2018-01-14
Proverbs 10:4 NKJV
The word diligent means “to cut or sharpen.” It describes a worker who’s sharp, decisive, and keen. He or she wants to work, make a difference, and contribute to their families and to society. Life “owes” you nothing except an opportunity to succeed. And you’ll have to work for that success. One day two teens were talking when one said to the other, “I’m really worried. Dad slaves away at his job so I’ll never want for anything. He pays all my bills and sends me to college. Mom slaves every day washing, ironing, cleaning up after me, and even takes care of me when I’m sick.” Puzzled, his friend asked, “So, what’re you worried about?” He replied, “I’m worried the slaves might escape!” If you’re a parent, teach your children the virtue of diligence. And don’t just preach it – live it! You’ll know you’re succeeding when they no longer feel “entitled” to an allowance, and stop seeing you as a human ATM machine with the words “Give me!” stamped on your forehead. Your children will spend over half the waking hours of their prime adult lives working, and they need to know that it was God’s idea and not a form of punishment. Some people think work was the result of the curse in Eden, but it wasn’t. God gave Adam the job of tending the garden before sin came on the scene (See Genesis 2:15). Jesus was a carpenter (See Mark 6:3). And Paul, one of the greatest Christians in history, was a tentmaker (See Acts 18:1-3). There’s nothing dishonorable about work worth doing, and work done well.
Soul food: Exo 20:4-6; Deut 7:17-8:2; Isa 40:18-31; Col 3:5-10
2018-01-13
Spreuke 10:22 NLV
Toe die bekende uitgewer William Randolph Hearst ‘n artikel oor ‘n sekere skildery gelees het, wou hy baie graag die skildery by sy versameling voeg. Hy het mense regoor die wêreld gestuur om daarna te soek, maar hulle kon dit nêrens kry nie. ‘n Jaar later, uit die bloute, het een van sy werknemers vir hom kom sê dat hulle die skildery opgespoor het. Opgewonde oor die ontdekking, het Hearst gevra waar die skildery al die tyd was. Sy werknemer het geantwoord, ‘In jou kelder. Dit was al die tyd in jou besit.’ Die probleem was dat Hearst nooit die register waarin al sy besittings opgeskryf was, gelees het nie. Jou Bybel is ‘n register gevul met seëninge wat God wil hê jy moet ervaar. Geen van hierdie seëning is groter as die seën van verlossing nie, maar dis nie die enigste seën nie. ‘Dit is die Here se seën wat rykdom bring. Hy gee nie hartseer daarmee saam nie.’ John D Rockefeller het een keer gesê dat hy sy hele fortuin sal verruil vir die geleentheid om terug te gaan en as klerk in sy ou kantoor in Cleveland, Ohio te werk. Hoekom? Omdat dit ‘n tyd was voordat hy aan maagsere, slaaploosheid en depressie gely het. Die seën van God bring sukses sonder stres mee! God vertel jou daarvan in sy Woord. Hy wil hê dat jy ‘ryk’ in jou verhoudings, jou gesondheid, jou vreedsame gemoedstoestand, jou beroep en alles wat op jou betrekking het, moet wees. Begin dus uitvind wat God aan jou belowe het en bid en glo Hom dan daarvoor.
Sielskos: Lev 21:1-23:25; Matt 6:19-34; Ps 71:17-24; Spr 2:3-5
Proverbs 10:22 AMPC
When the famous publisher William Randolph Hearst read about a certain painting, he became very interested in acquiring it for his collection. He sent people all over the world to search for it, but they couldn’t find it anywhere. A year later, out of the blue, one of his employees came to him and told him that the painting had been found. Excited about the discovery, Hearst asked where it had been all this time. His employee said, “It was in your basement. You owned it all the time.” The problem was, Hearst had never read the ledger that had the record of everything he owned. Your Bible is a ledger filled with blessings God wants you to experience. Now, none of these blessings are greater than salvation, but it’s not the only blessing. “The blessing of the Lord – it makes [truly] rich, and He adds no sorrow with it [neither does toiling increase it].” John D. Rockefeller once said he’d exchange his fortune for a chance to go back and work as a clerk in his old Cleveland, Ohio, office. Why? Because he suffered bouts of insomnia, ulcers, and depression. The blessing of God brings success – without stress! God tells you about it in His Word. He wants you to be “rich” in your relationships, in your health, in your peace of mind, in your career, and in everything that concerns you. So get to know what God has promised you, then begin praying and believing Him for it.
Soul food: Lev 21:1-23:25; Matt 6:19-34; Ps 71:17-24; Prov 2:3-5
2018-01-12
2 Corinthians 5:16 NLT
If you tend to associate only with “your own kind,” think about this: “We have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view.” Jesus went miles out of His way to meet a Samaritan woman at a well. From a cultural and religious point of view, it was a bad move. First, she’d been divorced five times so she had a tarnished reputation. Second, she was a Gentile. And in those days a Jew couldn’t drink water drawn by Gentiles or eat their food. Jewish physicians couldn’t attend to non-Jewish patients. Jews actually referred to Gentiles as “unclean,” believing that by mixing with them they too would become unclean. But Jesus was all about including people, not excluding them: “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood” (John 1:14 TM). Jesus touched lepers, loved foreigners, and spent so much time with partygoers that religious leaders called him a “lush, a friend of the riffraff” (Matthew 11:19 TM). Jesus didn’t label people; He loved them. And when you follow Him, He puts His finger on your prejudices and makes you deal with them. That’s because He wants to change the way you look at people, not seeing them as Jews or Gentiles, insiders or outsiders, liberals or conservatives, etc. “We have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view.” Today you may come across some discarded people like the woman at the well. They may have been thrown out of church, or just turned off by the church. And you’ll have a chance to label them or love them. Honor God – and love them!
Soul food: Lev 18-20; Matt 6:9-18; Ps 71:1-16; Prov 2:1-2
2 Korintiërs 5:16 NLV
As jy geneig is om net met ‘jou eie soort’ om te gaan, dink hieroor na: ‘Van nou af beoordeel ons niemand meer volgens ‘n menslike maatstaf nie…’ Jesus het kilometers uit sy pad gegaan om ‘n Samaritaanse vrou by ‘n put te ontmoet. Vanuit ‘n kulturele en godsdienstige siening, was dit ‘n slegte idee. Eerstens, was sy al vyf keer geskei en het ‘n slegte reputasie gehad. Tweedens, was sy ‘n nie-Jood. In daardie dae kon Jode nie water drink of kos eet wat van ‘n nie-Jood af kom nie. Joodse geneeshere kon nie na nie-Joodse pasiënte omsien nie. Jode het inderwaarheid na nie-Jode as ‘onrein’ verwys en geglo dat hulle ook onrein sou word as hulle met hulle sou meng. Jesus het egter niemand uitgesluit nie: ‘En die Woord het mens geword en by ons kom woon…’ (Johannes 1:14 NLV). Jesus het melaatses aangeraak, vreemdelinge liefgehad en so baie tyd met partytjiegangers spandeer dat godsdienstige leiers hom ‘…’n vraat en ‘n dronklap, ‘n vriend van die liederlikste sondaars…’ (Matteus 11:19 NLV), genoem het. Jesus het nie mense tipeer nie; Hy het hulle liefgehad. Wanneer jy Hom volg, wys Hy jou vooroordele uit en sorg dat jy hulle hanteer. Dis omdat Hy die manier wat jy na ander mense kyk, wil verander, dat jy hulle nie as Jode of nie-Jode, binnestaanders of buitestaanders, liberales of konserwatiewes, ens sal sien nie. ‘Van nou af beoordeel ons niemand meer volgens ‘n menslike maatstaf nie…’ Vandag mag jy mense teëkom wat soos die vrou by die put deur die samelewing weggegooi is. Hulle is dalk uit die kerk gegooi of deur die kerk ontnugter. Jy sal die kans hê om hulle óf te tipeer, óf lief te hê. Eer God – en wees lief vir hulle!
Sielskos: Lev 18-20; Matt 6:9-18; Ps 71:1-16; Spr 2:1-2
