2021-04-25
Psalm 51:6 NLV
Ons het ‘n nuwe manier nodig om na sonde te kyk; om ‘n nuwe begrip daarvan te kry. John Ortberg skryf: ‘Alle sonde behels ontkenning. Dit dra ‘n sekere morele bysiendheid mee.’ Die enigste manier om dit duidelik te sien, is deur die oë van die Een teen wie ons gesondig het. Die psalmdigter het gebid: ‘Teen U, U alleen, het ek gesondig…’
‘n Christelike universiteitsprofessor stel dit so: ‘Ek is vriendelik met my studente; respekvol teenoor my kollegas; lief vir my familie; ek steel nie; pleeg nie owerspel nie; gebruik nie dwelms of vloek nie; en ek vlos gereeld. Maar wanneer ek eerlik na myself kyk, sien ek dat ek bitterheid herberg gee, my tyd opgaar en ander mense kwalik neem wanneer hulle my aandag opeis. Ek is ydel en word verteer deur hoe ander mense my sien. Ek stoei met my seksualiteit en het al met my oë en my hart oor die tou getrap. Ek gee voor asof ek luister, maar ek doen dit nie. Ek maak asof ek meer geestelik is as wat ek waarlik is. Ek is ‘n gemors – gebroke op elke manier – en my enigste hoop is God se genade.’
Toe Jesaja die Here op sy troon sien sit het, het hy uitgeroep: ‘Ellende het my getref! Want ek is ‘n sondige mens…’ (Jesaja 6:5 NLV). Toe het ‘n engel ‘n gloeiende kool van die altaar geneem, sy lippe daarmee aangeraak en gesê: “…’Nou is jou skuld weg en jou sondes vergewe'” (vers 7 NLV).
Maak nie saak hoe gereeld jy al geval het of hoe erg jy al misluk het nie, God reik vandag sy genade na jou toe uit en gee jou ‘n kans om oor te begin as jy gewillig is om dit te aanvaar.
Sielskos: 2 Kon 6:1-7; Matt 14:22-33
Psalm 51:4 NKJV
To a lot of us, the idea of sin can become quite old-fashioned and abstract. Sometimes, we avoid thinking about it all. When we do think about it, we can fall into either assuming that everything we do is sin, or that it’s only extreme actions that count. The truth is hidden somewhere among all of that.
What we call sin is simply anything that we could allow to negatively affect our relationships with God, with others, and with ourselves. It’s anything that we could allow to get in the way of what God wants for us. Whether it’s something that we think, something that we do, or something that we neglect to do, we can understand sin as anything that blocks the pipes between us and the Holy Spirit.
As Psalm 51:4 tells us, all of our sin is against God only. It becomes a problem, not because God has a list of rules and is desperate to punish us (that’s not who He is!), but because they get in the way of our connection to Him. He loves us and wants a relationship with us more than anything.
There is good news in that. If everything negative that we do counts only against God, He is the one who can clear the connection by forgiving us. Read Isaiah 6, particularly verse 7. It’s a great illustration of how ready God is to restore our relationship with us, and how completely He’ll do so. The minute that you turn to Him and tell Him that you want to live alongside Him, ‘your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged’ (NKJV).
No matter what ‘sin’ we have in our lives, God is ready to deal with it and, from there, will help us become more like Him every day.
2 Ki 6:1-7; Matt 14:22-33
Psalm 51:4 NKJV
We need a new way of looking at sin; a fresh understanding of it. John Ortberg writes: “All sin involves denial. It carries with it a certain moral myopia – nearsightedness.” And the only way to see it clearly is through the eyes of the One we’ve sinned against. The psalmist prayed, “Against You, You only, have I sinned.”
A Christian college professor put it like this: “I’m nice to my students; respectful to my colleagues; love my family; don’t steal, commit adultery, use drugs or swear; and I floss regularly. But when I look at myself honestly, I see that I harbor bitterness, hoard my time, and resent others intruding on me. I’m vain and consumed with how others perceive me. I wrestle with my sexuality and have strayed with my eyes and my heart. I pretend to listen, but I don’t. I think more about being great than being good. I act more spiritual than I am. I’m a mess – broken in every way – and my only hope is God’s mercy.”
When Isaiah saw the Lord sitting on His throne, he cried out, “Woe is me, for I am undone!” (Isaiah 6:5 NKJV). Then an angel took a burning coal from the altar and touched his lips, saying, “Your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged” (v. 7 NKJV).
The realization of our sinfulness can be as gentle as a nudge, or it can knock us down with hurricane force. What’s important is how we respond. Regardless of how often you’ve fallen or how badly you’ve failed, today God extends to you His grace, and a chance to begin again if you’re willing to accept it.
Soul food: 2 Ki 6:1-7; Matt 14:22-33
2021-04-24
John 12:24 NLT
Jesus said, “Unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels.” Someone has estimated that one kernel of wheat will produce a stalk bearing three heads of wheat. In each head there are fifteen to thirty-five kernels, altogether producing close to a hundred kernels from a stalk. After they are planted, these kernels will produce ten thousand kernels. When those are replanted, they will produce a million kernels. And if you keep going, you will cover the whole earth with wheat!
It’s amazing what one person can do when they commit their life to Christ and start where they are. D.L. Moody once said, “The world has yet to see what God can do through a man who is yielded to him.” He decided to be that person and ended up impacting the world for Christ.
When Peter, James, and John met Jesus, their goal in life was to make a living. Then Jesus invited them to follow Him and make a difference. And today He’s inviting you to do the same thing. He’s inviting you to find a need that no one is meeting and give yourself to it. He’s asking you to find a cause greater than self-interest, namely His cause, and pour your life into it. When Jesus asked the disciples to leave their jobs and their security, He was turning their world upside down. But when they said yes to Him, they became so successful that their enemies accused them of “turning the world upside down” (See Acts 17:6).
Soul food: Num 1-2; Mark 4:13-25; Ps 144:1-8; Prov 10:19-21
Johannes 12:24 NLV
Jesus het gesê: ‘Ek verseker julle, as ‘n graankorrel nie in die grond val en sterf nie, bly hy net op sy eie bestaan; maar as hy sterf, lewer hy baie vrug op.’
Iemand het een keer geskat dat een graankorrel ‘n graangewas sal produseer wat drie graanare sal dra. In elke graanaar is daar vyftien tot vyf-en-dertig graankorrels wat beteken dat elke plant amper ‘n honderd korrels sal produseer. Nadat hulle geplant is, sal hierdie graankorrels tienduisend korrels produseer. Wanneer hulle weer geplant word, sal hulle ‘n miljoen graankorrels produseer. As jy aanhou, sal jy die hele aarde met graan kan bedek!
Dis wonderbaarlik wat een persoon kan doen wanneer hulle hul lewe aan Christus toewy. D.L. Moody het een maal gesê: ‘Die wêreld het nog nie gesien wat God deur ‘n man kan doen wat aan Hom oorgegee is nie.’ Hy het besluit om daardie persoon te wees en het ‘n groot impak vir Christus op die wêreld gehad.
Toe Petrus, Jakobus en Johannes vir Jesus ontmoet het, was hulle lewensdoel om ‘n lewe te maak. Toe het Jesus hulle uitgenooi om Hom te volg en ‘n verskil te maak. Vandag nooi Hy jou uit om dieselfde te doen. Hy nooi jou uit om ‘n behoefte te vind wat niemand tans aan voldoen nie en jouself daaraan oor te gee. Hy vra jou om sy saak op te neem, wat groter as enige selfbelang is en jou lewe daaraan oor te gee.
Toe Jesus sy dissipels gevra het om hulle werke en sekuriteit te verlaat, het Hy hulle wêreld in beroering gebring. Toe hulle egter vir Hom ja gesê het, het hulle so suksesvol geword dat hulle vyande hulle daarvan beskuldig het dat hulle die ‘hele wêreld in beroering bring’ (sien Handelinge 17:6).
Sielskos: Num 1-2; Mark 4:13-25; Ps 144:1-8; Spr 10:19-21
