**THE
YOUTHFUL AGE THE AGE OF SOWING
When I was in school there was a teacher that taught us commerce, he is a
believing Christian. Whenever he had the opportunity to advise us , he starts
with a scripture which I fall so much in love with though I was not a believer
then but I always get touched whenever he speaks with this scripture which says
;
Do not be deceived for God is not mocked . For whatsoever a man sowth that
shall he reaps. Galatians 6: 7
The youthful age is the time of sowing and it is what you sow as a youth that
you will reap when you grow old. Many people are suffering in their old age
today, not because they were meant to but it occurs as a result of the seed
they sowed when they were young in terms of serving God which every man on earth
were created to do and many sowed an evil seed in training their children,
helping the needy, in communications, integrity and moral life.
Life is a fertile prepared garden where men have received the mandate to sow
and to reap in several folds what they had sown. As far as you are living on
this planet earth , you are sowing either a good or a bad seed and as in every
farm land that is sown for years is left to be fertile again for another to
plant so shall every man leave this earth for another to occupy . The law of
sowing and reaping had been established by God and no man can counter it.
A seed cannot be reaped the day it was sown it pass through process and there
is no possibility of reaping what you did not sow So, be mindful of your
youthful age because, it is the time when you pass through series of
temptation, trials, distractions and things that can hinder you from getting to
a better destination and a fulfilled life. The end of everything is always
important. It does not matter how you started but how you end it. Life is a
journey which must one day, come to an end and it is the part you follow that
determines your destination.
It is written; truly light is sweet and it is pleasant for the eyes to behold
the sun. But if a man lives many years and rejoice in them all yet let him
remember the days of darkness for they will be many. That is vanity. Rejoice oh
young man in your youth and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth.
Walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes but know that for
all these God will bring you into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from your
heart and put away evil from your flesh for childhood and youth are vanity.
Ecc. 11 : 7 -10
Do not be deceived ; many people have been deceived today, they walk in the
ways of their heart and follow after the sight of their eyes without
remembering that the youthful age is vanity and that God will bring every deed
into judgment. They live in fornication, lies, lust, hatred, anger, love of
money more than God without considering that every sin has consequences.
My dear, are you guilty of any of these sins it is dangerous! Surrender to
Jesus today and allow the blood he shield on the cross for you to cleanse you
from all your iniquities.
Advice to my beloved youths: remember thy creator in the days of your youth
before the difficult days comes. Ecc. 12: 1
It is better to travel without anything than to get to your destination and
found nothing. Your salvation and moral live is your key to divine success.
Your yesterday is a history, tomorrow is a mystery but today is your refined
available currency so, spend it wisely.
**RELIGHIOUS
VIEW ON VIRGINITY/PREMARITAL SEX
According to
the Medical Institute
for Sexual Health, “A virgin is
anyone who has never had sexual
intercourse (oral, vaginal, or anal)”.
Many teens falsely assume that
they are still virgins if they only
have oral sex, but this is simply
not true. Oral sex is sex, vaginal
sex is sex, and anal sex is sex.
Any time your sexual organs are
sexually stimulated by the touch
of another person, you’re involved
in a form of sexual activity.
In Islam, sexual behaviour among individuals who
are not married to one another is called Zina. Zina can further be defined as
an unlawful act under the religion of Islam and disvirginity before marriage is
discouraged totally as Muslims has being warned in the Holy Qur’an “And come
not near to unlawful sex (adultery and fornication). Verily, it transgresses
its limit: A great sin and an evil way that leads one to hell unless Allah forgives
him” (Q17 vs. 32). The punishments for fornicators are also mentioned in Q24
vs. 2 “the fornicatress and fornicators flog each of them with a hundred (100)
strips…” Giving the severity of punishment for premarital sex, the Qur’an
requires solid proof beyond a shadow of a doubt before convicting an
individual. There must be testimony of four reliable male Muslim witnesses all
whom must have witnessed the actual intercourse at the same time.
In Christianity, premarital sex is also not allowed
and virgin till marriage is highly encouraged. The bible says “flee from sexual
immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body but the sexual
immoral person sins against his own body” (1 Corinthians 6:18). However, the
bible does not prescribe any punishment for those who engage in sexual immorality
but leave the matter for God to judge.
Furthermore, African Traditional Religion frowns at
premarital sex and has serious sanctions for perpetrators of extramarital
affairs to the extent that consequence could involve ultimate death of the
perpetrators. Similarly, the religion emphasizes the imperativeness of personal
hygiene and maintenance of sexual health and being sexually faithful as a means
of ensuring marital harmony. The implication of this viewpoint lies in the fact
that, individuals (especially youths) who engage in premarital sex risk
exposure to all consequences inherent in such act and administration of
appropriate sanction when caught or if found guilty against the laid down rules
and regulations of the society. In some instances the gods of African
traditional Religion stipulates that certain rites are specifically to be
handled by youths or individuals who are sexually faithful given their age and
marital status.
**EFFECT OF PREMARITAL SEX
Some of the effects of premarital sex are
uncountable and cut across so many areas of the victims live. The act itself in
most cultures/religions (for example in most parts of the country particularly
Nigeria as a whole) is considered immoral as its consequences may lead to other
immoral behaviours and also breaking of the constituted authority of the land.
It is not unlikely, that where the culture frowns at it, the youth after
premarital sex may have sense of guilt, shame and regret. The effects of premarital
sex can be categorized into four: spiritual effects, sexual/ physical effects,
emotional effects and relational effects.
Spiritual effect of premarital sex starts
immediately the act has been done. Almost all religion (if not all) are against
premarital sex and this makes youth feel they have sinned against God. They
felt spiritual decline and these may even lead to disobedient to other
religious law since they have sinned before.
The sexual/physical effects are unwanted pregnancy,
abortion, poverty through early marriage, stigma and disgrace as well as
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). The STDs include Vasco Virginal Fistula
(VVF), Trichonomoniasis, Gonorrhoea, Chlamydia, Choroid, Herpes, Syphilis,
Genital warts, HIV/AIDS and so on.
Premarital sex affects youths emotionally. It leads
to resentment and frustrations, loss of dream, devalue sex, regrets, guilt,
emotional baggage, worry about STDs, and loss of self-respect, low self-esteem,
depression, unwanted pregnancy and children, poverty and so on. Premarital sex
leaves individual empty and searching for real love.
Relational effects includes mistrust, ruined
relationship, fear of commitment, false intimacy, difficulty in evaluating
future spouse, feeling of betrayal, tendency to cheat after marriage and lack
of bonding through sex in marriage. When youth engage in their first premarital
sex, they may end up feeling unfulfilled or dissatisfied with the consequence
that they may be tempted to have sexual intercourse with different partners in
the hope that they would find satisfaction, yet they have unsatisfied sexual
experience and it increases their sexual exploitation.
**SEXUAL PURITY
If the
Bible addresses an issue with unrelenting frequency and urgency, and if that
issue is one of the strongest natural forces in the world today, then ministers
of the Word of God are obligated sooner or later to declare God's will on that
issue. The sexual life of the unmarried person (I will talk about married
people my next edition) is of great concern to God. Even those of you who have
not entrusted yourselves to Christ for salvation and do not love God, even you
are obligated to obey what God has to say about your sexual desires. Though you
rebel against his ownership, you are God's. He made you and has an absolute right
to tell you what is good for you. He sent Jesus Christ into the world to
overcome your rebellion and to make peace by the blood of his cross. And my
prayer at the very outset is that you might turn from your rebellion and
unbelief and disobedience and that you might trust Christ for forgiveness and
lives for the glory of God.
** YOUR BODY IS NOT YOUR OWN.
Then I would be able to say to everyone, do you not know that your body is
the temple of the Holy Spirit, within you, which you have from God? You are not
your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body (1
Corinthians 6:19, 20).
O, what an offensive word to our rebel human nature. The body in which you
dwell is not yours to do with simply as you please. God bought your body from
the curse of sin by the payment of his own Son, and now your body should serve
one all-encompassing purpose: "Glorify, God in your body." As Paul
said in Romans 6:12–14,
let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies to make you obey their
passions. Do not yield yourselves to sin as instruments of wickedness, but
yield yourselves to God as people who have been brought from death to life, and
your bodily parts to God as instruments of righteousness. For sin will have no
dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
God is concerned about what you do with your body. He created them, he bought
them, he owns them, he indwells them, and what we do with them demonstrates to
the world who our Lord is. If I were to stop here with this general admonition,
our consciences would give us some guidance in specific cases, say, of whether
we should smoke, or drink, or use drugs, or overeat, or never exercise, or get
too little sleep, or engage in sexual relations outside marriage, or
masturbate, or wear enticing clothing, or other things that misuse or abuse the
body. But what our consciences approve and disapprove of is not always an
accurate guide to what God approves of. Therefore, the Bible goes beyond the
general admonition, "Glorify God in your body," to the more specific
guidance, especially in the matter of sexual desires. So I aim to be more
specific, too.
**Why Did God Invent Sexual Desire?
The question I want to start with is this: Why did God invent sexual desire?
Before I try to answer that question from Scripture, let me define sexual
desire. First of all, I am not including homosexual desires. Until I have a
chance to preach on homosexuality I'll just say three things about it:
1. If you are here and homosexual, I pray that you will not feel driven away,
but will stay and seek help.
2. The practice of homosexuality is sin; it is contrary to God's revealed will.
3. Homosexual desires, like many other kinds of desires, are abnormal, and
those who have them should seek through prayer, fellowship, and Christian
counselling to be changed. It is not easy, but it is possible.
When I ask the question, why God created sexual desire, I have in mind that
normal craving for sexual stimulation and intimacy that begins with early
adolescence and continues, for some it seems, indefinitely, but for many
mellows out into a less visceral craving but nevertheless real desire for
personal and bodily intimacy. I acknowledge that in these years of sexual
desire there are many people with very vigorous, and people with very mild,
sexual desires. I don't mean to treat anyone along this continuum as better as
or worse than another. When I speak of those with sexual desires I refer to the
vast majority of people who from their early adolescence have to deal one way
or another with God-given sexual appetite.
Now, why did he create it? Let me give one brief answer and one expanded
answer. The brief answer comes from Genesis 1:27, 28, "God created man in
his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created
them. And God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and
fill the earth and subdue it."' Since sexual desire aims finally at
consummation in sexual intercourse, and sexual intercourse is the means that
man and woman have of multiplying and filling the earth, therefore, I infer
that one of the reasons God created us with sexual desire is to see to it that
mankind would indeed fill the earth with people. And for some people
procreation of children is the only justification for seeking gratification of
sexual desires. But we will see in more detail next week, when I will be talking
about sexual relations in marriage, that the apostle Paul has quite a different
view.
A second answer to the question, why God created sexual desire, is found, I
believe, in 1 Timothy 4:1–5,
Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the
faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons through the
pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and enjoin
abstinence from foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by
those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good,
and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for then it
is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
In this text Paul is trying to help Timothy know what to say when false
teachers arise (and there were some already at Ephesus) who teach that
gratification of sexual appetite in marriage and the gratification of appetite
for food should be cut back as far as possible. That means, abstain from
marriage altogether and avoid unnecessary foods. It is no accident that Paul
mentions marriage and eating together here and then treats them as one problem.
Because the issue is really bodily pleasure, unnecessary bodily pleasure,
whether through sexual stimulation or through eating food. The false teachers
said, "Cut bodily pleasure to the minimum that will allow you to
live."
Paul's response to this ascetic teaching is very plain in verses 4 and 5:
Everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is
received with thanksgiving; for then it is consecrated by the word of God and
prayer.
Why did God create sexual desire and sexual intercourse to satisfy it? Why did
God create hunger and food to satisfy it? Verse 3 gives a very straightforward
answer: "God created (these things)
to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth."
All the unnecessary, innocent pleasures of life (and there are thousands of
them) were created by God to be occasions for thanksgiving to God by those who
believe and know the truth. The reason God created sexual desire and the event
of sexual intercourse to satisfy it is not merely to fill the earth with
people, but also to give another unique and exquisite occasion for the ascent
of thanks from two hearts full of gratitude for God's gift of sexuality.
And let us not be deceived by the world. This gift was designed for believers
and no one else. Look at verse 3, "God created these things to be received
with thanksgiving by those who believe." By its very design it can only be
for believers, because it is designed as an occasion for thanksgiving. But
those who do not "know the truth" — the truth, namely, that God is
the giver of all good gifts and worthy to be glorified and thanked — those who
hold down this truth ( Romans 1:18 , 25 ) and do not trust in God cannot
satisfy their sexual desires according to the design of God. All their sexual
behaviour is sin because it does not spring from faith in God (Romans 14:23)
and does not result in thanks to God.
**Why Is Sexual Fulfillment Intended Only for
Marriage?
Now, what
are his words of guidance to those who are not married? The Greek word from
which we get "pornography" is porneia. In the New Testament porneia
is translated as "fornication," "unchastely," or
"immorality." Generally (though not always) it refers to sexual
promiscuity of unmarried people. In
Matthew 15:19 Jesus says, "Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder,
adultery, fornication." Here it stands side by side with adultery,
adultery being the specific sin of sexual unfaithfulness in marriage, and
fornication being the more general word covering illicit sexual relations for
persons who are not married.
The New Testament as well as the Old condemns fornication, or sexual
intercourse outside marriage, as sin. In Galatians 5:19 Paul lists it with the
works of the flesh. In 2 Corinthians 12:21 he is ready to weep over those who
have not repented of this sin. In Ephesians 5:3 he says fornication should
never have to be named among Christians. In
Colossians 3:5 fornication is first on Paul's list of things we should put to
death in ourselves. And in
Revelation 9:21 it is listed with murder, sorcery, and theft as things a hardened
people would not repent of.
In 1 Corinthians 7:2 Paul says,
Because of temptation to immorality (i.e., fornication) each man should have
his own wife and each woman her own husband.
Then he goes on in verses 8 and 9:
To the unmarried (men and women) and to the widows I say it is well for them to
remain single as I do. But if they cannot exercise self-control, let them
marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame with passion.
The point I want to take from these verses is that, according to Scripture, all
sexual intercourse before marriage is immoral. There are many man-cantered
moralists today who admit that indiscriminate sexual relations are wrong but
who argue that, when a couple is engaged or has a deep friendship, then things
are different and sexual relations are a legitimate expression of love. But the
biblical view cannot be stretched to cover that concession. Paul considers the
possibility that a couple may be aflame with passion for each other and his one
and only release from continence is marriage: "If they cannot exercise
self-control, they should marry!" God not only created sexual desire, but
he also created the perfect sphere for its gratification, marriage. And any
attempt to alter his design is not only immoral before God, but destructive of
personal relations and individual fulfilment.
This raises the next question:
** Why did God command that we find gratification
for our sexual desires only in marriage? To the best of my knowledge, God does not give us a
direct answer to this question in his Word, nor is he obligated to. Sometimes
God leaves the wisdom of his commands for us to discover by experience. Those
who disobey him discover it through tragedy. Those who obey discover it through
patience and joy.
The way I have tried to understand God's wisdom and love in limiting sexual
intercourse to marriage is by asking, "What is it that distinguishes
marriage from all other heterosexual relations?" The biblical answer to
that question is that marriage is distinguished from other chosen relationships
by its permanence. Marriage is a commitment made for a lifetime, till death do
us part. 1 Corinthians 7:39,
A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If the husband dies, she is
free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.
There is no other relationship between a man and a woman requiring that kind of
permanent commitment. Therefore, in marriage God has designed a unique and
stable and lasting relation for our most intimate expression of love. I believe
experience confirms that something good and beautiful is lost from our sexual
intimacy in marriage if we gave ourselves away outside that union. God can
forgive that sin, but the scar he does not remove. The act will never be the
same again. There is an inexpressible deepening of the union of marriage, which
God intended, when a husband and wife can lie beside each other in perfect
peace and freedom and say, "What I have just given you I have never given
to another." I speak to those for whom it is not too late: Do not throw that
away.
I find it helpful to use the analogy of Jesus' words in
Matthew 7:6 "Don't cast your pearls before swine." It is possible to
debase the truth by dispensing it willy-nilly. There are some truths that are
too precious to be discussed in hostile, worldly settings. That's the way it is
with our bodies, too. Nobody dispenses his bodily affections indiscriminately.
You don't shake hands with all the people you nod to. You don't hug all the
people you shake hands with. You don't kiss all the people you hug. And I would
argue that there is a pearl of great value, a pearl of emotional, spiritual,
physical intimacy, which can only be placed in one container without being
debased and ruined, and that is the strong, permanent velvet-lined case of
marriage. The unique, personal sexual fulfillment in the permanence of marriage
for those who have kept themselves pure is one of the best explanations for why
God limited the gratification of sexual desires to marriage.
The implication of all this for the single person with average sexual desires
is not easy. Even if a person gets married in his early twenties, he is
confronted with a preceding decade of sexual stress. And for those who remain
single, whether by choice or not, the problem of handling sexual desires continues
much longer. What help can we give to these people, among whom I include
everybody from thirteen years on up who is unmarried and yet feels desires for
sexual stimulation and gratification? My main burden for you in this category
is that you glorify God in your bodies by keeping yourself free from any
enslavement, except to God. In Romans 6:16 Paul said,
Do you not know that if you yield yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you
are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of
obedience, which leads to righteousness?
And in 1 Corinthians 6:12 the proud Corinthian libertines said, "All
things are lawful for me," but Paul responded, "Yet I will not be
enslaved by anything." The meaning of that little interchange is that it
is possible to be enslaved in the name of freedom. That is the situation in the
world today. In the name of sexual freedom, we are a nation enslaved to our
sexual cravings. If you want to know what a nation is hooked on, just observe
what the media masters use to get and hold our attention. Sex sells everything.
It sells movies, cars, furniture, clothes, booze, news, cigarettes, and
sporting gear. Sex sells because we are a nation enslaved to the second, third,
and fourth look at the body in the picture. But it shall not be so among you,
because you have been set free from sin and are now enslaved to God. Therefore,
glorify God by keeping yourself free from the enslaving forces of the world.
**SOME
WORDS OF COUNSEL FOR THE SINGLE PEOPLE
I have some words of counsel for persons who are not marrntation because I know
the male temptation first-hand but not the female. Some are dos and some are
don'ts, but all aim to be positive in that they are intended to help you
preserve preparation for sexual intercourse, and therefore it belongs where
that event belongs, namely, in marriage. Where the permanent commitment that
characterizes marriage is missing, caressing becomes depersonalized
manipulation; it turns the other's body into a masturbation device to get a private
physical thrill. God made us in such a way that if we try to turn that moment
of touching into a personal, spiritual expression of love, we are not able to
do it without making promises of faithfulness. Implicit in our hearts at that
moment is the statement: You may touch me because you have promised never to
leave me nor forsake me. You may have me because you
are me. We are so made that we cry out for permanence when giving away our most
intimate gifts. They belong in marriage.
Third, avoid unnecessary sexual stimulation. It doesn't take any brains to know
that there are enough X-rated movie houses and adult bookstores in this city to
keep a person livid 24 hours a day. To visit these crummy places is temptation
enough. But the real test is what you do with the more legitimate sources of
sexual stimulation. PG movies, Time magazine, the newspaper, television,
drugstore magazine racks, rock music lyrics. In our society you cannot escape
sexual stimulation, but you can refuse to seek it. And you can avoid it often
when you see it coming. This is the great test of whether we are enslaved or
free — can we say no to the slave driver in our bodies who wants us to keep on
looking and keep on lusting.
Fourth, when the stimulation comes and the desire starts to rise, perform a
very conscious act of transfer onto Christ. I wish I had learned this much
earlier in my life. While riding down the road, if some billboard or marquee
puts a desire into my mind for some illegitimate sexual pleasure, I take that
desire and say, "Jesus, you are my Lord and my God, and my greatest desire
is to know and love and obey you, so this desire is really for you. I take it
from your competitor, I purge it, and I direct it to you. Thank you for freeing
me from the bondage of sin." It is remarkable what control we can gain
over the direction our desires take, if we really long to please Christ.
Fifth, pray that God would give you, in ever-increasing strength, a longing to
know and love and obey him above all else. I read a sermon once entitled,
"The Expulsive Power of a New Affection." The point was, there is no
better way to overcome a bad desire than to push it out with a new one. It is
in prayer that we summon the divine help to produce in us that new desire for
God.
Sixth, bathe your mind in God's Word. Jesus prayed, "Sanctify them in the
truth. Your word is truth" (John 17:17). There is nothing that renews the
mind and enables it to assess things God's way like regular meditation on the
Word of God. The person who does not arm himself with the sword of the Spirit
(Ephesians 6:17) is going to lose in the battle for his or her body.
Seventh, keep yourself busy, and when it is time for leisure, choose things
that are pure, lovely, gracious, excellent, worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8).
Idleness in a world like ours is asking for trouble. It is much harder for
sexual temptation to gain a foothold when we are busy at some productive task.
And if you need some fresh air, walk in a park, not down Hennaing Avenue.
Eighth, don't spend too much time alone. Be with Christian people often. Don't
forsake the assembling of yourselves together, but encourage one another, stir
each other up to love and good works. Talk of your struggles with trusted
friends. Pray for each other and hold each other accountable.
Ninth, strive to think of all people, especially people of the opposite sex, in
relation to eternity. It is not easy to fantasize about a person if you think
about the eternal torment they may shortly be suffering in hell because of
their unbelief. Nor is it easy to disrobe in your imagination a person you know
to be an eternal sister or brother in Christ. Paul said in
2 Corinthians 5:16, "From now on we know no one according to the
flesh." We view everybody from God's eternal perspective.
Finally, resolve to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and he
will add to you everything you need sexually. It may be a spouse. It may be the
grace and freedom to be single and pure and content. That is up to God. Ours is
to seek the kingdom. Or to put it another way, our all-consuming passion must
be to glorify God in our bodies by keeping ourselves free from every
enslavement but one: the joyful, fulfilling slavery to God My youthful age and
my sexual life.
**What if
I've already had sex?
If you’ve already had sex andregret that decision, the first step is to stop
having sex and begin with a renewed commitment to purity. Your past does not
have to determine your future. Purity can begin today. Second, ask yourself some
tough questions: Why did I start having sex? Was I pressured into it? Was I
looking for love and thought sex would fill that void? Was I merely curious? Third,
experience God’s total
forgiveness. 1 John 1:9 says: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and
righteous to forgive
us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God does not offer partial
forgiveness, or conditional forgiveness, but total forgiveness.
God loves you and desires that you experience the most fulfilling
sex, love, and marriage relationship possible. To
experience God’s best you must move forward today - regardless
of your past - by making a commitment to save sex until
marriage. I promise you, it is well
worth the wait!
EXAMPLES OF SOME YOUTH USED BY GOD IN THE BIBLE
Which is the most difficult era of human life? Infancy? Adolescence? Mature
adulthood? Agedness? It probably depends upon where you are as to how you might
answer that query.
While many might suggest that one’s sunset years are the hardest, my own
judgment would be that the period designated as youth might be the most
challenging.
Youth is a frustrating time in life. It is that period when one is hardly
old enough to be on his own, and yet he is feeling a sense of independence.
Youth ever are attempting to find some sense of identity; that is why they
sometimes act and dress so weird. They are bizarre!
But then, so were we.
The Scriptures represent youth as a time both of danger and challenge. Moses
said that “the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Gen. 8:21),
and Paul admonished Timothy to “flee youthful lusts” (2 Tim. 2:22).
By way of contrast, though, the Creator also recognizes the value of youth
to the divine cause. Youngsters have
energy, they are
daring,
their hearts are filled with
visions of the future. Indeed,
they can be a most valuable component in the service of Jehovah.
Solomon, who wasted much of his life in folly, perhaps thought better of the
matter in his declining days. He contended:
“Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days
come and the years draw near when you will say, I have no pleasure in them”
(Eccl. 12:1).
Again, Paul would say to Timothy:
“Let no man despise your youth; but you be an example to them that believe,
in word, in manner of life, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12).
It strikes me that whereas our youth can be quite impetuous and sometimes a
bit silly, they are, nonetheless, a wonderful resource in the kingdom of
heaven.
The fact is, the Bible is replete with examples of how God has used younger
people in some of the most vital roles in the unfolding of his marvelous plan
of redemption.
Let’s reflect upon some striking examples that demonstrate God’s confidence
in youth.
Joseph
Joseph is truly one of the sterling characters of the Old Testament era. He
was a favorite of his father, which incited the passionate envy of his brothers
(cf. Acts 7:9). Accordingly, these hateful siblings sold Joseph to a caravan of
Ishmaelites who transported him down to Egypt, where the younger brother was
bought by an Egyptian officer named Potiphar.
As most everyone knows, during the course of his duties, Potiphar’s evil
wife cast longing eyes toward Joseph. She attempted to seduce him, but he, with
firm resolve, resisted, insisting: “How can I do this great wickedness and sin
against God?” (Gen. 39:9).
One of the stunning features of the account is the fact that Jospeh was only
seventeen years of age (Gen. 37:2)! A young lad, in a strange land, separated
from his people and his center of religious strength — yet faithful to his God.
How thrilling!
As the story subsequently unfolds, we learn that Joseph was being used by
Jehovah as a providential instrument for the preservation of the Hebrew nation.
Joseph would later recognize: “God did send me [here] to preserve life” (Gen.
45:5).
Again, at the end of his life, to his brothers he said: “You meant evil
against me; but God meant it for good ... to save many lives” (50:20).
All of this was done, of course, in view the Lord’s use of the Hebrew nation
as an instrument in the divine plan which resulted in the incarnation of
Christ. Think about it. God trusted a teenager to accomplish such a vital role.
Miriam
As the Hebrew people multiplied in the land of Egypt, they were perceived as
a threat to the stability of that nation. Hence the order was given that
Israelite male babies were to be thrown into the Nile. When Moses was born, his
parents hid him for three months; then, they placed him in a small vessel
fashioned from the papyrus plant, which they deposited by the river’s edge,
committing their precious baby to the care of Jehovah.
In the meantime, Moses’ older sister, who is estimated to be about ten or
twelve at this time, was posted some distance away, keeping watch. Finally
Miriam obtained Jochebed, Moses’ own mother, as a nurse for the child. Oh, the
ways of providence!
Here is my point. The entire future of the Hebrew nation — the instrument to
be employed for the conveyance of the Saviour — was entrusted to a young girl.
Does this say something about how God values youth? Assuredly it does.
David
The story of David, who became Israel’s king, is too well-known to need
elaboration. Who among us, both as child and adult, has not thrilled to the
narrative of David’s encounter with the devilish Goliath?
What a breath-taking episode — the soldiers of Israel on one side of the
valley of Elah, the defiant Philistine champion on the other. Morning and
evening for forty days, Goliath had challenged Israel to combat, but they were
frozen in fear (1 Sam. 17:10-16).
When David arrived on the scene he was chagrined at the timidity of his
Hebrew kinsmen and volunteered to take on the infidel. But he was disdained as
a mere “youth” — initially by king Saul himself, and then by Goliath (1 Sam. 17:33,42).
Never mind; God was with this “youth,” who may have been about twenty-two or so
at the time. Goliath was slain and the Philistine force was routed. Edersheim
called this victory “the turning point in the history of the theocracy” (89).
Again, the Lord invested in youth, and the cause of truth triumphed.
Josiah
The noblest king to reign in the territory of Judah was Josiah. Scripture
says there was no ruler of his caliber, neither before nor after him, who
sought the Lord with “all his heart” as did he (2 Kgs. 23:25).
Josiah was but a boy of eight when he came to the throne. At the age of
sixteen, he began to “seek” Jehovah, and by the time he turned twenty, he
initiated a campaign to purge the southern kingdom of its idolatry (2 Chron.
34:1-3).
When Josiah was twenty-six, he arranged for repairs on the temple. It was at
this time that a tremendously significant event occurred. A copy of “the law of
Jehovah given by Moses” was discovered in the temple (2 Chron. 34:14). When the
religious and moral message of the sacred document was studied, and the
spiritual fabric of the nation was seen to stand in such glaring contrast, a
reformation was proclaimed.
One of Josiah’s important accomplishments was the restoration of the
Passover, which had not been observed with care since the days of the judges (2
Kgs. 23:21-23). Since the Passover was designed to preview the death of Jesus
(cf. 1 Cor. 5:7), Josiah was an important element in preparing the nation for
the Savior’s arrival. What confidence Jehovah had placed in a spiritual lad.
Jeremiah
Jeremiah, the great “weeping prophet,” is one of the more remarkable
characters of the Old Testament. He sought so desperately to bring rebellious
Judah back into conformity with the law of God. He began his ministry in the
thirteenth year of Josiah (626 B.C.) and concluded his work among his people
when the Babylonian force destroyed the temple in 586 B.C. But he prophesied
periodically even after the fall of the holy city.
It is possible that his preaching career spanned some sixty years or more.
This suggests that Jeremiah was probably in his late teens when he was called
of the Lord to be his prophet to the wicked nation. God can use a youth of
faith!
Mary
One can only imagine how sweet the beloved Mary of Nazareth must have been,
as evidenced by the fact that of all women in Israel, she was chosen to be the
mother of our Lord.
Something of her spiritual depth is seen in the psalm she uttered when
greeted by Elizabeth, while visiting her kinsman in the hill country of Judah.
The song is often called the “Magnifcat” (from the first word of the passage in
the Latin Vulgate). The passage begins: “My soul magnifies
[present—continuously] the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior” (Lk.
1:46).
In one of his books, Harry Rimmer noted that this little song, of ten verses
in the English Bible, draws from twenty-three separate passages in the Old
Testament (118). What a commentary on how her precious mind was filled with the
word of God!
Here is a fact that makes this even more astounding. In the Jewish culture,
a girl was normally married by the age of twelve or thirteen. Prior to
thirteen, a maiden might be betrothed to a man by her parents; at thirteen, she
was of the legal age to make her own choice.
It is entirely possible, therefore, that when Mary gave birth to the Saviour
of the world that she was in her early teens. Does this not speak volumes about
how God trusts spiritually minded youth?
Timothy
There was no companion closer to the great apostle Paul than his young
friend Timothy. When the apostle wrote to the church in Philippi, the
congregation for whom he had the greatest affection, he pledged to send Timothy
to assist them. He paid the lad the highest compliment when he told the
Philippian saints that “I have no man like-minded, who will care truly for Your
state” (Phil. 2:20).
From time to time, during Paul’s missionary endeavours, Timothy was at his
side. And during those dark hours as God’s apostle awaited execution, he longed
for the friendship of Timothy. In his final epistle, Paul urged: “Give
diligence to come to me shortly” (2 Tim. 4:9). What a compliment to this young
Christian.
Apparently Paul converted Timothy on his first missionary campaign when in
Lystra (Acts 14:8ff; cf. 1 Cor 4:17; 1 Tim. 1:2). When the apostle passed
through the region a second time (16:1ff), he selected Timothy to accompany
him. Since Timothy was still regarded as a “youth” when Paul wrote his first
letter to him (1 Tim. 4:12), which was some fourteen years after the lad joined
the apostle on that preaching tour, it is believed that he was eighteen to
twenty when he started working with Paul.
Recognize the Potential
A consideration of these cases, and others that might be noted (cf. 2 Kgs.
5:2), clearly show that youngsters, properly trained, are capable of courageous
faith and considerable usefulness in heaven’s cause.
Perhaps we do not realize how we might influence youngsters to serve the
Lord. Do we not overlook their potential all too often? Think about these
cases.
In 1868 the popular preacher, T. B. Larimore, came to Rock Creek, Alabama to
conduct a gospel meeting. Larimore later told of an encounter he had with a
twelve-year-old boy.
“A little black eyed boy had taken his stand a few feet from the narrow path
leading to the door of the meeting house, and was standing there barefooted,
hands in pockets, eyes and mouth open, to get a glimpse of the big preacher he
had ‘Hearn tell of.’ The preacher turned aside to speak to the little fellow,
and to take him by the hand, and thus began a friendship that nothing but death
could destroy”.
That boy was F. D. Srygley, who grew up to become a respected preacher and
writer, who wrote several books about Larimore.
Hugo MeCord tells of the influence of one such boy, who, some years ago was
attending a gospel tent meeting in Ireland. In the audience he was seated next
to Bill Tyner. During the course of the service, Tyner leaned over and asked
the lad: “What does Jesus mean to you?” The boy quickly replied: “Why, he’s my
everything. What does he mean to you?” Later Tyner, having been deeply moved by
the incident, wrote the beautiful hymn, “He Is My Everything.”
Conclusion
Youth can accomplish magnificent things for the Master’s cause. But do we
always recognize this? Are our young people merely ignored as empty-headed,
silly people who are unworthy of serious responsibility?
Sadly, this may be the case sometimes. But we should not overlook this
valuable resource in the Master’s cause. We must be on the lookout for them and
encourage them along the way. God can use them mightily.
Scriptural References
Genesis 8:21; 2 Timothy 2:22; Ecclesiastes 12:1; 1 Timothy
4:12; Acts 7:9; Genesis 39:9; Genesis 37:2; Genesis 45:5; 1 Samuel 17:10-16; 1
Samuel 17:33, 42; 2 Kings 23:25; 2 Chronicles 34:1-3; 2 Chronicles 34:14; 2
Kings 23:21-23; Luke 1:46; Philippians 2:20; 2 Timothy 4:9; Acts 14:8; 1
Timothy 1:2
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