2020-03-03
1 Peter 1:8 NIV
In his book, Talking Dogs, Sam Mason continues: “During the last couple of years of his life, Tigger, one of our dearly loved Italian greyhounds, gradually lost his sight. He’d developed cataracts. They robbed him of his vision, but they couldn’t steal his precious relationship with his masters. My wife Carol often referred to Tigger as her ‘lovey-dovey boy.’ He would stand (not sit!) on our laps, putting his paws on either side of our necks, then affectionately tuck his head under our chins. It was adorable. Blind though he was, Tigger’s desire for the ones he could no longer see was unaffected. In spite of the cataracts that blurred our features, somehow he still managed to look us in the face. His diminished capacities may have hampered his movements, but his love and trust toward his masters remained rock solid. All of us who have placed our trust in the Lord possess handicaps…even spiritual ones. Do we use them as excuses for not pursuing God as intensely as we ought? Do we allow these hindrances to ration our love for Him? Or do we, with God’s help, find the strength to reach past our limitations to experience the unbounded joy of His presence, and fulfill the calling He’s placed on our lives? Yes, we may sometimes grope about in darkness every now and then, even stumbling and falling. But we can trust the One who understands our seasons of blindness. We can open our hearts to His love and love Him back…sight unseen!”
Soul food: Gen 24:1-25:18; Matt 20:1-16; Ps 70; Prov 6:26-28
Psalm 27:8 NIV
In his book, Talking Dogs, Sam Mason discusses how God can use our pets to speak to us. Looking back on some dogs he has owned and the lessons he learned from them, he writes: “One such occasion was when Ranger, our eleven-pound Italian greyhound, was sitting on my lap as I relaxed in the recliner. I noticed that familiar, endearing little tilt of the head, as he looked me directly in the face. I found myself wondering what his purpose was. A second later, I warmed to the pleasure of divine inspiration, as the explanation flowed into my stream of thought. Ranger was seeking my face! You see, dogs become students of their owners. Their comprehension of spoken human language is limited to a handful of words. Their capacity to understand a creature of far greater intellect is restricted. So they study our movements: facial expressions, hand gestures, and other body language. Likewise, we have limited understanding of our Master. So how do we ‘seek the face’ of Someone who is so far our superior? The Lord reveals Himself through His Word. That’s where our pursuit begins. How sad that so few professing Christians read and study the Bible on any regular basis. But beyond the Scriptures, there are other ways to seek God’s face. Pay attention to the ways of God as the Holy Spirit moves upon your heart during church services. Learn from His interventions in your life and those of your fellow believers. Behind His works are His ways! Determine to become a student of the Master at every opportunity.”
Soul food: Gen 20-23; Matt 19:15-30; Ps 66:13-20; Prov 6:23-25
1 Peter 1:8 NLT
In yesterday’s reading, we explored what seeking God means. But it can seem really challenging to seek somebody we can’t see. How are we supposed to deepen our relationship with God when we can’t see Him? Peter said: ‘You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him.’ It’s possible to seek, love, and trust God without physically seeing Him. We can find out more about Him through reading the Bible, from looking at things He’s created, and listening to His voice in prayer. We can’t seek God without doing these things. We have to open our eyes up to see Him in the things and people around us. We also have to allow the Holy Spirit to show us more of God. It’s important to be disciplined. We need to be setting aside time to intentionally seek Him through reading the Bible, prayer, and times of silence. We might not feel like we’re getting closer to God, but that doesn’t mean we’re not. We can’t rely on our feelings. The Bible says: ‘The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him’ (Lamentation 3:25 NIV). God loves it when we make the choice to seek Him and discover more about Him. He wants us to discover just how good and loving He is. Seeking Him isn’t challenging, but it does require sacrifice. We need to put seeking Him at the top of our priority list. We can’t just do what we want, and expect to know more about Him. Jesus said: ‘Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness’ (Matthew 6:33 NIV). We have to set aside the other things we want to do, and focus on drawing close to Him.
Gen 24:1-25:18; Matt 20:1-16; Ps 70; Prov 6:26-28
2020-03-02
Psalm 27:8 NLV
In sy boek, Talking Dogs, bespreek Sam Mason hoe God ons troeteldiere kan gebruik om met ons te praat. Met ‘n terugblik op van die honde wat hy al gehad het en die lesse wat hy van hulle geleer het, skryf hy: ‘Een so ‘n oomblik het plaasgevind toe Ranger, ons vyf-kilogram Italiaanse windhond, op my skoot gesit het terwyl ek in die gemakstoel ontspan het. Ek het sy bekende, innemende tilt van sy kop opgemerk, soos hy my direk in die gesig gestaar het. Ek het begin wonder wat sy doel in die lewe was. ‘n Sekonde later, het ek goddelike inspirasie geniet toe die verduideliking in my gedagtes opgekom het. Ranger het my aangesig gesoek! Jy sien, honde word studente van hulle eienaars. Hulle begrip van die gesproke menslike taal word tot ‘n handjievol woorde beperk. Hulle kapasiteit om ‘n skepsel van baie groter intellek te verstaan, is beperk. Dus bestudeer hulle ons bewegings: gesigsuitdrukkings, handgebare en ander lyftaal. Net so, het ons ‘n beperkte begrip van ons Meester. Hoe soek ons dan die aangesig van Iemand wat so by verre ons meerdere is? Die Here openbaar Homself deur sy Woord. Dis waar ons soektog begin. Hoe hartseer is dit dat so min belydende Christene nie die Bybel op ‘n gereelde basis lees en bestudeer nie. Daar is egter ook ander maniere om God se aangesig te soek. Gee aandag aan God se maniere soos die Heilige Gees tydens ‘n kerkdiens deur jou hart beweeg. Leer uit sy ingrypings in jou lewe en in die lewens van mede-gelowiges. Agter sy werke is sy maniere! Besluit om ‘n student van die Meester by alle geleenthede te wees.’
Sielskos: Gen 20-23; Matt 19:15-30; Ps 66:13-20; Spr 6:23-25
Psalm 27:8 NIV
What does it mean to seek God’s face? Firstly, the word for ‘face’ can also be translated as ‘presence’. So when we’re seeking God’s face, we’re seeking His presence. Spending time with God should be our desire. The psalmist wrote: ‘As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?’ (Psalm 42:1-2 NIV). The psalmist was desperate to spend time in God’s presence. But so often we can find ourselves preferring to do other things. We pass up time to read the Bible or pray, and decide to spend more time watching TV or chatting with friends. We wake up in the morning and head straight onto social media, rather than starting our day seeking His presence. Secondly, seeking His face can mean trying to understand more about Him and His character. However long we’ve been seeking God, there will always be more of Him to discover. We’ll never fully know Him until we’re in heaven where we can see Him face-to-face. Paul said: ‘Now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known’ (1 Corinthians 13:12 NIV). We should never stop pursuing God. We should always be seeking Him. The Bible says: ‘Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always’ (1 Chronicles 16:11 NIV). When we seek Him wholeheartedly, we won’t be disappointed. God says: ‘You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart’ (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV). Our seeking is never in vain. He promises that we’ll find Him.
Gen 20-23; Matt 19:15-30; Ps 66:13-20; Prov 6:23-25
