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Feb.23.07: Light for the Day - "Youth and Obedience"
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-- Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not turn from it. -- 2 Timothy 3:15-17 15 And that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Young people are so anxious to begin making their own decisions. When it comes to staying out late, how to dress, what to eat, who to associate with, teenagers want their independence. Learning to make these choices is a part of growing up and maturing, but it takes time to learn to make wise choices. It also takes help. Though young people often resist the guidance and advice of their parents, there is much to be learned from adults who have lived through many of the situations they will face. We are often just like children when it comes to the instruction of our Heavenly Father. There is no situation that He does not know all about, yet we often resist His instruction or ignore His guidance. It is the wise person who learns to take sound advice. As we grow in our faith in God, we also grow in our ability to accept His instruction. It is only as we grow older that we begin to appreciate the decisions our parents made in our behalf as we were growing up. It is also true that we fully appreciate the rules that God has made for us when we mature spiritually. Prayer: Dear God, at times I act like a child in my faith. Help me to receive Your instruction with an open heart and mind. Grand me the wisdom to know that You are always trying to help me grow and to keep me on the path that I should follow. Amen. -- D&ND (Christian Dating & Sexuality) -- Matthew 7:24-25 24 Therefore everyone who hears these Words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. -- Epehsians 6:1-4 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 "Honor your father and mother", which is the first commandment with a promise: 3 "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." (Ex. 20:12; Deut. 5:16) 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, But bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. -- Luke 11:28 He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it." -- John 13:17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. -- James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. -- 1 John 5:3 This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome. -- 1 John 3:21-23 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 And receive from Him anything we ask, because we obey His commands and do what pleases Him. 23 And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us. 24 Those who obey Christ’s commandments live in God, and God lives in them. We know that He lives in us because He has given us the Spirit. -- Deuteronomy 6:4-9 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them to your children. Talk about them when you’re at home or away, when you lie down or get up. 8 Write them down, and tie them around your wrist, and wear them as headbands as a reminder. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. -- Psalms 78:6-7 6 So the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. 7 Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget His deeds but would keep His commands. -- Psalms 1:1-3 1 Blessed is the person who does not follow the advice of wicked people, take the path of sinners, or join the company of mockers. 2 But His delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. -- Proverbs 4: 1 Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. 2 I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching. 3 When I was a boy in my father’s house, still tender, and an only child of my mother, 4 he taught me and said, "Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands and you will live. 5 Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. 6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. 7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. 8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you. 9 She will set a garland of grace on your head and present you with a crown of splendor." 10 Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. 11 I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. 12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. 13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. 14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men. 15 Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way. 18 The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. 19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. 20 My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. 21 Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; 22 For they are life to those who find them and they heal the whole body. 23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. 24 Remove dishonesty from your mouth. Put deceptive speech far away from your lips. 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. 26 Carefully walk a straight path, and all your ways will be secure. 27 Do not lean to the right or to the left. Walk away from evil. -- 1 Samuel 15:22 But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. -- Deuteronomy 28:2 All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God. Obedience -- The virtue of paganism was strength; the virtue of Christianity is obedience. -- Hare He praiseth God best that serveth and obeyeth Him most: the life of thankfulness consists in the thankfulness of the life. -- Burkitt Prepare thy soul calmly to obey; such offering will be more acceptable to God than every other sacrifice. -- Metastasio God bless thee; and put meekness in thy mind, love, charity, obedience, and true duty! -- William Shakespeare Obedience, we may remember, is a part of religion, and therefore an element of peace; but love which includes obedience is the whole. --George Sewell In a republic the first rule for the guidance of the citizen is obedience of the law. -- Calvin Coolidge There was a time when we expected nothing of our children but obedience, as opposed to the present, when we expect everything of them but obedience. -- Anatole Broyard I have thought about it a great deal, and the more I think, the more certain I am that obedience is the gateway through which knowledge, yes, and love, too, enter the mind of the child. -- Anne Sullivan The strongest is never strong enough to be always the master, unless he transforms strength into right, and obedience into duty. -- Jean Jacques Rousseau When you think of the long and gloomy history of man, you will find more hideous crimes have been committed in the name of obedience than have ever been committed in the name of rebellion. -- C. P. Snow Obey first, Complain later. -- The Army Rule The reason why men do not obey us is because they see the mud at the bottom of our eye. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson It is much safer to obey, than to govern. -- Thomas à Kempis |