2022-05-03
2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV
If a thief came to your house, you wouldn’t invite them in and let them have free rein to steal and destroy whatever they liked. You’d call the police and have them arrested. And that’s what we need to do when wrong thoughts come to our minds. We must stop them and take them captive before they take us captive. The best time to do that is the moment the first wrong thought tries to enter our minds, because when we allow a thought to have space, we empower it, and give it a chance to overcome us.
The Bible says, ‘Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you’ (James 4:7 NIV). On our own, we don’t have the power to resist Satan. But the moment we call on God and submit our will to Him, we’re more than a match for Satan, because we have God’s strength and power to rely on, not just our own. We get to decide who’ll control our minds: ‘The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace’ (Romans 8:6 NIV).
When a thought keeps turning over and over in your mind, ask yourself, ‘What direction is this thought leading me in? Is it towards something spiritually harmful, or towards “life and peace”‘?
If you realise you’ve failed to keep a wrong thought out, don’t give up. Take an honest look back and ask yourself, ‘What was I thinking that led to it getting through? Was I around people who had a bad influence on me? Was I in the wrong place, or the wrong mindset? Have I been neglecting God at all recently?’ In the long run, monitoring your mind will really pay off.
Num 1-2; Matt 5:13-26; Ps 35; Pro 10:28-29
John 6:63 NKJV
God will speak to you through His Word. Jesus said, “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life,” but don’t go cherry-picking for feel-good Scriptures. To grow in faith, you must spend time each day reading through your Bible. You can’t arbitrarily decide that one verse applies to you while another doesn’t. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives… God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT).
To profit in business, you must know your business thoroughly, otherwise you will be out of business. And the way to succeed in your Christian life is to make it your business to know your Bible. It’s like the analogy of the sperm and the egg. Neither the male sperm nor the female egg is capable of reproduction. It’s only when the sperm impacts and is embraced by the egg that conception occurs, leading to life and birth. And it’s the same with your spiritual growth.
When God’s Word and a receptive heart get together, something is going to happen! You can’t beat prolonged exposure to Scripture. Without it, you won’t hear what God is saying to you. You will always be dependent on somebody else’s interpretation. Can you imagine communicating with your husband or wife on that basis? How long do you think your relationship would last? The same principle applies to your relationship with God. Today let God speak to you personally through His Word.
Soul food: Num 1-2; Matt 5:13-26; Ps 35; Pro 10:28-29
2022-05-02
Filippense 4:19 NLV
Hoe weet jy wanneer jy meer van mense as van God afhanklik is? Wanneer jy vir jou baas kwaad is omdat jy nie die verhoging gekry het wat jy dink jy verdien nie. Wanneer jy kwaad word vir ‘n geliefde omdat sy of hy nie vir jou geld wil leen nie. Wanneer jy sulke dinge doen, sit jy voor die verkeerde deur en wag op jou seëning!
Ja, dit maak seer wanneer jou werk nie erken word nie. Jy moet egter die volgende verstaan: God sal mense as instrumente gebruik om jou te seën, maar slegs Hy moet altyd die bron van al jou seëninge wees!
Dink oor die volgende Skrifgedeeltes na: ‘Hy het dit gedoen sodat jy nie moet dink dit is deur jou eie krag en energie waardeur jy ryk geword het nie. Onthou altyd dat dit die Here jou God is wat vir jou die krag gee om ryk te word…’ (Deuteronomium 8:17-18 NLV). ‘En as God aan mense rykdom en besittings gee, en die vermoë om dit te geniet, is dit ook ‘n geskenk uit sy hand’ (Prediker 5:18 NLV). ‘Sy besef nie dat dit Ek is wat haar alles gegee het nie…’ (Hosea 2:7 NLV). Wat was haar probleem? Sy het God geïgnoreer en vergeet dat Hy haar ware bron is.
Wanneer jy God as die bron van al jou seëninge erken, verbind jy jouself daartoe om jou verhouding met Hom te koester. Dis hoekom Jesus gesê het: ‘Nee, maak die koningsheerskappy van God en dit wat voor Hom reg is, julle heel eerste prioriteit; dan sal God vir julle al hierdie ander dinge as ‘n bonus byvoeg’ (Matteus 6:33 NLV). Wanneer jy God volg, vrygewig in sy koninkryk saai en van Hom verwag om aan jou behoeftes te voldoen – sal jou werke geseën word.
Sielskos: Jak 3-5; Matt 5:1-12; Ps 94:12-23; Spr 10:27
Philippians 4:19 ESV
God is the source of all our blessings, but sometimes He’ll use other people as instruments to bless us. It’s right for us to thank people when they’ve done something we appreciate, but we mustn’t forget that God’s the centre and the source; if we do, we can begin to depend on people rather than Him. We might get upset with a tutor because we didn’t get the grade we think we deserved for an assignment, or get angry with a friend or family member because they refused to lend us some money or help us with something. If any of these scenarios sound familiar, it could be a sign that you’re relying on people and not God.
Let’s think about these Scriptures: ‘You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth’ (Deuteronomy 8:17-18 NIV). ‘When God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them… this is a gift of God’ (Ecclesiastes 5:19 NIV). ‘She doesn’t realise it was I who gave her everything she has’ (Hosea 2:8 NLT). All these verses remind us that God is the true source.
We usually put effort into relationships that are rewarding, and that’s important information because when we recognise God as the source of all love and blessings, we’ll commit to nurturing our relationship with Him. That’s why Jesus said, ‘Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well’ (Matthew 6:33 NIV). When we pursue God, sow generously into His kingdom, and trust Him to meet our needs, our faith will grow and we’ll notice His hand and blessings everywhere.
Jam 3-5; Matt 5:1-12; Ps 94:12-23; Pro 10:27
Philippians 4:19 KJV
How can you tell when you’re depending on people rather than God? When you get upset with your boss because you didn’t get the raise you think you deserve. When you become angry with a loved one because he or she turned you down for a loan. When you do things like that, you’re sitting at the wrong door waiting for your blessing! Yes, it hurts when your efforts aren’t acknowledged. But you must understand this: God will use people as instruments to bless you, but He alone must always be the source of all your blessings!
Ponder these Scriptures: “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:17-18 NIV). “When God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them… this is a gift of God” (Ecclesiastes 5:19 NIV). “She has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her… silver and gold” (Hosea 2:8 NIV). What was her problem? She ignored God and forgot that He was her true source.
We generally pursue and nurture relationships that are rewarding – and that’s important information. Why? Because only when you recognize God as the source of all your blessings will you commit to nurturing your relationship with Him. That’s why Jesus said, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33 NIV). When you pursue God, sow generously into His kingdom, and expect Him to meet your needs – your efforts will be blessed.
Soul food: Jam 3-5; Matt 5:1-12; Ps 94:12-23; Pro 10:27
