2024-06-14
2 Kings 6:6 KJV
Second Kings 6 tells of a prophet chopping trees near a river when his iron ax-head falls in. He said to Elisha: “Alas, master! For it was borrowed” (v. 5 NKJV). He uses the past tense. As far as he is concerned, this ax-head is gone forever. He has no expectation whatsoever that the ax-head will be retrieved. He shows Elisha where he lost it. Elisha cuts a stick and flings it into the water, and something happens that most likely never happened before or since. “And the iron did swim.” Notice, this isn’t a life-or-death situation. Yes, it’s a loaned ax-head. Yes, it disappeared. But if that’s the worst thing you have gone through, you have led a pretty sheltered life.
You could put this into the same category as Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding party. Why waste your first miracle on helping a bride and groom avoid embarrassment because they didn’t stock enough wine for their reception? This reveals something about God. He concerns Himself with the little things, like wedding receptions and borrowed ax-heads. Nothing is too big for our great God, and nothing is too small for Him either.
“Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7 NKJV). Note the words “all your care.” If it matters to you, it matters to your loving heavenly Father. “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:6 NKJV). Note the words “all your ways.” Today God wants you to share every detail of your life with Him.
Soul food: Eze 27:25-30:26; Mark 15:33-47; Ps 143; Prov 15:8-10
2024-06-13
Nehemiah 8:10 NKJV
Anytime you substitute positive thinking for faith in God and obedience to His Word, you’re on dangerous ground! But don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater. As a believer, you’re supposed to train your brain to trust God and think positive thoughts that are founded on His Word. A study conducted in the Netherlands found that people who are optimistic have healthier hearts than those who are grumpy. Self-described optimists died of cardiovascular disease at a lower rate than those of pessimists.
Dr. Becca Levy of Yale University conducted a study which concluded that “a positive attitude towards aging was greater than physiological measures such as low blood pressure and cholesterol,” each of which is believed to add a maximum of four years to a person’s life. The same study discovered that optimistic people live longer than people who always worry, and that a positive attitude can add more years to life than exercising or refraining from smoking.
Additionally upholding the mind-body connection, a 2005 Associated Press article reported, “New research suggests that once Alzheimer’s disease robs someone of the ability to expect that a proven painkiller will help them, it doesn’t work nearly as well.” Isn’t that remarkable? When people are able to think painkillers work, the medicines seem to help. Our minds are amazing! The Bible says, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” And that’s not just spiritual strength, but physical, mental, and emotional strength.
If you want to have a healthy life, you must have a healthy mind, and that starts with thinking positively instead of negatively. So, train your brain.
Soul food: Eze 24:1-27:24; Mark 15:21-32; Ps 132:11-18; Prov 15:5-7
Nehemia 8:10 NLV
Enige tyd wat jy geloof in God en gehoorsaamheid aan sy Woord met positiewe denke vervang, beweeg jy op gevaarlike grond. Moet egter nie die baba met die badwater uitgooi nie. As gelowige, is jy veronderstel om jou brein op te lei om God te vertrou en positiewe denke wat op sy Woord gegrond is, te dink. ‘n Studie wat in Nederland gedoen is, het gevind dat mense wat optimisties is gesonder harte as mense wat iesegrimmig is, het. Mense wat hulself as optimiste beskryf, het teen ‘n baie laer koers aan hartsiektes as pessimiste gesterf.
Dr Becca Levy van Yale Universiteit het ‘n studie gedoen wat bevind het dat ‘n positiewe houding teenoor veroudering beter vaar as fisiologiese maatstawwe soos lae bloeddruk en lae cholesterol om lewensjare te verleng. Dieselfde studie het bevind dat optimistiese mense langer lewe as diegene wat altyd bekommerd is en dat ‘n positiewe houding meer jare as om te oefen of om nie te rook nie, by mense se lewens voeg.
‘n Artikel wat in 2005 in die Associated Press gepubliseer is, het gesê: ‘Nuwe navorsing dui daarop dat sodra Alzheimer se siekte iemand van die verwagting dat ‘n bewese pynstiller hulle sal help, beroof, die pynstiller nie naastenby meer so goed werk nie.’ Is dit nie merkwaardig nie? Wanneer mense dink pynstillers werk, lyk dit of die medisyne wel help. Ons gedagtes is wonderlik! Die Bybel sê: ‘…die blydskap wat die Here gee, sal julle krag wees!’ Dis nie net ‘n geestelike krag nie, maar ook ‘n fisiese en emosionele krag. As jy ‘n gesonde lewe wil lei, moet jou gedagtes ook gesond wees en dit begin deur positief in plaas van negatief te dink. Lei dus jou brein op.
Sielskos: Eseg 24:1-27:24; Mark 15:21-32; Ps 132:11-18; Spr 15:5-7
2024-06-12
Proverbs 28:13 NKJV
The Bible says, “He who covers his sins will not prosper. But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (v. 13 NKJV). Could this be the reason you’re not succeeding? Unresolved guilt has the ability to corrode your confidence like acid. But there is an answer: “Whoever confesses and forsakes [his sins] will have mercy.” Confess it to God! He already knows what you have done – He is just waiting for you to deal with it so He can forgive you and bless you again.
“God is Light, and there is no darkness in Him at all [no, not in any way]” (1 John 1:5 AMPC). The light of God reveals things. When a light is switched on in a room, we can see dust and bugs scattering. And when God gets involved in our lives, He begins to show us things we may prefer not to see; things we have been hiding, even from ourselves. We’re often deceived, especially about ourselves. We don’t want to deal with our faults, and we don’t enjoy having them exposed. Privately we feel condemned about them, but at least we feel like they’re hidden.
But anything hidden has power over us because we fear it may be discovered. Refuse to live that way. The best and most liberating thing you can do is to face what God wants to take care of and get beyond the fear of it. David said, “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin” (Psalm 32:5 NKJV).
Soul food: Eze 22-23; Mark 15:1-20; Ps 132:1-10; Prov 15:1-4
Spreuke 28:13 NLV
Die Bybel sê: ‘Wie sy oortredings verswyg, sal nie voorspoedig wees nie. Wie sy sonde bely en daarvan afsien, sal genade ontvang’ (vers 13 NLV). Kan dit die rede wees waarom jy nie sukses behaal nie? Onopgeloste skuld het die vermoë om jou selfvertroue soos suur weg te vreet. Daar is egter ‘n antwoord: ‘…Wie sy sonde bely en daarvan afsien, sal genade ontvang.’ Bely dit voor God! Hy weet reeds wat jy gedoen het – Hy wag net vir jou om dit te hanteer sodat Hy dit kan vergewe en jou weer kan seën.
‘…God is lig en daar is hoegenaamd geen duisternis in Hom nie’ (1 Johannes 1:5 NLV). Die lig van God openbaar dinge. Wanneer ‘n lig in ‘n kamer aangeskakel word, sien ons die stof en die goggas wat skarrel. Wanneer God in ons lewe betrokke raak, begin Hy vir ons dinge wys wat ons dalk sal verkies om nie te sien nie; dinge wat ons wegsteek, selfs vir onsself.
Ons word dikwels mislei, veral oor onsself. Ons wil nie ons foute hanteer nie en ons geniet dit nie dat dit blootgestel word nie. Ons voel of ons daaroor geoordeel gaan word, maar ten minste voel ons dat dit weggesteek is. Enigiets wat weggesteek word het egter mag oor ons, omdat ons vrees dat dit ontdek kan word.
Weier om so te lewe. Die beste en bevrydenste ding wat jy kan doen, is om dit wat God wil hanteer in die gesig te kyk en daar oor te kom. Dawid het gesê: ‘Maar ek het my oortredings bely, my sonde nie weggesteek nie. Ek het gesê: ‘Ek bely my opstand teen die Here.’ En my sonde en oortredings het U vergewe’ (Psalm 32:5 NLV).
Sielskos: Eseg 22-23; Mark 15:1-20; Ps 132:1-10; Spr 15:1-4
