Our Sun and Shield

For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Psalms 84:11

Wouldn't it be nice if we could know things ahead of time? We wouldn't ever be surprised about anything. We would know what was coming and always have time to be prepared. We would know whether or not the special person we care about is telling us the truth, or if they are simply using us.

Well, we cannot see ahead but God can. He has a perfect plan already in place each one of us. He has designed every aspect of our life for us, and if we trust Him, He will show us the right way to go. But we must be willing to wait patiently.

The problem is that waiting is so hard to do. It is hard to wait on dating and sex. It's hard to remain abstinent when everybody else has "already done it". It is hard to be "odd" in an "even" world.

But life is not like writing with a pencil. If we make a mistake, just erase it and start over. Life is more like a permanent black marker on a piece of white paper. Once it's there, it is hard to deal with.

It is so much better to trust God with our life. The main reason is because He is our Creator. He created the whole universe without leaving a single detail overlooked. His greatest dream is to know us in an intimate and special way. That is why He came down here and carried a heavy cross on His back. He died for the drams He has for our life. If we consider how very much He loves us, it's silly to not trust Him.

Yet many youth are afraid to trust God. And we know what happens when we are afraid of something; we run away from it. Stop running. Don't be afraid. Our life is in His hands. Stop fighting God's plan and get to know Him.

No matter what you do, you will not stay a little boy or girl for long. Sooner or later you will have to dream big. Dream big about what God can do in your life; for your friends; for your family; and in your school, church and community. Put your hand in His, and let Him make you into the person you never dreamed you would be.

Edmund Brown