Transformed – teen devotion – March 29, 2020
Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”
Isaiah 58:9-11
Practice makes perfect
There is nothing cooler for a teacher than when a student gets the correct answer on a test after hours and hours of extra work together after class. There is nothing better for a coach than when the team runs the play to perfection to win the game after hours and hours of hard work in practice.
It took a lot of work, a lot of pain, a lot of effort, time, patience, mercy, and grace to make you the person that you are today, a child of God. God chose you before the beginning of time. Your Father has redeemed you. He sent his Son to die for you. He raised Jesus from the dead for you. He made you spiritually alive even when you were dead in sin. He adopted you into his family even when you were an enemy and hostile toward him. He has given you a new identity, eternity in heaven, hope, love, forgiveness, and comfort. The Father has a vested interest in you and your life!
Life is filled with a lot of work, pain, and effort. Isaiah knows you need these encouragements:
- Call on God when you are in trouble. When you mess up, look to God for help. When anxiety creeps up into your world, cast it on him. He answers, “Here I am.”
- Let your light shine. God has made you his own dear child. So, act like the child of God that you are. Be kind. Be loving. Put others before yourself. When you do this, you show the world who you are. He promises, “Your light will shine in the darkness.”
- Be nourished. Come to the oasis of God’s Word in the desert of this world. Come to the hospital for your souls and find healing in his promises. Be the soul that is connected to God through his Word. Remember the baptism that changed your identity. Receive the Lord’s Supper and know that your sins are forgiven. In all these ways, the Lord will satisfy your faith and strengthen your resolve!
Remember who you are. Recall what God has done for you. During these pandemic days, continue to live your life for him.
Prayer: Lord God, you made all things. Continue to watch over the world that we live in. Keep people safe from all danger until that day when this world will be perfect again. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
