Sunday 14 Oct 2012

Sunday Reading: Proverbs 16:7

Key Verse: Proverbs 16:7
7  When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Devotion:
Working with children and young adults gives you an insight into society that you may well not otherwise see and for that I actually thank our Lord. Many tell me I am mad because I have chosen to work with people that others run in the opposite direction from but after God first lead me into youth work I have seen a deeper and deeper need for people to work with young adults and teach them about our ways as Christians.

It is no small thing that we have been given the scriptures (or what we now know as our bibles) so that we can know God’s ways, His rules, His instructions and be shown examples of how we can accomplish this. Christ Himself came to be the ultimate example and though we will never be able to achieve the life that Christ was able to lead, we can aim toward that example. He continues to give us direction and encouragement so that we can try to lead our lives as He directs us.

If we are willing to follow those directions and try to keep His ways then we are going to please Him. Just like parents do actually like it when children listen to them and follow their advice, our Heavenly Father would love us to do the same and follow His advice. He has made sure we have this all in writing so we do not have to guess at everything and continue making mistakes until we find out what is actually right. But that is where we have a problem in that we want to do things our own ways and at our own pace so that we get some of the glory!

Working with young adults has opened my eyes to this type of attention and glory seeking in ways that I had never thought of. It is strange because when I look back on my life I can actually see many times when I was in that same position in seeking attention. I may not have got up to some of the things that young adults get up to nowadays but I can see where they are coming from – the issue is how to reach out to them and allow them to see that they are on a path of destruction and not a path to glory! So living with Christ and for Him will allow us to live in a more peaceful relationship with Him – just as we hope to see with our children and young adults.

Points to Ponder:
Who’s instructions do you follow?

Do others see God’s ways through you?