2020-07-02
Judges 11:35 NIV
For months Eric Liddell trained with his heart set on winning the 100-meter race in the 1924 Olympics. Most sportswriters predicted he would win. At the games, however, Liddell learned that the 100-meter race was scheduled to be run on a Sunday. This posed a major problem for him, because he didn’t believe he could honour God by running on the Lord’s Day. He bowed out of the race, and his fans were stunned. Some who had praised him in the past, now called him a fool. He came under intense pressure to change his mind, but he stood firm. Then a runner dropped out of the 400-meter race, which was scheduled on a weekday, and Liddell was offered the opportunity to fill the slot. This was not really “his race.” The distance was four times as long as the one he’d diligently trained for. Even so, he crossed the finish line as victor and set a new record of 47.6 seconds in the process. He earned an Olympic gold medal and made an uncompromising stand for his faith, and his story was told in the Academy Award-winning movie Chariots of Fire. But Eric Liddell has an even greater claim to fame. He went on to become a missionary in China, where he died in a P.O.W. camp in 1945. He’s like Jephthah, who said, “I have given my word to the Lord, and I cannot go back on it” (NKJV). The lesson that comes through loud and clear from this man’s life is – stand by your convictions, and God will honour you.
Soul food: Jer 18-21; Luke 4:14-30; Ps 102:1-11; Prov 14:35-15:2
2020-07-01
1 Corinthians 1:29 NIV
God says: ‘I am the LORD. That is my name. I will not give my glory to another’ (Isaiah 42:8 NCV). Everything we do should give glory to God. But that can sometimes be challenging for us. We can be tempted to think that we deserve the credit and glory for the things we’ve done, especially when we’ve put a lot of effort into them. Paul writes that ‘No one may boast before him.’ We can’t boast about our salvation; it’s all by God’s grace. The Bible says: ‘You have been saved by grace through believing. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. It was not the result of your own efforts, so you cannot brag about it’ (Ephesians 2:8-9 NCV). We also can’t boast about what we do for God before we go to heaven, because it’s God who has called us and equipped us to be able to do it. God’s given us the gifts, skills, and strength to do the things we do, and therefore we need to give all the glory to Him. We’re not wired to be humble, so we need to learn how to lay down our desire for approval and glory, and instead hand it all over to God. When we remember to give God the credit for our success, He’ll keep using and blessing us. The Bible says: ‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above’ (James 1:17 NKJV). Every good thing we enjoy today, and every good thing tomorrow, is a gift from God. We need to be thanking God for those gifts, and giving Him the glory as provider in our lives.
Jer 14-17; Luke 4:1-13; Ps 98; Prov 14:34
1 Korintiërs 1:29 NLV
Daar is ‘n verhaal van ‘n houtkappertjie wat besig was om aan ‘n denneboom te pik, toe die boom deur ‘n weerligstraal middeldeur geslaan is. Die houtkappertjie kon nie sy oë glo nie. Hy het teruggestaan, vir ‘n oomblik na die boom gekyk en toe weggevlieg. ‘n Rukkie later het hy met nege ander houtkappertjies teruggevlieg gekom. Toe, breëbors en trots, het hy na die boom gewys en gesê: ‘Sien julle, ek het julle mos gesê ek het die boom middeldeur gepik!’ Kom ons raak ernstig. So lank as wat jy onthou om God die krediet vir jou sukses te gee, sal Hy aanhou om jou te gebruik en jou te seën. ‘Van Bo af kom net goeie, ja, volmaakte gawes…’ (Jakobus 1:17 NLV). Dit beteken dat elke goeie ding wat jy vandag geniet en elke goeie ding wat jy môre gaan nodig kry, ‘n gawe van God is. Daar is geen spogstories in die hemel nie, net lofprysing. Hoekom? Omdat jy nie kan spog oor hoe jy in die hemel gekom het nie; dis net deur God se genade. Jy kan ook nie spog oor dit wat jy vir God gedoen het voor jy hemel toe gegaan het nie, omdat dit slegs God se roeping was wat jy vervul het. Hy sê: ‘Ek is die Here, dit is my Naam. My eer deel Ek met niemand anders nie…’ (Jesaja 42:8 NLV). Weer sê Hy: ‘Bring elkeen wat Ek geroep het sodat hy aan My sal behoort, bring elkeen wat Ek gemaak het sodat hy My sal eer’ (Jesaja 43:7 ABA). Die Onse Vader eindig met die woorde: ‘…Want aan U behoort die koninkryk en die krag en die heerlikheid tot in ewigheid. Amen’ (Matteus 6:13 AFR53). Vir hoe lank? ‘Tot in ewigheid. Amen.’
Sielskos: Jer 14-17; Luk 4:1-13; Ps 98; Spr 14:34
1 Corinthians 1:29 NIV
The story is told of a woodpecker who was pecking away on a pine tree when it was hit by a bolt of lightning and split from top to bottom. The woodpecker could hardly believe his eyes. He backed off, looked at the tree for a moment, and flew away. He came back later, leading nine other woodpeckers. Then, with a great deal of swagger and pride, he pointed to the tree and said, “There it is, gentlemen, just like I told you!” Now let’s get serious. As long as you remember to give God the credit for your success, He will keep using and blessing you. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17 NKJV). That means every good thing you enjoy today, and every good thing you’ll need tomorrow, is a “gift” from God. Paul writes, “That no flesh should glory in his presence.” There is no bragging in heaven, just praise. Why? Because you can’t brag on how you got to heaven; it is all by God’s grace. And you can’t brag on what you did for God before you got to heaven, because it was all God’s calling. He says, “I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another” (Isaiah 42:8 NKJV). Again He says, “Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him” (Isaiah 43:7 NKJV). The Lord’s Prayer ends with the words “Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory” (Matthew 6:13). For how long? “For ever and ever, Amen.”
Soul food: Jer 14-17; Luke 4:1-13; Ps 98; Prov 14:34
