and decidedly in the army of the Lord. What a commentary on how her precious mind was filled with the word of God! How soon, in place of a possession here, with its blight of sin and pain, our children might receive their inheritance where ‘the righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever;’ where ‘the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick,’ and ‘the voice of weeping shall be no more heard.’ Psalm 37:29; Isaiah 33:24; 65:19.” Education, 271. “Success in any line demands a definite aim. Commitment to God is the foundation for all the others, for why we do them - and how we can be successful in managing our multiple commitments. God’s principles had been taught to him by his mother in his youth, which laid the foundation for his greatness in God’s cause. “In the youthful Jeremiah, God saw one who would be true to his trust and who would stand for the right against great opposition. Bottom Line: Following Jesus means letting Him lead so that people shouldn't have to guess who you're following. Joseph would later recognize: “God did send me [here] to preserve life” (Gen. 45:5). I.Be Committed to God (John. Our society scoffs at most forms of commitment; at least the forms that God holds sacred: a. Josiah was but a boy of eight when he came to the throne. All around you there are souls to save. Let them never feel that they are prepared to graduate. They may grow up into a noble manhood and womanhood, notwithstanding the moral pollutions that abound, and that corrupt so many of the youth at an early age. It is entirely possible, therefore, that when Mary gave birth to the Savior of the world that she was in her early teens. 1 Cor 4:17; 1 Tim. . God is waiting for us to make a commitment to Him and His cause. God desires to give us our desires! It’s clear that we have a lot of commitments. . INTRO: "Commitment" is a word used today so haphazardly by most people. “Among those who had hoped for a permanent spiritual revival as the result of the reformation under Josiah was Jeremiah, called of God to the prophetic office while still a youth. Who among us, both as child and adult, has not thrilled to the narrative of David’s encounter with the devilish Goliath? 1969. As a result, the grace of God does three things for us: it has brought us salvation, it teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and it gives us hope (Titus 2:11-13). “A little black eyed boy had taken his stand a few feet from the narrow path leading to the door of the meeting house, and was standing there barefooted, hands in pockets, eyes and mouth open, to get a glimpse of the big preacher he had ‘hearn tell of.’ The preacher turned aside to speak to the little fellow, and to take him by the hand, and thus began a friendship that nothing but death could destroy” (Srygley, 29). While many might suggest that one’s sunset years are the hardest, my own judgment would be that the period designated as youth might be the most challenging. We are proud of all our youth in the Willow Vale Church. I have been a Christian approximately 25 years. This is a great way to help them remember the main thing! God wants people who are committed to Him; committed people can be trusted with responsibility. Joseph, when a teenager, was sold into slavery. Larimore later told of an encounter he had with a twelve-year-old boy. At any cost. Many are not wholly committed to the cause of God, and their position of wavering is a source of weakness in itself, and a stone of stumbling to others. Acts 7:9). “Loyalty to God, faith in the Unseen, was Joseph’s anchor. He became God’s instrument in giving to men those principles that are the safeguard alike of the home and of society, that are the cornerstone of the prosperity of nations—principles recognized today by the world’s greatest men as the foundation of all that is best in human governments.” Ibid., 68, 69. (Woman's Study Bible p.1610) No, no; those who in everything make God first and last and best, are the happiest people in the world. 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