Saturday, June 01, 2013

For the Young Folks: I dare you to read this to them

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…” (Jeremiah 1:5a, ESV)

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139:12-16, ESV)

God made you. Yes, we all understand a bit about anatomy and biology, but God used those things to knit you together. You are not junk. You are no one’s accident. You were created by the Creator. Yes, Him, the one who not only hung the stars, but spoke them into being. Yes, Him, the one who gave us light and melody and puppies and roses and oxygen. Yes, Him, who made the world and everything in it, and then placed mankind in the middle of it as the crowning creature in His majestic creation.

Do not, for even a piece of a piece of a piece of a second think you descended from apes or crawled from some primordial soup. Do not think cosmic dust aligned just right, atoms happened to collide and from a wisp you became existent.

No way; not even close. Much like the most unique of fingerprints, God made you by His own hand, and His image rests upon you.

If all the demons bound for hell and all the angels rejoicing in heaven and all the voices able to shout from every part of the Earth tell you in some lying unison that you did not come from God, don’t believe it. God made you.

Nobody knows you like God knows you. He knows the fears you hide, the dreams you have in your sleep and those you have while you’re awake. He knows the strengths in you that you don’t even know in yourself. He knows the sin that you hide from every other soul. He knows your years and your moments, both those that lay behind and those to come. His thoughts toward you are for healing, wholeness, peace and power.

Nobody loves you like God loves you, either. God hates our sin so much, and loves us so much that He gave His Son’s life to pay for our sin and open the way for us to know Him in a personal, intimate way. He would not stand idly by while the creatures He loves were helplessly separated from Him.
He made you for purpose, too.

Don’t you fall for the fat lie that says your purpose in life is to be an academic success, or a cultural maven, or a financial bull, or an intellectual giant. None of those things are your chief purpose. You were created to walk with God. You were created to enjoy God, and for Him to enjoy you. You were created to serve God; to walk with Him in humble fellowship, think His thoughts, care about what He cares about and turn your every facility over to His good use.

Sure, you might become highly educated.
You may become wealthy.
It’s possible you’ll become incredibly esteemed by those around you.
Indeed, your brain could become admired the globe over.

These things might happen, but none of these are your primary purpose. You are a creature of God whom He would delight in making into His very own child. He made you, and He desires every part, portion, particle and piece of your entire existence be surrendered into a life of use and worship unto Him.

Young people, I invite you, as you embark upon summer break, seek Him who made you. Know Him who knows you. Love Him who loves you. Surrender to Him who has a purpose for you.


Go ahead, I dare you, live for God…