If God Loves Me, Why Can't I Get My Locker Open?

A Teen Devotional by Lorraine Peterson

Publisher: Bethany House
ISBN: 0871232510
Publication Year: 1995

The bright purple cover and provocative title caught my eye as I was browsing the Christian Books section at the library, and I decided to give the "devotional for teens" a look, initially curious what her response was to the question posed in the title.

I have to admit, normally I don't care for devotionals, but this one was different. Lorraine is to the point. And, perhaps because her target audience is junior high youth, she explains the gospel really clearly, and understandably. No tough words like propitiation that make your eyes glaze over here. Its easy to relate to this book. I picked up this book to read thinking I'd maybe it'd give me some useful ideas on presenting the gospel to youth, but thing I found when I started to really read the book was I was getitng a lot out of it for myself. It was helping me to see issues relating to God more clearly, and the analogies she uses are really appropriate and memorable. I also liked the way she broke down the book structurally, starting with foundational topics like the confidence we can have that we're really saved and "winning the war against sin" and moving from there on to other topics like living the love of Christ.

I was poking around on Amazon.com to see if I could find a copy of this book to link to, but apparently its gone out of print and been replaced by an "updated and expanded" second edition, which reading the exerpt of the first few pages didn't catch my heart the way the original edition did, the second edition opening felt a little forced, trying too hard to relate to teens and not quite as real. But who knows, maybe it still works? I can't say I've read both.

Looking at all the other titles she's writtenExternal Link, they all have just as intruiguing of titles that make me hunger to read more of what she's written. And now I'll share with you some of the tidbits of how God spoke to me through this book

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Do you Feel Married Yet?

Assurance: when you invited Christ into your heart, you felt so clean inside, so sure of what you were doing. But then you have to go back to the 'real world', and maybe nothing seems different. Were you really changed? A really powerful analogy was given to a bride who just got married. Maybe three days after the wedding, you're sick at home and don't "feel" married. But that feeling doesn't change the fact that you really are married. "If she keeps acting on that fact, sooner or later she'll feel married" Don't believe the Devil lying to you saying "You haven't changed". Have faith, not doubt about what God has done for you.

Happy Birthday! Not!

Another good analogy was given between taking back what you've promised to God (you heart) to a kid taking back a birthday present they gave to a friend. That's just not cool. Don't do it.

Not Grading On A Curve

"God does not grade on a curve." I loved that quote, and how it makes the indirect point that our salvation is not based on how anyone else is doing, only our own walk with God. There was also a major point in this analogy that we get into heaven on the basis of faith not works, that getting into heaven isn't about "doing better" than anyone else, but that we beleive in God.

He's Holding You

"When you're afraid that you can't hold out as a Christian, its not your ability to hold onto Him that matters, but His ability to hold onto you." That point again, we're spiritually helpless, God's the one who is doing the doing, not you.
Another reality: "Unbelief in Jesus' power to save is nothing less than treating Him as a liar" Application of that reality: are there areas of my spiritual walk where I am treating Jesus like a liar and not acting in belief?
Faith is my acceptance of God's fact. Disbelief in a fact doesn't make it false, just inoperative in my life.

We Have Hope

"Only hopelessness causes depression--but the Christian can always have hope and faith in any situation because God is all-powerful"
The joy of the Lord is your strength. ~Nehemiah 8:10
"Good friends spend a lot of time together. Jesus can't help you if you don't talk to Him, and he can't advise you if you don't listen to him."

Down to the River

This was one of my favorite analogies in the whole book. They told a story about a young boy whose father told him he wasn't to go swimming alone when he's playing down at the river. Well, sure enough he falls into temptation. And Dad gets home early from work and catches him in the act. And the kid starts making excuses, he couldn't help himself he was tempted. If you know you aren't supposed to be swimming, why'd you take your swimming trunks with you went to go play near the river? Are you making provisions in your life to make it easier to things you shouldn't? You shouldn't be bringing provisions for sin "just in case" you get tempted, you're making it harder on yourself to be obedient. If you don't have your tools for sin, you're going to be a lot less likely to actually fall into sin, it'll be easier to resist.

The War on Sin

The Liar

If you feel guilt, ask the Holy Spirit to show you specifically anything you've done wrong. If God doesn't reveal anything, it's probably from the devil (charactersitic: vague, uncertain, "yucky" worthless feeling)
God is your boss, not Satan. Pay noo attention to what Satan is trying to tell you you're doing wrong and list only to what GOD wants you to correct. You wouldn't listen if a manager of competing chain (BK vs McD) came to boss you around would you?
Wanting very much something wrong opens the way for the devil to deceive you."

Repentance

What Eve Did Wrong

  1. Didn't listen carefully to God's instructions (she couldn't even repeat them accurately)
  2. Believed the Devil's lies.
  3. Desired what was forbidden. (The Devil has already won half of the battle if he can make you desire and dwell on something that's wrong)
  4. convince another to join in her sin. "Misery and sin both like company". James 1:15 desire conceived gives birth to sin, fully grown brings death.

4given

There is no rightousness or goodness within ourselves. Jesus' blood atones for our sin however.
Do you live as if you're COMPLETELY forgiven?

Beautiful

God designed you the way he did to reflect his beauty. (every aspect of our design reflects a part of God, he didn't make any mistakes)
If you're only aware of (serving) Christ and living him, self-conciousness will go away.
Thank God for what he's done for you if you want to ward off jealousy. Jealousy lack of trust in God.

Redefining Success

Success = obeying God no matter how things turn out.
Measure your success by God's standards, not yours or someone else's.
Do you walk carelessly, or with a sense of importance in the mission God's placed you in?

Weeding out our sinful nature

You are like a picture frame, let Jesus be the star.
The "real you" is not endearing, but a monster. Don't let others dictate your behavior but God
Its not okay to just "be the way you are" in the case of laziness

God's Love

Your circumstances (eg. that locker story) is not a sign of God's love or lack of love. Jesus' death on the cross is a sign of his love for you.
Jesus has given himself totally for you.
Most people are unable to receive all of God's love becasue they have not given themselves totally to him
God = a never ending supply of the scarce resource of love.
Love is not simply giving somebody whatever they desire/want/fancy. Sometimes love has to be tough. Sometimes we desire things that are only going to hurt us.

Love is not a Feeling

In the bible: love is an act of the will.
Its not very logical to build a lifetime commitment such as marriage on emotions. But emotions can be very strong and real. Choos to follow God no matter how you feel.
Biblical definitions of love: 1 cor 13:4-7, Rom. 12:9-11

Are you committted?

You may have to give up a little for Jesus, but how much more have you gained? The price is worth it.
Reality is we all accept advice from *someone* whether or not we say we do. Who are you choosing to listen to?
Obey those in authority over you unless their instructions are contrary to God's will.

Dating

"The bible talks about figs not dates" That chapter title just made me laugh, it was funny for some reason. I never thought about it that way, but it isn't untrue.
Your pupose in life (and on EVERY date) is to Glorify God. If you are spending time dating is it glorifying God every time, or are there areas of compromise that you would need to change?
Pray together. Regularly.
If Jesus can supply your every need, he can do the same for that unsaved guy that you wish were saved so you could date him. Missionary dating is not helping them, if you really wanted to help, you'd pray.

Prayer is Always the Answer.

Jesus commands us to love others, WITHOUT condition. Not "I'm going to love them even if it kills me" (that's griping under your breath) but pray and do it for Jesus, ask Him for the love you don't have in you to give.
You can't hate and pray at the same time.

Make Good Choices

"All of us need discretion--the ability to say the right thing at the right time."
God hates complaining. If you say something enough pretty soon you'll start to believe it (all the more reason to be cautious about complaining). Watch out because pretty soon you may trick yourself into believing you're deprived.

Pete and Repeat Got In A Boat, who's left?

"Faith, Fact, and Experience were walking along the top of a wall. But when Faith looked back to see how Experience was doing, he nearly fell off. Put your faith in God's facts, not your experience or feelings."

Bully Protector

Jesus is like a bully protector for you against Satan, he's big and tough and beats Satan every time. But if you get overconfident like a little five year old who doesn't have his big brother around, and try to confront Satan on your own, you're going to fall. You can't conquer sin in your own power. Make sure you have your bully protector with you at all times.
 
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