2025-12-07
Efesiërs 2:10 NLV
Die woord ‘voorberei’ word van ‘n antieke gebruik om dienaars voor ‘n koning uit te stuur om dinge vir sy aankoms gereed te maak, afgelei. Die Koning van Konings gaan egter voor sy dienaars uit en berei die pad vir ons voor. Ons weet dit nie vooraf nie, daarom moet ons ons vrese oorkom, in geloof uittree en Hom volg. Soos ons op ons pad terugkyk, kan ons sê: ‘U goedheid en trou vergesel my al die dae van my lewe…’ (Psalm 23:6 NLV).
Let die woorde in Efesiërs 2:10 (NLV) op: ‘die goeie werke wat Hy vir ons bestem het’. Wanneer jy God volg, loop jy op ‘n pad wat vir jou voorberei is. Dis belangrik om dit in gedagte te hou. Wanneer jy jouself in moeilike omstandighede bevind, moet jy weet dat God jou treë rig (sien Psalm 37:23). Jy het hierdie versekering, omdat jy weet dat God elke gebeurlikheid in jou lewe oorweeg het en dat Hy altyd jou beste belange op die hart dra.
Die Psalmdigter Dawid het geskryf: ‘Here, U deursoek my en ken my. U weet of ek sit en of ek opstaan. U ken my gedagtes van ver af. Of ek op pad is, en of ek gaan lê, elke oomblik weet U waar ek is. Selfs voordat ek praat, Here, weet U al wat ek gaan sê… U hand van seën is op my. Dié kennis laat my in verwondering, dit is vir my te hoog om te begryp!’ (Psalm 139:1-6 NLV).
As Dawid, wat God ‘n man na sy hart genoem het (sien Handelinge 13:22), dit nie kon begryp nie, sal jy ook nie kan nie. God verwag egter nie van jou om Hom uit te pluis nie; Hy vra slegs dat jy Hom moet vertrou.
Sielskos: Josua 1:7-8; 2 Tim 3:14-17; Ps 119:1-16
Ephesians 2:10 NIV
The word “prepared” derives from an ancient custom of sending servants ahead of a king to have things ready for his arrival. But the King of Kings goes in advance of His servants and prepares the road ahead of us. We don’t know this in advance, so we have to overcome our fears, step out in faith, and follow Him. And as we look back, we can say, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (Psalm 23:6 KJV).
In Ephesians 2:10, notice the words “good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” When you follow God, you’re walking a prepared path. It’s important to keep this in mind. When you find yourself in difficult circumstances, you need to know that God is directing your footsteps (See Psalm 37:23). You have assurance because you know that God has considered every contingency in your life and that He always has your best interest at heart.
The psalmist David wrote: “I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight. You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too – your reassuring presence, coming and going… I can’t take it all in!” (Psalm 139:1-6 MSG).
If David, whom God called “a man after My own heart” (Acts 13:22 NKJV), couldn’t take it all in, you won’t either. But God is not asking you to figure Him out; He is just asking you to trust Him.
Soul food: Josh 1:7-8; 2 Tim 3:14-17; Ps 119:1-16
2025-12-06
Psalm 101:4 DB
As tiener het Megan net betyds van die skool af gekom om ‘n uur se sepies te kyk voordat sy met haar huiswerk moes begin. Sy het die ontsnapping geniet en was nie daarvan bewus dat die programme seksuele nuuskierigheid in haar aangewakker het nie. Na jare se blootstelling aan hierdie sepies het haar perspektief op die lewe ‘n verandering ondergaan. Sy het begin dink: ‘Verhoudings hoef nie suiwer te wees nie. Trouens, die onsuiweres lyk meer opwindend. Getrouheid maak nie saak nie, solank ‘n persoon gelukkig is.’ As universiteitstudent het Megan dit maklik gevind om rond te slaap.
Nadat ‘n kort huwelik rampspoedig as gevolg van haar ontrouheid geëindig het, het sy by ‘n berader aangeklop. Aanvanklik was dit moeilik vir die berader om te verstaan waarom Megan by buite-egtelike verhoudings betrokke raak. Sy was ‘n voorbeeldige tiener in terme van haar openbare gedrag by die huis, kerk en skool. Uiteindelik het die berader die bron van die versoeking wat Megan gedryf het om aan haar sogenaamde verborge lewe deel te neem, ontdek.Wat jy op televisie en die internet kyk, word deel van jou geheuebank. Jy bêre beelde op lêer wat Satan teen jou sal gebruik.
Dawid se verhouding met Batseba het met ‘n verkeerde kyk begin en uiteindelik op ‘n tragedie uitgeloop. Later het Dawid geskryf: ‘Daar by my huis wil ek so leef dat U daarop trots kan wees. Ek wil niks met slegte dinge te doen hê nie… Van allerhande slegte gedagtes wil ek wegbly, en aan dinge waarvan die Here nie hou nie, wil ek nie eens dink nie… Ek hou baie van mense wat die Here getrou dien en doen wat reg is. Hulle is meer as welkom by my…’ (verse 2-4, 6 DB).
Sielskos: Neh 1-4; Joh 18:1-11; Ps 148:7-14; Spr 29:16-21
Psalm 101:2-3 NLT
As a teen, Megan arrived home from school just in time to watch an hour of soap operas before doing her homework. She enjoyed the escape into the TV world and wasn’t aware that the programs were arousing sexual curiosity in her. After years of exposure to these soaps, her perspective on life took a shift. She began to think, “Relationships don’t need to be pure. In fact, the impure ones seem more exciting. Fidelity doesn’t matter, as long as a person is happy.” As a college student, Megan found it easy to participate in one-night stands.
Then after a short marriage ended in catastrophe as a result of her infidelity, she sought help from a counsellor. At first it was difficult for the counsellor to understand why Megan engaged in extramarital affairs. She had been a model teenager at home, church, and school, as far as her public behaviour was concerned. Finally the counsellor discovered the source of the temptation that drove Megan to participate in her supposed hidden life. What you watch on television and the internet becomes part of your memory bank. You’re putting images on file that Satan will use against you.
David’s affair with Bathsheba started with a wrong look and ended up bringing tragedy to his family. Later David wrote: “I will lead a life of integrity in my own home. I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar… I will reject perverse ideas and stay from every evil… I will search for faithful people to be my companions” (vv. 2-4, 6 NLT).
Soul food: Neh 1-4; John 18:1-11; Ps 148:7-14; Prov 29:16-21
2025-12-05
Luke 22:35 CEB
Jesus said, “Protect yourself against… greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot” (Luke 12:15 MSG). We live in a materialistic society that’s obsessed with accumulating stuff. But the more you have, the more you have to worry about. So, what do you suppose Jesus wanted to teach His disciples when He sent them out “without a wallet, bag, or sandals”?
Author Cynthia Ruchti asks: “Was He showing them He was all they would ever need? Did He want them to learn dependence on Him? Was He instructing them in the humility of accepting help from others – a bed for the night, a meal, a borrowed coat when temperatures dropped? Did He hope they would realize they could get along with fewer belongings? That their success depended on traveling light? That they would be safer from thieves along the journey if they had nothing worth stealing? Was it focus that Jesus cared about most? With nothing in their hands to distract them, would the disciples cling more diligently to His words and to the ministry of caring for people’s physical and spiritual needs?
The more I think about it, the more value I see in the ‘no baggage’ directive. What if I walked into my day, conscious of a no-wallet, no-extra-sandals mentality, intensely focused on Jesus, on His words and His mission, the mission He passed on to us? What if I measured success not by how much I accumulated but on how little I need to survive if I stay close to Jesus? What would I lack? Nothing!”
Soul food: Col 3-4; Philemon; John 17:13-26; Ps 148:1-6
