2020-11-07
Spreuke 17:22 NLV
Die skrywer Barbara Johnson het gesê: ‘Om te lag is soos om ‘n baba se doek om te ruil. Dit los nie die probleem permanent op nie, maar dit maak dinge vir ‘n rukkie meer aanvaarbaar.’
Een dag was die komediant en skrywer, David Brenner, besig om boeke te teken. ‘n Jong man het vir hom sy nuutgekoopte boek gegee om te teken en gesê: ‘Ek wil jou bedank dat jy my lewe gered het.’ Sonder om mooi te dink het Brenner geskerts: ‘My plesier.’ Die jong man het egter aangegedring: ‘Nee, ek bedoel dit regtig!’ Brenner het opgekyk. Die jong man het voortgegaan deur te sê: ‘My pa is oorlede. Hy was my beste vriend. Ek was lief vir hom en kon vir weke nie ophou huil nie, dus het ek besluit om my eie lewe te neem. Die aand wat ek beplan het om dit te doen, was die televisie aan en jy was die gasheer op The Tonight Show. Ek het na jou openingsmonoloog geluister en die volgende oomblik was ek besig om histeries te lag. Ek het toe besef dat as ek in staat was om te lag, was ek in staat om te lewe. Dus wil ek jou bedank dat jy my lewe gered het.’ Nederig en dankbaar het Brenner sy hand geskud en gesê: ‘Nee, dankie vir jou.’
Die Bybel sê: “‘n Vrolike mens is soos goeie medisyne…” Kundiges bevestig dat lag jou immuunstelsel opbou, jou geheue en leervermoë verbeter, spanning verlig, jou polsslag en bloeddruk verlaag, endorfiene vrystel wat pyn verminder, angs en stres verlaag, mense gerusstel en eenheid meebring. Hierdie effekte hou vir agt tot twaalf ure aan. Dit bevorder emosionele genesing en die beste van alles – dis pret. Dis hoekom lag God se voorskrif vir stres is!
Sielskos: 1 Kro 3-5; Joh 9:1-12; Ps 15; Spr 25:21-22
Proverbs 17:22 NCV
Proverbs 17:22 compares joy and cheerfulness to medicine: ‘A happy heart is like good medicine, but a broken spirit drains your strength.’ Worry, anxiety and sadness leave us feeling drained, tired and weak, but the effect of joy on our spirit is like the effect that medicine can have on us when we’re feeling ill. Although there are studies that show being cheerful and positive could be beneficial to our health, this verse certainly doesn’t mean we should reject medical help or think we can replace it by just being positive about life. God has blessed doctors and scientist with the skills to discover treatments and help us when we’re ill, and there’s nothing in His Word that says we shouldn’t accept medical treatment or seek professional help. But alongside any medical treatment we need, we should also ask God to help us too. Romans 12:12 says: ‘Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer’ (NIV).
Whatever circumstances we’re facing, we can ask God to help us have joy. That doesn’t mean we forget the seriousness of the things we’re facing or that our feelings don’t matter. We can experience God’s joy when we tell Him about what’s burdening our mind and hand it over to Him to carry for us. When our hope and trust is in God, we can learn to be joyful in all kinds of circumstances, because we know He’ll walk with us, comfort us, and allow us draw on Hs strength to face our circumstances.
1 Chr 3-5; John 9:1-12; Ps 15; Prov 25:21-22
2020-11-06
Johannes 3:7 AFR83
Die Anglikaanse predikant, George Whitefield, was net so verantwoordelik vir die transformasie van Engeland en die Groot Ontwaking in Amerika as John en Charles Wesley. In ‘n brief aan Benjamin Franklin, wat Whitefield se preke baie geniet het, het hy geskryf: ‘Soos ek sien dat jy meer en meer beroemd in die geleerde wêreld word, sal ek aanbeveel dat jy die misterie van die nuwe geboorte ywerig en onbevooroordelend bestudeer. Dit is ‘n baie belangrike studie en wanneer jy dit bemeester, sal dit al jou vrae ryklik antwoord. Ek herinner jou, my vriend, dat die Een voor wie ons eendag sal staan, verklaar het dat ons daarsonder nie sy koninkryk sal sien nie.’Dis ‘n baie wyse aanbeveling aan ‘n man wat deur die geskiedenis van die wêreld as baie wys gesien is.
Jesus het gesê: ‘…julle moet opnuut gebore word…,’ en daar was nog nooit ‘n persoon wat ernstig na die nuwe geboorte gesoek het en dit nie ontvang het nie. Selfs ons soeke daarna kom van die Gees van God af (sien Johannes 6:44).
Is jy moeg vir die leegheid en doelloosheid van jou lewe? Is jy moeg vir die vuil toiings van jou eie geregtigheid? Is jy gewillig om iemand anders, eerder as jouself, te vertrou? Kyk dan na die kruis van Christus. Plaas jou vertroue in Hom en vra Hom om vandag te kom en in jou gebore te word. Jy kan eenkeer gebore word en twee keer sterf, maar as jy twee keer gebore word, sal jy net een keer sterf. Jesus het gesê: ‘Wie glo in die Seun, besit nou reeds die ewige lewe; wie egter aan die Seun ongehoorsaam is, sal die lewe nie ervaar nie…’ (Johannes 3:36 NLV).
Sielskos: 1 Kro 1-2; Joh 8:42-59; Ps 123; Spr 25:18-20
John 3:7 NKJV
The Anglican clergyman George Whitefield was as much responsible for the transformation of England and the Great Awakening in America as John and Charles Wesley. In a letter to Benjamin Franklin, who delighted in coming to hear Whitefield speak, he said: “As I find you growing more and more famous in the learned world, I would recommend to your diligent and unprejudiced study the mystery of the new birth. It is a most important study, and when mastered, will richly answer all your pains. I bid you, my friend, remember that One at whose bar we shall both presently appear, hath solemnly declared that without it we shall in no wise see His Kingdom.” That was a very wise recommendation to a man who is noted in the history of the world as being wise.
Jesus said, “You must be born again,” and there has never been a person who earnestly sought the new birth and didn’t find it. Even our seeking is created by the Spirit of God (See John 6:44).
Are you tired of the emptiness and purposelessness of your life? Are you tired of the filthy rags of your own righteousness? Are you willing to trust someone other than yourself? Then look to the cross of Christ. Place your trust in Him and ask Him to come in and be born in you today. You can be born once and die twice, but if you’re born twice, you will only die once. Jesus said, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life” (John 3:36 NKJV).
Soul food: 1 Chr 1-2; John 8:42-59; Ps 123; Prov 25:18-20
John 3:7 NKJV
What does it mean to be born again? It’s a phrase that we often come across. Today, let’s take a few minutes to examine what it means for us.
In John 3, Jesus has a conversation with the Pharisee Nicodemus about being born again. Jesus says, ‘No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again’ (John 3:3 NIV). Like many of us, Nicodemus wants more explanation: ‘How can someone be born when they are old?…Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!’ (v.4 NIV). So Jesus replies: ‘No one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.’ (v.5-7 NIV).
When we accept God into our hearts and put our trust in Him, the Holy Spirit will bring about a new spiritual life for us. It’s compared to a new birth because, as we invite God into our lives and grow a relationship with Him, He changes our hearts and makes us new (take a look at 2 Corinthians 5:17). It doesn’t matter what sins and wrongs we’ve done in the past – God gives us a fresh start at life with Him at the centre. We just need to take that step to seek Him and welcome Him into our lives. We might be worried that He won’t show up when we seek Him, but Jesus said: ‘The Father is the One who sent me. No one can come to me unless the Father draws him to me’ (John 6:44 NCV). It’s God’s Spirit that prompts us to search, so we can be sure that when we reach out to Him, He’ll reach out to us.
1 Chr 1-2; John 8:42-59; Ps 123; Prov 25:18-20
