Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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MATURED YOUTHHOOD

Psalms 119:1-16
How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
 By living according to your word.

(Psalms 119:9)
The great American poet Henrywardsworth Longfellow (1819-1892) said,‘Youth Comes but once in lifetime’. How to live such a time of youth as worth? What are the important characteristics of a matured youth hood?
The longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119 gives us beautiful illustration of the requirements for a matured youth hood. Also, this Psalm redefines our concept of a ‘blessed life’. The life of a young person has to have the following visions derived from the word of God to be a life good for the society and family. The young life becomes matured and blessed when a person understands the following:

Walk in the law of the Lord: What is the law of the Lord? A quick answer for this is Psalm 1:1 which says ‘Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful’. This is what God demands from us. Young person making this as the motto of his/her life will be a person walking in the law of the Lord. Bible says such a person will find delight in the law of the Lord.

Seek Him with the whole heart: Whoever tries to seek God with their whole heart will find true meaning and happiness in their life. Such a person will never get discouraged in his/her life. One of the difficulty young people faces these days is the dilemma in choosing the facts from the word of God and the world. Many times we give over emphasis to technology which ultimately drives us away from the existential realities. We have to give God the top priority in our life. It should be an unconditional search without any constraints to know the will of God.

Keep the ways clean: This can be done only by the word of God. A person, who understands the Excellency of the Word of God, will get the spiritual encouragement to lead a life holy and acceptable to the Lord. A worldly person can never reach this level of life with their own personal traits. Word of God is like a litmus test for a believer helping him/her to examine and change the life. Psalm 119:11 says that the word of God has to be hidden in our heart so that we will not sin against the Lord. A young person filled with all these potentials will be leading a life matured. That person will be an asset for the Kingdom of God.

Prayer: Create in me a clean heart, Oh, God to walk according to your will, to seek you with a whole heart and to keep my ways clean. Amen.

Reji Joseph, St. Peter’s MTC, New Jersey





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