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CHAPTER 1

NO SHORTCUTS

I have planned out a perfect path for your life, and I am leading you along that path. In the distance, you can see the mountaintop. That's our goal. I know that you want to go straight to the top, but don't take shortcuts. Follow Me instead. Shortcuts can take you into dangerous places.

There will be difficulties along the way, for sure. But I will use them to bless you with courage and strength. At times it might even seem that I am leading you away from the goal. Follow Me anyway. I have lovingly planned every inch of your journey.

Hold My hand and walk with Me. When the path gets rocky and steep — when problems get in your way — hold even tighter to My hand. Together we will make it to the top!

John 21:19; 2 Corinthians 4:17

The Lord God gives me my STRENGTH. He makes me like a deer, which does not stumble. He LEADS me safely on the steep mountains.

— Habakkuk 3:19 (ICB)

THE PIT OF SELF-PITY

It's easy to feel sorry for yourself — especially when things aren't going your way, or you feel like everyone is against you, or you are just plain tired of trying so hard all the time. But feeling sorry for yourself is one of the devil's favorite traps. Don't even go near it! Once you fall into his trap, it is very hard to get out again.

How can you protect yourself from the devil's traps? Focus on Me. When you are feeling sorry for yourself, you are thinking only about yourself and your problems. But when you think about Me and praise Me for My Presence, then you won't stumble into the pit of self-pity. Stay close to Me in your words and thoughts. I will give you the energy to run the race — and never give up!

Psalm 89:15–16; Hebrews 12:2

So let us RUN the race that is before us and NEVER give up.

— Hebrews 12:1 (ICB)

I LOVE YOU

Ilove you. Take a moment, be still, and think about that. I am the Creator of the universe, the Ruler of Time, the Master of all that you see — and I love you. My Love is so big that it fills up all of space, time, and eternity.

I know that you don't fully understand the hugeness of My Love for you. You see glimpses of it now — as you feel Me guiding you, drawing you closer to Me, and answering your prayers. But one day you will see Me face-to-Face. Then you will know exactly how wide and long and high and deep My Love for you really is. For now, just know that My Love is so huge it cannot be measured. And it goes with you through every moment of every day.

Ephesians 3:16–19

Now all we can SEE of God is like a cloudy picture in a mirror. Later we will see him face to face. We don't know everything, but then we will, just as God completely understands us.

— 1 Corinthians 13:12 (CEV)

DON'T GO IT ALONE

It is a simple fact: You cannot make it by yourself. More importantly, you don't have to make it by yourself. It's up to you.

Yes, there will be days when everything goes just the way you planned. You've got everything under control, and you are living on top of the world. But then — BAM! Trouble — big trouble — comes and yanks away the control you thought you had. An illness, an accident, it's something you never saw coming.

You know you need help. Let Me help you. I already know the answers. Let Me guide you to them. But first you have to choose: Do you stubbornly go it alone? Or do you humbly come to Me and let Me help you? Please, choose Me.

James 1:2–3

You are my help. Because of your PROTECTION, I sing. I stay close to you. You SUPPORT me with your right hand.

— Psalm 63:7–8 (ICB)

LIVE THIS DAY

Will you do well on your exam? Will your friend still be angry? Will you live up to what your parents expect from you? I know these kinds of things worry you. But your greatest danger is worrying about tomorrow.

Just as physically you can only carry so many heavy boxes, spiritually you can only carry so many burdens. Today is the only day you have to live. If you try to carry tomorrow's worries while you are living today, you will stumble and fall because the load is just too heavy. You must choose to live this day. Give your worries about tomorrow to Me, and I will carry them for you. I will be right beside you, holding your hand.

1 Corinthians 10:13

Yet I am ALWAYS with you; you HOLD me by my right hand.

— Psalm 73:23

I AM ALWAYS

I am the Creator and Ruler of time and space. I am not subject to the same limitations that you are. I am able to be everywhere at every time.

I have always been with you. I know every struggle and every success that you have ever had. I am right here with you now, helping you through this day. And I go on ahead of you into the future, so that I know what is coming in your life and I can prepare you for it. I am always. I can be in yesterday, today, and tomorrow — and still never let go of your hand.

Psalm 37:3–4

So he is ALWAYS able to save those who come to God through him. He can do this, because he always LIVES, ready to help those who come before God.

— Hebrews 7:25 (ICB)

DEFEATING EVIL

If you learn to trust Me — really trust Me — with all your heart and soul, then nothing can separate you from My Peace. I can use all your problems — even huge ones — to train you in trusting Me. This is how you defeat the evil one. You let Me use the problems he throws your way to make you stronger.

Remember Joseph? His jealous brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt. But he never stopped trusting Me. So I was able to use that terrible thing to save not only Joseph and his family, but a whole nation of people.

Don't be afraid of what this day — or any day — might bring. Put your energy into trusting Me. Remind yourself that I am in complete control, and I can bring good out of any situation.

Psalm 23:4

You INTENDED to harm me, but God intended it all for GOOD. He brought me to this position so I could SAVE the lives of many people.

— Genesis 50:20 (NLT)

NOTHING SURPRISES ME

I go before you as well as with you into this day. Nothing surprises Me. I know exactly what will happen — both the good and the bad. Trust in Me and don't be afraid. Stay close to Me, and I will not let you be overwhelmed by anything that happens today. I will help you through it all — fights with a friend, disappointments, a bad grade, temptations to sin, illness — whatever comes your way.

Don't go through today with fear in your heart because of what might or might not happen. I will help you deal with whatever happens — moment by moment. Facing your problems with Me brings blessings that are much bigger than your troubles. So bring all your problems to Me, and I will bless you with My Joy.

2 Corinthians 4:16–17

Yea, though I WALK through the valley of the SHADOW of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me.

— Psalm 23:4 (NKJV)

I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU

Nothing can separate you from My Love. Nothing. Not bullies, not tough times, not even Satan himself. I will never leave you.

Most of the misery in this world comes from feeling lonely and unloved. Especially when times are tough, people often feel that I have left them all alone. And that feeling can be even worse than the problems they are facing. But know this: I never leave you — not even for a second. I am constantly watching over you. If you feel alone or frightened, ask Me to comfort you with My Presence. Then repeat these promises to yourself: "Nothing can separate me from Your Love, Jesus. ... You will never leave me."

Romans 8:38–39; Isaiah 49:15–16

"No one will be able to STAND up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will NEVER leave you nor forsake you."

— Joshua 1:5

THE POSITION OF YOUR HEART

I am the God of all time and of all that is. And I am waiting to hear from you — morning, noon, and night.

Don't just pray to Me in the quiet of the morning. Don't just pray to Me at church or when things are going well. And don't just pray to Me with your head bowed and your eyes closed. Talk to Me every day, at any time, in any place and situation — in class, on the soccer field, while practicing piano or doing homework or texting your friends. Pray when you're in trouble and when you're happy. Time with Me is what matters, not what time it is.

You can talk to Me lying down, sitting up, or with arms stretched up to heaven. Your eyes can be opened or closed. I don't care about the position of your body — I care about the position of your heart. And when your heart is seeking Me, I will hear you.

Psalm 32:6; Psalm 62:8

Morning, noon, and night I Cry out in my distress, and the Lord hears my voice.

— Psalm 55:17 (NLT)

SEARCH FOR ME

I want you to search for Me — not just once in a while, not just on Sundays, and not just when you need My help. I want you to look for Me at all times.

And I want you to search with all your heart and soul — not just because you think you should, or because someone told you to. Look for Me with everything that is in you because you want to find Me.

When you search for Me with all your heart and all your soul, you will find Me — and you will enjoy Love, Joy, and Peace in My Presence. I promise.

Seek Me in good times; seek Me in hard times. And you will find Me watching over you all the time.

Hebrews 10:23; Psalm 145:20

From there you will SEEK the Lord your God, and you will FIND Him if you search for Him with all your HEART and all your soul.

— Deuteronomy 4:29 (NASB)

NO OTHER FRIEND LIKE ME

I am your best Friend, and I am your King.

My friendship is practical and down-to-earth. As your Friend, I am always here to listen and to help. Together we will face whatever each day brings: pleasures, hardships, adventures, disappointments.

But as your heavenly King, our friendship opens up so many more possibilities. As King, I can create something wonderful out of the ashes of lost dreams, Joy out of sorrow, and Peace out of problems.

And it's all because I love you. My Love for you is so great that I gave up heaven to come to earth as a helpless baby. It is so great that I lived in the dust and sin of this world. And it is so great that I died on the cross to save your soul. There is no other friend like Me!

John 15:14–15; Isaiah 61:3; 2 Corinthians 6:10

"There is no GREATER love than to lay down one's LIFE for one's friends."

— John 15:13 (NLT)

COUNT IT AS GARBAGE

When your plans are messed up, talk to Me about it. Talking with Me blesses you and strengthens our friendship. Also, I take the sting out of your disappointment by making something good come of it. So you can be joyful, even when things are going wrong. But it takes practice.

Start by bringing Me small things — the bad grade, the rained-out game. Even small disappointments can focus your thoughts on yourself instead of Me. But when you talk with Me, you see that the things you've lost are nothing compared to the wonders of knowing Me.

You'll need a lot of practice before you can trust Me with big disappointments. But if you keep at it, someday even the greatest things of this world will seem like garbage compared to the Joy of knowing Me — your Savior, Lord, and Friend.

Colossians 4:2; Philippians 3:7

Nothing is as wonderful as KNOWING Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up EVERYTHING else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ.

— Philippians 3:8 (CEV)

YOUR HOPE AND MY PROMISE

There is nothing that the evil one hates more than your closeness to Me. He will do anything to pull you away. So don't be surprised by his fiery attacks on your mind.

There is a massive spiritual war being fought every day. When you find yourself in the thick of the battle, cry out, "Jesus, help me!" At that very instant, the battle becomes Mine. Your job is simply to trust Me as I fight for you.

When My Name is used in the right way, it has unlimited Power to bless and protect. At the end of time, every knee will bow at the Name of Jesus. People who have used My Name as a swear word will tremble in fear. But all those who have used My Name to draw near Me will be filled with glorious Joy. This is your hope — and My promise to you.

1 Samuel 17:47; Philippians 2:9–10; 1 Peter 1:8–9

For our STRUGGLE is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the SPIRITUAL FORCES OF EVIL in the heavenly realms.

— Ephesians 6:12

SAFE AND SECURE

You want to feel safe and secure. You say you trust Me, but in your private thoughts, you are still trying to fix your world so that it is safe and predictable. Not only is this an impossible goal, but it actually makes you less safe and secure.

True safety and security are found only in Me — in depending on My Presence. When your world seems unsteady and scary, grab My hand. I will hold tightly to you and keep you safe.

Instead of searching for a problem-free life, be glad that you have troubles. In the darkness of your trouble, you can see the brightness of My Face more clearly. This helps you feel closer to me.

So hold tightly to My hand, confident that today's problems have a purpose. And remember — you have an eternity of trouble-free living just waiting for you in heaven.

Isaiah 41:10; James 1:2

Even there your hand will GUIDE me, your right hand will HOLD me fast.

— Psalm 139:10

GRAB HOLD OF HOPE!

The hope of heaven. Too many of My children don't really understand what this means. When I talk of hope, it isn't just wishful thinking. This hope is My promise for all My children.

As soon as I became your Savior, heaven became your final, permanent home. But there are blessings of this hope that you can enjoy right now! Because your true home is heaven, you know that any troubles you face today are only temporary. The hope of heaven helps you through your tough times, brightening even the darkest days. It also helps you keep trusting that I am taking care of you — and everything will be all right.

Don't just wish for heaven — grab hold of the hope of heaven! Let its blessing fill your life today.

Romans 8:23–25; Hebrews 6:19–20; Romans 15:13

So God has given both his PROMISE and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is IMPOSSIBLE for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great CONFIDENCE as we hold to the hope that lies before us.

— Hebrews 6:18 (NLT)

TINY STEPS OF TRUST

Trust Me with every fiber of your being! The more you choose to trust Me, the more I can do in you and through you.

I want you to trust Me in the big things, the crisis moments, the important decisions. I also want you to trust Me in the small things, the everyday moments, the decisions you hardly even think about.

Trusting Me in the everyday things tells Me that your trust is a daily habit — not something you forget about until times get tough.

I care just as much about your tiny steps of trust as I do about your gigantic leaps of faith. You may think that no one notices, but the One who is always beside you sees everything — and rejoices!

Psalm 40:4; Psalm 56:3–4; Psalm 62:8; Isaiah 26:3

TRUST in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock ETERNAL.

— Isaiah 26:4

I AM BIGGER THAN THE WORLD

Think about how wonderful it feels to dive into a cool pool of water on a hot summer's day. That is what My Peace is like. It will refresh you and strengthen you. And that peace can be yours at all times.

As you go through your day, you will face problems and troubles. But you never have to face them alone. I am always with you. I am the best Friend that you will ever have. I walk beside you, to give you comfort and strength. I also walk ahead of you, so that I am ready to help you face whatever is coming. And I am within you, giving you a secret ability to think and act without fear.

There will be problems and hard times, but don't let them get you down. I have already overcome all the problems of this world. In Me you can find Peace.

Psalm 31:19–20

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Excerpted from "Jesus Calling for Teens"
by .
Copyright © 2017 Sarah Young.
Excerpted by permission of Thomas Nelson.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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