2022-01-05
Lukas 8:14 NLV
Jy moet die onkruid uitwis. Jesus het in sy bekende gelykenis gesê dat die saad op vier verskillende tipes grond geval het. ‘Die saad tussen die onkruid is mense wat die boodskap hoor en ook aanvaar, maar tog te gou word dit verdring deur die sorge en rykdom en plesiere van hierdie lewe. En só groei hulle nooit tot volwassenheid nie’ (vers 14 NLV).
Let op dat daar drie soorte ‘onkruid’ is wat jou daarvan kan weerhou om geestelik volwasse te word. 1) Sorge. Jy raak so besig met alledaagse sorge dat jy jou oë van Jesus afneem. 2) Rykdom. Om geld te maak en dinge te koop domineer jou lewe in so ‘n groot mate dat jy nie tyd vir die Here het nie. 3) Plesiere. Deur die ‘goeie lewe’ na te streef, kan jou geestelike groei verwurg word.
Dis in die haak om ‘n goeie tyd te hê, maar jy moet jou prioriteite beskerm. As jy tyd het om inkopies te doen, strand toe te gaan, gholf te speel of ure voor die televisie deur te bring, maar nie tyd het om jou Bybel te lees nie, is jou prioriteite uit balans uit. Jy sê: ‘Ek het eenvoudig nie tyd om die Here te dien nie.’ Dan is jy te besig! Jy moet dan die onkruid uittrek.
Baie dinge in die lewe is nie noodwendig verkeerd nie; hulle is net nie noodsaaklik nie. Miskien moet jy jou skedule ‘n bietjie aanpas om die onkruid te verwyder. Jy moet na jou tamatieplante omsien, maar jy hoef nie enigiets te doen om kakiebos te produseer nie; hulle groei vanself wanneer jy jou tuin verwaarloos. Kry jy die idee? As die ‘onkruid’ in jou lewe jou daarvan weerhou om ‘vrugte’ te dra, is dit tyd om aksie te neem.
Sielskos: Gen 7-9; Luk 1:26-38; Ps 10:1-11; Spr 1:10-16
2022-01-04
Colossians 2:7 NLT
Paul writes this: “Just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ….you…are complete through your union with Christ” (vv. 6-8, 10 NLT).
If you ever visit an Arizona desert, you will find that it is full of different kinds of vegetation. The contrasts are fascinating. The dried-up, brittle tumbleweed blows everywhere. Why? Because it has no roots. By contrast, the saguaro cactus bears fruit even in 130-degree weather. Why? Because its roots go out fifty to sixty feet in all directions.
You must have deep spiritual roots if you are going to make it through the “dry spells” of life. Anyone can survive a day or two of drought, but what about extended seasons of stress, grief, lack, illness, and adversity? Whatever your life is rooted to – is what you will draw your strength from. The psalmist writes this: “They delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind” (Psalm 1:2-4 NLT). Pray, “Lord, root me deep in you.”
Soul food: Gen 4-6; Luke 1:11-25; Ps 90:7-17; Pro 1:5-9
Colossians 2:7 NLT
Paul wrote these words: ‘Just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ’ (v.6-10 NLT).
If you ever visit an Arizona desert, you’ll find that it’s full of different kinds of vegetation. The contrasts are fascinating. The dried-up, brittle tumbleweed blows everywhere, because it has no roots, but the saguaro cactus can bear fruit even in 130-degree weather, because its roots go out fifty to sixty feet in all directions.
We must have deep spiritual roots if we’re going to make it through the ‘dry spells’ of life. Most people can put up with a day or two of drought, but what about extended seasons of stress, grief, lack, illness, and adversity? Whatever our lives are rooted to is what we’ll draw our strength from. The psalmist wrote this: ‘They delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind’ (Psalm 1:2-4 NLT). Today pray, ‘Lord, root me deep in you.’
Gen 4-6; Luke 1:11-25; Ps 90:7-17; Pro 1:5-9
Kolossense 2:7 ABA
Paulus skryf: ‘Julle het gehoor dat Christus Jesus die Here is, en julle glo in Hom. Nou moet julle lewe soos mense wat aan Hom behoort. Christus maak julle geloof sterk, soos ‘n wortel ‘n boom sterk maak… En julle moet aanhou om die dinge te glo wat julle geleer het, en julle moet altyd vir God dankie sê vir alles. Julle moenie luister na die mense wat dink hulle sê slim dinge en wat vir julle dinge laat glo wat nie waar is nie. Hulle het daardie dinge by ander mense geleer, nie by Christus nie… Julle behoort aan Christus. Christus het julle gered, en julle is heeltemal soos Hy wil hê julle moet wees. Christus is sterker as almal en alles wat oor die wêreld wil regeer’ (Kolossense 2:6-8, 10 ABA).
As jy ooit die Arizona woestyn besoek, sal jy die saguaro kaktus vind wat selfs in 50 grade celsius vrugte dra. Hoekom? Omdat sy wortels 15-20 meter in alle rigtings uitsprei. Jy moet diep geestelike wortels hê as jy dit deur die droogte van die lewe wil maak. Enigeen kan ‘n dag of twee van droogte oorleef, maar wat van uitgebreide seisoene van stres, rou, gebrek, siekte en teëspoed? Dit waaraan jou lewe vasgewortel is, is waaruit jy krag sal put.
Die Psalmdigter het geskryf: ‘Gelukkig is die mense wat… vreugde vind in die gebooie van die Here en sy voorskrifte dag en nag oordink. Hulle is soos bome geplant langs ‘n rivier, wat vrugte dra op die regte tyd. Hulle blare verwelk nie; in alles wat hulle doen is hulle voorspoedig. Maar dit geld nie die goddeloses nie. Hulle is soos kaf wat die wind verstrooi’ (Psalm 1:1-4 NLV). Bid: ‘Here, wortel my diep binne-in U.’
Sielskos: Gen 4-6; Luk 1:11-25; Ps 90:7-17; Spr 1:5-9
2022-01-03
Proverbs 12:3 NLT
You must cultivate deep spiritual roots. “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord…They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by…heat or worried by…months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8 NLT). This Scripture gives you one reason why you need deep spiritual roots: to make it through the rough times – times of heat and drought. Solomon said, “No one can be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted” (Proverbs 12:3 NIV).
It’s when seasons of adversity hit your life that you discover what you’re “rooted” to: God’s strength or merely your own. When the Bible speaks of “heat,” it’s speaking about the pressures of life. When it speaks about “drought,” it’s speaking about seasons of crisis and lack. What’s the answer? “Roots that reach deep into the water.” What’s the result? “They never stop producing fruit.”
Because of their roots, the giant redwoods of Northern California can withstand the major forest fires. If you were to measure the roots of a large oak tree, they would stretch out for several hundred miles. That’s why they’re stable in the storms of life. Paul writes this: “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong…you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God” (Ephesians 3:16-17, 19 NLT).
Soul food: Gen 1-3; Luke 1:1-10; Ps 90:1-6; Pro 1:1-4
