2022-05-05
2 Corinthians 2:15 NLT
When food in your refrigerator goes bad, you know it the moment you open the door. And your life is like that. When there is something wrong inside, the people who come in contact with you often sense it. Jesus spoke some of His harshest words to Peter: “Get… behind me, Satan… for thou savourest [smell] not the things… of God, but those that be of men” (Matthew 16:23 KJV). What was Peter’s sin? Pride. He openly contradicted Jesus (See Matthew 16:22).
There are sins of the spirit and sins of the flesh. Peter’s was a sin of the spirit, whereas David’s was one of the flesh that manifested itself in adultery and murder. Later David wrote, “Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep… Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me” (Psalm 19:12-13 NKJV).
Now, God doesn’t want you to become self-absorbed and introspective to the point where you live in condemnation. But He does want you to be sensitive to sin and deal with it immediately. Scripture gives us three ways to stay clean in a spiritually polluted world.
(1) Walking in the light (See 1 John 1:7). That means striving to be honest before God and man.
(2) Being accountable. That can mean having someone in your life who is mature enough to deserve your confidence, gracious enough to put up with your inconsistencies, and honest enough to confront you (See Ecclesiastes 4:9).
(3) Dealing with your sin right away (See Psalm 32:3-5). The moment that brings consciousness of sin should lead to confession of sin resulting in cleansing of sin. Then you must get back up and go on with God!
Soul food: Num 4:34-6:27; Matt 5:38-48; Ps 37:1-7; Pro 11:1-2
2022-05-04
1 Thessalonians 2:13 NKJV
When you read God’s Word and believe it and act on it, it’s like seeds growing inside you. Those seeds have life! In the natural world, you don’t have to understand the process by which seeds grow; you just have to water, nurture, and protect them. And it’s the same with Scripture.
Paul writes, “You welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe” (v. 13 NKJV). Note the phrase “effectively works in you.” God’s Word is self-sustaining; it doesn’t require others to validate it. In the New Testament account, when Jesus was walking on the water toward His disciples, Peter said, “Lord, if it’s you… tell me to come” (Matthew 14:28 NIV). Jesus gave him one word, “Come” (v. 29 NIV), and Peter started walking. The other disciples probably didn’t believe Peter could do it. That’s because they didn’t understand who was speaking to Peter. “They thought [Jesus] was a ghost” (Mark 6:49 NIV)!
There is a lesson here for us all. When God speaks to you through His Word, don’t expect everybody to understand, agree, or support you. It’s only human to want certain people to see what you see and believe in what you do. But in this Scripture, God prepares us for rejection by those who don’t understand what God has told us. If you’re not careful, people’s opinions can make you doubt what God has said. Sometimes He confirms what He told you through others, and sometimes He doesn’t. But as long as you feed on His Word and believe it, it “effectively works in you.”
Soul food: Num 3:1-4:33; Matt 5:27-37; Ps 2; Pro 10:30-32
1 Corinthians 2:16 NIV
Did you know there’s a natural mindset and a spiritual mindset? If we want to live in a way that really honours and reflects God, we need to develop our spiritual mindset. The Bible says: ‘The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God… and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit… But we have the mind of Christ’ (1 Corinthians 2:14, 16 NIV).
As we tune our lives to the pitch of God’s Word and consciously submit ourselves to His will every day, He’ll plant His thoughts in our minds. And that’s a massive advantage! For example, someone criticises you and your feelings get hurt. In that moment God speaks to you and says, ‘Yes, your feelings are hurt, but we can deal with that together. I love you, and the way I see you isn’t at risk. The person who criticised you might see a flaw, but you don’t have to pretend to be perfect or try to please others. I’ll help you use this experience as a chance to grow!’
Even though there are elements of pain in these kinds of thoughts, with God’s perspective they energise us rather than trapping us and bringing us down. They’re true, they give us something to stand firm on, and we realise that if we can keep our minds centred on them, the right feelings and actions are more likely to flow from them. We’ll start to live out the promise, ‘You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!’ (Isaiah 26:3 NLT). Instead of focusing on our critics, we should focus on God, on our spiritual growth, and on what we can learn from the experience.
Num 3:1-4:33; Matt 5:27-37; Ps 2; Pro 10:30-32
1 Tessalonisense 2:13 NLV
Wanneer jy God se Woord lees, glo en daarvolgens optree, is dit soos saadjies wat binne-in jou groei. Daardie saadjies bevat lewe! In die natuurlike wêreld hoef jy nie die proses te verstaan waardeur sade groei nie; jy moet hulle net water gee, versorg en beskerm. Dis dieselfde met die Skrif. Paulus skryf: ‘…Julle het dit aanvaar, nie as mensewoorde nie, maar soos dit werklik is, as Gód se woord. Dié woord is aan die werk in julle wat glo’ (vers 13 NLV).
God se Woord is selfonderhoudend; dit vereis nie dat ander mense dit bevestig nie. Ons lees dat, toe Jesus op die water na sy dissipels aangeloop kom, het Petrus gesê: ‘…Here, as dit regtig U is, laat my dan op die water na U toe kom’ (Matteus 14:28 NLV). Jesus het geantwoord: ‘Kom dan…’ (vers 29 NLV), en Petrus het op die water begin loop. Die ander dissipels het waarskynlik nie geglo dat Petrus dit sou kon doen nie. Dis omdat hulle nie verstaan het wie met Petrus gepraat het nie. ‘…hulle het gedink dis ‘n spook’ (Markus 6:49 NLV).
Wanneer God met jou deur sy Woord praat, moet jy nie verwag dat almal sal verstaan, saamstem of jou ondersteun nie. Dis net menslik om te wil hê dat sekere mense moet sien wat jy sien en moet glo in wat jy doen. In hierdie Skrifgedeelte berei God ons egter vir die verwerping van diegene wat nie verstaan wat God vir ons gesê het nie, voor. As jy nie versigtig is nie, kan mense se opinies jou laat twyfel oor dit wat God gesê het. Soms bevestig Hy wat Hy gesê het deur ander mense, maar soms doen Hy nie. Solank as wat jy egter sy Woord inneem en dit glo, is dit aan die werk binne-in jou.
Sielskos: Num 3:1-4:33; Matt 5:27-37; Ps 2; Spr 10:30-32
2022-05-03
Johannes 6:63 NLV
God sal met jou deur sy Woord praat. Jesus het gesê: ‘Die woorde wat Ek aan julle gerig het, is Gees en lewe,’ maar jy kan nie net die verse wat jou goed laat voel gaan uitkies om te lees nie. Om in geloof te groei, moet jy elke dag tyd bestee om jou Bybel deur te lees. Jy kan nie arbitrêr besluit dat een vers op jou van toepassing is terwyl ‘n ander een nie is nie. ‘Die hele Skrif is deur God geïnspireer en is nuttig om ons te leer wat waar is en om ons te laat besef wat verkeerd is in ons lewe… Dit is God se manier om ons voor te berei, ten volle toegerus vir elke goeie ding wat Hy wil hê ons moet doen’ (2 Timoteus 3:16-17 NLV).
Die manier om sukses in jou Christelike lewe te behaal, is om jou Bybel te ken. Dis soos die analogie van die spermsel en die eiersel. Nie die manlike spermsel of die vroulike eiersel is tot voortplanting in staat nie. Eers wanneer die spermsel die eiersel tref en die eiersel die spermsel omring, vind bevrugting plaas, wat tot lewe en geboorte lei. Dis dieselfde met jou geestelike groei.
Wanneer God se Woord en ‘n ontvanklike hart bymekaar uitkom, gaan iets gebeur! Jy kan nie langdurige blootstelling aan die Skrif klop nie. Daar sonder sal jy nie hoor wat God vir jou sê nie. Jy sal dan altyd van iemand anders se interpretasie daarvan afhanklik wees. Kan jy jou indink om so met jou man of vrou te kommunikeer? Hoe lank dink jy sal so ‘n verhouding hou? Dieselfde beginsel is op jou verhouding met God van toepassing. Laat God vandag toe om persoonlik met jou deur sy Woord te praat.
Sielskos: Num 1-2; Matt 5:13-26; Ps 35; Spr 10:28-29
