2025-04-27
1 Chronicles 4:9 NKJV
The name Jabez means “pain and trouble.” Perhaps that’s why no other parent in Scripture gave their child that name. But it’s a label he refused to wear and a name he refused to be defined by. A label usually tells you what is in a bottle; its contents and even its value. And when you accept the labels people try to put on you, you start to believe that’s who you really are and that you will never become anything more than that. The Bible says, “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7 KJV). People will use past experiences to label and limit you. They will also use your physical, mental, and emotional characteristics to label and limit you.
What should you do? Do what Jabez did – go to God! In the final analysis, His opinion about your past, present, and future is the one that matters most. Plus, He loves you and has a plan for your life. Jabez prayed a prayer that changed his life, and it will change your life too. “‘Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!’ So God granted him what he requested” (1 Chronicles 4:10 NKJV).
Jabez asked God for four things: blessing, influence, power, and protection. And God gave them to him. So, today you have a choice; believe what others say about you, or believe what God says about you. When you look at it that way, the choice is clear.
Soul food: Exo 20:8-11; Exo 16:1-31; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 13:10-17
2025-04-26
Hebreërs 10:36 NLV
Hoe lank moet jy aanhou bid en God vir die antwoord vertrou? Die volgende Skrifgedeelte spreek hierdie vraag aan: ‘Moenie hierdie vertroue in God deur julle vingers laat glip nie. Dit hou vir julle ‘n groot beloning in. Wat julle nodig het, is om te volhard sodat julle kan voortgaan om God se wil te gehoorsaam. Dan sal julle ontvang wat God beloof het’ (verse 35-36 NLV). Baie van God se beloftes het spesifieke tydslyne en jy het langtermyn geloof nodig om dit te ontvang.
Sien jouself as iemand wat ‘n marathon hardloop en vasbeslote is om die wedloop te voltooi en die prys te ontvang. Jy sê: ‘Ek is nie seker wat God se wil in hierdie saak is nie.’ Wat sê God se Woord? Dis wat jy moet gehoorsaam, waarop jy moet staan en oor jou situasie moet spreek. Vir twintig jaar lank het Abraham na die naghemel gekyk en geglo: ‘Here, U het gesê dat my kinders so baie soos die sterre in die hemel sal wees. Ek weet nie hoe U dit gaan doen nie, want ek is ‘n honderd jaar oud en my vrou Sara is negentig jaar oud. Ek gaan U egter in elk geval glo’ (sien Genesis 15:5-6).
Wanneer jy so bid, loop jy die risiko om dwaas in ander mense se oë te lyk. Die ontvangs van wonderdade kan behels dat jy dwaas mag lyk, soos Jesus wat vir diensknegte gesê het om potte met water te vul, terwyl hulle wyn nodig gehad het. Of om klei op ‘n blinde man se oë te vryf sodat hy kan sien. Die bruilofsgaste het egter die beste wyn gedrink, en die blinde het sy sig teruggekry. Hoekom? Omdat hulle op die woord wat Jesus vir hulle gegee het, gestaan het. Jy moet dieselfde doen.
Sielskos: Num 11-13; Mark 2:18-28; Ps 2; Spr 10:30-32
Hebrews 10:36 NKJV
How long should you keep praying and believing God for the answer? This Scripture addresses your question: “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise” (vv. 35-36 NKJV). Many of God’s promises have timelines, and you need long-distance faith to receive them.
Note the word “endurance,” and picture yourself as a marathon runner determined to finish the race and receive the prize. Note the words “after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.” You say, “I’m not sure what God’s will in this matter is.” What does God’s Word say? That’s what you must obey, stand on, and speak over your situation. For twenty years Abraham looked up into the night sky believing: “Lord, you said my children would be as numerous as the stars. I don’t know how you’re going to do it because I’m a hundred years old and my wife Sarah is ninety. But I’m going to believe you anyway” (See Genesis 15:5-6).
When you pray that way, you risk looking foolish in the eyes of others. But receiving the miraculous can involve looking ridiculous, like Jesus telling servants to fill pots with water when what they needed was wine. Or rubbing clay on a blind man’s eyes so that he would receive his sight. But the wedding guests drank the finest wine, and the blind man went home seeing. Why? Because they stood on the word Jesus gave them. And you must do that too.
Soul food: Num 11-13; Mark 2:18-28; Ps 2; Prov 10:30-32
2025-04-25
Mark 2:3 NKJV
You say, “I don’t have faith to be healed.” Then find some prayer partners with faith. “Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith… He said to the paralytic, ‘I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.’ Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We never saw anything like this!'” (vv. 3-5, 10-12 NKJV). Notice two important phrases in this story. First, “when they had broken through.” Second, “When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic.”
If you don’t have faith to be healed, look for those who can carry you into the presence of Jesus in prayer, believe God for you, and who can “pray through” until God answers. This paralyzed man needed four friends with faith – you only need two. Jesus said, “If two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:19 NKJV).
This raises some important questions. How often do you pray? Daily? Weekly? Monthly? Only when you have a problem you cannot solve? Are all your prayers self-focused, or do you pray for others? To have prayer partners when you need them, you must be one.
Soul food: Num 8-10; Mark 2:1-17; Ps 35; Prov 10:28-29
Markus 2:3 NLV
Jy sê: ‘Ek het nie die geloof om genees te word nie.’ Kry dan gebedsmaats met geloof. “Daar daag toe vier mans by Hom op wat ‘n verlamde persoon op ‘n mat dra. As gevolg van die baie mense kon hulle hom nie tot by Jesus bring nie. Daarom het hulle ‘n gat deur die dak bokant Jesus se kop gemaak. Toe laat hulle die mat waarop die sieke gelê het, deur die dak sak. Toe Jesus hulle geloof sien, sê Hy vir die verlamde man… ‘Ek beveel jou, staan op, vat jou mat en gaan gesond na jou huis toe!’ Net daar het die man opgespring, sy mat geneem en voor almal se oë buitetoe gegaan. Hulle was almal verstom en het God geprys en uitgeroep: ‘So iets het ons nog nooit tevore gesien nie!'” (verse 3-5, 10-12 NLV).
As jy nie geloof het om genees te word nie, wees op die uitkyk vir diegene wat jou in gebed na Jesus se teenwoordigheid kan dra, wat namens jou in God kan glo en tot Hom kan bid totdat Hy antwoord. Hierdie verlamde man het vier vriende met geloof nodig gehad – jy het net twee nodig. Jesus het gesê: ‘Boonop verseker Ek julle: As twee van julle hier op aarde sou saamstem oor enigiets wat julle van God behoort te vra, sal my hemelse Vader dit vir jullle doen’ (Matteus 18:19 NLV).
Dit laat ‘n paar vrae ontstaan. Hoe gereeld bid jy? Daagliks? Weekliks? Maandeliks? Slegs wanneer jy ‘n probleem het wat jy nie kan oplos nie? Is al jou gebede op jouself gefokus, of bid jy vir ander? Om gebedsmaats te hê wanneer jy dit nodig het, moet jy self een wees.
Sielskos: Num 8-10; Mark 2:1-17; Ps 35; Spr 10:28-29
