This Christian book excerpt from Redeeming the Time: Psalm 16:11, provides insights for teens on how they can live their Christian life, redeeming the time. In this life, the time we have here on earth is a sweet gift of grace and every Christian can redeem the time, by bringing Jesus Christ into their activities in their everyday. Jesus is our best friend – He loves us so much – and He wants us to talk to Him about our everyday, seeking Him for knowledge, wisdom and guidance.
Redeeming the Time: Psalm 16:11
In God’s Presence
“You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Psalm 16:11
Day 1:
This past week, what did you do with your family and friends?
How many phone calls or text messages did you send?
How many hours were you on the computer, or your phone, checking your social media or browsing websites or playing games?
How many hours of television/movies did you watch?
How many books/magazines did you read?
How many times did you say or think, “I’m too busy to read my Bible or go to church?”
How many times did you sit in God’s presence this week, praying and reading the Bible?
Too Busy for God! WHAT?!!
Read: Ecclesiastes 12:1-7, 13-14
Do you believe in God, but have little time for Him? Are you too busy – doing your homework, hanging out with family and friends, playing games on your phone, watching YouTube, listening to music, surfing the internet, playing sports, or reading books/magazines – to sit in God’s presence, talking to Him and reading your Bible?
You can definitely bring God into every activity that you do – praying for wisdom before you do your homework – James 1:5, talking to your family and friends about God and what amazing things He is doing in your life – Proverbs 27:17, or in whatever activity you do, you can do it for His glory – 1 Corinthians 10:31. Friend, God is with you always! He is Immanuel – Matthew 1:23. He sees every activity that you do, whether you realize it or acknowledge the fact. He sees the good stuff and the bad stuff – Hebrews 4:13. If you are a Christian, He dwells within you – Romans 8:11.
But nothing can take the place of sitting before God, when it is just you and Him – no one else- letting Him speak to your heart. Have you heard God speak to you? Not audibly, as in a loud voice, but maybe by way of an impression on your heart, regarding something, or in a message a pastor grave, or when you were reading your Bible.
Friend, you won’t hear God’s voice if you’ve crowded Him out of your life. The Bible warns about neglecting your own soul. You can harden your heart to the things of the Lord if you continue placing the things of this world ahead of Him – Hebrews 3:8, 15; 4:7. You will lose your appetite for God if you are constantly feeding your soul with the things of this world – if you are too busy for Him. The hunger you should have is a desire to always be right with God. If you try to find peace in your heart apart from Him, you won’t find it. It’s very easy to waste time. It is possible to have a saved soul but a lost life. So, while, you are young, will you make God the center of your life?
The most satisfying place to be is sitting in the presence of the Lord. It’s not what we do for Him that really matters – it’s being with Him. Nothing comes as close to being in heaven, here on earth, than truly sitting in the presence of God.
Redeeming the Time Teen Bible Study Questions
- Read 1 John 2:15-17. What do these verses say about loving the world?
- Read 1 John 5:21. Is there an idol in your life? Something or someone that is more important to you than God? Something or someone you spend more time with? What/who is it?
- Do you need to repent and refocus your priorities? Why or why not?
- If you need to repent and refocus your priorities, how are you going to do that? Read Matthew 6:33.
In His Presence Teen Bible study
The End: the Book of Revelation
Radical Living: the Book of James
For more books by Alysa VanderWeerd, click here.