My beloved,
The peace of the Lord be with you.
The psalmist, King Solomon, wrote that youth
are MIGHTY as
ARROWS in
the hands of a warrior.
"Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children
are a reward from Him. Like ARROWS
in the hands of a warrior, are sons born in
ones' youth." (Psalms 127:4)
The significance of the ARROW
can be interpreted as the POWER or
MIGHT in
which it is capable of expending. The arrow when shot from a bow can
fly with pointed direction, move with immeasurable speed, and hit
its target with precision. An arrow can be very, very MIGHTY
with a warrior skilled in
its usage.
Ineffective is the ARROW
in which the warrior does not have the strength
to draw the bow, the sight to point the ARROW,
or whose target is unobtainable. There is no MIGHT
in this arrow. It is like a twig in the hands of the warrior. Its
service is of no use in battle.
Young adults symbolized as MIGHTY
ARROWS represent those strong in
character, who diligently grow in faith and persevere over life's
daily challenges. Arrows targeted toward eternity are those, whose
faith is grounded in the Lord. Youth yield great MIGHT
when they keep the love of the Lord always in
their heart. They can pull the bow, aim the arrow, and always keep
the target in front of them. They learn from what is placed before
them and worry not about what others seek.
Many, many, Biblical youth derived their MIGHT
from the Lord God. Youth such as Daniel, David,
Jeremiah, Joseph, Josiah, St Mary, Solomon, and Timothy displayed
their mightiness through determination, endurance, and strength. Their
love for God was enormous! "Do not despise your youth," is a great
lesson in which their lives taught us.
Examine your arrows. Ask yourself, "Do I meet
challenges following God's will or my own?" Do you live according
to God's commandments, recalling His goodness and mercy in your life?
I want to encourage you to point your ARROWS
toward Heaven and allow those ARROWS
to be MIGHTY.
I believe the Kingdom of God will be overflowing with MIGHTY
ARROWS!
Thus, the name of our diocese's new publication
for the young adult, "MIGHTY ARROWS."
It is my prayer that you will find many applicable articles within
each issue that will pertain to experiences in your daily life, articles
that will refer you to Biblical solutions for any problems, which
may arise. As you become increasingly aware of the MIGHT within you,
may it lead you further down the path of goodness and righteous for
His name sake.
The answers to life and all its mysteries are
in God's hands. Only His is the strongest hand that can pull the bow
and direct the MIGHTEST
of ARROWS.
Delight in your arrows and their Maker. Take a moment to thank God
for creating "MIGHTY ARROWS!"
Bishop Youssef
Bishop, Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States
