2020-02-03
Spreuke 18:22 NLV
As jy oor sestig is, is die kans goed dat jy in ‘n era grootgeword het waar jy nie baie geskeide paartjies geken het nie en waar die onderwerp taboe was. Nou word jou kinders in ‘n wêreld groot waar huwelike elke dag misluk. As jy nie wil hê dat jou huwelik een van hulle moet wees nie, moet jy: 1) Leer om jou liefde te wys. Die sielkundige William James sê: ‘Die diepste beginsel in die menslike natuur is die drang om gewaardeer te word.’ As ons nie by die huis gewaardeer voel nie, is daar ‘n goeie kans dat ons glad nie gewaardeer voel nie, want oor die algemeen vervul die wêreld nie daardie begeerte nie. Die beste ding wat jy vir jou eggenoot en jou kinders kan doen, is om hulle te waardeer en hulle lief te hê – nie as gevolg van hulle prestasies nie, maar eenvoudig omdat hulle joune is. 2) Aandag gee. Eerwaarde Theodore Hesburgh, president Emeritus by die Universiteit van Notre Dame, het gesê: ‘Die belangrikste ding wat ‘n pa vir sy kinders kan doen, is om hulle ma lief te hê.’ Dit werk altwee kante toe. Toewyding, nie emosie nie, is wat jou daardeur dra. As jy beplan om net getroud te bly so lank as wat jy voel jy verlief is, kan jy maar net sowel nou tou opgooi. Soos enigiets wat die moeite werd is, benodig ‘n goeie huwelik konstante aandag. 3) Beskerm julle tyd saam. As jy voel dat jy eerder by die werk moet wees wanneer jy saam met jou familie is en andersom, is iets verkeerd. Belê ‘n familievergadering en besluit hoeveel tyd julle saam moet spandeer. As jy daardie tye prioritiseer en beskerm, sal jou huwelik floreer.
Sielskos: Jes 34-37; Matt 12:1-14; Ps 107:33-43; Spr 3:27-28
2020-02-02
Eksodus 15:26 NLV
Hoekom word elke persoon vir wie gebid word nie gesond nie? God sê nie vir ons nie. Ons weet dat vertwyfeling en ongeloof sy wonderbaarlike krag in ons lewens kan verhinder. Toe Jesus na sy tuisdorp waar die mense Hom die beste geken het teruggekeer het, lees ons: ‘As gevolg van hulle ongeloof het Hy daar maar min wonderwerke verrig’ (Matteus 13:58 NLV). Daar is egter aspekte van genesing wat ons nooit ten volle sal verstaan nie. Paulus skryf: ‘…Trofimus het ek siek in Milete agtergelaat’ (2 Timoteus 4:20 NLV). Hoekom sou Paulus, wat die dooies opgewek het, ‘n siek vriend agtergelaat het in plaas van om te bid en hom te genees? Daar is baie dinge van God wat ons nie weet nie, maar daar is een ding wat ons wel weet: ‘…Ek is die Here wat julle gesond sal hou.’ Omdat Hy gesê het: ‘Ek is die Here, Ek verander nie…’ (Maleagi 3:6 NLV), en ‘Jesus Christus bly steeds dieselfde – gister, vandag en vir altyd!’ (Hebreërs 13:8 NLV), kan ons na Hom vir genesing, gebaseer op sy Woord, gaan. Een van die laaste stellings wat Jesus gemaak het voor Hy die aarde verlaat het, was: ‘Hierdie is die wondertekens wat dié sal beleef wat glo… Hulle sal siekes die hande oplê, en hulle sal gesond word’ (Markus 16:17-18 NLV). Glo jy dat God steeds mense vandag genees? As jy doen, gehoorsaam dan hierdie Skrifgedeelte: ‘Is daar van julle wat siek is? Dan moet julle die ouderlinge van die gemeente laat kom. Nadat die ouderlinge die siekes met olyfolie in die Naam van die Here gesalf het, moet hulle vir hulle bid. En ‘n gelowige gebed sal die siek mens gesond laat word; die Here sal hom laat opstaan…’ (Jakobus 5:14-15 NLV). Die woord vir jou vandag is: Moenie moed opgee nie – glo God vir jou genesing.
Sielskos: Luk 6:27-36; Eks 23:1-9; Rom 12:14-21
Exodus 15:26 NIV
Why isn’t every sick person who is prayed over healed? We don’t know, and God doesn’t tell us. We know that doubt and unbelief can hinder His miracle-working power in our lives. When Jesus returned to His hometown to those who knew Him best, we read: “He did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith” (Matthew 13:58 NIV). But there are aspects of healing we will never fully understand. Paul writes, “I left Trophimus sick in Miletus” (2 Timothy 4:20 NIV). Why would Paul, who had raised the dead, leave a friend sick instead of praying and seeing him healed? There are many things about God we don’t know, but here’s one thing we do know: “I am the Lord, who heals you.” And since He said, “I am the Lord, and I do not change” (Malachi 3:6 NLT), and “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8 NIV), we can go to Him for healing based on His Word. One of the last statements Jesus made before leaving earth was: “These signs will follow those who believe…They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark 16:17-18 NKJV). Do you believe God still heals people today? If you do, then obey this Scripture: “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up” (James 5:14-15 NKJV). The word for you today is: Don’t give up – believe God for your healing.
Soul food: Luke 6:27-36; Exo 23:1-9; Rom 12:14-21
Exodus 15:26 NIV
Why isn’t every sick person we pray for healed? We don’t know, and God doesn’t always tell us. Paul writes, ‘I left Trophimus sick in Miletus’ (2 Timothy 4:20 NIV). Why would Paul, who had raised the dead, leave a friend sick instead of praying and seeing him healed? Perhaps he did pray, but God chose not to heal Trophimus, at least at that time. There are aspects of healing we’ll never fully understand, and there are many things about God we don’t know, but here’s one thing we do know about Him: ‘I am the Lord, who heals you.’ And since He said, ‘I am the Lord, and I do not change’ (Malachi 3:6 NLT), and ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever’ (Hebrews 13:8 NIV), we can go to Him for healing based on His Word. One of the last statements Jesus made before leaving earth was: ‘These signs will follow those who believe…They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover’ (Mark 16:17-18 NKJV). Do we believe God still heals people today? Or have we become disappointed and disillusioned because we haven’t seen God move in miraculous ways when we’ve prayed? If we’re struggling to believe, we need to ask God to increase our faith and then we need to start praying expectantly again. Let’s obey this verse: ‘Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord’ (James 5:14 NIV). We may be finding it hard to keep praying when we’re not seeing anything happen. We can wonder if God really is as good as He says He is. But let’s not give up. Let’s persistently, expectantly pray for those we know who are ill.
Luke 6:27-36; Exo 23:1-9; Rom 12:14-21
2020-02-01
Luke 22:40 NIV
Deep inside, we all know the areas of our lives where we’re most often tempted and fail. And if we repeatedly fall into the same temptations, we can begin to think: ‘What’s the point in asking God for forgiveness? I’m just going to repeat the same sins and have to go back to Him again.’ But God’s forgiveness doesn’t run out when we’ve sinned a certain number of times. When we go to Him with a humble and sorry heart, He loves to forgive us. We can also break the cycle of temptation we find ourselves stuck in. Jesus told His disciples, ‘Pray that you will not fall into temptation’. We can pray before the temptation comes and ask for the strength we need to handle the situation when it arises. When we pray, God strengthens us so that we can overcome the things that are trapping us. We don’t have to worry that God will be angry with us for being tempted; we can approach Him for the help we need. Paul said: ‘Let us…approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need’ (Hebrews 4:16 NIV). Tempting situations can come up regularly, so we need to make sure we’re setting aside time to pray. It can be easy to fill our spare time with things like TV and social media, but it’s far more worthwhile to use that time to pray into the situations we’re facing and about the parts of our lives where we feel weak and vulnerable to temptation. If we keep facing temptation, we need to avoid becoming frustrated at ourselves and remember God’s grace to forgive us. Then we need to rely on His help to overcome our temptation.
Isa 30-33; Matt 11:20-30; Ps 107:23-32; Prov 3:25-26
