2020-03-30
2 Corinthians 1:3 NLT
When we lose someone we love, we go through a grieving process. And God will comfort us and walk us through it. Jesus said, ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted’ (Matthew 5:4 NIV). Grieving is the healthy way to process our emotions, to express our pain and move beyond it. Recovery doesn’t happen overnight; it takes time for us to work through our thoughts and emotions. Grief and loss can’t be taken away, but they’re experiences we don’t have to go through alone. It can help to remember that God’s close to us. He’s holding us and healing the wounds we have. The Bible tells us that God is the ‘Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.’ Knowing that He’s close brings us comfort when we’re experiencing situations we never thought we’d have to experience, and dealing with emotions which seem overwhelming. The Bible says: ‘Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me’ (Psalm 23:4 NIV). He’s always with us, no matter what we’re walking through. He’s giving us the strength we need when we feel weak and exhausted. In Isaiah 40, we’re told: ‘He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak’ (v.29 NIV). And He promises that joy will come back into our lives. In Psalm 30, it says: ‘Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning’ (Psalm 30:5 NIV). It might take a long time before we feel that joy again, but no matter how long it takes we can be comforted by that fact that God’s with us in the weeping and the rejoicing.
Job 35-37; Matt 26:26-35; Ps 6; Prov 8:32-33
2020-03-29
1 Korintiërs 4:4 NLV
Daniël is geforseer om te besluit of hy gaan konformeer en of hy gaan transformeer. Wat is die verskil? Druk beheer iemand wat konformeer. As jy genoeg druk op hulle sit, sal hulle ingee. As jy genoeg druk op hulle sit, sal hulle die eerste sigaret rook, sal hulle die eerste drankie drink, sal hulle doen wat almal anders doen. Beginsels beheer egter iemand wat transformeer. Jy sê: ‘Dis baie veeleisend om so te lewe.’ Ja, maar dis ook baie beskermend. God weet beter as ons hoe om pyn, frustrasie en vernietiging in ons lewens te vermy. Omdat Hy die rand van die krans duideliker as ons sien, plaas Hy relings om die rand om ons te beskerm sodat ons nie daar afval nie. Wanneer ons sy bevele gehoorsaam, vermy ons hartseer, slaggate en die verlies van ons reputasie. Dit was nie as gevolg van sy dieet nie, maar sy toewyding aan God wat Daniël verhoed het om die koning se kos te eet. Ons beveel egter nie aan dat jou gewete jou altyd moet lei nie. Jou gewete is nie altyd ‘n goeie riglyn nie. Jou gewete kan beskadig wees of selfs dood wees. Die Bybel sê: ‘…Hulle gee voor om godsdienstig te wees, maar hulle gewete is dood’ (1 Timoteus 4:2 NLV). Paulus skryf: ‘My gewete is skoon, maar daarmee is ek nog nie noodwendig skotvry nie. Die Hére se oordeel oor my is al wat saak maak.’ Nietemin moet jy eerste na jou gewete draai wanneer jy voor ‘n moeilike besluit te staan kom. Jy maak selde ‘n besluit wanneer jy weet dat daardie besluit jou gewete skuldig gaan laat voel. Lewe dus volgens jou oortuigings.
Sielskos: Matt 5:6; Jes 55:1-7; Ps 63:1-5; Joh 4:1-34
1 Corinthians 4:4 NIV
Daniel was forced to decide if he was going to be a conformer or a transformer. What’s the difference? Pressure controls a conformer. If you place enough pressure on them, they’ll cave. If you put enough pressure on them, they will smoke the first joint, they will take the first drink, they will do what everybody else is doing. But principle governs a transformer. You say, “Living that way is very demanding.” Yes; and it’s very protective. God knows better than we do how to avoid pain, frustration, and destruction in our lives. Because He sees the cliff’s edge clearer than we do, He places guardrails next to the drop-off. And when we follow His commands we avoid heartache, pitfalls, and the loss of our reputation. Refusing to eat the king’s meat was not a matter of diet, but of dedication to God. Now, we’re not advocating the idea: “let conscience be your guide.” Your conscience is not always a good guide. Because you don’t think something’s wrong doesn’t mean you shouldn’t think it’s wrong. Your conscience can be damaged and it can be burned. The Bible speaks of “having [your] conscience seared with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:2). Paul writes, “My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.” Nevertheless, the conscience question is the first you should ask when faced with a difficult decision. Rarely do you make a good choice to do something, if you know doing so will take your conscience on the dreaded guilt-trip. So, live by your convictions.
Soul food: Matt 5:6; Isa 55:1-7; Ps 63:1-5; John 4:1-34
Proverbs 3:6 NIV
In the Bible, Daniel was forced to decide if he was going to be a conformer or a transformer. Conformers are controlled by pressure. Other people can pressure us to do things that we know we shouldn’t do. But we want to fit in with them, or be liked by them, so we end up doing the things we know are wrong. Sometimes we don’t want to stand out from the crowd, so we decide to do what everybody else is doing. Transformers stick to their principles. It can be very challenging to do what’s right when we’re living in a world that’s going the opposite way. But God doesn’t want us to go down the wrong path, because He loves us and wants to protect us. God knows better than we do how to avoid pain, frustration, and destruction in our lives. When we follow His commands we can avoid heartache and the loss of our reputation. By refusing to eat the king’s meat, Daniel was showing his dedication to God. He was standing up for what he knew was the right thing, even though it could have made him unpopular. Sometimes people talk about following our conscience. But while our conscience can give us an idea of what’s right and wrong, we need to go to God and ask Him to show us the right thing to do. He loves it when we’re obedient to Him, so He doesn’t try and hide the right path from us. The Bible says: ‘Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.’ He’ll give us the strength we need to stand out from the crowd and do the right thing.
Matt 5:6; Isa 55:1-7; Ps 63:1-5; John 4:1-34
2020-03-28
Daniel 1:8 NKJV
The Bible says, “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank.” This particular food and wine was offered to pagan gods as an act of worship, and for Daniel that was unacceptable. He was being asked to compromise his character, and he wouldn’t do it. Daniel had good reasons if he had chosen to say yes. He was far from home and could do as he pleased. Nobody back home would ever know it. Plus, if he didn’t eat it, he would be insulting the king – not a good career move! Daniel knew God’s Word was clear when it came to idol worship, and God blessed him for it. He ended up being protected, preserved, promoted, and prospered in unthinkable ways. His philosophy was: “When God says yes, I say yes. And when God says no, I say no.” And he had established his convictions before he got to Babylon. Question: Have you decided what your core convictions are? Have you spent the good times determining what you will and won’t do during the hard times? If not, you need to. Daniel’s friends probably told him, “Nobody will know.” But his thinking was: “God will know, and so will I. I don’t have to live with you, but I’ve got to live with me.” Your thoughts and ideas must always be open to change and improvement, but your core convictions must be nonnegotiable. So, live by your convictions.
Soul food: Job 32-34; Matt 26:14-25; Ps 69:19-36; Prov 8:30-31
