2019-12-31
Deuteronomy 2:2-3 NLT
A biologist experimented with what he called “processional caterpillars.” He lined up caterpillars on the rim of a pot that held a plant so that the lead caterpillar was head-to-tail with the last caterpillar, with no break in the parade. The tiny creatures walked around the rim of the pot for a full week before they died of exhaustion and starvation. Not once did any of them break out of line and venture over to the plant to eat. Food was only inches away, but their follow-the-crowd instinct was stronger than the drive to eat and survive. The same thing happened to an entire generation of Israelites. They walked in circles in the wilderness for forty years, even though they were only eleven miles from the Promised Land. If you’re in a rut today, ask yourself these three questions: (1) Is this rut of my own making? We choose a rut because it’s comfortable and requires no risk. And getting out of it requires courage and a willingness to make table, tough choices you follow through on. (2) Who am I following? We adopt certain patterns because someone has taught them to us directly, or by example. Instead of mindlessly following the crowd, seek God’s will for your life and commit yourself to doing it. (3) Where am I going? The Bible says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). If you want to get out of the rut you’re in today, ask God to give you a vision for your life – He will! And when He does, pour yourself into it.
Soul food: 1 Thes 4:1-5; 2 Cor 5:14-21; Ps 77:11-20; Prov 9:10-12
Deuteronomium 2:2-3 NLV
‘n Bioloog het met sogenaamde ‘professionele ruspes’ geëksperimenteer. Hy het die ruspes agtermekaar op die randjie van ‘n potplant neergesit, sodat die voorste en die laaste ruspe aan mekaar geraak het, met geen openinge in die parade nie. Die klein skepsels het vir ‘n volle week op die rand van die pot geloop voor hulle van uitputting en honger gesterf het. Nie een keer het een van hulle uit die lyn uit beweeg of op die plant geklim om te eet nie. Kos was net sentimeters ver, maar hulle instink om die skare te volg was groter as die drif om te eet en te oorleef. Dieselfde het met ‘n hele generasie Israeliete gebeur. Hulle het vir veertig jaar lank in sirkels in die woestyn geloop, terwyl hulle net sewentien kilometer van die Beloofde Land af was. As jy vandag in ‘n groef is, vra jouself die volgende drie vrae af: 1) Is hierdie groef my eie maaksel? Ons kies ‘n groef omdat dit gemaklik is en geen risiko inhou nie. Dit verg moed en ‘n gewilligheid om moeilike keuses te maak om daaruit te kom. 2) Wie volg ek? Ons neem sekere patrone aan omdat iemand dit direk of deur hulle voorbeeld vir ons geleer het. In plaas daarvan om klakkeloos die skare te volg, soek eerder God se wil en wy jouself daaraan toe om dit te doen. 3) Waarheen is ek op pad? Die Bybel sê: ‘Wanneer ‘n volk nie duidelikheid het oor die wil van God nie, word hulle koersloos…’ (Spreuke 29:18 NLV). As jy vandag uit jou groef uit wil klim, vra God om vir jou ‘n visie te gee – Hy sal! Wanneer Hy dit doen, wy jouself volkome daaraan toe.
Sielskos: 1 Tess 4:1-5; 2 Kor 5:14-21; Ps 77:11-20; Spr 9:10-12
2019-12-30
2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT
Paul writes: “Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (vv. 8-10 NLT). Paul didn’t get the answer he was looking for until he quit praying and started listening. Sometimes we’re so busy telling God what He ought to do for us, that we can’t hear God telling us what He wants to do in us. If you have a stubborn problem in your life, maybe it’s time to quit talking and start listening. God taught Paul lessons at the best time he could learn them – during difficulties. So the bad news about tough times turns out to be the good news after all – that you learn more about God in the valley than you do on the mountaintop. C. S. Lewis describes how God uses pain to communicate with us: “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts to us in our pains.” Before God spoke, all Paul wanted was to remove his problem. After God spoke, he realized that in his problem he had found something better and greater – supernatural strength reserved for those tough times when we realize God’s presence is greater than our problems and His purpose is greater than our pain.
Soul food: 1 Cor 16; Matt 3:7-10; Ps 75; Prov 31:31
2 Korintiërs 12:9 NLV
Paulus skryf: ‘Drie maal het ek die Here gesmeek dat dit my moet verlaat. Hy het egter vir my gesê: ‘My genade is genoeg vir jou, want my krag kom juis in swakheid tot volle verwesenliking.’ Daarom sal ek baie liewer oor my swakhede spog sodat die krag van Christus voortdurend deur my kan werk. Ek is dus tevrede met my swakhede, beledigings, ontberings, vervolgings en benoudhede ter wille van Christus, want wanneer ek swak is, juis dán is ek sterk’ (verse 8-10 NLV). Paulus het nie die antwoord gekry waarvoor hy gesoek het nie, totdat hy ophou bid het en begin luister het. Soms is ons so besig om God te vertel wat Hy vir ons behoort te doen, dat ons nie kan hoor hoe God vir ons sê wat Hy in ons wil doen nie. As jy ‘n hardnekkige probleem in jou lewe het, is dit miskien tyd om op te hou praat en te begin luister. God het vir Paulus op die beste tyd lesse geleer – tydens moeilike tye. Die slegte nuus oor moeilike tye is dus eerder goeie nuus – dat jy meer oor God in die vallei as op die spits van die berg leer. C.S Lewis het beskryf hoe God pyn gebruik om met ons te kommunikeer: ‘God fluister in ons plesiere vir ons, praat met ons in ons gewete, maar skree vir ons in ons pyne.’ Voor God gepraat het, wou Paulus net van sy probleem ontslae raak. Nadat God gepraat het, het hy besef dat hy iets groters en beters deur sy probleem gevind het – bonatuurlike krag vir daardie moeilike tye wanneer ons besef dat God se teenwoordigheid groter as ons probleme en sy doelwitte groter as ons pyn, is.
Sielskos: 1 Kor 16; Matt 3:7-10; Ps 75; Spr 31:31
2019-12-29
2 Corinthians 12:7 NLT
The Bible doesn’t tell us what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was, but Paul tells us why God permitted it: “To keep me from becoming proud.” Increased achievement and success can lead to increased pride and independence from God. Have you noticed that when life is going great, staying close to God is sometimes difficult? We tend to think God is so good to us because we are so good to Him. We must always guard against this. God can use anything for your good and His glory. In His wisdom and patience, He permits something we think is intended to hurt us, but He turns it around and uses it to help us. Here is what He does: He balances blessings with burdens. The psalmist said, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits” (Psalm 68:19 NKJV). If God filled your hands only with blessings, eventually you would fall over on your face. And if He continually loaded your back with burdens, you would fall on your hindquarters. So He apportions blessings and burdens so that we can stay in balance. It’s easy to get out of balance. We become so absorbed with the joys of heaven that we neglect our calling to be salt and light here on earth. We get so involved in the work of the Lord that we fail to spend time with the Lord of the work. We get so involved in church that we rob our families of the love and attention they need. So God brings us back into balance by giving us a thorn.
Soul food: Heb 11:1-6; Matt 21:18-22; Matt 8:5-13; Mark 6:1-6
