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Listen while you read: "Lord Of All Being Throned Afar"1 (Lyrics) |
Philosopher Edmund Burke said, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
Of all the parental and church instructions I hurled out my youth window, it might seem strange that a rebellious teenager would cling to the "abstaining from sex before marriage" one. But I did.
I suppose that it was an anomaly to my girlfriends, who were normally sexually active or wanted to be, and to my male friends who enjoyed bragging about their conquests. And after all, if I were committing all the other sin habits, why not this one too? I can't explain the inconsistency; I can only admit that it was a firm conviction.
Defined, "conviction" means "a strong persuasion or belief", and learning to do good requires them. "Our people must learn to do good." (Titus 3:14a NLT) Without convictions, I've discovered that I'll fail in obedience, but with them, I'll obey what the Bible says:
Ephesians 4:14 – Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. (NLT)
Convictions should be established early in life, and parents, teachers, and other significant individuals play a vital role in ingraining these in children. Proper foundations are laid early rather than later in life. Convictions should also be based on the principles of God's Word. While truth is not solely relegated to the Bible, it's the only place where unvarnished and absolute truth is discovered that will benefit the individual, group, and world. Additionally, convictions must be practiced to be advantageous. Saying that we genuinely believe in something without applying it is of little use to us or others. What convictions is God convicting you to make?
Prayer: Almighty God, give us the eternal fortitude to form our convictions based on Your Word and then to depend on Your grace to live by them each day. Amen.
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I have taken the liberty to send this to my grandson, a High School senior this year and his closest friend also a senior.
A good message, especially for the young people. Thanks for sharing Martin.
Blessings.
I so very much enjoy all of your Devotionals, thank you for taking the time to write and share them with all of us.
May God Bless you and us with many more.
Those of us who have devoted a lifetime to children of all ages will appreciate this devotional. I find it gives me a reminder of responsibility to always remember. Thank you.
Good Morning Martin:
What a powerful message. My parents use “you not only Talk the Talk, but Walk the Christian Walk if your life was to be a witness to others”.
A fine, fine message reminding us to “Remember it is so important what our hands do, where our feet go, what our eyes read and watch,, our ears listen to and last but not least the words we allow to come out of our mothe.
Conviction and holding fast to the faith is so very important. A great message.
There are far too few with such conviction today.
Your respect for yourself, for God and for the young women around you at the time, are to be held dear, Martin.
Sadly, respect for others is greatly lacking in many corners of society today. That is why crime has risen, as have assaults against others.
God blessed the people around you, as you grew up – they just could not see that.
Thank you so much for sharing, Martin.
Open – honest and straight from the hip.
Blessings.
Sir:
I thank God for holding you to the conviction of right.
And I thank you for sharing it.
Let’s pray that many many more will be convicted and will be given the great power of God to resist temptation.
Let us get God’s convictions and the reality of the gift of the overcoming power of God’s Holy Spirit out to the youth of today — and to people of all ages.
Prayer: Almighty God, give us the eternal fortitude to form our convictions based on Your Word and then to depend on Your grace to live by them each day. Amen.
I join in the Amen to your prayer.
Keep writing.
A true message, Martin. Surely indeed shall we be known by our fruits.
Even when I wandered far away from our Lord, as a teenager and young man, somehow I prayed a simple prayer most nights.
when looking back, I can see the many times that Father had heard and blessed my childlike prayers, even to the point of saving the lives of my loved ones.
Hallelujah, thank You Jesus. What a mighty God we serve. {Eph. 3 : 20-21}
Thanks, Martin;
For writing to us through PresbyCan Daily.
…teach in season and out of season.
Hi Martin,
I found your devotional very refreshing in so far as most men would not admit they had abstained from sex until marriage. I say this just to share that my husband had the same convictions and I was always so proud of him. One anecdote to underscore your thoughts: Our minister once made this comment. “You fathers who encourage your sons to sow their wild oats before marriage should be soundly berated. Consider this question, “Whose daughters are they sowing them with?” Perhaps one of them is yours.
Bless you.