2025-02-12
John 5:20 NIV
These three things define the relationship Jesus had with His Father, and they are a blueprint for the kind of relationship you need to build with God: intimacy, dependency, obedience. First: Let’s look at intimacy. Jesus said, “For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.” You only reveal yourself, including your innermost thoughts and secrets, to someone with whom you are intimate. And when you become intimate with God, He will share with you things that others are not privy to.
David’s greatest passion was to know God intimately. In Psalm 25:4 he writes: “Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths” (NIV). Then he follows up by saying, “The Lord confides in those who fear [honour] him” (v. 14 NIV). Having an intimate relationship with God involves three things:
(a) Desire. The truth is that you are as close to God right now as you desire to be; otherwise, you would rearrange your priorities to make it happen.
(b) Discipline. This calls for spending time alone with God in prayer and Bible reading each day. When you pray, you’re talking to God. When you read the Bible, God is talking to you.
(c) Delight. “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4 NKJV). Something wonderful happens when you “delight yourself in the Lord.” His desires become “the desires of your heart,” so He can trust you with them.
Do you want a more intimate relationship with the Lord? If you are willing to pursue it, you can have it.
Soul food: Gen 32-34; Luke 9:46-56; Ps 145:14-21; Prov 4:23-24
2025-02-11
Luke 7:47 NLT
The Bible says: “One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him… When a certain immoral woman… heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them. When the Pharisee… saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!'” (vv. 36-39 NLT).
Then Jesus answered his thoughts. What did Jesus tell this Pharisee? The same thing that He is saying to you today: It’s your past that qualifies you to worship God. “I tell you, her sins – and they are many – have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love” (v. 47 NLT). The depths of sin from which she had been lifted caused her to rise to heights in worship that this Pharisee couldn’t understand.
If there is a worship leader in Scripture, it’s David. Looking back, he writes: “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He… heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth – praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:1-3 NKJV). So, the word for you today is – your past qualifies you as a worshiper!
Soul food: Gen 30:25-31:55; Luke 9:37-45; Ps 145:1-13; Prov 4:20-22
Lukas 7:47 NLV
Die Bybel sê: ‘Een van die Fariseërs het Jesus na sy huis toe genooi vir ‘n maaltyd… ‘n Sekere vrou van losse sedes het gehoor dat Hy daar is en het ‘n albaste fles met duur aromatiese olies gebring. Sy het agter Jesus gekniel, by sy voete, en gehuil. Haar trane het op sy voete geval en sy het dit met haar hare afgevee. Toe het sy sy voete bly soen en aromatiese olie daaraan gesmeer. Die Fariseër wat… sien wat gebeur… het… vir homself gesê: ‘Dit bewys dat Jesus geen profeet is nie. As God hom werklik gestuur het, sou hy geweet het watter soort vrou hom aanraak. Sy is ‘n sondaar!’ (verse 36-39 NLV).
Toe het Jesus sy gedagtes geantwoord. Wat het Jesus vir die Fariseër gesê? Dieselfde wat Hy vandag vir jou sê: Dis jou verlede wat jou kwalifiseer om God te aanbid. ‘Ek sê vir jou, haar sondes – en dit is baie – is vergewe, en daarom bewys sy My baie liefde. Maar iemand vir wie min sondes vergewe is, betoon maar min liefde!’ (vers 47 NLV).
As daar nou een aanbiddingsleier in die Bybel is, is dit Dawid. Hy het geskryf: ‘Ek het met hunkering op die Here gewag. Hy het afgebuig en my geroep gehoor, en my opgetel uit die afgrond van die dood, uit die modder en die slym. Hy het my voete op ‘n rots laat staan en my op vaste grond laat loop. Hy het my ‘n nuwe lied gegee, ‘n lofsang om ons God te prys. Baie sal met eerbied toekyk. Hulle sal op die Here vertrou’ (Psalm 40:2-4 NLV). Die woord vir jou vandag is dus – jou verlede kwalifiseer jou as ‘n aanbidder!
Sielskos: Gen 30:25-31:55; Luk 9:37-45; Ps 145:1-13; Spr 4:20-22
2025-02-10
Matteus 14:30 NLV
Toe Petrus op bevel van Jesus uit die skuit geklim het, het hy iets gedoen wat hy nog nooit vantevore gedoen het nie; iets wonderbaarliks – om op water te loop. Solank as wat hy bly glo het, was hy suksesvol, maar toe vrees hom oorweldig, het hy begin sink. Die Bybel sê: ‘Maar toe hy die hoë golwe rondom hom sien, het hy paniekerig geword en begin sink. Hy skree toe vir Jesus: ‘Here, red my!’ Jesus het onmiddellik sy hand uitgesteek en hom gegryp…’ (verse 30-31 NLV). Petrus se fout was dat hy behep met die storm geraak het. Toe hy op die omstandighede rondom hom, in plaas van op die Redder naby hom, begin fokus het, het hy sy geloof verloor en begin twyfel.
Abraham het voor ‘n ander, maar net so moeilike stel omstandighede te staan gekom. Hy het ‘n seun gekry toe hy reeds amper honderd jaar oud was. Die Bybel sê egter: ‘Abraham het nie getwyfel aan God se belofte nie; inteendeel, sy geloof het sterker geword en so het hy eer aan God gegee’ (Romeine 4:20 NLV). Abraham was bewus van sy situasie, maar anders as Petrus was hy nie behep daarmee nie. Dit was sy gedetermineerde en gefokusde geloof wat hom vorentoe na sukses gedryf het.
Jy kan uit Petrus se fout en Abraham se voorbeeld leer. Jy kan bewus van jou omstandighede wees, maar nie behep daarmee wees nie. Jy kan doelbewus jou aandag op Jesus hou en in geloof vertrou dat Hy die wonderwerk wat jy nodig het, sal voorsien. Die woord vir jou vandag is dus – hou jou oë op Jesus, bly op dit wat Hy in sy Woord aan jou beloof het gefokus, hou aan in geloof wandel en jy sal kom waar jy nodig het om te wees.
Sielskos: Gen 28:1-30:24; Luk 9:28-36; Ps 141; Spr 4:18-19
Matthew 14:30 NLT
When Peter stepped out of the boat at the command of Jesus, he was doing something he had never done before; something miraculous – walking on water. As long as he remained in faith, he was successful, but when fear gripped his heart, he began to sink. The Bible says, “When he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. ‘Save me, Lord!’ he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him” (vv. 30-31 NLT). Peter’s mistake was that he became preoccupied with the storm. When he focused on the circumstances around him rather than on the Saviour close to him, he lost his faith and began to doubt.
Abraham faced a different but equally difficult set of circumstances: fathering a son when he was almost one hundred years old. But the Bible says, “Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God” (Romans 4:20 NLT). Abraham was aware of his situation, but unlike Peter, he was not preoccupied with it. It was his determined and focused faith that propelled him forward to success.
And you can learn from Peter’s mistake and Abraham’s example. You can be aware of your circumstances, but not preoccupied with them. You can purposely keep your mind on Jesus, trusting in faith that He will provide the miracle you need. So, the word for you today is – keep your eyes on Jesus, stay focused on what He has promised you in His Word, keep walking by faith, and you will get to where you need to be.
Soul food: Gen 28:1-30:24; Luke 9:28-36; Ps 141; Prov 4:18-19
