Young people, today I tell you that God has a plan for you, but his plan can only come to fruition when you turn to him at your young age.
That’s why Solomon said, “Remember now your creator in the day of your youth. Before the evil days come” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). He says to come to me while you are young and strong, give me the best of your life while your mind is good, your steps are strong, your hands are not feeble, and your steps are not short! God has a plan for our young people, and he has a plan for the parents as well. His plan is for parents to train them in the way that they ought to go so that when they are older, they won’t depart from it (Proverbs 22:6).
His plan, God’s plan, is that they will use their head instead of their body. Their brain instead of a gun because Satan has a plan for your young people too; to mess their lives up; to thwart or defeat God’s plan for them; kill each other and demoralize their community. But despite that, God knows the plans he has for his young people. That’s what God wanted for his people, Israel. Here they are in a familiar place, in exile. God sends them a word through the prophet Jeremiah, that after 70 years of captivity that he will visit them, and perform his good word toward them (Jeremiah 29:10). A lot of young people are in captivity this morning. They are wandering in the wilderness. Some are lost in the wilderness and trying to find their way, but the word is “you won’t perish!”
But others do have their heads on straight. There are young people headed in the right direction. Keep on keeping on. Don’t get side-tracked, be a leader, not a follower; follow God’s plan. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, (young people) to give you an expected end (Jeremiah 29:11).
They had hope. This shows us that we can’t give up on our young people as long as there is God, there is hope. Let’s keep hope alive! With God, there is always a real future for our young people.
God loves young people. He’s always had a place for young people. Remember he said to young Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” In Psalm 119:9, the psalmist said, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.” In 2 Timothy 2:22 Paul tells young Timothy, “Flee (run from) youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace”. Do you hear that, young people? Run from it!
In 1 Peter 5:5, Peter said, “Likewise, you younger people, be subject to the elders. This is good advice! Paul told the youth in Ephesians 6:1, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” We know that’s right! This is so that you may live a long life upon the earth. It was the Apostle Paul who told the church in Philippi, and this applies to young people as well, when he said in Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Young people speak that to yourself.
Community, God has a plan and that plan includes our young people. Young folks, you are not forgotten. I know, on every corner we hear bad news about young people. Parents, I know the devil wants you to think that your young people will never change; that we are losing the battle, but remember this message today: God knows the thoughts he has for them; thoughts of peace and not of evil — I repeat, thoughts of peace and NOT evil — to give them an expected end.
Can we pray up our young people, and claim the promise that they will have an expected end? God said so. All hope is not lost. God will perform what he said. He will raise up a generation that will obey.
God has a plan, a good plan for our young people. Let’s claim that promise today. And let’s speak about that over our young people. That’s the plan of God.