Love The Lord

This week will be devotions I wrote for our youth as we go on our youth choir tour to minister to those in Retirement Homes, Girl Homes, Churches and Juvenile Lock ups in Ok and TX.  I wanted to share them with you so that you could see how the Lord will be speaking to them / us this week.  I want you to read them as if they are written for you as well, even though it talks to youth, they can apply to all of us because God's word is for all of us.

 

Please be in prayer for the youth and the sponsors as we travel, sing, minister to others and to one another. I am confident we will see many great blessings through this ministry both in those we sing to and those of us going.  I pray the blessings will also be in you as you do the devotions with us and pray for us.

 

 

Teens Awakening, Learning, Knowing

And Sharing God’s word!

FBC Glenpool Youth Choir Tour Devotions

3-15-10

 

Love the Lord

Mark 12:30
AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.'

 

There was a boy who lived in the darkness of rejection and abuse. His broken spirit cried for help, but only found the raw and unfriendly streets of loneliness and hunger. His days and nights lost their definition and slipped into a foggy haze. He was a wandering soul, lost and forgotten by the very people that should have protected and loved him.  Yet, he kept on searching.

 

Fear and hopelessness tossed him around like a rag doll. Survival for him seemed worse than death itself and yet death seemed dark and scary. What would happen to this torn and tattered boy whose heart beat with the blood of bitterness and pain?  What was he searching for?

 

Who is this boy?  What really happen to him?  Where is he now?  Did anyone ever love him? Did he ever find hope for his future and peace from his past?  Does he sound like someone you know? Does his life reflect your own life? Are you searching?

 

It doesn’t matter what background we come from, what has been done to us or what we have done to others that may not have been very nice or something we are not proud of, the Lord is still waiting in the quietness of the night to meet with us, to tell us the truth, and provide us hope.

 

You may know someone that seems hopeless, wandering in a world of darkness, anger, bitterness and pain.  You know that if something doesn’t change in their life, they will either become like the very thing they hate or they will die lost, separated from God. 

Just like the boy in the story, God takes us right where we are in life and shows us His love and hope through the offer of accepting Jesus, wiping away our sins and giving us a new life as His child.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.  That whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

 

Jesus changes lives for all those who will seek Him.  He changed the man in the story.  I know, because the man was my father. Dad grew up with bitterness and hate for those who hurt him as a boy.  He passed his pain on to me through physical, emotional and sexual abuse.  However, two years before dad died, he met Jesus. He was searching for love and found Him.  Now one day we will meet in the heaven and worship our Lord together.  My dad was born again, his old life was dead and buried, and he received a new life in Christ because he finally went searching for Truth and found Him. He came to understand what it means to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. He understood that he was forgiven and had been given a new life in Christ. Through God’s forgiveness he was able to know love and to love the Lord with his whole life.

What about you?  Are you searching?  Do you know Jesus? Have you accepted Him as your Savior?  Do you love Him with your whole self?

 

It is ok to search for answers because it helps you find the Truth.  With your heart you can love God.  With your soul you can trust God.  With your mind you can know God, and with your strength you can serve God.

 

We have an opportunity to touch someone’s life tomorrow in a big way.  Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and show that love as you sing.

 

 

Look up Mark 12:30 and write it down. 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

What does this verse mean to you? Have you given your whole self to God?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

As you write your prayer to the Lord tonight, think about those who are locked up behind bars, think of the young people who are like my dad was when he was young, rejected, alone, hurt, and unloved, will you pray for them?  Will you be positive and loving toward them when you sing?

 

Now write your letter to the Father, express your love for Him and your concern for those that are hurting and need His love.  Ask Him to use you tomorrow to be an example of His love.  Oh and by the way, let your prayer also be about praying for each other, understand one another, and helping each other.  After all someone singing with you may need a touch of God’s love right now too.  Love the Lord with all you heart, soul, mind and spirit by loving the unlovely.

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In Jesus name, Amen