Youths

Genesis 37:2 & 5-7(NLT)

2 This is the account of Jacob and his family. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended his father’s flocks. He worked for his half-brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing. 3 Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph—a beautiful robe. 4 But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him. 5 One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. 6 “Listen to this dream,” he said. 7 “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!”

Genesis 41:37-44(NLT)

Joseph Made Ruler of Egypt

37 Joseph’s suggestions were well received by Pharaoh and his officials.38 So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God?” 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are. 40 You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours.”

41 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and placed it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in fine linen clothing and hung a gold chain around his neck. 43 Then he had Joseph ride in the chariot reserved for his second-in-command. And wherever Joseph went, the command was shouted, “Kneel down!” So Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of all Egypt. 44 And Pharaoh said to him, “I am Pharaoh, but no one will lift a hand or foot in the entire land of Egypt without your approval.”

• Joseph is introduced in the Bible at the age of 17, a teenager, youth or young adult.
• The Bible uses the account of Joseph to show us the journey of a person between youth to adulthood.
• It also reveals to us how at a young age dreams are placed into a person’s heart and with the course of life they are gradually translated into reality.
• More often than not, these dreams if pursued turn out to be God’s purpose for our lives.
• Bible text shows the time when Joseph had his dreams at the age of 17 to the time he was then made ruler over Egypt.
• What takes place in between is crucial, yes there will be mountains to climb and valleys to cross yet our Emmanuel is ever present with us.
• Unfortunately, some of our youths are not being given the chance to allow their dreams to be translated into reality.
• Our youths are under attack today because the enemy does not want the dreams that are within them to be realised.
• The enemy is on a mission to destroy tomorrow’s future before they can even begin to think of working on their dreams.
• Drugs, alcohol, sex, gun and knife crimes…etc are tools the enemy has strategically placed to kill our children and ultimately destroy their dreams.
• Our youth are being killed without the chance of making a mark on this earth, they are dying without entering into purpose and their dreams are dying with them.
• You can imagine the number of pastors, doctors, teachers, nurses, prophets, evangelists that have died without entering into God’s fullness.
• People who could have made a difference on this earth, had they been given a chance.
• Our Bible text mentions that: - “Jacob loved Joseph more than any of children and he made him a special gift, a beautiful robe of many colours and his brothers hated him”.
• The enemy knows how much love the Heavenly Father has for His children.
• He knows that our children/the youths are heirs of God’s Kingdom and so he hates every one of them.
• Similarly, God has given a special gift of a beautiful robe to all His children through the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. Satan knows it and he hates it!
• So his tactic is to destroy our young people, at the time when they are most vulnerable, when hormones are raging everywhere leaving our youth questioning why they were born.
• Many of our young people today have been killed or are either going through one thing or another, mental illness, self-harming, subjecting their bodies to drugs, alcohol, nicotine, sexual abuse and all manner of unimaginable behaviours.
• The scariest thing is the fact that some of these youths who have died so soon may have also lost their place in heaven and have entered into eternal damnation.
• Joseph could have been killed too but I believe his father Jacob always interceded for him.

Genesis 37:18-20

18 When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance. As he approached, they made plans to kill him. 19 “Here comes the dreamer!” they said. 20 “Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father, ‘A wild animal has eaten him.’ Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!”

• Even from the time he was thrown down an empty well, to being sold to the Midianite traders, to his time in prison and then being made ruler over Egypt, I am sure his father did not cease praying.
• Even when there was a possibility of Joseph being dead, Jacob may have continued to hope and pray secretly within his heart.
• The story ends with Joseph realising his dreams.
• It was Joseph who now saved the Israelites from dying of hunger, why?,  because he was able to enter into God’s purpose, despite the highs and lows, he made it.
• God desires to ride on the backs of our youths to bring salvation to others.
• Today we take the position of Jacob over our youth, hopeful and trusting in God we must not cease to pray.
• What we are hearing or seeing may seem too great and beyond irreversible, but we serve a God of impossibilities, who is still able to save, if only we can cry out to Him.
• Who will we pass the baton to if our future is destroyed?
  
  

Prayers

Job 1: 5(NKJV)

“So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus, Job did regularly”.

Lord have mercy over our youths. In any way they have sinned against You, Father forgive them, may the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ wash them and purge them in Jesus’ name.

Psalm 24:7-8 (NKJV)

“Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle”.

Father we command the doors of gangs, drugs and alcohol abuse, gun and knife crimes…etc to be lifted up in the lives of our youths, come and fight this battle, save our youths from destruction.

Psalm 32:8

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye”.

• Just as You were with Joseph, you continued to guide and watch over him and he was able to enter destiny, Lord guide and direct our youth along the best pathway for their lives, lead them into purpose O Lord!
• Father give our youths the will power and the wisdom to resist temptation so that they will not be sucked into things such as gangs, drug pushers, sexual habits and alcoholism which is destroying them.
• Open the inner eyes of our youths Lord, let Jesus Christ become their focus, that they may know Him and the power of His resurrection.
• Father grant our youths a deeper understanding and a greater awareness of who they are in Christ Jesus, let them know that they are a royal priesthood created in your image for good works  and that one day they will judge angels.