2020-03-06
Mark 11:24 NIV
God doesn’t just want us to pray, He wants us to pray with faith. The Bible says: ‘Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him’ (Hebrews 11:6 NIV). Praying with faith means we’re trusting God for the outcome. It means praying expectantly without doubting that God will come through for us. However, just because we believe God will answer us doesn’t mean we’ll get everything we’re asking for. God knows what will be best for us and for those we love. And He wants us to experience that. If we’re asking for something that doesn’t line up with His will and desire to give us the best things, then we may find that He says no. That doesn’t mean we didn’t have enough faith; it simply means it wasn’t the right thing for us. So when we’re praying in faith, we’re praying in the knowledge that God’s faithful and good. The Bible says: ‘When you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind’ (James 1:6 NIV). Whatever we’re asking God for, we need to avoid doubting Him. It can be tempting to start doubting when we’ve been praying for a long time. We may have to pray many times before we see God answer us. We have to have persistence, and the faith that He does hear us. The Bible actually tells us to never stop praying (take a look at 1 Thessalonians 5:17). God wants us to go to Him with all our requests and burdens. So let’s take them to Him in faith.
Gen 30:25-31:55; Matt 21:1-11; Ps 136:13-26; Prov 6:32-35
Mark 11:24 NIV
Charles Haddon Spurgeon, “The Prince of Preachers,” said: “Believe God until…you can thank Him for the answer. If the answer still tarries outwardly, do not pray in such a way that it’s evident you’re not believing for it. Such a prayer in place of being a help will be a hindrance; and when you are finished praying you’ll find that your faith has weakened, or has entirely gone. The urgency that you felt to offer this kind of prayer is clearly from self…It may not be wrong to mention the matter in question to the Lord again, if He is keeping you waiting, but be sure you do it in such a way that it implies faith. Do not pray yourself out of faith. You may tell Him that you’re waiting…still believing Him and therefore praise Him for the answer. There is nothing that so fully clinches faith, as to be so sure of the answer that you can thank God for it. Prayers that pray us out of faith deny both God’s promise in His Word, and His whisper ‘Yes,’ that He gave us in our hearts. Such prayers are but the expression of the unrest of one’s heart, and unrest implies unbelief…’For we which have believed do enter into rest’ (Hebrews 4:3). This prayer that prays ourselves out of faith frequently arises from centering our thoughts on the difficulty rather than on God’s promise. Abraham ‘considered not his own body…he staggered not at the promise of God’ (Romans 4:19, 20). May we watch and pray that we enter not into the temptation of praying ourselves out of faith.”
Soul food: Gen 30:25-31:55; Matt 21:1-11; Ps 136:13-26; Prov 6:32-35
Markus 11:24 NLV
Charles Haddon Spurgeon, die ‘Prins van Predikers,’ het gesê: ‘Glo in God, totdat jy Hom vir die antwoord kan bedank. As die antwoord jou steeds ontwyk, moenie op so ‘n manier bid dat dit duidelik is dat jy nie glo dat jy die antwoord sal kry nie. So ‘n gebed sal jou hinder eerder as om jou te help; en wanneer jy klaar gebid het, sal jy agterkom dat jou geloof verswak, of selfs heeltemal verdwyn het. Die dringendheid wat jy gevoel het om hierdie tipe gebed te bid kom duidelik uit jouself. Dit is nie verkeerd om die kwessie weer teenoor die Here te opper indien Hy jou laat wag nie, maar doen dit op so ‘n manier dat dit geloof impliseer. Moenie jouself uit geloof bid nie. Jy kan dalk vir Hom sê dat jy wag en Hom steeds vir die antwoord vertrou en Hom prys. Daar is niks wat geloof so bevestig as om God te prys en te dank omdat jy seker is dat jy die antwoord sal ontvang nie. Gebede wat ons uit ons geloof uit bid, ontken God se belofte in sy Woord en sy fluistering in ons harte. Sulke gebede is die uitdrukking van die onrus in jou hart en hierdie onrus impliseer ongeloof. ‘Want net as ons glo, kan ons die rus binnegaan…’ (Hebreërs 4:3 NLV). Hierdie gebed wat ons onsself uit geloof uit bid, spruit dikwels uit ons gedagtes oor die moeilike probleem, eerder as gedagtes oor God se belofte. Abraham het ‘…baie goed besef dat sy eie liggaamlike vermoëns reeds heeltemal gedaan was… [maar] Abraham het nie getwyfel aan God se belofte nie…’ (Romeine 4:19-20 NLV). Mag ons oppas en bid dat ons nie in die versoeking kom om ons heeltemal uit geloof te bid nie.’
Sielskos: Gen 30:25-31:55; Matt 21:1-11; Ps 136:13-26; Spr 6:32-35
2020-03-05
Matteus 7:14 NLV
As jy vandag in jou lewe by ‘n kruispad staan, het jy twee opsies: 1) Draai links of regs. 2) Gaan vorentoe of terug. Daar is geen twyfel aan die pad wat God wil hê jy moet neem nie – vorentoe! As jy enigsins daaraan twyfel, lees en mediteer oor die volgende Skrifgedeeltes: ‘En al het jy met min begin, sal jy met baie eindig’ (Job 8:7 NLV). ‘…Hulle kragte sal vermeerder…’ (Psalm 84:8 NLV). ‘Die pad van die regverdiges is soos die lig met dagbreek. Dit word al helderder totdat die volle dag aanbreek’ (Spreuke 4:18 NLV). ‘Gee jou volle aandag aan hierdie sake. Werp jouself in jou werksaamhede sodat almal jou vordering kan sien’ (1 Timoteus 4:15 NLV). God sal vir jou die genade en krag gee om vorentoe te beweeg, maar verstaan mooi: Dis nie altyd ‘n maklike pad nie. Jesus het gesê: ‘Gaan die koninkryk deur die nou poort binne. Want wyd is die poort, en breed is die pad wat na ondergang lei, en daar is massas mense wat daar ingaan. Hoe bitterlik nou is die poort, en hoe smal is die pad na die lewe nie! Min is die mense wat dit kry!’ (Matteus 7:13-14 NLV). Jesus het hier sy beroemde bergrede gelewer, waar Hy verduidelik het hoe mens as inwoner van sy koninkryk veronderstel is om te lewe. Dis die verskil tussen die ‘baie’ en die ‘min.’ Die eerste groep kies die maklike pad, maar die tweede groep kies die pad van druk, omdat hulle besef dat hoe moeilik dit ook al mag wees, dit die karakter van Christus in ons vorm.
Sielskos: Gen 28:1-30:24; Matt 20:29-34; Ps 136:1-12; Spr 6:30-31
Matthew 7:14 NLT
If we’re being honest, living out our faith can be tough. We often have to walk a different path from those around us; we stand out. We’re called to walk Jesus’ way, not the world’s way. And sometimes that can cause us to feel conflicted. We want to follow Jesus, but the world’s way is tempting. It can be difficult going a different way to everyone else. Jesus said: ‘The gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.’ Here He is acknowledging that it will be tough to follow Him. But His way leads to life. It might be more difficult to follow His path, but overall it’s the best thing we can ever do. When we’re at a crossroads, and we’re not sure which path we should, or even want, to take, we need to look for God’s path. Jesus said: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me’ (John 14:6 NLT). If we want life, if we want to live eternally with God, we need to follow Jesus’ way. We might feel lonely on this path sometimes, but we can know that we’re never actually alone. God’s always walking alongside us. The Bible tells us that ‘God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you”‘ (Hebrews 13:5 NIV). There will be obstacles along the way, but God has the strength we need to keep going. We’re ‘more than conquerors’ through Him (Romans 8:37 NIV). The battles we have to fight along the way help us to become more like Him. The question is, are we more concerned with going the way everyone else is going, or going Jesus’ way?
Gen 28:1-30:24; Matt 20:29-34; Ps 136:1-12; Prov 6:30-31
