2022-04-01
Hebreërs 10:38 NLV
Om uit geloof te leef, is iets wat jy leer om te doen deur dit daagliks te beoefen. Voor jy ‘n Christen geword het, het jy op jou eie vermoë en intellek staatgemaak. Nou vertrou jy op God vir die wysheid, leiding, hulpbronne en vermoë om sy wil vir jou lewe te vervul. Die Bybel sê vir ons: ‘Omdat hy geglo het, het Noag… gehoorsaam die ark gebou. Daardeur is sy huisgesin gered…’ (Hebreërs 11:7 NLV).
Om uit geloof te lewe maak nie altyd sin nie. Dit beteken nie dat jou probleme in die niet gaan verdwyn nie. Soms verander geloof jou omstandighede; ander kere verander dit jou perspektief. Hoe? Deur jou die volharding te gee om vas te byt wanneer die tjek nie in die pos kom nie, of wanneer die dokter sê dat die siekte ongeneeslik is, of jou eggenoot jou vra om te skei, of die kinders die pad byster raak.
Geloof gee jou die krag om te volhard, met vertroue dat God dinge namens jou sal laat uitwerk. Paulus sê vir ons: ‘Wat is geloof dan? Dit is ‘n vaste versekering dat die dinge waarna ons uitsien, inderdaad sal gebeur…’ (Hebreërs 11:1 NLV).
Om uit geloof te lewe, beteken: 1) Om God te gehoorsaam en te glo dat Hy jou nooit in die steek sal laat nie; 2) om in die voetspore van gewone mense, wat buitengewone dinge vir God gedoen het, te loop; en 3) om jou geloof te gebruik omdat jy weet dat dit die enigste geldstelsel is wat in die hemel erken word.
Wanneer die Bybel sê: ‘Dié mense wat my wil doen, sal uit die geloof lewe…,’ beteken dit nie klein, sporadiese opwellings van geloof nie; dit beteken dat jy geloof ‘n leefstyl maak.
Sielskos: Fil 1-2; Luk 21:1-11; Ps 31:14-24; Spr 9:1-3
Hebrews 10:38 NCV
Living by faith is something you learn to do by practicing it daily. Before you became a Christian, you trusted in your own ability and intellect. But those things only took you so far and no further, right? Now you’re trusting God for the wisdom, guidance, resources, and ability to fulfill His will for your life. The Bible tells us, “By faith Noah… prepared an ark for the saving of his household” (Hebrews 11:7 NKJV). Think about it: When Noah built the ark, there had never even been rain.
Living by faith doesn’t always make sense. It doesn’t mean your problems will vanish into thin air. Sometimes faith changes your circumstances; other times it changes your perspective. How? By giving you the tenacity to hang in there when the check doesn’t come in the mail, or the doctor says the condition is incurable, or your spouse asks for a divorce, or the kids are running amok, or the company where you have worked for the last twenty years closes its doors. Faith gives you the fortitude to endure, confident that God will work things out on your behalf. Paul tells us, “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1 NIV).
Living by faith means (1) obeying God and believing He will never let you down, (2) following in the footsteps of ordinary people who did extraordinary things for God, and (3) using your faith because you know it’s the only currency heaven recognizes. When the Bible says, “The just shall live by faith,” it doesn’t mean little, sporadic bursts of faith; it means making faith a lifestyle.
Soul food: Phil 1-2; Luke 21:1-11; Ps 31:14-24; Pro 9:1-3
Hebrews 10:38 NCV
Living by faith is something we learn to do by practising it every day. Before we become Christians, we only have our own intelligence and abilities to rely on. But those things will only take us so far, and no further. But when we welcome God into our lives, we can trust Him for the wisdom, guidance, resources, and ability we need to fulfil His will for our lives.
The Bible tells us, ‘It was by faith that Noah heard God’s warnings about things he could not yet see. He obeyed God and built a large boat to save his family.’ (Hebrews 11:7 NCV). When Noah built the ark, he must have trusted what God had told him, because when he started there was no sign of rain.
Living by faith doesn’t always make sense. It doesn’t mean our problems will just disappear. Sometimes faith changes our circumstances. But at other times it changes our perspective by giving us the courage and strength to hold on and keep hoping when we’re expecting bad news, can’t see a way out, or don’t know the next step to take.
Faith gives us the stamina to keep going, confident that God will work things out on our behalf. Paul tells us, ‘Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see’ (Hebrews 11:1 NIV). Living by faith means 1) obeying God and believing He will never let you down, 2) following in the footsteps of ordinary people who did extraordinary things for God, and 3) using your faith because you know it’s the only currency heaven recognises. When the Bible says, ‘Those who are right with me will live by faith,’ it doesn’t mean little, sporadic bursts of faith; it means making faith a lifestyle.
Phil 1-2; Luke 21:1-11; Ps 31:14-24; Pro 9:1-3
2022-03-31
Matteus 11:29 NLV
Jesus het met die mense gepraat wat moedeloos oor godsdiens geword het. Mense wat uitgebrand was deur te probeer – en te faal – om ‘n lang lys reëls en regulasies na te kom. Hier is wat Hy vir hulle gesê het: ‘Kom na My toe, julle almal wat moeg is en swaar laste moet dra, en Ek sal julle lewens verkwik. Neem my juk op julle skouers. Kom leer van My, want Ek is sag en nederig van hart, en julle sal nuwe krag kry. Want my juk sal saggies op julle skouers rus en my las is lig om te dra’ (verse 28-29 NLV).
Die ‘juk’ waarvan Jesus gepraat het was ‘n harnas wat om die nekke van twee osse gegaan het, sodat hulle die ploeg in een rigting kon trek. In elke span osse, was een die leier en die ander een het gevolg. Jesus sal die leiding neem, maar jy moet in pas met Hom bly om sy seën op jou lewe te geniet. Hy belowe dat sy juk jou nie sal wurg nie; dit sal jou nie moeg maak of jou nie skaaf nie.
As jy waarlik vry wil wees, moet jy jouself toelaat om aan Jesus se juk vasgemaak te word, deur jou wil aan syne te onderwerp. Dit beteken egter nie dat jy Christus se juk vir ‘n rukkie aanvaar en dan in die ander rigting begin trek wanneer dinge nie gaan soos jy wil nie. Wanneer jy dit doen, raak die las swaarder en begin jy uitgeput voel. Vrede en rus vind plaas wanneer jy in die juk ontspan en Christus toelaat om te lei. Jesus het gesê: ‘…Ek sal julle lewens verkwik…’ Dit beteken dat jou opsies is om Hom teen te staan of om in Hom te rus. Watter een sal dit wees?
Sielskos: Job 40-42; Luk 20:41-47; Ps 31:1-13; Spr 8:34-36
Matthew 11:29 CEV
Jesus spoke to people who had given up on religion. People who were burnt out from trying (and failing) to stick to a long list of rules and regulations. Here’s what He said to them: ‘If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. This yoke is easy to bear, and this burden is light’ (v.28-30 CEV).
A ‘yoke’ was a type of harness that went around the necks of two oxen so they could work together to pull a heavy plough. In each team of oxen, one was the leader and the other would follow. Accepting Jesus’ yoke means He’ll take the lead, but we have to stay in sync with Him to find real peace.
He promises His yoke won’t choke us; it won’t be overwhelming or confining, and we won’t be irritated or harmed by it. In fact, if we want to be truly free, we have to let ourselves be yoked to Jesus by submitting our will to His. It sounds strange to say that’ll bring freedom, but when we allow Him to guide us, we’re freed from wondering if we’re doing the right thing, worrying what other people think of us, and doubting our ability for the task He’s chosen.
It doesn’t work to accept Christ’s yoke for a while and then start pulling the other way when things don’t go the way we want. When we do that, the load gets heavier and we start to feel worn out. Peace and rest come when we relax and let Christ lead. Relax or resist – which will you choose?
Job 40-42; Luke 20:41-47; Ps 31:1-13; Pro 8:34-36
