2025-11-13
2 Corinthians 4:8 NCV
The Brooklyn Bridge, which links Brooklyn to Manhattan Island, is one of the most famous bridges in the world. When it was first conceived in 1867, bridge-building experts throughout the world told the designer, a creative engineer by the name of John Roebling, that his idea wouldn’t work. Roebling convinced his son Washington, who was also an engineer, that his idea had merit. The two of them developed a concept, resolved the problems others had forecast, and enthusiastically hired a crew to build the bridge.
After only a few months of building, a tragic on-site accident took John’s life, and another event months later severely injured Washington, who became unable to talk or walk. Everyone thought the project would be abandoned, since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew the dynamics of building the bridge. Washington, however, could still think, and he had a burning desire to see the bridge finished.
As he lay in his hospital bed, he had an idea. He would communicate with the engineers by using one finger to tap out in code on his wife’s arm what he wanted her to tell them. Washington tapped out his instructions for thirteen years until the bridge was built! That’s the conquering spirit.
The apostle Paul talks about it this way: “We have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated. We do not know what to do, but we do not give up the hope of living. We are persecuted, but God does not leave us. We are hurt sometimes, but we are not destroyed” (vv. 8-9 NCV). Those words constitute the conquering spirit – the spirit God can give you.
Soul food: 2 Chr 8-11; John 11:17-27; Ps 8; Prov 26:23-26
2025-11-12
Ephesians 2:10 NLT
A minister writes: “To the average eye, it was a mutilated piece of marble. The aborted sculpture had been abandoned a half century earlier… but a young artist named Michelangelo saw something in that stone others did not. Chiseling the eighteen-foot block of marble would consume nearly four years of his life, but that seemingly worthless stone was destined to become what many consider the greatest statue ever sculpted… Michelangelo resurrected a dead stone and, breathing his artistry into it, brought David into existence.
As he chiseled… he believed the masterpiece was already inside the stone. All he had to do was remove the excess stone so David could escape. He didn’t see what was. He saw what could be… He didn’t see the imperfections in the stone. He saw a masterpiece of unparalleled beauty.
And that is precisely how the Artist [God] sees you. ‘We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.’ Every work of art originates in the imagination of the artist. And so you originated in the imagination of God. You were conceived by God long before you were conceived by your parents. You took shape in the imagination of the Almighty before you took shape in your mother’s womb.”
Regardless of what others think of you, or what you think of yourself, God sees you as a potential masterpiece. To see yourself as anything other than that is to devalue and alter your true identity. And it’s in discovering your true identity that you discover God has a plan for your life.
Soul food: 2 Chr 5-7; John 11:1-16; Ps 83:9-18; Prov 26:17-22
Efesiërs 2:10 ABA
‘n Dominee skryf: ‘Vir die gemiddelde oog was dit net ‘n stuk gekapte marmer. ‘n Jong kunstenaar genaamd Michelangelo het egter iets in hierdie klip gesien wat niemand anders kon nie. Om die agtien voet blok marmer te beitel, sou byna vier jaar van sy lewe in beslag neem. Hierdie oënskynlik waardelose klip was bestem om, wat baie mense beskou as die beste standbeeld wat nog ooit gebeeldhou is, te word. Michelangelo het ‘n dooie klip weer lewe gegee en deur sy kunssinnigheid daarin te blaas, het hy die Dawidbeeld tot stand gebring.
Terwyl hy gebeitel het, het hy geglo dat die meesterstuk reeds binne-in die klip was. Al wat hy moes doen, was om die oortollige klip te verwyder sodat die beeld van Dawid kon ontsnap. Hy het nie gesien wat was nie, hy het gesien wat kan wees. Hy het nie die onvolmaakthede in die klip gesien nie, hy het ‘n meesterstuk van ongeëwenaarde skoonheid gesien.
Dit is presies hoe die Kunstenaar [God] jou sien. ‘want dit is God wat ons gemaak het wat ons is… God het hierdie goeie dinge wat ons moet doen, lank gelede gereedgemaak.’ Elke kunswerk ontstaan in die kunstenaar se verbeelding. So het jy in die verbeelding van God ontstaan. Jy het gestalte in die verbeelding van die Almagtige gekry voordat jy gestalte in jou moeder se skoot gekry het.’
Maak nie saak wat ander van jou dink of hoe jy oor jouself dink nie, God sien jou as ‘n potensiële meesterstuk. Om jouself as enigiets anders as dit te sien, is om jou ware identiteit te devalueer en te verander. Jy ontdek ook dat God ‘n plan met jou lewe het, wanneer jy jou ware identiteit ontdek.
Sielskos: 2 Kro 5-7; Joh 11:1-16; Ps 83:9-18; Spr 26:17-22
2025-11-11
Romans 12:6 NCV
A pastor writes: “God used a seemingly random skill to strategically position David. And the slingshot skill isn’t the only example… When David played the harp, it soothed Saul’s spirit [See 1 Samuel 16:23]. That’s how David met Jonathan [King Saul’s son]. That’s how he learned the customs of the king’s court. Without his musical skills, David wouldn’t have even gotten a foot in the door!
You never know what skill God will use for His purposes, so don’t underestimate the strangest of skills. God can use anything… for His purposes if we simply allow ourselves to be used by Him. God used Noah’s boat-building skills, Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams, and the Magi’s astrological knowledge. No skill is unredeemable or unusable in God’s grand scheme…
But here’s what you need to see: the greatest psalms came out of the worst circumstances… The most comforting psalms were written in the most uncomfortable situations. David is walking through the valley of the shadow of death. David is agonizing over his adulterous affair with Bathsheba. David is a fugitive hiding out in the caves of Adullam. David didn’t want to be in any of those situations, but [they] produced the profound lyrics we find in Psalm 23, Psalm 51, and Psalm 142.
Maybe you’re wrestling with depression or reeling from a mistake that seems unforgivable, or just sick and tired of being sick and tired… So you may not like your present circumstances, but they may be the key to your character development. And character development is the key to your future.”
Soul food: 2 Chr 1-4; John 10:22-42; Ps 83:1-8; Prov 26:13-16
Romeine 12:6 NLV
‘n Pastoor skryf: ‘God het ‘n onkonvensionele gawe gebruik om Dawid strategies te posisioneer. Sy gawe met die slingervel is nie die enigste voorbeeld daarvan nie. Toe Dawid op die harp gespeel het, het dit Saul se gees gesus (sien 1 Samuel 16:23). Dit is hoe Dawid vir Jonatan (koning Saul se seun) ontmoet het. Dit is hoe hy die gebruike van die koning se hof geleer het. Sonder sy musikale gawe sou David nie eers ‘n voet in die deur gekry het nie!
Jy weet nooit watter gawe God vir sy doeleindes sal gebruik nie, moet dus nie jou gawe onderskat nie. God kan enigiets vir sy doeleindes gebruik, as ons bloot toelaat dat ons deur Hom gebruik word. God het Noag se bootbouvaardighede en Josef se vermoë om drome te interpreteer, gebruik. Geen gawe is onnodig of onbruikbaar in God se groot plan nie.
Jy moet egter besef: die grootste psalms is onder die ergste omstandighede geskryf. Die mees vertroostende psalms is in die ongemaklikste situasies geskryf. Dawid loop deur die dal van doodskaduwee. Dawid kwel hom oor sy owerspelige verhouding met Batseba. Dawid is ‘n voortvlugtige wat in grotte wegkruip. David wou nie in enige van daardie situasies wees nie, maar dit het die diep woorde wat ons in Psalm 23, Psalm 51 en Psalm 142 lees, voortgebring.
Miskien worstel jy met depressie of steier jy onder ‘n fout wat onvergeeflik lyk, of dalk is jy net siek en sat daarvan om siek en sat te voel. Jy mag dalk nie van jou huidige omstandighede hou nie, maar dit mag dalk die sleutel tot jou karakterontwikkeling wees. Karakterontwikkeling is die sleutel tot jou toekoms.’
Sielskos: 2 Kro 1-4; Joh 10:22-42; Ps 83:1-8; Spr 26:13-16
