JEREMIAH 3:4 : “Will you not from this time cry to Me, ‘My father, You are the guide of my youth?'”
The life of Edgar Allen Poe is one of the most tragic of all American writers. Raised by foster parents who loved him deeply, he was provided with an education that matched his genius. But then Poe lost his young bride through tuberculosis. By that time alcohol and drug abuse, along with involvement in the occult and Satanism, worked to destroy him.
Depression and insanity plagued his short life, eventually leaving him unconscious in the gutter of a street in Baltimore. Four days later he died, never regaining consciousness. Poe began his life with money and brilliance, but in his latter years he became a ragged, penniless bum.
Israel also started well. As a young nation, the Jews looked to God for guidance. But as the years passed and God blessed her with prosperity, she strayed from His instructions. Israel prostituted herself with other gods (Jer. 3:2) and forgot her original commitment to the Lord.
As a result, drought came upon the land–not simply as a punishment, but as God’s way to get Israel to return to the guide of her youth. Only as she followed the One who had guided her in her younger years could Israel hope to be successful as a nation.
Too often those who grow up in the church, who attend Sunday school and youth group, who sit under the preaching of God’s Word, forget the One who guided them in their youth. As they move out into the world, they often move away from the Lord, who led them through the difficult years of growing up. The consequences are frequently devastating.
If you have left the Guide of your youth, return to Him today. He waits for you. Call out to Him as your Heavenly Father and recommit yourself to His guidance. Let His showers of blessings end the drought in your life.

LET THE GUIDE OF YOUR YOUTH BE THE GUIDE OF YOUR LIFE.