Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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 Youth With Christ


Psalm 111

v.10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.”

Imagine a garden. Before that garden came into existence, someone had to prepare the seeds. They germinate and then you plant them in a starter. Even before the seedling grows, the network of roots starts to grow. When you transfer the seedling to the ground or a pot, you are very careful not to damage the roots. The root of the plant is where the plant get’s all its nourishment. If the roots are damaged, the plant will die. If the roots are placed in bad soil, the plant will die. But if the roots are placed in good soil and they are not damaged, they will continue to grow and the plant will flourish. Likewise, Christ is the most nutritious soil there is out there. If we place our roots in Him, we will gain our nourishment through Him and continue to grow in faith. 

So what happens when we are rooted in Christ? What are we expected to do? In verse 1 of today’s reading we see that, as believers, we are called to praise and “give thanks to the Lord with [our] whole hearts, in the company of the upright” (v.1). When we are rooted in Christ, we become members of the community of believers. Next, we see that we are to study the works of the Lord (v.2). When we are in Christ, we are lifelong learners of His word. The more we delve into the Word, the more we understand our identity in Him. When we are in Christ, we also reflect the “splendor and majesty … [of] His righteousness” (v. 3). We receive God’s grace and mercy (v. 4). When we are in Christ, our needs are supplied (v. 5). When we are in Christ, we become a chosen people and are heirs to God’s inheritance (v. 6). When we are in Him, we are no longer condemned and we have freedom from sin (v. 7). Finally, when we are in Christ, we must have “the fear of the Lord [which] is the beginning of wisdom” (v. 10). This is an essential part of our identity in Christ as it gives our life purpose and meaning. 

As Youth In Christ, let us strive to root ourselves in Him. Let us remember that when our identity is in Him, we are made new, our needs are supplied, and our life is given purpose and meaning.

 

Prayer
Dear Lord, we invite you into our lives. Help us to become rooted in you. We thank you that our worth and our purpose is found in you. To you belong eternal praise. Amen 

Thought for the Day

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Colossians 2: 6-7
 

Ms. Riya Varughese
St. Andrew's Mar Thoma Church, NY 

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