The following devotion was shared with our youth ministry team by Lee Mahon this week. It speaks to their ongoing efforts to develop a God honoring strategy for our youth ministry going forward and ties in with our message from last Sunday.
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12)
We’ve all experienced that sickening feeling in the pit of our stomach, disappointment. What we hoped for didn’t manifest, or it didn’t come together the way we imagined. As time passes, it can be hard to hold on to the dream, the thing you are trusting God for. Circumstances and situations get louder and louder in your mind. Thoughts try to play games with you as you entertain the what ifs, if onlys, and maybe scenarios.
Life is lived in seasons. We have seasons of expectation. Seasons of waiting. Just like seeds are planted in a garden; we can’t see what is happening in the dark, under the ground. We must hold on to hope and believe that the seeds we planted in faith will produce a harvest. It’s important to stay focused on God’s promise. Hold on to hope, stay steady and trust that God is at work. He is the one who said hope deferred makes the heart sick. He knows the perfect timing to produce the best outcome from what we trust Him to do.
Please be praying for the discernment process that we are going through to navigate the proper strategy for ministering to the youth and the search for the appropriate leadership of that ministry. Our youth are not only the future of the church they are a vital part of it now!
Blessings,
Rick