With all my silver hair
and Arthritis, getting comfortable, is not an easy thing to do.
(1) I try to imagine a
shipwreck survivor bobbing in a prison of water, cold, dark, with no
communicator devices with him. There certainly is no hope of any air
rescue search planes flying overhead, or any other rescue procedures
likely to be happening. Thoughts come to the survivor's mind, “Why
am I here? What have I done wrong? Doesn't God in Heaven love me?
What will become of me?” The words of a Bible verse prompt the
command within him, “Get Comfortable!”
(2) The group of travelers
circle closely to the warm fire. It comforts and leads the mind to
wander on events of the day and one's future. One man adds more
sticks to the fire. Suddenly, without warning, a poisonous snake
jumps up and sinks its deadly fangs into the man. Others watch in
utter unbelief, suggesting this is God's punishment for something the
man has done to offend God. The man pulls the poisonous snake off his
arm and casts it into the fire. All those who watch the terrible
event, expect the man to die a wretched horrible death of poison. But
words come to the heart of the man, “Get Comfortable!” Scripture
states, the man was not harmed in any way, and his campfire witnesses
began thinking of the man as a god.
(3) The trip is a short
one; one-way straight down. In the most secrecy, the men carefully
lower the basket down the wall, knowing they are saving the man in
the basket from certain murder. Praying along every few inches, the
thoughts of the basket traveler may be thinking of another basket
traveler, still a baby. The baby floating in a basket in the
bulrushes, hundreds of years earlier, was an event stranger than
fiction; but at the same time, another example of God's protection
and provision to those that trust Him.
But probably even more
amazing is the same man experienced all three events above, and a
whole lot more. Now if that wasn't enough, in one of his many letters
of love and leadership to several struggling churches, this man
includes a powerful recipe. This recipe for joyful victorious life in
Jesus Christ is expressed in his letter to the church at Rome. The
man, the Apostle Paul, details this wonderful recipe in chapter 15
and verse 4, as follows:
“For whatsoever
things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we
through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”
In a
precious way, God's word is referred to, twice in this verse. “For
whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our
learning,” tells us the
purpose of scripture – “for our learning.”
The second reference to God's word is “comfort of the
scriptures.” If we are truly
learning and FEEDING on God's word, and not just reading it according
to someone's schedule, we'll gain real comfort from the scriptures.
This DAILY process is so important, God has even given us a 'live-in'
teacher; the Holy Spirit.
Among
other things, the word 'patience' reminds us that God has created us
into a time world. He is not bound by time, but we are. Learning and
comfort depend upon time and our CONTINUALLY looking to God with a
loving “Watcha want me to do now, God?” on our lips.
“Hope” here in Romans
15:4 carries far more weight than our present day meaning of the
word. The meaning God inspired, in the scripture, should read “might
have assurance.”
The
Bible is filled with so many promises that also apply to teens,
you'll want to dig out those diamonds yourself; make them yours.
A
favorite one of mine that reaches from my heart of tears to teenagers
is in Psalm 126:6
“He
that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless
come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”
This
is the end of the Teenage Jesus Blog, but should be a new beginning
for you and your harvesting of the teenage souls that God has placed
in your field of service.
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