2020-05-08
Psalm 40:8 NIV
We know we should be walking in God’s will, but sometimes it can be a challenge. We might be wondering what God’s will actually is. We can find ourselves worrying that we’re making the wrong decisions, because we’re not quite sure what God wants us to do, and we might not completely understand when He tells us. But the Bible has lots of advice on how God wants us to live. For example, it tells us to ‘give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus’ (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV). And also to ‘act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God’ (Micah 6:8 NIV). While we might not get direction for specific decisions we need to make, if we’re living God’s way then we’re likely to make decisions which line up with His will. Sometimes we can be tempted to think that when we’re walking in God’s will everything will be easy. But that’s not the case. In fact, things may even get more challenging because the enemy will try to stop us from being so effective. But we can view these challenges as a good thing because they confirm to us that we’re walking in God’s will, and that we’re actually making a difference in the kingdom. The psalmist wrote, ‘I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.’ Do we desire to do God’s will? Have we tried to do His will but given up because it’s too hard? God will equip and strengthen us; we don’t have to do it in our own strength. Let’s surrender our own plans, and ask God to help us walk in His will.
Num 16-18; Mark 7:14-23;
Ps 44:1-8; Prov 11:9
Psalm 40:8 NKJV
There’s no joy in life that compares to knowing that you’re walking in the center of God’s will. Not fame, not riches, not pleasure. Nothing compares to knowing you have the smile of His approval on what you’re doing each day. Will doing God’s will always be easy? No; it’s enjoyable, but it’s not always easy. Indeed, the size of your God-given assignment in life determines the level of attack that will come against you. But your joy comes from knowing that God is strengthening you to do – by the power of His Spirit – what you could never do on your own. So in that sense, Satan’s attack is confirmation that you’re truly in God’s will! Paul writes: “In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness – besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak?” (2 Corinthians 11:23-29 NKJV). So rejoice – you are in the will of God!
Soul food: Num 16-18; Mark 7:14-23; Ps 44:1-8; Prov 11:9
Psalm 40:9 NLV
Daar is geen vreugde in die lewe wat kan kers vashou by die vreugde wat jy voel wanneer jy weet dat jy te midde van God se wil loop nie. Nie roem nie, nie rykdom nie, nie plesier nie. Niks kan vergelyk word met die wete dat jy sy goedkeuring op jou daaglikse aktiwiteite het nie. Sal dit altyd maklik wees om God se wil te doen? Nee; dit is genotvol, maar dis nie altyd maklik nie. Die grootte van jou God-gegewe lewensopdrag bepaal inderwaarheid die vlak van aanval wat teen jou geloods sal word. In hierdie sin is Satan se aanval op jou dus ‘n bevestiging dat jy waarlik in God se wil is. Paulus skryf: ‘Wat harde werk betref, uitermate; wat tronke betref, uitermate; wat katshoue betref, in die oortreffende trap; in doodsgevare dikwels. Vyf maal het ek van die Jode die gebruiklike straf van 39 houe gekry; drie maal is ek met stokke geslaan, en een keer is ek met klippe gegooi. Drie maal het ek skipbreuk gely en een van daardie kere het ek ‘n dag en ‘n nag op die oop see oorleef. Ek was dikwels op reis; in gevare van riviere; van rowers; van my volksgenote; van nie-Jode; gevare in die stad en in verlate gebiede; gevare op see en gevare onder vals medegelowiges. Ek weet van harde werk en swaarkry, van baie nagte se wakkerbly, van honger en dors; van dikwels sonder kos te moet klaarkom, van koue en sonder klere wees. Behalwe al dié dinge, was daar nog elke dag die bekommernis oor al die gemeentes. Watter medegelowige is swak, en ek voel nie saam swak nie?..’ (2 Korintiërs 11:23-29 NLV). Verbly jouself dus – jy is in die wil van God!
Sielskos: Num 16-18; Mark 7:14-23; Ps 44:1-8; Spr 11:9
2020-05-07
Romans 12:2 NIV
The way we think influences the way we act. It’s important to make sure our thoughts are lining up with God’s truth, so that we can live in a godly way. But it can be hard for us to change the way we’re thinking, or even to realise that our thoughts aren’t actually God’s truth. The things we go through in life can lead us to have certain negative thought patterns. For example, if we’re constantly put down or compared to others, we might feel like we’re not good enough or that we have to earn other people’s love and acceptance. These thought patterns shape how we live, how we relate to other people, and how we relate to God. They pre-programme us to respond in a certain way to situations. But we have a choice. We don’t have to believe and act on everything our mind tells us about ourselves or our situations. The Bible says, ‘be transformed by the renewing of your mind.’ We need to learn to renew our minds by replacing negative thought patterns with God’s truth. To do that we need to know what God’s truth is. We can find that out by spending time reading the Bible. God’s Word tells us the truth about who we are, and who He is. But if we don’t take time to read and learn the truth, we won’t easily recognise the thoughts that are lies. The Bible says: ‘Set your minds on things above’ (Colossians 3:2 NIV). By setting our minds on what God thinks about us, we’ll be able to recognise when the enemy is trying to make us believe a lie. We need to uproot the wrong thought patterns in our lives, and instead cultivate healthy, godly ones.
Num 14-15; Mark 7:1-13; Ps 37:32-40; Prov 11:7-8
Spreuke 16:23 DB
Die gedagtepatrone wat jy gevestig het, plaas jou op ‘autopilot.’ Dit beteken dat wanneer spesifieke situasies voorkom, jy geprogrammeer is om op ‘n sekere manier te reageer. Soms is dit ‘n goeie ding, soos om outomaties jouself van gevaar te distansieer. Ander kere, moet jy jou gevestigde gedagtepatrone onderbreek en jou gedagtes keer om in die verkeerde rigting te beweeg. Jy kan, byvoorbeeld, dit al vir jare lank vrees om Kersfees saam met jou familie deur te bring. Hierdie jaar kan jy egter kies om te dink: ‘Dis nie my gunstelingaktiwiteit nie, maar ek gaan vir iets goeds in elkeen van my familielede uitkyk.’ Of miskien het jy in die gewoonte verval om te kla en oorweldig te voel wanneer jy jou rekeninge aan die einde van die maand ontvang. Jy kan eerder kies om te dink: ‘Ek gaan soveel as moontlik hieraan afbetaal en bietjie vir bietjie sal ek uit die skuld kom.’ Miskien hou jy nie van jou werk, jou baas of jou kollegas nie. Indien dit die geval is, het jy ‘n keuse. Jy kan negatief en krities wees, of jy kan sê: ‘Ek is bly ek het ‘n werk; baie mense het nie een nie. Ek gaan elke dag my bes doen en glo dat God vir my guns by my baas sal gee. My werksomgewing is dalk nie ideaal nie, maar ek sal my deel doen om dit vir myself en die mense rondom my, aangenaam te maak.’ In plaas van om op jou eerste gedagtes te reageer, lei jou gedagtes – een gedagte op ‘n keer – op om anders te dink. Dit sal ‘n bietjie werk verg, maar wanneer jy God se gedagtes dink, help Hy jou om alles te bereik wat jy moet bereik.
Sielskos: Num 14-15; Mark 7:1-13; Ps 37:32-40; Spr 11:7-8
