2022-05-20
Psalm 119:105 NKJV
The author of the Psalms highlights two important things that Bible reading does for us: 1) It shows us our spiritual condition. In Bible times, roads were unpaved and dusty, so when guests went into a house, they took time to wash the sand, dirt, and grime from their feet. That’s what Bible reading does. It gives us time to pause, reflect, and shed some of the messiness of everyday life. David said, ‘How can a young man [and an older one] cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word’ (v.9 NKJV).
2) It shows us the direction we need to go. Your word is… a light to my path.’ When we’re facing an important decision and don’t know which way to go, God will guide us through His Word. David, who loved God’s Word and meditated on it constantly, prayed, ‘Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness’ (Psalm 143:10 NKJV). Many of the mistakes we make could be prevented if we stopped long enough to seek God’s guidance. He knows what lies ahead. We don’t. So ‘commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass’ (Psalm 37:5 NKJV).
We need to cultivate a taste for God’s Word. The psalmist said, ‘I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I love’ (Psalm 119:47 NKJV). ‘Your word is very pure; therefore Your servant loves it’ (v.140 NKJV). Today, let’s ask God to give us a love for His Word.
Titus 1-3; Matt 10:32-42; Ps 75; Pro 11:23
2022-05-19
Psalm 119:15 NLV
‘n Ander woord vir meditasie is oorpeinsing of herkouing. ‘n Koei herkou haar voedsel. Sy eet gras, kou dit goed en sluk dit dan in. Dit sit dan vir ‘n ruk in haar maag en ‘n klein bietjie later bring sy dit weer op – met hernude smaak. Die koei kou dit nog ‘n bietjie en sluk dit weer in. Hierdie proses gaan in al vier haar mae voort. Dit is herkouing. Die koei verkry elke moontlike stukkie voeding uit die gras uit.
Meditasie is eenvoudig die vertering van gedagtes. Meditasie beteken nie dat jy jou gedagtes in neutraal plaas en aan niks sit en dink nie. Inteendeel, dis om ernstig na te dink oor wat jy lees. Jy staan byvoorbeeld by een vers in die Skrif stil en vra: ‘Wat beteken dit vir my lewe?’ Jy praat met jouself en met God daaroor. Die Bybel sê: ‘…julle moet altyd dink aan die dinge wat waar is, wat mooi is, wat reg is, wat rein is, wat pragtig en goed is. Ja, julle moet dink aan alles wat mooi is, alles waarop ‘n mens trots kan wees… dan sal God wat vrede gee, by julle wees’ (Filippense 4:8-9 ABA). Let op dat ons oor verskillende kategorieë moet nadink om, by implikasie, dit te vermy om oor die teenoorgestelde soort dinge te dink.
Kolossense 3:16 sê: ‘Laat die rykdom van alles wat Christus ons leer, julle leefstyl bepaal…’ (NLV). Jy moet elke dag tyd – ‘n minimum van tien tot vyftien minute – bestee waar jy gaan sit, ‘n deel van jou Bybel lees en diep nadink oor dit wat jy pas gelees het. Praat dan in gebed met die Here daaroor. Dit is die beginpunt vir geestelike verandering en groei.
Psalm 119:15 ESV
Another word for meditation is rumination. Rumination is what a cow is doing when she chews her cud. The cow eats grass, chews all she can, and then swallows it. It sits in one of her stomachs for a while, and then a little later, she burps it up. The cow chews on it some more and swallows it again. She’s pulling every bit of nourishment from the grass. And meditation is simply thought digestion.
Meditation doesn’t mean putting your mind in neutral and thinking about nothing. It’s actually the opposite – it’s thinking seriously about what you’re reading. For example, you start by dwelling on one verse of Scripture and ask, ‘What does this mean for my life?’ ‘What’s God telling me through these words?’ Talk to yourself about it, ask questions about it, and talk to God about it.
The Bible says this: ‘Keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise’ (Philippians 4:8 CEV). And Colossians 3:16 says, ‘Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly’ (KJV).
Another lesson we can learn from the cow is that she can spend up to eight hours a day eating and ruminating in order to extract every nutrient she possibly can. It’s not a quick process. It takes time. And we need to devote time every day – at least 10 to 15 minutes, and more if we can – to sit down somewhere that’s free from distractions, read a portion of the Bible, think deeply about what we’ve just read, and then talk to God about it in prayer. That’s the best starting point for spiritual change and growth.
Num 34-36; Matt 10:21-31; Ps 72:12-20; Pro 11:22
Psalm 119:15 NKJV
Another word for meditation is rumination. Rumination is what a cow is doing when she chews her cud. The cow eats grass, chews all she can, and then swallows it. It sits in one of her stomachs for a while, and then a little later, she burps it up – with renewed flavour. The cow chews on it some more and swallows it again. This process continues in all four stomachs. That’s rumination. The cow is pulling every ounce of nourishment from the grass. And meditation is simply thought digestion.
Meditation doesn’t mean putting your mind in neutral and thinking about nothing. On the contrary, it’s thinking seriously about what you’re reading. For example, you dwell on one verse of Scripture and ask, “What does this mean for my life?” You talk to yourself about it and talk to God about it. The Bible says this: “Keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise… And God, who gives peace, will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9 CEV).
Notice that we are to ponder different categories of things and, by implication, to avoid thinking about the opposite kind of things. Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (KJV). You need to spend time every day – a minimum of ten to fifteen minutes – where you sit down, read a portion of the Bible, and think deeply about what you have just read. Then talk to the Lord about it in prayer. That’s the starting point for spiritual change and growth.
Soul food: Num 34-36; Matt 10:21-31; Ps 72:12-20; Pro 11:22
2022-05-18
Spreuke 4:23 NLV
‘n Wyse persoon het een maal gesê: ‘Jy is nie wat jy dink jy is nie, maar wat jy dink – dit is jy.’ Blywende verandering begin altyd met nuwe denke. Hoe het jy ‘n Christen geword? Deur jou sondes te bely en jou vertroue in Christus te plaas. Die Griekse woord vir bekering is metanoia, wat beteken om jou gedagtes te verander. Ons verander nie deur wilskrag nie, maar deur die transformerende krag van God se Woord, wanneer ons dit gebruik om ons gedagtes elke dag te vernuwe.
Die Bybel leer ons duidelik dat die manier wat ons dink die manier wat ons voel bepaal, en die manier wat ons voel bepaal die manier wat ons optree. As jy dus jou aksies wil verander, moet jy na die bron terugkeer en die manier wat jy dink verander. Soms kan jy op ‘n gegriefde manier optree. Hoekom? Omdat jy gegriefd voel. Weet jy hoekom jy gegriefd voel? Omdat jy gegriefde gedagtes dink. Dieselfde is waar van woede, bekommernis, wellus en ander destruktewe gedagtespatrone.
Jesus het gesê: ‘en julle sal begryp wat die waarheid beteken, en die waarheid sal julle vrymaak’ (Johannes 8:32 NLV). Wanneer jy jou lewe op die waarheid baseer, met die regte soort gedagtes lewe – nie wanopvattings of valse oortuigings nie – en jou lewe daarop baseer om vanuit God se Woord te dink, sal jy vrygemaak word. Jy sal sien hoe jou ou gewoontes, gevoelens en optredes begin wegval.
Wanneer jy slegs daarop fokus om slegte gedagtes te verwyder, skep jy ‘n vakuum waarna slegte gedagtes kan terugkeer. Wanneer jy egter jou slegte gedagtes met goeie gedagtes – Skriftuurlike gedagtes – vervang, word jy deur God bemagtig om die lewe van seën wat Hy wil hê jy moet geniet, te leef.
Sielskos: Num 32:25-33:56; Matt 10:11-20; Ps 72:1-11; Spr 11:19-21
