2025-04-07
Psalm 37:24 NLV
Every opportunity in life comes with two things: the possibility of succeeding, and the possibility of failing. When you reach the end of your life, your greatest regrets won’t be over your failures, but the opportunities you failed to seize because you were afraid of failing. So here are some principles to help you conquer the fear of failing:
(1) Be willing to try and fail at something. And when it happens, tell people. Why? Because that’s how you discover failure isn’t fatal.
(2) Find a project so big that you cannot do it without God’s help, then commit to it.
(3) Socialize with some impulsive types. Observe how they take risks without dying. Seeing and imitating is a great way to learn.
(4) The way we learn to take big steps of faith is by taking small steps of faith. Compliment someone you don’t know. Volunteer for an additional task at work. Go out of your way to help someone in need.
(5) Declare war on perfectionism. Instead of waiting until you can do it perfectly, do your best and tell yourself, “That’s good enough for now.”
(6) Be afraid, and obey God anyway. You will never totally defeat your fears, but you can diminish them to where they have less control of your life.
Here is a promise for you to stand on: “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand” (vv. 23-24 NLT).
Sielskos: Lev 23:26-25:55; Luk 21:29-38; Ps 50:16-23; Spr 10:4-7
2025-04-06
Genesis 37:25 NKJV
If Abraham and Sarah had been willing to wait a little longer, Isaac would have been born and the promise of God fulfilled. But they became impatient, and as a result, Ishmael was born. One of the names given to God in Scripture is “Redeemer,” because He can redeem our mistakes and turn them into learning experiences; He can turn the mess you make into the miracle you need.
It took three generations, but God turned the mess Abraham made into the miracle of deliverance Joseph needed. Joseph’s destiny was to be ruler of Egypt and save his family and the world in time of famine. But because his brothers resented him, they sold him as a slave to “a company of Ishmaelites.” These were the descendants of Ishmael, who was born to Abraham and Hagar, Sarah’s maid. And where were these Ishmaelites going? To Egypt! “Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt… so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt” (vv. 25, 28 NKJV).
It’s not over until God says it’s over. He can turn the mess you made in the past into a miracle you need in the future. And that miracle will not only bless you, but others too. And perhaps those others will be in your own family, just as in the case of Joseph.
Soul food: 2 Ki 5:1-27; Matt 6:19-34; Acts 5:1-11
Genesis 37:25 NLV
As Abraham en Sara bereid was om net ‘n bietjie langer te wag, sou Isak gebore word en God se belofte vervul gewees het. Hulle het egter ongeduldig geword en gevolglik is Ismael gebore. Een van die name wat aan God in die Skrif gegee word, is ‘Verlosser,’ omdat Hy jou van jou foute kan verlos en dit in ‘n leerervaring kan verander; Hy kan die gemors wat jy maak in die wonderwerk wat jy nodig het, verander.
Dit het drie generasies geneem, maar God het die gemors wat Abraham gemaak het in die wonderwerk van bevryding wat Josef nodig gehad het, verander. Josef se lotsbestemming was om oor Egipte te heers en sy familie en die wêreld in ‘n tyd van hongersnood te red. Omdat sy broers egter wrokkig oor hom gevoel het, het hulle hom as slaaf aan ‘n groep Ismaelitiese handelaars verkoop. Hulle was die nageslag van Ismael, wat vir Abraham en Hagar, Sara se slavin, gebore is. Waarheen was hierdie Ismaeliete op pad? Egipte toe! ‘Net toe hulle gaan sit… sien hulle… ‘n groep Ismaelitiese handelaars wat gom, balsem en hars vanaf Gilead na Egipte toe neem… Toe die handelaars by hulle verbykom, trek die broers vir Josef op uit die put. Daarna verkoop hulle hom vir twintig stukke silwer. Die Ismaelitiese handelaars het hom saamgeneem Egipte toe’ (verse 25, 28 NLV).
Dis nie verby nie totdat God sê dis verby. Hy kan die gemors wat jy in die verlede gemaak het in ‘n wonderwerk wat jy in die toekoms gaan benodig, omskep. Hierdie wonderwerk sal nie net jou nie, maar ook ander mense seën. Miskien sal daardie ander mense jou eie familie wees, net soos in Josef se geval.
Sielskos: 2 Kon 5:1-27; Matt 6:19-34; Hand 5:1-11
2025-04-05
Matthew 1:5 NKJV
Humanly speaking, the chances of a Gentile like Ruth marrying a wealthy Jew like Boaz were less than zero, because the law of Moses forbade it. “An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the Lord; even to the tenth generation none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the Lord forever” (Deuteronomy 23:3 NKJV). If ever a door looked shut, locked, and bolted, it was this one. But when people and circumstances rule, God overrules. His résumé reads: “He who has the key… He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens” (Revelation 3:7 NKJV).
God, not people, holds the key to your future. Jesus said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27 NKJV). From this unusual combination of Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, accepted and rejected, would come Jesus the Redeemer of the world. The record reads, “Boaz begot Obed by Ruth.”
So, the word for you today is: the best is yet to come. Your walk with Christ can produce fruit that blesses your children and your grandchildren for generations to come. Live in the present and enjoy every day God gives you, but always keep the long view in mind. It’s not just about what God wants to do for you, but what He wants to do through you that will bless others. God told Abraham, “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing… And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:2-3 NKJV). Claim that promise!
Soul food: Lev 21:1-23:25; Luke 21-25-28; Ps 50:1-15; Prov 10:3
Matteus 1:5 NLV
Menslik gesproke was die kans dat ‘n nie-Joodse meisie soos Rut, met ‘n ryk Jood soos Boas sou trou minder as nul, omdat die wet van Moses dit verbied het: ‘Geen Ammoniet of Moabiet of enige van hulle nageslag tot in die tiende generasie mag ingesluit word in die vergadering van die Here nie’ (Deuteronomium 23:3 NLV). As daar nou ooit ‘n deur was wat toegemaak en gesluit was, was dit hierdie een. God heers egter oor mense en omstandighede. ‘…Hy wat die sleutel van Dawid hou en deure oopsluit, en niemand kan dit toesluit nie; Hy sluit en niemand kan dit weer oopmaak nie’ (Openbaring 3:7 NLV).
God, nie mense nie, hou die sleutel van jou toekoms vas. Jesus het gesê: ‘…Dié dinge wat by mense onmoontlik is, is juis by God moontlik’ (Lukas 18:27 NLV). Uit hierdie ongewone kombinasie van Jood en nie-Jood, ryk en arm, aanvaar en verwerp, sou Jesus, die Verlosser van die wêreld, voortgebring word. Die rekord lees dus: ‘…Boas die pa van Obed by Rut…’
Die woord vir jou vandag is – die beste kom nog. Jou pad met Christus kan vrugte voortbring, wat jou kinders en kleinkinders vir generasies wat nog kom sal, seën. Lewe in die hede en geniet elke dag wat God vir jou gee, maar hou altyd die toekoms in gedagte. Dit gaan nie net daaroor wat God vir jou wil doen nie, maar wat Hy deur jou, wat ander mense sal seën, wil doen. God het vir Abraham gesê: ‘Ek sal jou die voorvader maak van ‘n groot nasie. Ek sal jou seën sodat jy geëerd sal wees, en vir ander tot ‘n seën sal wees… Deur jou sal al die nasies op die aarde geseën word’ (Genesis 12:2-3 NLV). Eis hierdie belofte op!
Sielskos: Lev 21:1-23:25; Luk 21-25-28; Ps 50:1-15; Spr 10:3
