2022-04-15
Matthew 27:29 CEV
In the old hymn When I Survey the Wondrous Cross are the words, ‘See from His head, His hands, His feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down. Did e’er such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown?’ Jesus wore a crown of thorns so we could wear crowns of glory.
In Scripture, thorns represent sin. In Eden when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, He said, ‘The ground will be under a curse… [… it] will produce thorns’ (Genesis 3:17-18 CEV). Later He told Israel that unless they removed their enemies from the land, ‘they will be like… thorns in your sides’ (Numbers 33:55 NCV). Solomon warned: ‘Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road’ (Proverbs 22:5 NLT). And Jesus warned, ‘You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit. You need never confuse grapevines with thorn bushes’ (Matthew 7:16 TLB).
Author Max Lucado wrote: ‘The crown of thorns Jesus wore represented all our sins. As we were caught in the brambles of envy, anger, shame, discouragement, guilt, bitterness, and unforgiveness, so Jesus, who knew no sin, became “an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10 NIV). Not once did Christ use His supernatural powers for personal comfort. With just a word He could have transformed the hard earth into a soft bed… hurled the spit of His accusers back into their faces… and paralysed the hand of the soldier who braided the thorns. But He didn’t. Instead, “He cancelled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross”‘ (Colossians 2:14 NLT).
And He did all of it with you in mind. Jesus gave His life for you.
Gen 22:1-18; Luke 23:26-49; Ps 22; Isa 53
2022-04-14
2 Corinthians 3:5-6 NIV
David was ‘on a roll’. He kept winning battle after battle. It seemed like everything he touched was successful. But success can go to your head, and David wasn’t exempt. He started wondering, ‘Just how strong are we?’ At that point, he conducted a census and discovered he had ‘one million one hundred thousand men who could handle a sword’ (1 Chronicles 21:5 NIV). That could tempt any of us to think, ‘With an army this size, and given our track record of success, who needs to pray for God’s help or ask Him for a plan?’ That was the point at which God stepped in and judged David, and seventy thousand Israelites died needlessly (see v.14 NIV).
So here’s another aspect of responsibility and leadership that we need to be aware of: our mistakes have the potential to hurt others. We’re not just accountable to those who have authority over us; we also have responsibility to those who we have authority over. If our good decisions have the ability to bless and guide people, our bad decisions have the potential to harm them. ‘David said to God, “Was it not I who ordered the fighting men to be counted? I, the shepherd, have sinned and done wrong… let your hand fall on me and my family, but do not let this plague remain on your people”‘ (v.17 NIV). God graciously answered David’s prayer, and judgment was lifted from Israel.
We need God’s guidance for our own sake, the sake of the people around us, and to give us the grace to accept responsibility when we make a mistake or fail. We shouldn’t try to hide our failures, blame others, or run from God. Instead we should acknowledge them, grow through them, and go on to become wiser.
Lev 24-25; Luke 23:18-25; Ps 69:1-6; Pro 10:5
2 Corinthians 3:5-6 NIV
David was “on a roll.” He kept winning battle after battle. He had the Midas touch; everything he touched turned to gold! But success can go to your head, and David wasn’t exempt. He started wondering, “Just how strong are we?” At that point, he conducted a census and discovered he had “one million one hundred thousand [fighting] men” (1 Chronicles 21:5 NIV). That could tempt any of us to think, “With an army this size, and given our track record of success, who needs to pray for God’s help or ask Him for a plan?” That was the point at which God stepped in and judged David, and seventy thousand Israelites died needlessly (See v. 14 NIV).
So here is another aspect of leadership you need to be aware of: Your mistakes have the potential to hurt others. You’re not just accountable to those who are over you; you’re responsible for those under you. After all, if your good decisions have the ability to bless and guide people, your bad decisions have the potential to harm them.
“David said to God, ‘Was it not I who ordered the fighting men to be counted? I, the shepherd, have sinned and done wrong… let your hand fall on me and my family, but do not let this plague remain on your people'” (v. 17 NIV). God graciously answered David’s prayer, and judgment was lifted from Israel.
So, you need God’s guidance for your own sake, the sake of the people around you, and to give you the grace to accept responsibility when you fail. Don’t try to hide your failures, blame others, or run from God. Acknowledge them, grow through them, and go on to become wiser.
Soul food: Lev 24-25; Luke 23:18-25; Ps 69:1-6; Pro 10:5
2 Korintiërs 3:5-6 NLV
Dit het goed met Dawid gegaan. Hy het oorlog na oorlog gewen. Alles wat hy aangeraak het, het in goud verander! Sukses kan egter na jou kop toe gaan en Dawid was geen uitsondering nie. Hy het begin wonder: ‘Hoe sterk is ons regtig?’ Op daardie punt het hy ‘n sensusopname gedoen en ontdek dat hy 1 100 000 mense wat militêre diens kon lewer…’ (1 Kronieke 21:5 NLV), gehad het. Dit kan enigeen van ons in die versoeking bring om te dink: ‘Met ‘n weermag van hierdie grootte en ons rekord van suksesse, het ons nie nodig om tot God te bid of Hom vir ‘n plan te vra nie.’ Op daardie punt het God ingetree, Dawid geoordeel en sewentigduisend Israeliete het onnodig gesterf (sien vers 14 NLV).
Hier is dus ‘n ander aspek van leierskap waarvan jy bewus moet wees: Jou foute het die potensiaal om ander mense seer te maak. Jy moet nie net verantwoording teenoor diegene bo jou doen nie; jy is verantwoordelik vir die mense onder jou. As jou goeie besluite die vermoë het om mense te seën en hulle te lei, het jou slegte besluite die potensiaal om hulle skade aan te doen.
“En Dawid het vir God gesê: ‘Ek was die een wat die sensus beveel het! Ek is die een wat gesondig het en verkeerde dinge gedoen het!.. O Here my God, laat u woede teen my en my familie ontbrand, maar moenie u volk vernietig nie!'” (vers 17 NLV). God het genadiglik Dawid se gebede beantwoord.
Jy het dus God se leiding vir jouself, die mense rondom jou en vir die genade om verantwoordelikheid te aanvaar wanneer jy misluk, nodig. Moenie jou mislukkings probeer wegsteek, ander probeer blameer of vir God probeer weghardloop nie. Erken jou foute, groei deur hulle en gaan voort om wyser te word.
Sielskos: Lev 24-25; Luk 23:18-25; Ps 69:1-6; Spr 10:5
2022-04-13
1 Kronieke 21:1 NLV
Pas nadat hulle ‘n groot oorwinning oor die Filistyne behaal het, het koning Dawid ‘n groot fout begaan. In plaas daarvan om op God vir sy volgende geveg te vertrou, het hy ‘n sensusopname geneem om sy militêre krag te meet en sy kanse op oorwinning te bepaal. Gevolglik het sewentigduisend Israeliete omgekom. Hierdie verhaal leer ons drie belangrike lesse oor leierskapsverantwoordelikheid:
1) Jy is, as leier, Satan se spesiale teiken. Hy weet dat hy deur jou moet gaan om by ander uit te kom, dus sal hy elke strategie gebruik om jou neer te vel. Die gemiddelde raad van direkteure sou die sensusopname heel waarskynlik as ‘n goeie idee gesien het, maar God het dit as ‘n daad van arrogansie en ongeloof gesien.
2) Moenie aanmatigend wees nie. Moenie dat jou vorige oorwinning jou te selfversekerd oor jou volgende geveg maak nie. Die feit dat God pas vir Dawid ‘n groot oorwinning gegee het, moes hom meer, nie minder nie, afhanklik van God gemaak het. Paulus skryf: ‘Nie dat ons op eie houtjie iets kan bedink asof dit ons eie breinkind is nie. Ons bekwaamheid kom van God, wat ons bekwaam gemaak het…’ (2 Korintiërs 3:5-6 NLV).
3) Luister na wyse raad. Joab, een van Dawid se offisiere, het hom gewaarsku dat hy besig was om ‘n groot fout te maak. ‘Maar die koning het daarop aangedring dat Joab die sensus opneem…’ (1 Kronieke 21:4 NLV). Jy mag dalk groot gawes hê, maar jy het nie al die gawes nie. Waar jy blinde kolle het, het ander mense dikwels 20/20 visie. ‘…dit is veilig om baie raadgewers te hê’ (Spreuke 11:14 NLV), luister dus na die mense wat God in jou lewe geplaas het om jou te lei en te beskerm.
Sielskos: Lev 22-23; Luk 23:8-17; Ps 32; Spr 10:4
