2022-05-10
Philippians 3:14 KJV
Paul writes: “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect [mature], be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you” (vv. 14-15). Paul describes the Christian as a marksman. In Paul’s day, the mark would have been hit by an arrow, but in our day, the mark could also be hit at a firing range.
If you have ever fired at a target, you know this: (1) Your aim must be unbroken by distractions. When you have the bull’s-eye in your crosshairs, something as insignificant as taking a breath at the wrong moment can make you miss the mark. So what is Paul saying? Simply this: “Forget what’s behind you and around you and stay focused on winning the prize.” He is not referring to your salvation. Jesus already purchased that and gives it to you freely by grace. No, he is talking about fulfilling your God-given destiny and obtaining the reward that waits beyond it.
(2) Your bullet has to have the right amount of powder. Otherwise, it will start dropping off before it hits the mark. Are you getting the idea? Your powder is your power! And where does your power come from? The Holy Spirit! Jesus said: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem [at home], and in all Judea and Samaria [on the job and in your relationships], and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8 NKJV).
So the word for you today is – aim for the mark.
Soul food: Num 14-15; Matt 7:15-29; Ps 37:32-40; Pro 11:7-8
2022-05-09
Hebreërs 11:21 NLV
Die Bybel sê: ‘Omdat hy geglo het, het Jakob op sy sterfbed… biddend voor God gebuig terwyl hy op sy kierie geleun het.’ Verbeel jouself: Elke keer wat Jakob ‘n ervaring met God gehad het, het hy ‘n mes geneem en ‘n ring op sy kierie uitgekerf as ‘n herinnering daaraan. Hy sou sekerlik die nag waar hy met God gestoei het en waar sy naam tot ‘…Israel, want jy het met God en mens geworstel en volhard’ (Genesis 32:28 NLV), verander is, wou simboliseer. Nog ‘n ring sou die nag wat God vir hom ‘n leer met engele wat tot by die hemel gestrek het, gewys het, verteenwoordig. Met ander woorde, Jakob se kierie het ‘n leeftyd van ervarings met God verteenwoordig. Dis dus nie verrassend dat hy biddend voor God, terwyl hy op sy kierie geleun het, gesterf het nie!
Oorweeg nou die verhaal van die vrou uit Sunem in 2 Konings 4. Haar seuntjie het siek geword en gesterf, dus het Elisa sy dienaar Gehasi met sy kierie vooruit gestuur. Toe Gehasi egter die profeet se kierie op die kind se gesig sit, het niks gebeur nie. Eers toe Elisa self daar aangekom het, het die seuntjie weer lewendig geword (sien 2 Konings 4:32-35). Jy kan nie op iemand anders se kierie leun nie! Wanneer dit tyd is om die lewe se uitdagings – insluitend die dood – in die gesig te staar, kan jy net op die geloof wat jy gedurende jou persoonlike wandel met God ontwikkel het, leun.
Dis hoekom dit noodsaaklik is om getrou en konsekwent in jou geestelike reis te wees. Deur op sy sterfbed op sy kierie te leun, het Jakob in wese verklaar: ‘Die God wat my tot dusver bewaar, beskerm en voorspoedig gemaak het, sal my die res van die pad neem.’ Wat ‘n geseënde versekering!
Sielskos: Num 11-13; Matt 7:1-14; Ps 37:25-31; Spr 11:5-6
Hebrews 11:21 NKJV
The Bible says, “By faith Jacob, when he was dying… worshiped, leaning on… his staff.” Picture this: Each time Jacob had an experience with God, he took a knife and cut a ring around his staff as a reminder of what happened. The rings started at the bottom and worked their way to the top. One would surely have symbolized the night he wrestled with God and his name was changed to “Israel… a prince… with God” (Genesis 32:28 KJV). Another would have represented the night God showed him a vision of a ladder extending into heaven with angels on it. In short, Jacob’s staff represented a lifetime of experiences with God. So, it’s not surprising that he died worshiping God – and leaning on his staff!
Now consider the story of the Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4. Her son suddenly became ill and died, so Elisha sent his servant Gehazi ahead with his staff to let the woman know he was coming. But when Gehazi placed the prophet’s staff on the dead boy, nothing happened. Only when Elisha himself came was the child restored (See 2 Kings 4:32-35).
The fact is, you can’t lean on anyone’s staff but your own! You can’t stand on anyone else’s experience with God but yours. When it’s time to face life’s challenges – including death – you can only lean on the faith you have developed during your personal walk with God. That’s why it’s essential to be faithful and consistent in your spiritual journey. By leaning on his staff when he was dying, Jacob, in essence, declared, “The God who preserved, protected, and prospered me thus far will take me the rest of the way.” What blessed assurance!
Soul food: Num 11-13; Matt 7:1-14; Ps 37:25-31; Pro 11:5-6
Hebrews 11:21 NKJV
The Bible says, ‘Jacob, when he was dying… worshipped, leaning on the top of his staff.’ Imagine that each time Jacob had an experience with God, he took a knife and cut a mark into his staff as a reminder of what happened, starting at the bottom and working right up to the top. One mark might symbolise the night he wrestled with God and his name was changed to Israel (see Genesis 32:28). Another might represent the night God showed him a vision of a ladder reaching up to heaven with angels on it. Jacob’s staff represented a lifetime of experiences with God. So it’s not surprising that as he was dying, he worshipped God while leaning on his staff.
Now think about the story of the Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4. Her son suddenly became ill and died, so Elisha sent his servant Gehazi ahead with his staff to let the woman know he was coming. But when Gehazi placed the prophet’s staff on the dead boy, nothing happened. It was only when Elisha arrived that the child was restored (see 2 Kings 4:32-35).
The truth is, you can’t lean on anyone’s ‘staff’ but your own. You can’t stand on anyone else’s experience with God but your own. When it’s time to face challenges, you can only lean on the faith you’ve developed during your personal journey with God. That’s why it’s so important for us to be faithful and consistent in our spiritual journeys.
By leaning on his staff when he was dying, Jacob declared, ‘My God who preserved, protected, and prospered me up till now will take me the rest of the way.’ And when we lean on our faith in God, we can be certain He’ll be with us for the whole journey.
Num 11-13; Matt 7:1-14; Ps 37:25-31; Pro 11:5-6
2022-05-08
2 Chronicles 25:2 NIV
The enemy of passion is indifference. You go through the motions, but your focus is broken by other things. It’s not that you have said no to God; it’s that you haven’t said a resounding yes!
In the Old Testament account, King Amaziah “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly.” Think about it: At what point does the passion leave a marriage? It doesn’t happen overnight. It happens when you neglect and take each other for granted. Maybe you think your lack of zeal is no big deal. Think again! Jeremiah warns about “a curse on anyone who is lax (negligent, slack, slipshod) in doing the Lord’s work!” (Jeremiah 48:10 NIV).
You say, “How does it happen?” The Bible tells us, “This people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes” (Acts 28:27 NIV). The word “calloused” depicts a steady buildup of hard, dead skin on the soles of your feet until you can’t walk right or without pain.
Note what Jesus told the first and last two churches in Revelation: (1) “I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first” (Revelation 2:4-5 NIV). (2) “I know your deeds… you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm… I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15-16 NIV).
With that in mind, the word for you today is – be passionate about it!
Soul food: Jonah 1:10-2:10; Matt 12:38-42
