2018-01-11
Kolossense 3:16 NLV
Daar word ‘n verhaal vertel van ‘n paartjie wat besluit het om saam eende te gaan jag. Hulle het gehoor dat hulle ‘n goeie jaghond gaan nodig kry dus het hulle een gaan aanneem. Hulle het ook gehoor dat hulle ‘n goeie jaggeweer gaan nodig kry, dus het hulle een by die winkel gaan koop. Toe het hulle gaan jag. Teen die einde van die dag het hulle nie ‘n enkele eend gejag gekry nie. Die man sê toe vir sy vrou, ‘Liefie, iets doen ons verkeerd.’ Sy vrou het geantwoord, ‘Wel, miskien as ons die hond bietjie hoër gooi sal hy die eende kan vang.’ Wanneer dit by die Christelike lewe kom, probeer ons dinge met gereedskap wat nie werk of sin maak nie, bereik. ‘n Hond is nie die regte wapen om eende te jag nie – jy het koeëls daarvoor nodig. Hoekom het Paulus geskryf, ‘Laat die rykdom van alles wat Christus ons leer, julle leefstyl bepaal…’? Omdat wanneer die Woord van Christus in jou hart bly, jy met God se wysheid toegerus word. Jy kan nie ‘n probleem oplos deur dieselfde element te gebruik wat die probleem veroorsaak het nie. Jy het God se wysheid nodig, wat jy in sy Woord vind. Minder as 30 persent van Christene lees daagliks hulle Bybel. Dink daaroor: 70 persent Christene soek die antwoord op die verkeerde plekke. Wanneer jy ‘n probleem het, moet jou eerste vraag wees, ‘Wat sê God se Woord hieroor?’ ‘Begrip van u woord bring lig; dit gee insig aan die eenvoudige’ (Psalm 119:130 NLV). In plaas daarvan om dinge te doen wat nie werk nie – draai na God se Woord.
Sielskos: Lev 15-17; Matt 6:1-8; Ps 46; Spr 1:32-33
Colossians 3:16 NKJV
The story’s told of a couple who decided to go duck hunting together. They heard that they needed a good duck hunting dog, so they went to a kennel and got one. They heard that they needed a good shotgun, so they went to the store and bought one. Then they went hunting. At the end of the day they hadn’t got a single duck. The husband said to his wife, “Honey, we’ve got to be doing something wrong here.” His wife replied, “Well, maybe if we throw the dog up a little higher he could catch a duck this time.” When it comes to the Christian life, we try to accomplish things with tools that don’t work or don’t make sense. A dog is not the right weapon to get ducks – you need firepower to bring a duck down. Why did Paul write, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom”? Because when the word of Christ dwells richly in your heart, you’re equipped with God’s wisdom. You can’t solve a problem by using the very elements that caused it. You need God’s wisdom, and it’s found in His Word. Less than 30 percent of Christians read their Bible daily. Think about that: 70 percent of Christians look for the answer in the wrong places. When you have a problem, the first thing you should ask is, “What does God’s Word say about this?” “The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130 NKJV). Instead of doing things that don’t work – turn to God’s Word.
Soul food: Lev 15-17; Matt 6:1-8; Ps 46; Prov 1:32-33
2018-01-10
Johannes 8:36 NLV
Wanneer jy ‘n krygsgevangene word, beheer die vyand al jou bewegings en besluit hulle hoe elke dag van jou lewe sal wees. Het die vyand jou gevangene geneem? Miskien het jy al oor en oor probeer vrykom van jou verslawing, maar jy word steeds daardeur gevange gehou. Daar is goeie nuus: ‘As die Seun julle dus bevry, sal julle regtig vry wees.’ Of jy nou aan dwelms, alkohol, dobbel, kos of enigiets anders verslaaf is, jou antwoord lê nie in die natuurlike nie, maar in die bonatuurlike. Jou verslawing is ‘n ‘simptoom’ van ‘n dieper geestelike toestand wat Jesus, die Groot Geneesheer, wil gesond maak. In die kern van elke twaalf-stap program lê hierdie waarheid: Dis net deur na ‘n mag wat groter as onsself is te draai en ‘n verhouding met Hom te ontwikkel, wat ons vry kan word en vry kan bly. Jy weet wie hierdie ‘mag’ is – Jesus! Wanneer jy rusteloos, geïrriteerd en ontevrede voel, sal sy teenwoordigheid aan jou vrede en kalmte gee. Wanneer jy in die versoeking kom om na jou verslawing te draai om verligting te kry, sal sy teenwoordigheid die leegheid binne in jou vul en jou in staat stel om nee te sê. Wanneer jy ‘euforiese herinnerings’ ervaar en aan die beste tye van jou verslawing in plaas van die slegste tye begin dink, sal sy Woord jou gedagtes vernuwe en jou houding omvorm; en jou die regte pad op daardie oomblik aanwys. ‘U woord is ‘n lamp vir my voete en ‘n lig op my pad’ (Psalm 119:105 NLV). Petrus het gesê, ‘Die Here weet dus om dié mense wat naby aan Hom leef, uit beproewing en swaarkry te red…’ (2 Petrus 2:9 NLV). Vandag wil God jou bevry.
Sielskos: Lev 13:38-14:57; Matt 5:38-48; Ps 3; Spr 1:29-31
John 8:36 NKJV
When you become a prisoner of war, the enemy controls all your movements and decides what each day of your life will be like. Has the enemy captured you? Perhaps you’ve tried over and over again to be free from your addiction but you are still imprisoned by it. There’s good news: “If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” Whether you are addicted to drugs, lust, alcohol, gambling, food, or anything else, your answer is not natural – but supernatural. Your addiction is a “symptom” of a deeper spiritual condition that Jesus the Great Physician wants to heal. At the core of every twelve-step program is this truth: It’s only by turning to a power greater than ourselves and developing a relationship with Him, that we can get free and stay free. And we know who that “power” is – Jesus! When you feel “restless, irritable, and discontent,” His presence is what brings peace and serenity. When you’re tempted to turn to your addiction to find relief, His presence fills the emptiness within you and enables you to say no. When you experience “euphoric recall” and begin to think about the best times of your addiction rather than the worst ones, His Word renews your mind and reframes your attitude, showing you the right path to take at that moment: “By your words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path” (Psalm 119:105 TM). Peter said, “The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations” (2 Peter 2:9 NKJV). Today, God wants to set you free.
Soul food: Lev 13:38-14:57; Matt 5:38-48; Ps 3; Prov 1:29-31
2018-01-09
Hebrews 11:34 NLT
The word metamorphosis means to be changed from one form into another. In Hebrews chapter eleven, we find famous people such as Moses and David. Did they have weaknesses? Yes. Did they sometimes struggle? Absolutely. But: “Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle.” Picture a caterpillar morphing into a butterfly. It starts out slow and slimy, and takes hours to crawl two or three feet. When it undergoes the process of metamorphosis, however, it becomes a beautiful butterfly that can fly long distances by simply riding the air currents. The butterfly’s wings developed as a result of struggling in the cocoon until it broke free. No fight, no flight! Getting the idea? Are you struggling with something today? Are you in a spiritual battle? It’s your struggles that develop your strength, and your battles that bring your victories. Satan doesn’t want you to know that. He hopes the battle you are in will destroy you instead of develop you, so he keeps pouring on the pressure. When Paul’s life became so hard that he thought he couldn’t stand another day of it, God told him, “My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9 TM). How did Paul respond? He writes: “It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take my limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size – abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become” (vv. 9-10 TM).
Soul food: Lev 11:1-13:37; Matt 5:27-37; Ps 42:6-11; Prov 1:24-28
