2018-06-03
Mark 2:4 NIV
Mary Engelbreit always wanted to illustrate children’s books, but a school guidance counselor told her, “You can’t do that. Be practical. Get a degree and teach.” Mary started working at an art shop, learned all about the business, and got to know artists who made a living doing what they loved. Bolstered by the support of her parents, she told herself, “You can become an artist. If you can imagine it, you can achieve it.” By refusing to let obstacles on the conventional path to success hold her back, Engelbreit became a nationally recognized artist and launched her own magazine. Proust said, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” Learn to think outside the box, and remember, inspiration comes with perspiration! Expect problems, and don’t let them weaken your resolve. Four men who couldn’t get their paralyzed friend to Jesus because of the crowd “made an opening in the roof…lowered the mat the …man was lying on.” Jesus saw faith in action, and rewarded it by healing the man. You can find a way around almost anything when you give legs to your prayers and persevere. Rebecca Barlow Jordan says: “True creativity doesn’t stop at the stage of inspiration. Many wannabes have tried and failed, because they failed to overcome the hindrances. The true artist sees the completed picture by faith. All of us are artists, and God has work for us to do. [He] encourages us to enjoy the fruits of our labor. But the true blessing comes not just in knowing we’ve overcome…[it’s] when creativity validates its divine origin and brings honor to God.”
Soul food: Gal 5:23; Prov 16:32; 2 Pet 1:5-8; Heb 11:23-27
2018-06-02
Daniel 3:1 NIV
It’s safe to say that anyone who builds a ninety-foot-tall statue to themselves is probably compensating for something. This statue was the epitome of pride. We all have a little Nebuchadnezzar in us. We’d never build a ninety-foot-tall statue of ourselves, but we get upset when people don’t bow to our wishes. We’d never throw someone into a fiery furnace, but our anger heats up when we don’t get our own way. We seek worship in more subtle ways. We exaggerate on our résumé, put down others behind their back, and tell white lies to hide the gray areas of our lives. If you don’t find your identity and security in what Christ has accomplished for you on the cross, you’ll hide your insecurities behind your hypocrisy. You’ll try to fight your own battles, create your own opportunities, and establish your own reputation. Two Scriptures define the fall of King Saul: (1) “Then Saul built an altar to the Lord” (1 Samuel 14:35 NLT). (2) “Saul…set up a monument to himself” (1 Samuel 15:12 NLT). And Samuel saw right through the smoke screen: “Although you may think little of yourself, are you not the leader of the tribes of Israel?” (1 Samuel 15:17 NLT). You know who builds monuments to themselves? Those who think little of themselves! And the more insecure a person is, the more monuments they need to build. There’s a fine line between “Thy kingdom come” and “My kingdom come.” If you cross that line, your relationship with God is self-serving. You aren’t serving Him, you are using Him. You aren’t building altars to God; you’re building monuments to yourself. And that’s idolatry.
Soul food: Amos 1:1-5:17; Mark 13:12-23; Ps 82; Prov 14:5-8
Daniël 3:1 NLV
Dis veilig om te sê dat enigiemand wat ‘n dertig meter hoë standbeeld van homself bou, heel waarskynlik besig is om vir iets anders te kompenseer. Hierdie standbeeld was die toonbeeld van trots. Ons het almal ‘n bietjie Nebukadnesar in ons. Ons sal nou nie ‘n standbeeld vir onsself oprig nie, maar ons raak ontsteld wanneer mense nie voor ons wense buig nie. Ons sal niemand ooit in ‘n oond gooi nie, maar ons raak witwarm van woede wanneer ons nie ons sin kry nie. Ons soek aanbidding op meer subtiele maniere. Ons oordryf op ons CV’s en vertel witleuentjies om die grys areas in ons lewens weg te steek. As jy nie jou identiteit en sekuriteit in dit wat God vir jou aan die kruis bereik het vind nie, sal jy jou onsekerhede agter jou eie skynheiligheid wegsteek. Jy sal jou eie gevegte probeer veg, jou eie geleenthede probeer skep en jou eie reputasie probeer vestig. Twee Skrifgedeeltes definieer koning Saul se val: 1) ‘Saul het daar ‘n altaar vir die Here gebou…’ (1 Samuel 15:12 NLV). 2) ‘…Saul is Karmel toe om ‘n gedenkteken vir homself op te rig…’ (1 Samuel 15:12 NLV). Samuel het egter reg deur die rookskerm gesien: ‘…Voorheen het jy min van jouself gedink, tog het jy die leier van die stamme van Israel geword…’ (1 Samuel 15:17 NLV). Weet jy wie bou gedenktekens vir hulself? Mense wat min van hulself dink! Hoe onsekerder ‘n persoon oor homself is, hoe meer monumente moet hy bou. Daar is ‘n fyn lyn tussen ‘Laat u koninkryk kom’ en ‘Laat my koninkryk kom.’ As jy oor daardie lyn tree, word jou verhouding met God selfdienend. Jy dien Hom nie, jy gebruik Hom. Jy bou nie altare vir God nie; jy bou vir jouself gedenktekens. Dis afgodery.
Sielskos: Amos 1:1-5:17; Mark 13:12-23; Ps 82; Spr 14:5-8
2018-06-01
Daniel 2:49 NIV
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew if they refused to bow down to the ninety-foot-tall statue of King Nebuchadnezzar, they would be executed. But they made a defining decision to stand up for what was right, rather than bow down to what was wrong. Most of us could have come up with a dozen rationalizations: “I’m bowing down on the outside, but I’m standing up on the inside,” or “I’ll ask for forgiveness right after I get back up,” or “What good am I to God if I’m dead?” But it’s our rationalizations that often annul His revelations. When we compromise our integrity, we don’t leave room for divine intervention. When we take matters into our own hands, we take God out of the equation. When we try to manipulate a situation, we miss out on the miracle. If Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had compromised their integrity and bowed to the statue, they may still have been delivered from the fiery furnace – but it would have been by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, not God. And it would have been from, not through. They would have forfeited their testimony by failing the test. And while they would have saved their lives, they would have sacrificed their integrity. It was their integrity that triggered the miracle. It was their integrity that allowed God to show up and show off. Their integrity paid off: “Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon” (Daniel 3:30 NIV). Bottom line: When you do the right thing, God will do the right thing by you!
Soul food: Lam 3:40-5:22; Mark 13:1-11; Ps 113; Prov 14:1-4
Daniël 2:49 NLV
Sadrag, Mesag en Abednego het geweet dat hulle tereggestel sou word as hulle weier om voor die dertig meter hoë standbeeld van koning Nebukadnesar te buig. Hulle het egter ‘n bepalende besluit geneem om te doen wat reg is, eerder as om voor dit wat verkeerd is te buig. Die meeste van ons sou met ‘n dosyn rasionalisasies vorendag kon kom: ‘Ek buig dalk aan die buitekant, maar ek staan regop aan die binnekant,’ of ‘Ek sal vir vergifnis vra direk na ek klaar gebuig het,’ of ‘Hoe kan ek vir God werk as ek dood is?’ Dis egter ons rasionalisasies wat dikwels sy openbaringe nietig maak. Wanneer ons ons integriteit onder verdenking plaas, los ons nie veel plek vir sy goddelike ingryping nie. Wanneer ons sake in ons eie hande neem, neem ons God uit die situasie uit. Wanneer ons probeer om ‘n situasie te manipuleer, verbeur ons ‘n wonderwerk. As Sadrag, Mesag en Abednego hulle integriteit prysgegee het en voor die standbeeld gebuig het, mag hulle dalk steeds uit die oond gered gewees het – maar dit sou deur Nebukadnesar se hand plaasgevind het, nie deur God s’n nie. Hulle sou hulle getuienis prysgegee het deur die toets te faal. Hulle mag dalk hulle eie lewens gered het, maar hulle sou hulle integriteit opgeoffer het. Dit was hulle integriteit wat die sneller vir die wonderwerk was. Dit was hulle integriteit wat God toegelaat het om op te daag en sy mag ten toon te stel. Hulle integriteit het dividende betaal: ‘Daarna het [die koning] Sadrag, Mesag en Abednego bevorder en nog hoër posisies aan hulle in die provinsie van Babel gegee’ (Daniël 3:30 NLV). Wanneer jy die regte ding doen, sal God die regte ding vir jou doen!
Sielskos: Klaag 3:40-5:22; Mark 13:1-11; Ps 113; Spr 14:1-4
