2022-05-15
Filippense 2:12-13 AFR53
Die Bybel sê: ‘…werk julle eie heil uit met vrees en bewing; want dit is God wat in julle werk om te wil sowel as om te werk na sy welbehae.’ Hierdie Skrifgedeelte klink amper soos ‘n teenstrydigheid, nie waar nie? Dit is egter eerder ‘n paradoks. G.K. Chesterton beskryf ‘n paradoks as volg: “‘n Waarheid wat op sy kop staan om aandag te kry.”
Die sleutel om hierdie spesifieke paradoks te verstaan, lê in die klein woordjie uit. Let op dat die Bybel nie sê: ‘Werk vir jou heil’ nie. Om vir iets te werk beteken om dit te verdien. Die Bybel stel dit baie duidelik dat ons verlossing nie iets is waarvoor ons moet werk nie. Dis ‘n gratis geskenk uit God se genade (sien Efesiërs 2:8-9). Wanneer Paulus sê: ‘Werk julle eie heil uit,’ praat hy van ‘n geestelike oefensessie.
Wat doen jy tydens ‘n fisiese oefensessie? Jy ontwikkel en versterk die spiere wat God reeds vir jou gegee het. Om te oefen beteken om te groei en die meeste te maak van dit wat aan jou gegee is. Wat Paulus hier sê is die volgende: Ontwikkel jou geestelike lewe! God voorsien die krag, maar ons moet toegang daartoe verkry, die skakelaar aansit en dit deur ons lewens laat vloei sodat ons sy wil vir ons lewens kan vervul.
Hoe kan ons dit prakties uitvoer? Deur elke dag tyd te bestee om God se Woord te lees en te bid. Deur mekaar op te skerp en te versterk. Deur die gawes wat God vir ons gegee het, uit te oefen. Die waarheid is dat Hy reeds sy deel gedoen het; nou is dit jou beurt om jou deel te doen.
Sielskos: Gen 2:7-25; 1 Kor 15:39-55
2022-05-14
Eksodus 8:10 NLV
Elke plaag wat God op Egipte losgelaat het, het die spot met een van hulle gode gedryf. Byvoorbeeld, die Egiptenare het muggies verafgod, dus het God vir hulle ‘n magdom muggies – en paddas – gestuur. Uiteindelik het die farao vir Moses geroep en gesê: ‘Goed, ek gee op.’ Toe Moses hom egter vra: ‘Wanneer moet ek van die paddas ontslae raak?’ het farao geantwoord: ‘Doen dit môre.’ Hy moes seker mal gewees het? Hoekom sal jy nie dadelik van die paddas ontslae wil raak nie?
Ons doen egter dieselfde, nie waar nie? Ons stel die veranderinge uit wat ons weet vir ons goed sal wees. Miskien is ons te traag om om te gee. Miskien vrees ons die veranderinge omdat ons nie weet wat dit sal behels nie. Miskien is ons net te trots en hardkoppig. Wat die rede ook al is – ons stel uit.
NASA ruimte-ingenieurs sê vir ons dat die meeste brandstof wat deur ‘n vuurpyl verbruik word, in die eerste paar sekondes verbrand word. Dit verg ‘n enorme hoeveelheid energie en krag om die vuurpyl van die lanseerplatform af te beweeg. Wanneer dit eers aan die beweeg en op pad is, benodig dit baie minder brandstof en is dit makliker om te beheer en te stuur.
Dis een ding om te weet dat God jou probleem kan oplos en jou lewe kan verander. Dis ‘n ander saak om jou bewegingloosheid te oorkom en Hom toe te laat om dit nou te doen! Jesus Christus het die mag om vandag veranderinge in jou lewe te maak. Hy sal vir jou die krag gee om te begin en die krag gee om aan te hou. Dis nie te laat nie. Hy kan jou lewe weer herstel. Die woord vir jou is dus – doen dit vandag!
Sielskos: Num 25-26; Matt 9:14-26; Ps 57; Spr 11:14
Exodus 8:10 NKJV
Every plague God sent on Egypt mocked one of their gods. For instance, the Egyptians deified lice, so God sent them a lot of lice – and frogs. Finally, Pharaoh called for Moses and said, “All right, I give up.” But when Moses asked him, “When do you want me to get rid of the frogs?” Pharaoh’s response was classic; he said, “Tomorrow.” He must have been insane! Why would you wait any longer to have the frogs removed?
But we do the same, don’t we? We procrastinate by putting off the changes we know would be good for us. Maybe we’re unconcerned. Maybe we’re too lethargic to change. Maybe we’re fearful because we don’t know what the changes will entail. Maybe we’re just too proud and stubborn. Whatever the reason – we procrastinate.
NASA space engineers tell us most of the fuel that is used in a rocket launch is burned during the initial few seconds of liftoff. It takes enormous energy and thrust to move the rocket off the launching pad. Once it’s moving and headed for orbit, it needs much less fuel and is simpler to control and direct. It has conquered inertia. It’s one thing to know God can solve your problem and change your life. It’s another matter to overcome your inertia and let Him begin to do it now! We keep saying, “One of these days… “
The truth is, Jesus Christ has the power to make changes in your life today. He will give you the power to begin and the power to keep going. It’s not too late. He can put your life back together again. So the word for you today is – do it today!
Soul food: Num 25-26; Matt 9:14-26; Ps 57; Pro 11:14
Exodus 8:10 NKJV
In Exodus, every plague that God sent to Egypt mocked one of their gods. For example, the Egyptians worshipped a goddess who had the head of a frog… and one of the plagues God sent was a lot of frogs! Finally, Pharaoh called for Moses and basically said, ‘All right, I give up.’ But when Moses asked him, ‘When do you want me to get rid of the frogs?’ Pharaoh’s response was ‘Tomorrow.’ Why didn’t he say ‘Now’? Why would he wait any longer to have the frogs removed?
But we sometimes do the same. We put off changes that we know would be good for us, like swapping some healthier foods into our meals, taking a step back from an unhealthy relationship, starting a Bible reading plan, and so on. Maybe we’re unconcerned. Maybe we’re too tired to change. Maybe we’re scared because we don’t know what impact the changes will have, or what exactly is involved. Maybe we’re just too proud and stubborn. Whatever the reason, we procrastinate.
NASA engineers know that most of the fuel used in a rocket launch is burned during the first few seconds of lift-off. It takes an enormous amount of energy and thrust to move the rocket off the launch pad. Once it’s moving and headed for orbit, it needs less fuel and is easier to control. It has conquered inertia. It’s one thing to know God can solve our problem and change our lives, but it’s another to overcome our inertia and let Him begin to do it now. We keep saying, ‘One day… ‘
The truth is, Jesus has the power to make changes in us today. He’ll give us the power to begin and the power to keep going. It’s never too late for Him to get to work in our lives.
Num 25-26; Matt 9:14-26; Ps 57; Pro 11:14
2022-05-13
Genesis 22:16-17 NKJV
God won’t ask you for what you don’t have, but sometimes He will ask for the thing you really want to keep. Why? To see if there is anything you value or depend on more than Him. Abraham was tested like nobody else in history. But he passed the test and was blessed like very few others in history.
Imagine having God say to you, “Take now your son, your only son… whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you” (v. 2 NKJV). Can you envision the questions that would swirl through your mind? Little wonder Abraham was called “the friend of God” (James 2:23 NKJV) and “the father of all… that believe” (Romans 4:11 KJV). And when the test was over, God said this: “Because you have done this thing, and… not withheld… your only son… I will bless you, and… multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand… on the seashore… In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice” (Genesis 22:16-18 NKJV).
So here is the question: What is God asking of you? Are you wrestling with it? Are you withholding what He wants, or are you “all in”? Isaac was the hardest seed Abraham ever had to sow. But that seed produced a harvest of blessing greater than anything Abraham ever dreamed or thought possible. What is God asking you to do today? When you say yes to Him, you will experience a whole new level of blessing in your life. Try it and see.
Soul food: Num 22-24; Matt 9:1-13; Ps 44:17-26; Pro 11:12-13
