Some Random Thoughts

"Fear not, you will no longer live in shame. The shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood will be remembered no more." Isaiah 55:4

Last week, I sat in on a class my Dad teaches on Wednesday night. He works with 11 or 12 teenagers each week. They are doing a study on purity right now. You can imagine how "comfortable" my Dad was with me in the room. :)

The longer the session went on, the more their faces changed. There were lots of questions. Some were voiced, most were not. I felt like I could almost read their minds...shame was in that room. A few were seeking truth, others talked a good game in front of their pastor and other adult leaders.

My heart can't forget the faces of those few who were seeking truth. God says that when we seek Him with our whole heart, we'll find Him. We talked about how our God is a God of second chances. (I just had that song from the Veggie Tales movie Jonah run through my head.!) Dad emphasized that when we sin, God's desire is that we turn around and come back into a proper relationship with Him. That God is forgiveness and that He will forgive even the things we think are unforgivable. There was such need in that room.

God also says that He is absolutely everything we need. Strength to stand - He is enough. Strength to say No when faced with tough choices - He is enough. How I long for them to fully understand that. I was left with the impression that those young people were filling the empty place in their hearts with lots of stuff, and a little Jesus. They are settling for leftovers when they could be having the main course the first time around!

Isaiah 55:1-3 tells us to "come and drink - even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk - it's all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen, and I will tell you where to get food that is good for the soul!"

So often we waste our time, our money, our emotions on things that can't fill the void. When that doesn't work we turn to other people to fill that empty place in our hearts and then wonder why they let us down. I can tell you exactly who will fill up that empty space. It isn't a house, or money, or power or fame. It isn't a man, and haven't we all tried that one! It isn't your children or grandchildren. It's HIM, God the Father! He gave us Jesus and that alone is all you or I will ever need.

What I saw last week was a group of young people at an intersection. They have to make a turn, I pray that they will turn and run towards Jesus. I was so convicted to pray harder for the young people God places in my life. They have so much more to deal with than I did just a few years ago!

I want to go back and visit with this group of kids again, but next time I pray that I don't see shame in that room. I'm asking God to transform that group of kids into trophies of grace.