2024-06-06
Genesis 2:18 NLV
God het jou huweliksmaat ontwerp om aan jou fisiese, emosionele en ja, selfs jou geestelike behoeftes, te voldoen. Adam het perfekte gesondheid gehad, die perfekte werk gehad en in die perfekte omgewing gewoon. Hy het selfs elke dag saam met God gaan stap. Nietemin was hy eensaam en onvolledig. Dus het God gesê: ‘…Dis nie goed dat die mens alleen is nie. Ek sal vir hom ‘n metgesel maak…’
God het bedoel dat jou maat jou moet help groei en jou roeping moet help vervul. Daar is ‘n intieme fisiese, emosionele en geestelike band tussen julle. Niemand op aarde sal jou ooit beter as jou Godgegewe maat ken nie. Hy of sy moet jou naaste vriend, berader en vertroueling wees. Dit verg kommunikasie!
Goeie kommunikasie is daarop gebaseer om die regte vrae te vra en versigtig na die antwoorde te luister. Dit beteken dat jy die televisie, jou rekenaar, jou tablet en jou selfoon moet afsit. Dit beteken dat jy moet vra: ‘Hoe gaan dinge vandag met jou?’ en dan lank genoeg moet luister vir versteekte emosies om na die oppervlak te kom. Luister totdat jy jou eggenoot se bekommernisse, gevoelens, vrese, hoop en drome verstaan. Luister akkuraat, sodat jy sy of haar ware behoeftes kan asseseer – behoeftes wat jy die beste toegerus is om aan te voldoen.
Jou vrae openbaar jou vlak van omgee en die antwoorde wat jy kry kan die fondasie vir ‘n lang, gelukkige huwelik word. Dis presies wat God in gedagte gehad het toe Hy gesê het: ‘Dit verklaar waarom ‘n man van sy pa en ma weggaan, saam met sy vrou lewe en hulle dan soos een mens word’ (vers 24 NLV).
Sielskos: Eseg 5-9; Mark 14:12-26; Ps 4; Spr 14:17-20
Genesis 2:18 NIV
God designed your marriage partner to meet your physical needs, your emotional needs, and yes, even some of your spiritual needs. Adam enjoyed perfect health, worked at the perfect job, and lived in the perfect environment. He even went for walks with God every day. Nevertheless, he was lonely and incomplete. So God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Note the word “helper.”
God intended your partner to help you grow and fulfill your destiny. There is an intimate physical, emotional, and spiritual bond between you. No one on earth will ever know you better than your God-given mate. He or she should be your closest friend, counselor, and confidant. That calls for communication! And good communication is based on asking the right questions and listening carefully to the answers.
It calls for turning off the TV, your laptop, iPad, and cell phone. It means asking, “How are things with you today?” then listening long enough for hidden emotions to surface. Listen until you understand your spouse’s concerns, feelings, fears, hopes, and dreams. Listen accurately, so you can assess his or her real needs – needs you are best equipped to meet. Your questions reveal your level of caring, and the answers you get in return can become a foundation for a long, happy marriage. That’s exactly what God had in mind when he said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one” (v. 24 NAS).
Soul food: Eze 5-9; Mark 14:12-26; Ps 4; Prov 14:17-20
2024-06-05
Josua 1:2 NLV
Die woorde vir jou vandag is: 1) Maak gereed. Josua het Moses gedien en is deur hom gementor; nou was hy gereed om Israel die Beloofde Land binne te lei. Is jy gereed vir die sukses wat jy nastreef? Die frustrerende ding van voorbereiding is dat dit soms langer neem as die gebeurtenis waarvoor jy voorberei. Is jy gedissiplineerd? Is jy op datum met jou beroep of roeping? Het jy die regte verhoudings in plek? Is jou huislewe in orde? Het jy ‘n sterk karakter? Soos die ou gesegde lui: ‘Jy kan een keer verras word. Daarna is jy net onvoorbereid!’
Een skrywer sê: ‘Talentvolle mense kom soms in die versoeking om kortpaaie te neem. Karakter voorkom dit. Talentvolle mense mag dalk meerderwaardig voel en spesiale voorregte verwag. Karakter help hulle om van beter te weet. Talentvolle mense word geloof vir dit wat ander mense hulle sien doen. Karakter bou dit wat binne-in hulle is. Talentvolle mense het dikwels die potensiaal om ‘n verskil te maak. Karakter maak in hulle ‘n verskil. Talentvolle mense is dikwels ‘n geskenk aan die wêreld. Karakter beskerm daardie gawe.’
2) Gaan! God het vir Josua gesê: ‘…Ek [sal] elke plek waar julle kom vir julle gee’ (vers 3 NLV). Moenie soos Alice in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland wees wat vir die Cheshire-kat gevra het: ‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’ ‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat. ‘I don’t much care where – ‘ said Alice. ‘Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,’ said the Cat.’ Om sukses te behaal, moet jy die regte dinge oomblik vir oomblik, dag vir dag en op ‘n konsekwente manier, doen.
Sielskos: Eseg 1-4; Mark 14:1-11; Ps 121; Spr 14:13-16
Joshua 1:2 NIV
The words for you today are (1) Get ready. For forty years, Joshua had served Moses and been mentored by him; now he was ready to lead Israel into the promised land. This raises the all-important question: Are you ready for the success you seek? The frustrating thing about preparation is sometimes it takes more time than the event you’re preparing for. Are you self-disciplined? Are you up to date on your career or calling? Do you have the right relationships in place? Is your homelife in order? Do you have strong character? As the old saying goes, “You can claim to be surprised once; after that, you’re unprepared!”
One author writes: “Talented people are sometimes tempted to take shortcuts. Character prevents that. Talented people may feel superior and expect special privileges. Character helps them to know better. Talented people are praised for what others see them build. Character builds what’s inside them. Talented people have the potential to be difference makers. Character makes a difference in them. Talented people are often a gift to the world. Character protects that gift.”
(2) Go! God told Joshua, “I will give you every place where you set your foot” (v. 3 NIV). Don’t be like Alice in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland who asked the Cheshire-Cat, “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat. “I don’t much care where – ” said Alice. “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat. To succeed, you must do the right things, moment by moment, day by day, following through with them in a consistent way.
Soul food: Eze 1-4; Mark 14:1-11; Ps 121; Prov 14:13-16
2024-06-04
Luke 6:46 NIV
Remember the words of the old Sunday school song, “The wise man built his house upon the Rock… The foolish man built his house upon the sand”? The storm hit both houses leaving only the wise man’s house standing. Jesus wasn’t simply recommending the virtues of wisdom over foolishness. The truth is, we’re all wise at times and foolish at others. And He wasn’t saying the house that survived the storm was a believer’s house while the house that perished belonged to an unbeliever. Neither was He implying that the church attender’s house withstood the storm while the nonattender’s house collapsed. His point was simpler – and more compelling.
When things are at their worst and we are pushed to the wall, when we doubt our chances of survival, when we have used up our last ounce of resistance, it’s not our wisdom, salvation, or church attendance that gets us through the storm. While these are crucially important aspects of Christian life for which we praise God, many wise, faithful believers go under in life’s storms: an abusive relationship, a financial collapse, an unfaithful partner, the loss, or illness of a child, a mental or physical disability.
Jesus’ point wasn’t even a plea for increased knowledge of His Word. Both homeowners understood His Word, but simply saying, “Lord, I totally agree with you,” won’t get you through the storm. The point Jesus was making here is that doing what you hear Him say is what will get you through the storm! God has bound Himself to honor His Word, and your obedience aligns you with it and activates His power on your behalf.
Soul food: Amos 5:18-9:15; Mark 13:24-37; Ps 117; Prov 14:9-12
