2025-01-18
Luke 15:25 NKJV
The parable of the prodigal son is about two boys and their father’s love for each. The younger one dishonoured his father and ended up in a pigpen. When he returned home, he had lost everything – except his father’s love. So no matter who you are or what you have done – God loves you and wants you in His family.
Jesus made an amazing statement: “When he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him” (v. 20 NKJV). Ancient Hebrew culture thought running was an undignified act for older men. Men wore long flowing robes, and had to pull them up around their waist to run, exposing their undergarments. But the father didn’t care about what people thought; he cared about his wayward son. Unfortunately, his older brother didn’t feel that way.
Do you understand why a lot of younger brothers are still out in the pigpen and don’t want to enter the church? Because they’re afraid older brothers will hit them with the mean hand of judgment instead of touching them with the welcoming hand of love. The older brother desires punishment, but the father provides pardon. The older brother requires guilt, but the father gives grace. The older brother wants revenge, but the father wants reconciliation.
Here is the good news: No matter how low you have fallen, know that as soon as you return, you will discover your heavenly Father facing you, extending open arms and a loving heart toward you.
Soul food: Isa 63-66; Luke 4:14-30; Ps 89:15-37; Prov 2:21-22
2025-01-17
Luke 18:13 NKJV
Jesus said: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men – extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other” (vv. 10-14 NKJV).
The difference between these two men is that the Pharisee was guilty of sins of the spirit, and the tax collector was guilty of the sins of the flesh. Pride shut the door of heaven to the Pharisee, and humility opened the door of heaven to the tax collector. The Pharisee said he was innocent but went home guilty. The tax collector acknowledged he was guilty and went home innocent.
Notice, he doesn’t use the usual word for mercy. The word used here dates back to the Hebrew word kippur, which means “atonement,” as in Yom Kippur, which means “the Day of Atonement.” The word atonement means “to cover.” What the tax collector said was, “God, I’m admitting what you already know is true about me. I am a sinful man with a sinful heart. God, will you cover me?” That’s all God needed to hear from him to save him – and that’s all God needs to hear from you too.
Soul food: Isa 58-62; Luke 4:1-13; Ps 89:1-14; Prov 2:20
Lukas 18:13 NLV
Jesus het gesê: ‘Twee mense het na die tempel toe gegaan om te bid. Die een was ‘n Fariseër en die ander ‘n tollenaar. Die Fariseër het stelling ingeneem en by homself gebid: ‘O God, ek is dankbaar teenoor U dat ek nie soos die ander mense is nie – diewe, onregverdiges, ontugtiges of ook soos hierdie tollenaar. Ek vas twee keer gedurende die week, en ek gee ‘n tiende van alles wat ek verdien!’ Die tollenaar het op ‘n afstand stelling ingeneem en wou selfs nie na die hemel opkyk nie. Hy het vol skuldbesef op sy bors geslaan en gesê: ‘O God, wees my as ‘n sondaar genadig!’ Ek sê vir julle: Hierdie man, eerder as die eerste een, gaan huis toe as iemand wie se saak met God reg is…’ (verse 10-14 NLV).
Die verskil tussen hierdie twee mans was dat die Fariseër skuldig aan sondes van die gees was, terwyl die tollenaar skuldig aan sondes van die vlees was. Trots het die deur na die hemel vir die Fariseër toegemaak, maar nederigheid het die deur van die hemel vir die tollenaar oopgemaak. Die Fariseër het gesê dat hy onskuldig is, maar het skuldig huis toe gegaan. Die tollenaar het erken dat hy skuldig was en het onskuldig huis toe gegaan.
Let op dat die tollenaar nie die gewone woord vir genade gebruik het nie. Die woord wat hier gebruik word, dateer terug na die Hebreeuse woord kippur toe, wat ‘versoening’ beteken. Die woord versoening beteken ‘om te bedek.’ Wat die tollenaar gesê het was: ‘God, ek erken ek is ‘n sondige man met ‘n sondige hart. God, sal U my bedek?’ Dit is al wat God van hom moes hoor om hom te red – en dit is al wat God van jou ook moet hoor.
Sielskos: Jes 58-62; Luk 4:1-13; Ps 89:1-14; Spr 2:20
2025-01-16
Filippense 3:8 NLV
Die ervarings wat jy gehad het voor jy jou lewe aan Christus toevertrou het, insluitend dinge waaroor jy spyt is, kan as verlossing dien en ten goede gebruik word. Voor Paulus vir Christus op die pad na Damaskus ontmoet het, het hy sy lewe daaraan gewy om die Ou Testamentiese wet te bestudeer. ‘…As lid van die Fariseërs het ek streng volgens Joodse wette gelewe. Ek was fanaties en het die kerk vervolg! Wat die gehoorsaamheid aan wette betref om my saak met God reg te maak, kon niemand ‘n vinger op my lê nie’ (verse 5-6 NLV).
Paulus kon in oënskou sy jare van studie as ‘n Fariseër as ‘n mors van tyd gesien het. God het hom egter daardeur voorberei om die Jode te wys dat Christus die vervulling van die geskrifte in die Ou Testament, wat hy so goed geken het, was. Dis maklik om in die strik te trap om te dink dat God eers op die dag toe ons Christus as ons Redder leer ken, in ons lewens begin werk het. Die Skrif sê egter dat Hy ons ‘vooruit’ ken, wat beteken dat Hy ons gekies en ons voorberei het lank voor ons Hom ooit ontmoet het (sien Romeine 8:29-30).
Dawid het gesê dat God al die dae van sy lewe nog voor hulle plaasgevind het, neergeskryf het (sien Psalm 139:16). Dieselfde is van jou waar. God is in jou lewe aan die werk op maniere waarvan jy onbewus is. ‘Dis mos God wat julle gewillig maak om te doen waarvan Hy hou, en Hy gee julle ook die vermoë om dit te kán doen!’ (Filippense 2:13 NLV). Geloof verander die vraag: ‘Is God aan die werk?’ na ‘n verklarende uitdrukking van geloof: ‘God is aan die werk!’
Sielskos: Jes 53-57; Luk 3:21-38; Ps 84; Spr 2:16-19
Philippians 3:8 NLT
The experiences you had before you committed your life to Christ, including things you regret, can be redeemed, and put to good use. Before Paul met Christ on the Damascus road, his life had been dedicated to the study of Old Testament law. “I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault” (vv. 5-6 NLT).
Looking back, Paul may have considered his years of study as a Pharisee to be wasted. But God had prepared him to show the Jews how Christ was the fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures he knew so well. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that God doesn’t begin working in our lives until the day we come to know Christ as Saviour. Scripture says that He “foreknew” us, meaning He chose and prepared us long before we ever met Him (See Romans 8:29-30).
David says that God wrote out all the days of his life before they ever came to pass (See Psalm 139:16 NKJV), and that’s true for you. God is at work in your life in ways you’re unaware of. Even when you’re unable to notice Him at work, He is always active in you, causing His good pleasure. “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13 NKJV). Faith changes the question “Is God at work?” into a declarative statement of faith: “God is at work!”
Soul food: Isa 53-57; Luke 3:21-38; Ps 84; Prov 2:16-19
