2022-04-28
1 Johannes 5:14 NLV
‘n Leier het hierdie woorde geskryf: ‘My pa was ‘n besige man. Om hom by die werk op te spoor moes jy deur die skakelbord gaan, tensy jy sy private nommer geken het. Hy het dit net vir ‘n paar besigheidsvennote gegee, maar al sy kinders het die nommer geken. Maak nie saak hoe besig hy was nie, ons kon hom enige tyd op sy direkte lyn bel. My kinders ken ook my nommer en hulle weet dat hulle my enige tyd oor enigiets kan bel. Daar is geen stem wat soeter as my kinders se stemme klink nie. Wanneer een van hulle sê: ‘Hallo, Pappa,’ maak dit nie saak waarmee ek besig is nie. Hulle is my absolute prioriteit. Maal dit nou eksponensieel. Niks klink soeter vir God as jou stem wat sê: ‘Hallo, Vader,’ nie. Daar is niks wat tans in die kosmos aan die gang is wat Hom daarvan sal weerhou om sy volle aandag aan jou gesprek of versoek te gee nie.’
Dit beteken dat wanneer God jou Vader is, kan jy Hom enige tyd bel. Hy is net ‘n gebed weg! Jesus het gesê: ‘Hou aan met vra, en God sal vir julle gee… Julle as ouers sal tog nie vir julle kinders as hulle brood vra, klippe gee nie… As sondige mense soos julle dan goed weet om goeie dinge aan julle kinders te gee, hoeveel te meer sal julle hemelse Vader goeie dinge gee aan hulle wat dit van Hom vra!’ (Matteus 7:7, 9-11 NLV).
‘Dit is die vrymoedigheid wat ons voor God het, dat wat ons ook al volgens sy wil vra, Hy na ons luister. As ons dan met die wete leef dat Hy na ons luister… weet ons ook dat Hy die versoek wat ons gevra het, sal toestaan’ (1 Johannes 5:14-15 NLV). Glo vandag in jou gebede.
Sielskos: Dan 8-10; Matt 3:1-17; Ps 144:1-8; Spr 10:19-21
1 John 5:14 NLT
A leader wrote these words: ‘My dad was a busy man… to get him at work you had to go through a switchboard unless you knew his private number. He gave it to a few business partners, but all of his kids had it… We knew, no matter how busy he was, we could call anytime on his direct line. I’ve the same thing… my kids know my number… they can call me anytime for anything. And you know what? No voices sound sweeter to me than my kids’ voices. When one of them says, “Hi, Dad,” it doesn’t matter what I’m juggling… they’re an absolute priority… Now multiply that out exponentially – and listen to me. Nothing sounds sweeter to God than your voice saying, “Hello, Father.” There’s nothing going on in the cosmos that would keep Him from directing His full attention to your conversation or your request.’
That means when God is your Father, you can call Him anytime. He’s never more than a prayer away. Jesus said: ‘Ask, and God will give to you… If your children ask for bread, which of you would give them a stone? Or if your children ask for a fish, would you give them a snake? Even though you are bad, you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more your heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him!’ (Matthew 7:7, 9-11 NCV).
We can talk to God without having to beg or resort to flattery because we’re ‘confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And… he will give us what we ask for’ (1 John 5:14-15 NLT). So pray confidently, knowing that your loving heavenly Father hears and treasures every word.
Dan 8-10; Matt 3:1-17; Ps 144:1-8; Pro 10:19-21
2022-04-27
Spreuke 11:3 NLV
Jesus het gesê: ‘…jy moet jou naaste liefhê soos jouself’ (Matteus 19:19 NLV). Om jouself te kan liefhê, moet jy egter eers jouself kan respekteer. Selfrespek word op persoonlike integriteit gebaseer.
Die skrywer Ted Engstrom vertel die volgende verhaal in sy boek getiteld Integrity: ‘Vir afrigter Cleveland Stroud en die Bulldogs van die Rockdale County Hoërskool (Conyers, Georgia), was dit hul beste kampioenskapseisoen: een-en-twintig oorwinnings en vyf verliese op pad na die Georgia Boys-basketbaltoernooi verlede Maart. Nou staan die nuwe trofeekas buite die hoërskool se gimnasium egter leeg. Vroeër hierdie maand het die Georgia Hoërskool Assosiasie die kampioenskap van Rockdale County ontneem nadat skoolamptenare gesê het dat ‘n speler wat akademies nie in aanmerking gekom het om deel van die span te wees nie, vyf en veertig sekondes in die eerste van die skool se vyf na-seisoen wedstryde, gespeel het. ‘Ons het nie geweet dat hy nie in aanmerking kom nie; ons het dit eers ‘n paar weke gelede uitgevind,’ het afrigter Stroud gesê. ‘Sommige mense het gesê ons moes net daaroor geswyg het, dat dit net vyf-en-veertig sekondes was en dat die speler nie ‘n impakspeler was nie. Maar mens moet doen wat eerlik en reg is en wat die reëls sê. Ek het vir my span gesê dat mense die tellings van basketbalwedstryde vergeet; hulle vergeet egter nooit waarvan jy gemaak is nie.’
Elke eerlike of oneerlike woord en daad voeg of by jou karakter by, of neem daarvan weg. Dis wat die Bybel bedoel met die volgende: ‘Die opregtheid van eerlike mense wys vir hulle die koers. Die valsheid van onbetroubare mense bring hulle ondergang.’ Strewe vandag na integriteit in al jou aksies.
Sielskos: Dan 5-7; Matt 2:13-23; Ps 7:10-17; Spr 10:17-18
Proverbs 11:3 NIV
Jesus said, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ (Matthew 19:19 NIVUK). But in order to love yourself, you must first be able to respect yourself. And self-respect is based on personal integrity.
Author Ted Engstrom tells the story of a high school basketball team in his book called Integrity. The team had been having a great season, winning 21 games and losing only five. In the final, they had a dramatic victory, coming from behind to win the game. But later they realised that one of the players, who had played for just 45 seconds at the end of a single match, was actually ineligible to compete. The team was way ahead in that particular game, so the player couldn’t really have affected the outcome, but their coach, Cleveland Stroud, reported the mistake anyway and surrendered the trophy they’d won at the final.
Stroud had this to say: ‘We didn’t know he was ineligible at the time; we didn’t know it until a few weeks ago. Some people have said we should have just kept quiet about it, that it was just forty-five seconds and the player wasn’t an impact player. But you’ve got to do what’s honest and right and what the rules say. I told my team that people forget the scores of basketball games; they don’t ever forget what you’re made of.’
Every word and action will either add to or take away from our character, so it’s important that we choose the honesty route. That’s what the Bible means when it says, ‘The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.’ So today, strive for honesty and integrity in everything you do.
Dan 5-7; Matt 2:13-23; Ps 7:10-17; Pro 10:17-18
Proverbs 11:3 NIV
Jesus said, “Love your neighbour as yourself” (Mt 19:19 NIV). But in order to love yourself, you must first be able to respect yourself. And self-respect is based on personal integrity.
Author Ted Engstrom tells the following story in his book called Integrity: “For Coach Cleveland Stroud and the Bulldogs of Rockdale County High School [Conyers, Georgia], it was their championship season: twenty-one wins and five losses on the way to the Georgia Boys Basketball Tournament last March, then a dramatic come-from-behind victory in the state finals. But now the new glass trophy case outside the high school gymnasium is bare. Earlier this month the Georgia High School Association deprived Rockdale County of the championship after school officials said that a player who was scholastically ineligible had played forty-five seconds in the first of the school’s five postseason games. ‘We didn’t know he was ineligible at the time; we didn’t know it until a few weeks ago,’ Coach Stroud said. ‘Some people have said we should have just kept quiet about it, that it was just forty-five seconds and the player wasn’t an impact player. But you’ve got to do what’s honest and right and what the rules say. I told my team that people forget the scores of basketball games; they don’t ever forget what you’re made of.'”
Every honest or dishonest word and action either adds to or takes away from your character. That’s what the Bible means when it says, “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.” So today, strive for integrity in all your dealings.
Soul food: Dan 5-7; Matt 2:13-23; Ps 7:10-17; Pro 10:17-18
