2024-11-29
Proverbs 16:23 AMPC
The Bible says, “The mind of the wise instructs his mouth, and adds learning and persuasiveness to his lips. Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the mind and healing to the body” (vv. 23-24 AMPC). Your thoughts and your words are intimately connected. Because of this, it’s important that you think pleasant thoughts so that you can speak pleasant words. Your thoughts are silent words that not only you and the Lord hear, but when verbalized, affect your emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being. Solomon says, “Pleasant words are… healing.”
Your thoughts are silent words that affect your inner man, your health, your joy, and your attitude. The things we think about often come out of our mouths and sometimes make us look foolish. But if we live God’s way, our thoughts and words can make our lives and the lives of others more enjoyable. The New International Version of the Bible says, “The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent, and their lips promote instruction” (v. 23). Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can let your thought life run in any worldly direction it wants and then fake it by speaking godly words. Either both are pleasing, or both are negative and sinful. There is no middle ground.
Paul writes, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5 NKJV). Scripture is your doorway into a new realm of living. As you spend time letting Jesus adjust your thinking, you won’t have to think about speaking pleasant words, wise words, instructive words, or healing words. It will just happen naturally.
Soul food: Gen 20-23; John 14:1-14; Ps 118:10-18; Prov 31:10-13
2024-11-28
1 Chronicles 4:10 NKJV
The story of Jabez takes up only two Scriptures, but they contain life-changing truth: “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, ‘Because I bore him in pain.’ And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, ‘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” (vv. 9-10 NKJV). That prayer could be reduced to these words: “I want to grow; I want to know; I want to go!”
The biggest danger you face is the idea that you will make personal growth a priority later. Don’t fall into that rut. Someone said, “The only difference between a rut and a grave is the length!” If you want to reach your God-given potential, you need to do more than simply experience life and hope you learn what you need to know as you travel along. You must capture growth opportunities as if your future requires it – because it does. Growth doesn’t just occur; you have to pursue it.
You say, “But I’m afraid of failing.” All of us have fears. But there is good news: All of us have faith. “God has dealt to each one a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3 NKJV). The question you must ask yourself is, “Which one will I allow to be stronger, my fears or my faith?” God has great things in store for you, so rise up in faith and begin to seize them.
Soul food: Gen 17-19; John 13:31-38; Ps 118:1-9; Prov 31:6-9
1 Kronieke 4:10 NLV
Die verhaal van Jabes beslaan slegs twee verse in die Skrif, maar bevat ‘n lewensveranderende waarheid: ‘Jabes was meer geëerd as sy broers. Sy ma het hom Jabes genoem omdat sy geboorte so pynlik was. Hy was die een wat tot die God van Israel gebid en gesê het: ‘Laat u seën op my rus en vergroot my grond! Wees asseblief met my in alles wat ek doen, en bewaar my van moeilikheid en pyn!’ En God het sy versoek gehoor en dit gedoen’ (verse 9-10 NLV). Hierdie gebed kan in die volgende woorde opgesom word: ‘Ek wil groei; ek wil weet; ek wil vorentoe beweeg!’
Die grootste gevaar waarin jy jouself kan bevind, is die idee dat jy persoonlike groei later ‘n prioriteit sal maak. Moenie in daardie groef val nie. Iemand het gesê: ‘Die enigste verskil tussen ‘n groef en ‘n graf is die diepte daarvan!’ As jy jou Godgegewe potensiaal wil bereik, moet jy meer doen as om net die lewe te ervaar en te hoop dat jy dit wat jy nodig het, langs die pad sal leer. Jy moet geleenthede vir groei aangryp asof jou toekoms daarvan afhang – want dit doen. Groei gebeur nie net nie; jy moet dit najaag.
Jy sê: ‘Maar ek is bang ek misluk.’ Almal van ons het vrese. Die goeie nuus is egter dat almal van ons geloof het. ‘…Onthou dat julle geloof ‘n geskenk uit God se hand is…’ (Romeine 12:3 DB). Die vraag wat jy jouself moet afvra is: ‘Watter een gaan ek toelaat om sterkter te wees, my vrese of my geloof?’ God het groot dinge vir jou in gedagte, staan dus in geloof op en begin om dit op te eis.
Sielskos: Gen 17-19; Joh 13:31-38; Ps 118:1-9; Spr 31:6-9
2024-11-27
Philippians 3:13 NKJV
Sam Parker writes: “When you decide to cross the line that separates failure from success, you’ll discover that not everyone will applaud your choice. Nor will everything go your way. There are those who have decided they would rather not cross the line and would prefer you didn’t either. And unfortunately, sometimes those people might be your friends. Maybe they will sprinkle a little doubt or withhold a little encouragement at just the right time (or even encourage you to do the wrong thing). Maybe they will be a little less subtle about it and just step directly in your way.
And then, every once in a while, there will be you – that inner voice that’s trying to tell you you’re not that special and that making something exceptional happen is for other people. Then there will be the work – hard work.
Good things are rarely easy, or cheap. Real effort and attention are the fundamentals behind everything. There are no quick fixes. There are no silver bullets. You have to earn your results and push yourself more often than not. You must also focus. That means eliminate distractions, and minimize your exposure to negative people, thoughts, and things that don’t serve the intent you have to succeed. Time moves quickly, and you can’t get it back. So, take good care of it. And learn to bounce back. Built into every mistake is increased knowledge and understanding.”
Paul put it this way: “One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal” (vv. 13-14 NKJV).
Soul food: Gen 13-16; John 13:18-30; Ps 114; Prov 31:1-5
Filippense 3:13 NLV
Sam Parker skryf: ‘Wanneer jy besluit om die lyn wat mislukking van sukses skei oor te steek, sal jy ontdek dat nie almal jou keuse toejuig nie. Alles sal ook nie noodwendig seepglad verloop nie. Daar is mense wat besluit het om nie die risiko te neem om die lyn oor te steek nie en hulle sal verkies dat jy dit ook nie doen nie. Ongelukkig is daardie mense soms jou vriende. Miskien sal hulle ‘n bietjie twyfel of ‘n bietjie aanmoediging weerhou (of jou selfs aanmoedig om die verkeerde ding te doen). Miskien sal hulle ‘n bietjie minder subtiel daaroor wees en jou direk daarvan probeer weerhou om die lyn oor te steek.
Jy sal dalk kort-kort ook in jou eie pad staan – daardie innerlike stem wat vir jou probeer sê dat jy nie so spesiaal is nie en dat ander mense, nie jy nie, uitsonderlike dinge laat gebeur. Dan sal daar die werk wees – harde werk.
Goeie dinge is selde maklik of goedkoop. Werklike inspanning en aandag is die grondbeginsels van sukses. Daar is geen kitsoplossings nie. Daar is geen silwer koeëls nie. Jy moet jou resultate verdien en jouself aanhou druk. Jy moet ook fokus. Dit beteken dat jy afleidings uitskakel en jou blootstelling aan negatiewe mense, gedagtes en dinge verminder. Tyd beweeg vinnig en jy kan dit nie terugkry nie. Sorg dus dat jy dit goed gebruik. Leer ook om weer op te staan. In elke fout is verhoogde kennis en begrip ingebou.’
Paulus stel dit so: ‘een ding is seker: ek vergeet dit wat agter my lê, en strek my uit na dit wat voorlê. Ek jaag wenpaal toe, na die hemelse prys…’ (verse 13-14 NLV).
Sielskos: Gen 13-16; Joh 13:18-30; Ps 114; Spr 31:1-5
