2020-07-03
1 Timoteus 4:12 NLV
Teen die tyd wat hy agtien was, was Timoteus ‘n apostel. Dit kom voor asof mense in die kerk gedink het dat sy bevordering tot leierskap op so ‘n vroeë ouderdom, nie ‘n goeie ding was nie. Paulus het egter van hulle verskil. Hy het vir Timoteus gesê: ‘Gee instruksies oor hierdie dinge en onderrig die mense daarvolgens. Moenie dat enigiemand minder van jou dink omdat jy jonk is nie. Wees ‘n voorbeeld vir alle gelowiges deur wat jy leer, in die manier waarop jy lewe, in jou liefde, jou geloof en jou integriteit… konsentreer daarop om die Skrif aan die gemeente voor te lees, die gelowiges te bemoedig en om hulle te onderrig. Moenie die geestelike gawe verwaarloos wat jy ontvang het… nie… Werp jouself in jou werksaamhede sodat almal jou vordering kan sien’ (verse 11-15 NLV). Wie sê jy is te jonk is om ‘n impak te maak? Nie God nie. Ook nie die geskiedenis nie. Victor Hugo het sy eerste tragedie geskryf toe hy vyftien jaar oud was. Rafael het sy meesterstukke geskilder voor hy op die ouderdom van sewe-en-dertig oorlede is. Tennyson het sy eerste bundel gedigte op agtien geskryf. Romulus het Rome op twintig gestig. Calvyn het op een-en-twintig by die Reformasie aangesluit en sy beroemde Instellings teen sewe-en-twintig geskryf. Joan of Arc is op negentien op die brandstapel verbrand. Alexander die Grote het die wêreld teen die tyd wat hy drie-en-twintig was, verower. Isaac Newton was vier-en-twintig toe hy die wet van swaartekrag bekendgestel het. Glo in jouself, want God glo in jou. Ontwikkel jou gawes en vra vir God om hulle te seën. Gryp elke geleentheid met oorgawe aan en jy sal die wêreld ‘n beter plek maak.
Sielskos: Jer 22-24; Luk 4:31-44; Ps 102:12-17; Spr 15:3
1 Timothy 4:12 NLT
By the time he was eighteen, Timothy was an apostle. And it seems some folks in church thought his promotion to leadership at such an early age wasn’t a good thing. But Paul did. He told Timothy: “Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them. Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity…focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them. Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received…Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress” (vv. 11-15 NLT). Who says you’re too young to make an impact? Not God. And not history. Victor Hugo wrote his first tragedy at age fifteen. Raphael painted his masterpieces before he died at age thirty-seven. Tennyson wrote his first volume of poetry at eighteen. Paschal wrote his great works between the ages of sixteen and thirty-seven. Joan of Arc did all her work and was burned at the stake at nineteen. Romulus founded Rome at twenty. Calvin joined the Reformation at age twenty-one and wrote his famous Institutes at age twenty-seven. Alexander The Great had conquered the known world by the time he was twenty-three. Isaac Newton was twenty-four when he introduced the law of gravity. Believe in yourself, for God does. Develop your gifts, and ask God to bless them. Maximize every opportunity to the fullest, and you will make the world a better place.
Soul food: Jer 22-24; Luke 4:31-44; Ps 102:12-17; Prov 15:3
2020-07-02
Judges 11:35 NIV
It’s easy for us to stick to our principles, standards, and values when things are going well and we’re not facing tough or tempting circumstances. But we can easily give in when someone or something tempts us. Sometimes we make vows to God when we’re in a hard time. We say, ‘If you do this for me, I’ll do whatever you ask’, but how often do we receive our answer to prayer and fail to follow through on what we promised? When Jephthah was called to help Israel defeat the Ammonites, he prayed: ‘If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering’ (Judges 11:30-31 NIV). God came through and answered Jephthah’s prayer. But when Jephthah returned home, it was his daughter who came out to greet him, which meant she would have to be sacrificed. The Bible tells us that he was devastated but said, ‘I have made a vow to the LORD that I cannot break.’ While this is a very extreme example of standing by what we’ve said (we shouldn’t promise to sacrifice or kill people, or to do anything else that goes against God’s commandments), we can take the principle on board. When we’ve promised God that we’ll do a certain thing, or stop doing something, we need to follow through. When we’re clear on how God wants us to live, we need to live that way, even when other people try to persuade us to live their way. Jephthah ended up becoming the judge of Israel for six years, which is another example of people keeping their word (have a read of Judges 11:8-10 and 12:7). We need to be sticking to our principles, even when it’s challenging.
Jer 18-21; Luke 4:14-30; Ps 102:1-11; Prov 14:35-15:2
Rigters 11:35 NLV
Vir maande lank het Eric Liddell vir die 1924 Olimpiese Spele geoefen. Hy het sy hart daarop gesit om die 100 meter wedloop te wen. Die meeste sportskrywers het voorspel dat hy gaan wen. Liddell het egter by die Spele agtergekom dat die 100 meter wedloop geskeduleer was om op ‘n Sondag plaas te vind. Dit was ‘n baie groot probleem vir hom, omdat hy geglo het dat hy nie God kon eer deur op die Here se dag deel te neem nie. Hy het homself aan die wedloop onttrek en sy aanhangers was verstom. Sommige mense wat hom in die verlede geprys het, het hom nou ‘n dwaas genoem. Toe ‘n naelloper homself aan die 400 meter wedloop, wat op ‘n weeksdag geval het, onttrek het, is Liddell die geleentheid gegee om sy plek te vul. Dit was nie regtig sy tipe wedloop nie. Die afstand was vier keer so lank as die een waarvoor hy ywerig geoefen het. Hy het egter die 400 meter wedloop gewen en ‘n nuwe rekord van 47.6 sekondes in die proses opgestel. Hy het sy Olimpiese goue medajle verdien en ‘n onwrikbare standpunt vir sy geloof ingeneem, wat in die rolprent Chariots of Fire oorvertel is. Liddell het egter ook ‘n groter aanspraak op roem. Hy het ‘n sendeling in China geword, waar hy as krygsgevangene in 1945 oorlede is. Hy is soos Jefta, wat gesê het: ‘…Ek het aan die Here ‘n gelofte gemaak en ek kan dit nie terugtrek nie.’ Die les wat ons uit hierdie man se lewe kan leer is hard en duidelik – staan op jou oortuigings, en God sal jou eer.
Sielskos: Jer 18-21; Luk 4:14-30; Ps 102:1-11; Spr 14:35-15:2
