2021-08-03
Filippense 4:8 NLV
Die waarheid is dat ons nie baie ver hoef te soek om iets te kry om oor te kla nie. God het Adam en Eva in die tuin van Eden geplaas, waar hulle alles gehad het wat nodig was om gelukkig te wees. Waarop het hulle egter gefokus? Die een boom wat hulle nie kon kry nie!
God het die Rooi See wonderbaarlik geskei, die Israeliete deur die woestyn gelei en elke dag kos uit die hemel voorsien sodat hulle nie honger sou ly nie. Het hulle dit waardeer? Ja, vir ‘n rukkie. ‘Toe eers het Israel… sy lof besing. Tog het hulle gou sy dade vergeet…’ (Psalm 106:12-13 NLV). Dis hoekom Paulus skryf: ‘…beplan alles wat waar, eerbaar, skoon, suiwer, lieflik en lofwaardig is… Dan sal die God wat vrede gee, by julle wees’ (Filippense 4:8-9 NLV).
Generaal Robbie Risner het die sewe jaar wat hy as krygsgevangene in ‘n Viëtnamese kamp deurgebring het, as die ‘wese van wanhoop’ beskryf. Hy het egter oorleef. Hoe? Hy het die deksel van ‘n vloerdrein afgekap en ‘n eensame grashalmpie gesien; die enigste stukke kleur in sy kleurlose wêreld. Risner het dit ‘n ‘bloedoortapping vir die siel’ genoem en elke dag begin bid, terwyl hy op die vloer gelê het en op daardie enkele grashalm gefokus het.
Wanneer dinge in jou lewe nie goed gaan nie, het jy ‘n keuse waarop jy kan fokus: vrees of geloof, wanhoop of hoop, probleme of oplossings. Selfs wanneer die probleem nie na wense opgelos word nie, sal God jou, wanneer jy op Hom fokus, bo jou omstandighede oplig en jou vrede te midde daarvan gee.
Sielskos: Deut 22-24; Luk 11:1-13; Ps 78:56-64; Spr 16:33
Philippians 4:8 NLT
Let’s face it, we don’t have to look very far to find things to complain about. God placed Adam and Eve in the garden of Paradise where they had everything they needed to be happy. But what did they focus on? The one tree they couldn’t have!
God miraculously divided the Red Sea, guided the Israelites through the wilderness and provided food from heaven each day so they’d never go hungry. And did they appreciate it? Yes, for a while. “They…sang his praise. But…soon forgot what he had done” (Psalm 106:12-13 NIV). This is why Paul writes: “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise…Then the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9 NLT).
General Robbie Risner described the seven years he spent as a prisoner-of-war in a Vietnamese camp as “the essence of despair.” But he survived. How? He pried the cover off a floor drain in his cell and saw a solitary blade of grass, the only smidgen of color in his colorless world. Calling it “a blood transfusion for the soul,” Risner began each day in prayer, lying on the floor with his head down the vent focusing on that single blade of grass.
When things aren’t going well in your life you have to choose what you’ll focus on: fear or faith, despair or hope, problems or solutions. Even when the problem isn’t solved to your liking, when you focus on God, He lifts you above your circumstances and gives you peace in the midst of them.
Soul food: Deut 22-24; Luke 11:1-13; Ps 78:56-64; Prov 16:33
2021-08-02
1 Johannes 1:9 NLV
Die Sondagskoolonderwyser, Ranai Carlton, skryf: “Ek was besig om die kinders te probeer leer dat ons almal God se vergifnis nodig het. Dus het ek een van die dogters gevra: ‘Lisa, wanneer is ‘n tyd wanneer jy dalk God se vergifnis mag nodig kry?’ Die frons op haar gesig het my seun genoop om te antwoord: ‘Jy hoef nie vir haar te sê nie, Lisa. Ons hoef nie ons probleme te vertel nie. Hierdie is nie die Oprah Winfrey Show nie.'” Jy hoef nie vir ander mense van jou sondes te vertel nie, maar jy moet vir God daarvan vertel.
Belydenis bring vier dinge mee: 1) Dit laat jou God se vergifnis ervaar. Hy ken reeds jou sonde, maar Hy kan jou nie vergewe as jy die blaam probeer verskuif of verskonings daarvoor maak nie. Jy moet die eerste skuif maak.
2) Dit herstel jou emosionele en fisiese energie. Niks is meer dreinerend as ontkenning nie en niks is meer verkwikkend as ‘n skoon bladsy nie. Toe Dawid oor sy owerspel met Batseba nadink, het hy gesê: ‘Toe ek oor my sonde stilgebly het, het my liggaam gekwyn van ellende… maar ek het my oortredings bely… En my sonde en oortredings het U vergewe’ (Psalm 32:3-5 NLV).
3) Dit laat jou toe om aan te beweeg. Belydenis laat jou toe om oor te begin. Dis belangrik om ‘n lyn tussen die verlede en die toekoms te trek, vir ingeval jy in die versoeking kom om weer agteruit te beweeg.
4) Dit laat jou groei. Thomas Edison het gesê dat mislukking hom 10,000 maniere geleer het om nie ‘n gloeilamp te maak nie. Om mislukking toe te laat om vir jou, nie teen jou te werk nie, begin deur voor God te bely en sy vergifnis te aanvaar.
Sielskos: Deut 18-21; Luk 10:38-42; Ps 78:40-55; Spr 16:32
1 John 1:9 NCV
We don’t have to tell others about our sins, but we do have to tell God. When we keep silent and try to hide them, they can eat away at us and steal our peace. David said, ‘When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat’ (Psalm 32:3-4 NLT).
Confession can do four things for us: 1) It lets us experience God’s forgiveness. He already knows about our sins, but we can’t experience His forgiveness if we make excuses or try to shift the blame onto someone else. ‘If we confess…he will forgive our sins.’ It’s up to us to make the first move.
2) It restores our emotional and physical energy. Hiding or denying our sins is very draining, but confession and true repentance lift the weight of guilt off our shoulders. David said, ‘My strength has failed because of my guilt’ (Psalm 31:10 NASB). But he also went on to write: ‘Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt…And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone’ (Psalm 32:5 NLT).
3) It lets us move on. Receiving God’s forgiveness wipes the slate clean and lets us make a fresh new start.
4) It helps us grow. We can learn a lot from our mistakes. When we confess them to God and accept His forgiveness, we can begin to make them work for us instead of against us by seeing them as learning opportunities rather than failures.
Deut 18-21; Luke 10:38-42; Ps 78:40-55; Prov 16:32
Philippians 4:13 NLT
Even when we can’t choose or control our circumstances, we can still decide how we’ll respond to them. Paul was in prison when he wrote, ‘Rejoice in the Lord always’ (Philippians 4:4 NKJV). The Bible says: ‘What you say can mean life or death. Those who speak with care will be rewarded’ (Proverbs 18:21 NCV). Our words have power, and we can speak positive words of light or negative words of darkness.
The trouble is we don’t always recognise when we’re speaking negative words over ourselves, because being pessimistic can become a habit. We unconsciously develop a distorted and untrue view of ourselves when we constantly think and say things like, ‘I’m not good enough,’ or ‘This is too hard; why should I even try?’ We settle for defeat when with a few minor attitude adjustments, we could open the door to amazing possibilities.
The worst part of negative self-talk is that we don’t just limit ourselves; we limit God (take a look at Psalm 78:41). As His redeemed children, within each of us is the power to think better, talk better, and do better. Paul said, ‘With God’s power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine. To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever’ (Ephesians 3:20-21 NCV).
If you’re inclined to be pessimistic and speak negatively about yourself, today, make a decision to declare instead: ‘Whatever God says about me, I will say too!’ Here’s a great verse to help you get started: ‘I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.’
Eze 20-21; Luke 19:28-40; Ps 111; Prov 19:18-20
