2025-03-04
1 Peter 5:7 NLT
Charles Weigle was an itinerant evangelist who enjoyed traveling and preaching, despite the rigors of the road. His wife, however, grew disillusioned with her frequently absent husband. One day Charles returned home to find this note: “Charlie, I’ve been a fool. I’ve done without a lot of things… from here on out, I’m getting all I can out of what the world owes me. I know you will continue to be a fool for Jesus, but for me, it’s goodbye!”
He was stunned, and depression swept over him like a tidal wave. One day, sitting on the porch of his cottage, he contemplated suicide. A voice within him whispered, “Your ministry is finished. No one cares.” But another voice pierced through the gloom: “Charlie, I haven’t forgotten you; I care for you.” Instantly Charles was on his knees, rededicating his life to Christ.
Later he wrote the words of one of the most beloved of all gospel songs: “I would love to tell you what I think of Jesus, since I found in Him a friend so strong and true; I would tell you how He changed my life completely, He did something that no other friend could do. No one ever cared for me like Jesus, there’s no other friend so kind as He; no one else could take the sin and darkness from me, o how much He cared for me.”
Have the responsibilities you carry brought you to a breaking point? Is the heartache more than you can bear? The word for you today is – “Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.”
Soul food: Exo 28-29; Luke 14:1-14; Ps 106:1-23; Prov 7:1-2
1 Petrus 5:7 NLV
Charles Weigle was ‘n rondreisende evangelis wat daarvan gehou het om te reis en te preek, ten spyte van die swaarkry op die pad. Sy vrou het egter met haar dikwels afwesige man ontnugter geraak. Een dag het Charles by die huis opgedaag en ‘n nota gekry: ‘Charlie, ek was ‘n dwaas. Ek het sonder baie dinge klaargekom, maar van nou af gaan ek alles kry wat die wêreld my skuld. Ek weet jy sal aanhou om ‘n dwaas vir Jesus te wees, maar vir my is dit totsiens!’
Charles was geskok en depressie het soos ‘n groot golf oor hom gespoel. Een dag, toe hy op die stoep van sy kothuis sit, het hy selfdood oorweeg, ‘n Stem binne hom het gefluister: ‘Jou bediening is klaar. Niemand gee meer om nie.’ ‘n Ander stem het egter deur die swart wolk gebreek: ‘Charlie, Ek het nie van jou vergeet nie; Ek gee vir jou om.’ Charles het onmiddellik op sy knieë neergeval en sy lewe opnuut aan Christus toegewy.
Later het hy die woorde van een van die mees geliefde gesange geskryf: ‘I would love to tell you what I think of Jesus, since I found in Him a friend so strong and true; I would tell you how He changed my life completely, He did something that no other friend could do. No one ever cared for me like Jesus, there’s no other friend so kind as He; no one else could take the sin and darkness from me, o how much He cared for me.’
Het die verantwoordelikhede wat jy dra jou tot by ‘n breekpunt gebring? Is die hartseer meer as wat jy kan hanteer? Die woord vir jou vandag is: ‘Gee al [jou] bekommernisse aan God oor, want Hy gee vir [jou] om.’
Sielskos: Eks 28-29; Luk 14:1-14; Ps 106:1-23; Spr 7:1-2
2025-03-03
Handelinge 13:2 NLV
‘n Groep gelowiges het gereeld bymekaar gekom en baie tyd daaraan bestee om te bid, te vas en God te aanbid. Gevolglik het die Heilige Gees gesê: ‘…Sonder Barnabas en Saulus vir My af om die werk te doen waarvoor Ek hulle geroep het.’ Hoe het hulle geweet dat die Heilige Gees dit vir hulle gesê het? Die Skrifgedeelte maak nie melding daarvan nie. Dit mag dalk ‘n dramatiese oomblik gewees het. Dit mag dalk wees dat hulle eers later, toe hulle daarop teruggekyk het, besef het dat die Gees hulle gelei het. Wat egter seker is, is dat hulle saam leiding van God ontvang het.
Wanneer dit by leiding kom, loop ons soms as gevolg van beperkte denke die hele reeks opsies wat God voor ons plaas mis. ‘n Christelike skrywer verduidelik: “Ons vra dinge soos: ‘Moet ek hierdie verhouding beëindig of nie?’ in plaas van: ‘Hoe kan ek hierdie verhouding beter maak?’ Of ‘Moet ek dit koop of nie?’ in plaas van ‘Wat is die beste manier waarmee ek hierdie geld kan gebruik?’ Ons is geneig om aan bevestigingsvooroordeel te ly. Ons soek na inligting wat dit wat ons reeds wil hê bevestig, eerder as om na die waarheid te soek. Ons gee voor asof ons die waarheid wil hê, maar wat ons werklik wil hê, is gerusstelling oor die standpunte wat ons reeds ingeneem het.”
Jesaja het vir die mense gesê: “Hulle sê vir die sieners: ‘Bly stil, ons wil niks meer hoor van wat julle sien nie!’ En vir die profete sê hulle: ‘Ons wil nie die waarheid hoor nie! Sê vir ons wat ons wil hoor, dat goeie dinge met ons gaan gebeur. Vertel vir ons leuens!'” (Jesaja 30:10 NLV). Wanneer jy leiding soek, moet jy dus eerlik, oop en gewillig wees.
Sielskos: Eks 25-27; Luk 13:18-35; Ps 136; Spr 6:30-35
Acts 13:2 NIV
A group of believers met together and dedicated significant time to pray, fast, and worship. And as a result, “the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.'” How did they know the Spirit told them this? The passage doesn’t say. It may have been a dramatic moment. Or it may be that later, looking back, they recognized that the Spirit had guided them. But what is certain is that they received guidance from God together.
When it comes to guidance, one of the mistakes we make is called “narrow framing”; we miss the whole range of options God has before us because of our limited thinking. A Christian author explains: “We ask things like ‘Should I end this relationship or not?’ instead of, ‘How might I make this relationship better?’ Or ‘Should I buy that or not?’ rather than, ‘What’s the best way I can use this money?’… On our own, we tend to suffer from confirmation bias. We seek out information that confirms what it is we already want rather than looking for the unvarnished truth. People watch cable channels that reinforce their political bias. We pretend we want the truth… but what we really want is reassurance of the positions we have already staked out.”
Isaiah told about people “who say to the seers, ‘Do not see’; and to the prophets, ‘Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions'” (Isaiah 30:10 NRSV). In seeking guidance, operate according to the H.O.W. principle. In other words, be Honest, Open, Willing.
Soul food: Exo 25-27; Luke 13:18-35; Ps 136; Prov 6:30-35
2025-03-02
Romans 8:37 NLT
When you have been abused, rejected, or abandoned, it’s easy to become shame based and end up with a very poor self-image. The devil knows this, so he will attack your personal confidence whenever he can find an opening. He wants you to believe that you are a failure, because without confidence you will never step out and try to do the things you truly want to do. He does not want you to fulfill God’s plan for your life. If he can make you believe that you are incapable, then you won’t even try to accomplish anything worthwhile. And even if you do make an effort, your fear of failure will seal your defeat, which, because of lack of confidence, you probably expected from the beginning.
This is often referred to as the “failure syndrome.” You fail because of wrong beliefs, and you continue to have wrong beliefs because you fail. It’s hard to know which came first, but you find yourself in a trap you cannot seem to get out of.
What’s the answer? As a redeemed child of God, the Bible says that you are “in Christ.” Jesus defeated Satan and triumphed over him at the cross. And because you are “in Christ,” His victory is your victory. You can break out of the failure syndrome and begin to succeed in life. Here is why: “Despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” Note the words “despite all these things.” Regardless of what has happened to you in the past, God has a wonderful future in mind for you.
Soul food: Exo 20:7; Lev 24:10-16; Phil 2:5-11
