We as teens are at a very critical age in our life. Over the years ahead of us we will be, Taught, Mentored, Challenged, Tested, Trusted, and Rewarded. God, our Parents, our pastors, our leaders and even our friends will be a part of this process.
Taught/ Mentored: Psalms 71:17-- Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
Proverbs 22:6-- Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
Our parents teach us and mentor us to where we are able to grow up to declare God and all he has done.
Challenged: Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
Challenges will come, some will be easy some will be hard. we need to take them by storm with God at our side.
Psalms 91: 7--A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
Tested: Psalms 66: 8-10-- Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.
For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver.
To me, this verse is saying that our lives have been preserved, and we have been refined by silver, because God tested us. we need to praise his name because through the testing he has kept out feet from slipping.
In the King James version of the Bible instead of using the word tested it uses proved and tried.
(Oh bless our God, Ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard. Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved. For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.)
Here when it says the word tried, it means to smelt, refine, or test.
When it says the word proved, it means to make trial, test try, or prove.
Trusted: After you have been taught and tested you have finally earned the right to be trusted.
Rewarded: If you prove trustworthy you will be rewarded.
2 Samuel 22:25 The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight.
Hebrews 10:35-36 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
