Church Of Christ - Youth Group

I know I missed posting a devo yesterday. We are still trying to wrap up harvest and we’ve got company. All of this adds up to less time for doing stuff. God provided time for me this morning though, so here it is. Start by reading Matthew 14:13-21 and jump right in.

“As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to me,” he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.”

In Matthew 14:13-21 Matthew describes for us a situation where 5,000 hungry people are miraculously fed by only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. Not only does this miracle show us the power of God, but also it shows us His generosity and faithfulness to those who believe in Him.

Steve and Sandy were so excited about just getting married. They just moved in to their new home and were starting their new loves together. With their new life also came new experiences. They wondered how they would make it to payday. One week it seemed so far off. The food would only last for a few more days. What were they going to do? Their last dinner came 2 days before payday. As they sat there enjoying it, they opened the mail, there was a card from Sandy’s great aunt saying how happy she was for them. She apologized that she was so late with the gift, and hoped that they could use the money that was enclosed with the card.

A faithful and generous God still provides for all those who believe in Him.

Points To Ponder: When has God provided for you? What did He provide for you? How was His blessing used?

Prayer Possibilities: Thank God for all the times He has provided for you. Ask God to continually provide for you. Ask God to bless others.

God is a good God. He is always there when we need Him. Let’s take a look at Psalm 118 today. There is only a few verses below, but I really encourage you to read the entire chapter.

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let Israel say: “His love endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say: “His love endures forever.” Let those who fear the LORD say: “His love endures forever.” In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free. The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.”

A couple of years ago, my friend was going through a hard time. Her parents were fighting a lot and she became very depressed. She knew that her parents would probably get a divorce, but she couldn’t handle it. Watching TV she saw how parents would steal kids if they didn’t get custody. She didn’t want that to happen to her. She thought about running away and even suicide. I asked her why she would consider ending her life just because a marriage was failing.

It’s not her fault that the marriage did not work. I told her that she shouldn’t worry because God was always with her and He works everything out. She knew that I was right and reconsidered everything she was thinking about.

In Psalm 118:7 it says, “The Lord is with me; he is my helper…” and in verses 13-14 it says, “…the Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” It’s good to know that God is always by our side when we need Him.

Points To Ponder: During rough times, what do you need to pray for? What makes one think that God isn’t with them? What is so wrong that you think that there is no solution?

Prayer Possibilities: Thank God that He is always with you. Ask Him for strength and guidance in time of need. Praise Him for forgiveness and His loving hand.

One thing that I find a bit scary about God is that He knows everything about me. He knows my thoughts, what I do, and what I think about people. This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on what you do. Take a look at Psalm 139 this morning as we explore this idea. It’s a long Psalm so I’ve only quoted a few verses below. Please read the entire passage by clicking the link though.

“O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”

Jodie came home from work one night, only to find her little brother sitting in her room, reading her diary. “Matt! How could you? You know that’s private!” Jodie felt very betrayed that Matt had read all of her secrets and things that no one else knew.

Well, like Jodie’s brother, God knows everything about us. The difference is that He didn’t have to sneak around to find these things out. He knows every action that we do and every thought that we have, even before we do. There is nothing that we can hide from Him. We can not run from Him. He is everywhere and He knows all. For us, as Christians, this should not be a scary thing. We should find comfort in the fact that our God knows everything about us—even the things that we don’t want others to know. In Psalm 139:1-2, it says, “O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise, you perceive my thoughts from afar.”

We all need to realize that our lives should be lived to God’s glory. We should take comfort in the fact that He is always with us and sees all we do.

Points To Ponder: How do you feel, knowing that God knows everything about you? Think of a few times when you may have been ashamed to have God “know it all.” How often do you forget that God knows all things and try to hide something from Him?

Prayer Possibilities: Thank God for always being with us and knowing all about us. Praise God for His great and total knowledge. Ask God to help us not to fear God’s knowledge, but to take comfort from it.

I was talking to a guy who isn’t a Christian yesterday about God and Christians and he said that there was only a couple of people he knew who were Christians and actually “Walked what they talked”. Let’s take a look at Matthew 5:13-16 and see what God has to say about this idea.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

You see your friends doing something they shouldn’t be, like skipping school or lying to their parents. Do you let them do it, or do you tell them that it’s wrong? It’s a situation we have all experienced and question we hate to face. What does the Bible have to say about what our reaction should be?

In Matthew 5:13-16, it’s clear that, as a Christian, our response should be to act as witnesses. First, God compares us to sale. Salt preserves food; Christians “preserve” the world from moral corruption. However, when salt has lost its savor, it’s useless; like Christians who fail to act as witnesses. You may think it won’t really matter if I say anything. “Why me?” “Why you?,” because you’re a child of God and it’s your duty to be His witness. Christians are also compared to a light on a hill. Light helps us see; likewise, Christians should show what God’s will is by witnessing. By witnessing to others and not refusing to say anything, you honor God.

We should all witness because it is God’s will. Matthew 10:32 states, “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father in heaven.” Witnessing is sometimes difficult, but with God’s help we can do anything.

Points To Ponder: What situations come to mind when you think of times when you did not witness? What small changes can you begin to make to follow God’s will to witness to others? What are some times that you did follow God’s will by witnessing?

Prayer Possibilities: Ask God to give you strength in your quest to share His Word with others. Pray to the Lord to help you be confronted by those who need to hear His Word. Thank God for His help that He gives us in every situation in our lives.

Let’s take a look at Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12 today. This is a long passage, but one well worth reading. I’ve only quoted a few verses below.

“Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. ”

Jon stood by the oak tree on a summer day and began to think. Just a few days earlier they had buried Scruffy. How he loved that ugly mutt and he knew Scruffy loved him, even though Jon had dropped him once when he was a puppy, sometimes forgot to feed him, and sometimes yelled at him. Scruffy was always there to lick his face when he was sad.

On a much higher level, Jesus was a little like Scruffy. Isaiah 53:9 says, “He oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth.” Jesus bore all of our sins; much like Scruffy bore all of the things Jon did to him, without complaint. In Isaiah 53:5 we are told, “We are healed.” Our sins are healed by Jesus bearing them, just like Jon’s wounds of sadness were healed by Scruffy licking his face and comforting him.

“Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows.” Jesus forgives our sins without complaint and will always forgive them, no matter how terrible the sins are.

Points To Ponder: What are some sins you have committed lately that Jesus bore for you? How can you avoid temptation to commit that sin again? What are some ways you can help a friend avoid temptation?

Prayer Possibilities: Ask God to forgive a sin you have committed. Ask God to bring a friend to repentance for a sin they have committed. Thank God for sending Jesus to forgive our sins.