2023-10-04
Psalm 92:1 NKJV
Journalist Fulton Oursler tells the story of an elderly nurse called Anna. Born a slave on the eastern shore of the state of Maryland, she had attended Fulton’s birth, plus that of his mother. He honours her for teaching him the best lesson he ever learned about giving thanks and finding contentment: “I remember her as she sat at the kitchen table in our house; the hard, old, brown hands folded across her starched apron, the glistening eyes, and the husky old whispering voice, saying, ‘Much obliged, Lord, for my vittles.’ I asked, ‘Anna, what’s a vittle?’ ‘It’s what I’ve got to eat and drink – that’s vittles,’ the old nurse replied. ‘But you’d get your vittles whether you thanked the Lord or not,’ I said. ‘Sure,’ said Anna, ‘but it makes everything taste better to be thankful!'”
The excitement that comes from getting something new, or even something you have worked hard for, is often short lived and quickly replaced by your desire for the next thing. Solomon put it this way: “The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing” (Ecclesiastes 1:8 KJV).
So, what’s the solution? Having an attitude of gratitude! Stopping regularly to remember the goodness of God that makes it possible for you to enjoy every blessing you have, and remembering to say, “Thank you, Lord.” The psalmist had a heart of gratitude. He wrote, “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night” (Psalm 92:1-2 NKJV). So, always be thankful to God.
Soul food: 1 Sam 8-10; Mark 16:9-20; Ps 60; Prov 22:7-11
Psalm 92:2 NLV
Die joernalis Fulton Oursler vertel die verhaal van ‘n bejaarde verpleegster genaamd Anna. Gebore as ‘n slaaf aan die oostelike kus van die staat Maryland, het sy Fulton se geboorte, plus dié van sy ma, bygewoon. Hy vertel dat sy hom die beste les ooit oor dankbetuiging en tevredenheid geleer het: ‘Ek onthou haar soos sy by die kombuistafel in ons huis gesit het; die harde, ou, bruin hande wat oor haar gestyfde voorskoot gevou is, die blink ogies en die skor ou fluisterende stem wat sê: ‘Baie dankie Heer, vir my spys en drank.’ Ek het gevra: ‘Anna, wat is spys en drank?’ ‘Dis wat ek het om te eet en te drink,’ het die ou verpleegster geantwoord. ‘Maar jy sou jou spys en drank gekry het, of jy nou vir die Here dankie gesê het of nie,’ het ek gesê.’ ‘Ja,’ het Anna geantwoord, ‘maar wanneer mens dankbaar is proe alles beter!’
Die opwinding wanneer mens iets nuuts kry, of selfs iets waarvoor mens hard gewerk het, is dikwels kort van aard en word vinnig deur jou begeerte vir die volgende ding, vervang. Salomo het dit as volg gestel: ‘…die oog word nie versadig van wat hy sien nie, die oor word nie vol van wat hy hoor nie’ (Prediker 1:8 NLV).
Wat is dan die oplossing? Om ‘n houding van dankbaarheid in te neem! Deur gereeld God se goedheid te onthou, maak dit vir jou moontlik om elke seëning in jou lewe te geniet en te onthou om te sê: ‘Dankie, Here.’ Die Psalmdigter het ‘n hart van dankbaarheid gehad. Hy het geskryf: ‘Dis goed om die Here te dank, om u Naam te loof, Allerhoogste; om soggens u goedheid aan te kondig, en in die aand u getrouheid’ (Psalm 92:2-3 NLV). Wees dus altyd dankbaar teenoor God.
Sielskos: 1 Sam 8-10; Mark 16:9-20; Ps 60; Spr 22:7-11
2023-10-03
Jeremiah 32:27 NKJV
Remember past victories. Notice how King Jehoshaphat prayed: “Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?” (2 Chronicles 20:7 NKJV). If God has ever performed a miracle for you or for anybody else, He can do it again. So, read His Word and strengthen your faith by recalling His great deeds.
E – Exalt God above the problem. “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?” (v. 6 NKJV). In his anguish, Jehoshaphat asked rhetorical questions that exposed how big his God was compared to the problem. Sometimes it’s difficult to look past the problem when the reality of it is so close. If you close one eye and put a coin over your other eye, you can blind yourself to something as big as the sun. Getting the idea?
S – Solicit the prayers and support of others. “Jehoshaphat… proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah… they came to seek the Lord” (vv. 3-4 NKJV). Jehoshaphat didn’t ask the people for their opinions but for their prayers, because that’s what moves the heart of God.
S – Stand on the promises of God. When you do, you can say like the psalmist, “As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands” (Psalm 119:143 NLT). That’s God’s formula for stress – now use it.
Soul food: 1 Sam 4-7; Mark 16:1-8; Ps 68:19-35; Prov 22:6
Jeremia 32:27 NLV
R – Reflekteer op oorwinnings uit die verlede. Let op hoe koning Josafat gebid het: ‘Ons God, het U nie die inwoners van hierdie land voor u volk Israel uitgedryf nie? Het U nie die land vir altyd aan die nageslag van u vriend Abraham gegee nie?’ (2 Kronieke 20:7 NLV). As God al ooit vir jou of enigiemand anders ‘n wonderwerk gegee het, kan Hy dit weer doen. Lees dus sy Woord en versterk jou geloof deur sy groot dade te onthou.
E – Eer God as groter as die probleem. ‘…Here, God van ons voorouers, is U nie die God wat in die hemel is nie? U is die heerser oor al die koninkryke op die aarde. U is kragtig en magtig. Niemand kan teen U staande bly nie’ (vers 6 NLV). In sy angs het Josafat retoriese vrae gevra wat blootgelê het hoe groot sy God in vergelyking met die probleem was. Soms is dit moeilik om verby die probleem te kyk as die realiteit daarvan so naby is. As jy een oog toemaak en ‘n muntstuk voor die ander oog hou, kan jy jouself vir iets so groot soos die son, blind maak.
Maak op die gebede en ondersteuning van ander staat. ‘Josafat… het ook beveel dat elkeen in Juda moet vas. Die mense… het toe gekom om die Here se hulp te soek’ (vers 3-4 NLV). Josafat het nie vir die mense vir hul opinies gevra nie, maar vir hulle gebede, omdat dit God se hart roer.
S – Staan op God se beloftes. Wanneer jy dit doen, kan jy soos die Psalmdigter sê: ‘Angs en benoudheid sak op my toe, maar u gebooie is my vreugde’ (Psalm 119:143 NLV). Dis God se formule vir stres – maak nou gebruik daarvan.
Sielskos: 1 Sam 4-7; Mark 16:1-8; Ps 68:19-35; Spr 22:6
2023-10-02
2 Chronicles 20:17 NKJV
Trust what God tells you. “You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord… Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you” (v. 17 NKJV).
God’s way of resolving our problems can frequently go against our logic. Maybe that is why we are hesitant to approach Him in certain matters. Why would God instruct Jehoshaphat’s army, which was clearly no match for three armies, to show up prepared for a battle they were not intended to fight? That didn’t make any sense! God will many times tell us to “position” ourselves to deal with a demanding task or problem we feel completely inadequate to tackle. Our challenge is to obey Him and position ourselves to win. How do you do that?
(1) You “position” yourself when you choose to enter college, even though you may not have achieved well in high school.
(2) You “position” yourself when you resign from a job at God’s urging and start a new business, even though a long list of customers or clients isn’t waiting in the wings.
(3) You “position” yourself when you sit down at your computer each day to write a book you have always desired to write – without a head full of knowledge but with a heart full of faith that God will join you there with His words.
God’s instruction is to position ourselves for victory. He wants us to show up, so He can show Himself strong on our behalf (See 2 Chronicles 16:9 NKJV).
Soul food: 1 Sam 1-3; Mark 15:33-47; Ps 68:1-18; Prov 22:1-5
