2022-02-07
Matthew 6:34 MSG
When you’re anxious about the future, stop and remind yourself that two of God’s names are “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end” (Revelation 22:13 KJV). Where you’re going – God already is! Jesus said, “The sheep hear his voice…he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice” (John 10:3-4 NKJV). How do sheep get to know the shepherd’s voice? By spending time with him! Notice “he goes before them,” which means as long as you’re moving forward, God can direct you.
Each time you reach a breaking point, it’s a test: You will either quit or persevere through to victory. Long-distance runners use the expression “hitting the wall.” When they’re exhausted and feel like giving up, they know if they push through the pain, they will get their second wind and it will carry them over the finish line.
Are you taking on responsibilities that aren’t yours? Learn to establish healthy boundaries for your own sake and the sake of those who depend on you. And if you’re not sure what’s appropriate, ask God to show you how much to get involved in the lives of your friends and family.
If the burden isn’t yours, set it down. If it’s too heavy, give it to God! Stand on His promise: “He has never let you down, never looked the other way when you were being kicked around. He has never wandered off to do his own thing; he has been right there” (Psalm 22:24 MSG). Bottom line: The more you trust God, the more you lower your anxiety level.
Soul food: Isa 8-11; Luke 8:26-39; Ps 67; Pro 4:1-2
2022-02-06
Psalm 55:22 NIV
When we’re stressed, the surge of negative emotions can be overwhelming. And unless you unburden your soul before God, it’s easy to make wrong decisions, succumb to wrong impulses, move in the wrong direction, and explode at the wrong people. The psalmist addresses this: “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you.” The extent to which you consciously lean on God, drawing strength from Him, is the extent to which you will lower your anxiety level.
It’s no coincidence that many of the psalms start with David crying out to God for help and end with him rejoicing because he vented his frustrations to the right person – God! The truth is, life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you respond to it. Your job, your finances, your marriage, your children, your health, and your future are all sources of anxiety, so you will never be totally free from angst.
But you can lower your anxiety level by following Paul’s advice: “All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus…Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so…we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times…but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort – we get a full measure of that, too” (2 Corinthians 1:3-5 MSG).
To quote a well-known pastor: “The more you pray, the less you’ll panic. The more you worship, the less you worry.”
Soul food: Isa 53:1-12; Acts 8:26-40
Psalm 55:23 NLV
Wanneer ons gestres is, kan die oplewing van negatiewe emosies oorweldigend wees. Tensy jy jou siel voor God ontlaai, is dit maklik om verkeerde besluite te maak, aan die verkeerde impulse oor te gee, in die verkeerde rigting te beweeg en teenoor die verkeerde mense te ontplof. Die Psalmdigter spreek dit aan: ‘Gee jou kommer oor aan die Here. Hy sal vir jou sorg…’ Die hoeveelheid wat jy bewustelik op God leun en krag uit Hom put, is die hoeveelheid wat jou angsvlakke sal verlaag. Dis geen toeval dat baie van die Psalms begin waar Dawid na God om hulp roep en eindig met hom wat juig omdat hy sy frustrasies met die regte persoon – met God! – gedeel het nie.
Die lewe is 10 persent dit wat met jou gebeur en 90 persent hoe jy daarop reageer. Jou werk, jou finansies, jou huwelik, jou kinders, jou gesondheid en jou toekoms is alles bronne van angs, dus sal jy nooit heeltemal vry van angs wees nie. Jy kan egter jou angsvlakke verlaag deur Paulus se raad te volg: ‘Almal moet vir God, die Vader van ons Here Jesus Christus, prys. God is die Vader wat baie goed is vir ons en Hy is die God wat altyd vir ons bemoedig. Hy bemoedig ons wanneer ons swaarkry, dit maak nie saak wat die swaarkry is nie. Dan kan ons ook ander mense bemoedig wat swaarkry, dit maak nie saak wat hulle swaarkry is nie. Ons kan dit doen omdat God vir ons bemoedig. Ja, ons kry baie maal swaar omdat ons aan Christus behoort. Maar so bemoedig God ook baie maal vir ons omdat ons aan Christus behoort’ (2 Korintiërs 1:3-5 ABA).
Om ‘n welbekende pastoor aan te haal: ‘Hoe meer jy bid, hoe minder paniekerig sal jy wees. Hoe meer jy lofprys, hoe minder bekommer jy jou.’
Sielskos: Jes 53:1-12; Hand 8:26-40
Psalm 55:22 NIV
When we’re stressed, the surge of negative emotions we feel can be overwhelming. It’s easy to make wrong decisions, submit to wrong impulses, move in the wrong direction, and explode at the wrong people when we feel like that. If stress and anxiety are overwhelming us, it’s important that we take care of ourselves by asking a doctor or counsellor for help.
But alongside that, the psalmist teaches us one of the best ways to help us get those stressful feelings under control: ‘Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you.’ We need to unburden our souls to God. It’s no coincidence that many of the psalms start with David crying out to God for help and end with him rejoicing because he vented his frustrations to the right person – God!
Life isn’t only about what happens to us; it’s also about how we respond. We’ll never be totally free from angst, but we can find comfort by following this advice from Paul: ‘All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus…Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so…we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times…but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort – we get a full measure of that, too’ (2 Corinthians 1:3-5 MSG).
To quote a well-known pastor: ‘The more you pray, the less you’ll panic. The more you worship, the less you worry.’
Isa 53:1-12; Acts 8:26-40
2022-02-05
2 Corinthians 4:16 NCV
Every day we’re bombarded by the ‘ideal’ way to look. Whether it’s on social media, adverts, celebrity news, and so on, there are so many things and places that can reinforce the idea that our value comes from the way we look. There’s nothing wrong with us trying to look our best and taking care of ourselves if we’re doing it from the perspective of appreciating God’s creation. The problem comes when our appearance turns into a source of pride and makes us take our focus away from God. There’s so much more to us than our clothes, hairstyle, and body shape. It’s a mistake to focus on the outside and not appreciate and cultivate the unseen qualities God’s given us.
When God made you, He didn’t just decorate the outside; He gave you ‘inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind…God delights in’ (1 Peter 3:4 MSG). Paul reminds us, ‘What we see will last only a short time, but what we cannot see will last forever’ (2 Corinthians 4:18 NCV). It’s a gentle reminder that our looks aren’t lasting, but our inner qualities are.
Paul was described like this: ‘in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing’ (2 Corinthians 10:10 NKJV). But while his physical appearance wasn’t notable, what he will be remembered for are these words: ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now, a crown is being held for me – a crown for being right with God. The Lord, the judge who judges rightly, will give the crown on that day – not only to me but to all those who have waited with love for him to come again’ (2 Timothy 4:7-8 NKJV).
So today, let’s focus on our inner, not our outer qualities.
Isa 4-7; Luke 8:16-25; Ps 120; Pro 3:33-35
