2020-11-17
Job 33:4 NKJV
You can put metal bars on the windows of your house, a security system in your car, video cameras in your business, and stash your prized belongings in a bank vault. But what are you doing to protect your most valuable possession, namely, your spiritual life?
Elihu told Job, “The breath of the Almighty gives me life.” When God breathes His spirit into you at the point of salvation, you become spiritually alive. Now you have the ability to love Him, serve Him, and bring pleasure to Him. And that’s what the Enemy is after – the part of God that’s inside you! And to get to it he will attack your body, wage war against your mind, and try to control you through habits, doubts, and fears. He will even work through other people, including close friends and family members.
When God breathed into Adam, he became alive. He recognized who he was and what he was called to do in life. Don’t miss the lesson here! Until you recognize that God created and redeemed you for a purpose, other people will try to “breathe” their identity and agenda into you. And that’s dangerous, because when someone can define you they can control you!
“How can I protect myself?” you ask. Live each day with a consciousness of the presence of God! The psalmist said, “You are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings!” (Psalm 61:3-4 NLT). When you’re in that place of safety, the Enemy can’t touch you or anything that is rightfully yours.
Soul food: 1 Chr 26:20-29:30; John 11:28-37; Ps 50; Prov 26:27-28
Job 33:4 NIV
There are many things that we go to a lot of effort to protect. We make sure our houses and cars are locked whenever we leave them. We choose strong passwords for online banking. We set lock codes on our phones. But what are we doing to protect our most valuable possession – our spiritual life? Elihu told Job, ‘The breath of the Almighty gives me life.’
When God breathes His spirit into us at the point of salvation, we become spiritually alive. We have the ability to love Him, serve Him, and bring joy to Him. But the enemy is constantly trying to steal this part of our lives from us. To get to it, he’ll attack our bodies and our minds, and try to control us through habits, doubts, and fears. He’ll even work through other people, including close friends and family members.
When God breathed into Adam, he became alive. He recognised who he was and what he was called to do in life. And we also need to recognise that God created and redeemed each one of us for a purpose, otherwise other people will try to ‘breathe’ their identity and agenda into us, which can open the door for them to control us and take our thoughts off God. So we need to protect ourselves.
We can do that by living each day with an awareness of God’s presence. The psalmist said, ‘You are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings!’ (Psalm 61:3-4 NLT). When we’re in that place of safety, the enemy can’t touch us or anything that God has given us.
1 Chr 26:20-29:30; John 11:28-37; Ps 50; Prov 26:27-28
2020-11-16
John 16:24 NLT
The Bible doesn’t tell us how long the disabled man in Acts 3 had sat begging at the temple gate, but we do know it was a daily occurrence. When he asked Peter and John for money, he probably hoped that they would give him a few coins. But then Peter said, ‘I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!’ (Acts 3:6 NLT). Here’s what happened next: ‘He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them’ (v. 8 NKJV).
One thing we can learn from this story is that God works in His own time, and knows the right time to move. If we’re not spiritually attuned, we can miss the move of God in our lives and forfeit what He has for us. So we need to learn to live in expectation. We need to believe that miracles can happen, and then expect them to happen. The enemy will try to keep us so preoccupied, cynical, and hopeless that when God sends the answer to a prayer, we won’t recognise it and claim it.
Jesus said: ‘You will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name…Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy’ (John 16:23-24 NLT). The beggar probably experienced rejection, and many people must have ignored his pleas for help, in all the days he sat at the Temple gate. But he persisted and asked expectantly, and through that, God blessed him more than he could have imagined. So let’s also ask God expectantly, and be ready to receive His blessing.
1 Chr 23:21-26:19; John 11:17-27; Ps 8; Prov 26:23-26
John 16:24 NKJV
The Bible doesn’t tell us how long the lame man in Acts chapter 3 had sat begging at the temple gate, but it was a daily occurrence. When he saw Peter and John, the odds are he wasn’t expecting anything – just another day trying to survive. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6 NKJV). Here’s what happened next: “He…stood and walked and entered the temple with them – walking, leaping, and praising God” (v. 8 NKJV). There’s an important lesson here for you.
God has set times for doing certain things. He has a calendar and your name is on it: “For the time to favour her [or him]…the set time, has come” (Psalm 102:13 NKJV). If you’re not spiritually attuned you can miss your “set time” and forfeit what God has for you. That means you must learn to live in expectation, because God’s blessings are either coming toward you or passing you by. Miracles happen to those who believe in them, ask for them, expect them, and receive them.
The Enemy will try to keep you so preoccupied, cynical, and hopeless that when God sends the answer you prayed for, you won’t recognize it, reach for it, or receive it. Jesus said, “Whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:23-24 NKJV). So, be ready to receive.
Soul food: 1 Chr 23:21-26:19; John 11:17-27; Ps 8; Prov 26:23-26
Johannes 16:24 NLV
Die Bybel sê nie vir ons hoe lank die verlamde man in Handelinge hoofstuk 3 by die tempelingang gesit en bedel het nie, maar dit was ‘n daaglikse gebeurtenis. Toe hy Petrus en Johannes sien, was die kans goed dat hy niks verwag het nie – hy het net probeer oorleef. Toe het Petrus vir hom gesê: ‘…Geld het ek nie. Maar wat ek het, dít gee ek vir jou: Op gesag van Jesus Christus van Nasaret, staan op en loop!’ (Handelinge 3:6 NLV). ‘Hy het opgespring, op sy voete gestaan en begin rondstap. Daarna, terwyl hy rondstap, huppel en God prys, is hy saam met hulle die tempel in’ (vers 8 NLV).
Daar is ‘n belangrike les hieruit te leer. God het sekere tye bepaal om sekere dinge te doen. Hy het ‘n kalender waarop jou naam is: ‘…want die bestemde tyd het aangebreek, die tyd om hom genadig te wees’ (Psalm 102:14 AFR83). As jy nie geestelik by jou ‘bestemde tyd’ ingestel is nie, mag jy dalk dit wat God vir jou in gedagte het, prysgee. Dit beteken dat jy moet leer om in verwagting te leef, omdat God se seëninge óf na jou toe kom, óf by jou verbygaan.
Die Vyand sal probeer om jou so besig, sinies en hooploos te hou dat wanneer God die antwoord stuur waarvoor jy gebid het, jy dit nie sal herken, daarvoor uitreik of dit ontvang nie. Jesus het gesê: ‘…Ek verseker julle, wat julle ook al van die Vader vra op grond van my Naam, sal Hy aan julle gee. Tot nou toe het julle nog nie op grond van my Naam gebid nie. Hou aan bid, en julle sal ontvang sodat julle blydskap volledig kan wees’ (Johannes 16:23-24 NLV). Wees dus gereed om te ontvang.
Sielskos: 1 Kro 23:21-26:19; Joh 11:17-27; Ps 8; Spr 26:23-26
