2024-12-03
Genesis 25:5 NLV
Abraham het vir Isak twee dinge gegee: sy materiële bates en ‘n goddelike voorbeeld. Wat kon hy nie vir hom gegee het nie? ‘n Persoonlike ervaring met God. Jou kinders moet God vir hulself ervaar. Isak se ontmoeting met God het gebeur toe hy ‘n krisis in sy lewe ervaar het. ‘…die Here… [het] aan hom verskyn en gesê: ‘Ek is die God van jou pa Abraham. Moenie bang wees nie, want Ek is by jou en sal jou seën…’ Toe bou Isak daar ‘n altaar en aanbid die Here…’ (Genesis 26:24-25 NLV).
Charlie Shedd vertel die verhaal van ‘n seuntjie wat by die skool ‘n opstel oor die volgende onderwerp moes skryf: ‘Hoe is ek gebore?’ Toe hy sy ma vra, het sy geantwoord: ‘Die ooievaar het jou gebring.’ Toe hy sy ma vra hoe sy gebore is, het sy geantwoord: ‘Die ooievaar het my ook gebring.’ Met die hoop dat sy ouma hom dalk sou kon help, het hy haar gevra hoe sy gebore is. Sy het geantwoord: ‘Dis maar deel van ons familiegeskiedenis; die ooievaar het my ook gebring!’ Dus het die seuntjie sy opstel met die volgende woorde begin: ‘Vir die afgelope drie generasies was daar nie ‘n normale geboorte in my familie nie!’
Op ‘n ernstiger noot: Jou kinders moet wedergebore word sodat hulle deel van God se verloste familie kan wees. Jy moet poog om hulle na Christus te lei terwyl hulle nog jonk is en hulle denke gevorm kan word. As jou kinders egter ouer is, is dit nie te laat nie. “‘…Hou op huil en droog af jou trane. Ek sal jou beloon vir jou moeite,’ sê die Here. ‘Jou kinders sal terugkom uit die land van die vyand. Daar is hoop vir die toekoms,’ sê die Here. ‘Jou kinders sal terugkom na hulle land toe'” (Jeremia 31:16-17 NLV).
Sielskos: Gen 28:1-30:24; Joh 15:1-17; Ps 14; Spr 31:22-24
Genesis 25:5 NKJV
Abraham gave Isaac two things: his material assets and a godly example. What could he not give him? A personal experience with God. Your children must experience God for themselves. Isaac’s God encounter happened when crisis hit his life. “The Lord appeared to him… and said, ‘I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you’… So he built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord” (Genesis 26:24-25 NJKV).
Charlie Shedd told the story of a little boy in school who was asked to write an essay on the topic, “How was I born?” When he asked his mother, she replied, “The stork brought you.” When he asked his mother how she was born, she replied, “The stork brought me too.” Hoping his grandmother would help him, he asked her how she was born. She replied, “It runs in the family; the stork brought me too!” So, he began his essay with these words: “There hasn’t been a normal birth in this family for three generations!”
Seriously, your children must be born again in order to be part of God’s redeemed family. And you should endeavor to lead them to Christ when they are young, and their thinking can be molded. But if your children are older, it’s not too late. “Don’t cry any longer, for I have heard your prayers and you will see them again; they will come back to you from the distant land of the enemy. There is hope for your future, says the Lord, and your children will come again to their own land” (Jeremiah 31:16-17 TLB).
Soul food: Gen 28:1-30:24; John 15:1-17; Ps 14; Prov 31:22-24
2024-12-02
Genesis 12:7 NLV
Die eerste ding wat Noag na die vloed gedoen het, was om ‘n altaar vir die Here te bou. Dink daaroor. Noag het ‘n altaar gehad voor hy ‘n huis gehad het. Die meeste van ons het huise, maar die outydse familiealtaar het feitlik verdwyn. Oral waar Abraham gegaan het, het hy ‘n altaar gebou. Hoekom?
1) ‘n Altaar is ‘n plek van gebed. Die Bybel sê: ‘Dis die plek waar Abram destyds die altaar gebou het. Hier het hy weer die Here aanbid’ (Genesis 13:4 NLV).
2) ‘n Altaar is ‘n plek van opoffering. ‘Toe hulle aankom by die plek wat God vir Abraham aangewys het, bou hy ‘n altaar en sit die hout daarop neer. Hy maak Isak vas en sit hom bo-op die hout op die altaar’ (Genesis 22:9 NLV). Wou God gehad het dat Abraham vir Isak moes doodmaak? Nee, God wou net weet: ‘Is daar enigiets wat Ek van jou kan vra wat jy nie bereid sal wees om te gee nie, of enigiets op aarde wat jy meer liefhet as vir My?’ God sal jou nie vra vir dit wat jy nie het nie, maar Hy sal jou dikwels vra vir iets wat jy graag wil behou. Opoffering oorwin die gees van hebsug, die vrees vir gebrek en jou fokus op ‘n selfgesentreerde lewe.
3) ‘n Altaar is ‘n plek van aanbidding. ‘Maak ook ‘n klein altaar van akasiahout om wierook daarop te brand’ (Eksodus 30:1 NLV). Die wierook wat smelt en die rook wat opstyg verteenwoording aanbidding aan God. Aanbidding is ‘n daad van intimiteit; dis om jou hart, jou liefde, jou lof en dank aan God te gee. Die Bybel beskryf dit as ‘…’n lieflike reukoffer…’ (Efesiërs 5:2 NLV). Bou dus vandag ‘n altaar.
Sielskos: Gen 25:19-27:46; Joh 14:26-31; Ps 146; Spr 31:18-21
Genesis 12:7 NKJV
After the flood, the first thing Noah did was build an altar to the Lord. Think about it. Noah had an altar before he had a home. Most of us have homes, but the old-fashioned family altar has virtually disappeared. Everywhere Abraham went, he built an altar. Why?
(1) An altar is a place of prayer. The Bible says that Abraham returned “to the place of the altar which he had made… And there Abram called on the name of the Lord” (Genesis 13:4 NKJV).
(2) An altar is a place of sacrifice. “Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar” (Genesis 22:9 NKJV). Did God want Abraham to slay Isaac? No, God just wanted to know, “Is there anything I could ask of you that you would be unwilling to give, or anything on earth you love more than me?” God will not ask you for what you don’t have, but He will often ask you for something you would like to keep. Sacrificial giving conquers the spirit of greed, the fear of lack, and your focus on self-centered living.
(3) An altar is a place of worship. “You shall make an altar to burn incense on” (Exodus 30:1 NKJV). As the incense melted and the smoke rose, it represented the worship of God. Worship is an act of intimacy; it’s the giving of your heart, your love, your praise, and thanksgiving to God. The Bible describes it as “a sweet-smelling aroma” (Ephesians 5:2 NKJV). So today, build an altar.
Soul food: Gen 25:19-27:46; John 14:26-31; Ps 146; Prov 31:18-21
2024-12-01
Luke 17:14 NKJV
Luke records: “There met Him ten… lepers, who… lifted up their voices and said, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’… He said to them, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And… as they went, they were cleansed” (vv. 12-14 NKJV).
In those days, when someone was cured of leprosy, a priest had to pronounce them clean before they could re-enter society. The Bible doesn’t tell us how far away the priest was, how long the journey was, or whether their healing took place at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end.
There is an important lesson here for those who struggle with addictions. It’s wonderful when God delivers us instantly. But lots of people have the same experience as these ten lepers: “As they went, they were cleansed.” Sometimes you have to walk out your deliverance step by step, trusting God until it’s complete. And this is when we as followers of Christ have to be compassionate, show patience, and stay with them until they are made whole. For example, those who are addicted to pornography deal with a problem that is mental and moral. The same emotional bonding hormones released after sex are released viewing porn. That makes it a powerful addiction.
One man who was finally set free from it said this: “It was a matter of renewing my mind with the Word, as well as having real discipline and accountability to someone who understood my problem. I had to find people I could trust; people who wouldn’t humiliate me or gossip about me, people who would offer firm and loving friendship.” Bottom line: God doesn’t give up on hurting people, and neither should we.
Soul food: Luke 10:38-42; John 11:1-44; John 12:1-3
