2022-03-16
Luke 13:12 NKJV
This woman tried religion, but it couldn’t help her. She tried doctors, but they couldn’t cure her. And the people around her thought her problem would never be solved. Even she did! But not Jesus. His promise is: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will… [relieve and refresh your souls]” (Matthew 11:28 AMPC).
What a relief; you can give your burden to Jesus. No matter how hard life seems, relief is just a prayer away. Regardless of the obstacles standing in your way, reach out to Jesus. You may have an out-of-wedlock infant cradled in your arms, but keep pressing toward Him. You may have been abused and molested and have never been able to tell anyone, but don’t stop reaching out for Him. You don’t have to tell everyone your whole past. Just know that Jesus is calling you. He knows your past, but He is calling you anyway. He doesn’t see you as you are but as you will be when His grace has wrought a work in your life.
Mary Magdalene may have been a prostitute before she met Jesus, but she became one of His closest disciples. Matthew, who wrote the first book of the New Testament, was a despised tax collector working for the Romans when he met Jesus. But Jesus doesn’t examine your past in order to decide what He will do with your future. Saul of Tarsus, the murderer of Christians, became Paul the Apostle, author of half the New Testament. The good news is, when Jesus saves you, you no longer have a past. You only have a future.
Soul food: 2 Thes 1-3; Luke 17:11-19; Ps 115; Pro 8:1-3
2022-03-15
Luke 13:12 NKJV
We don’t know how long it took the woman to get to the front of the church when Jesus called her. People who are hurting can’t always move as quickly as others. There are two important lessons for us in her story.
1) Sometimes we won’t grow and mature as fast as others because we’ve been struggling with a problem for a long time. Even though something seems easy for others, it can be very difficult for us. But the good news is that Jesus will wait for us, and He’ll work with us until we overcome the problem that’s holding us back.
2) Our testimonies of God’s love and power will come out of the tests we’ve been through. And no matter what we’ve been through, today Jesus is calling to us, saying, ‘I love you, and you can come to Me.’ Regardless of what we’ve done or not done, whatever we’ve suffered, He’s calling us to Him.
We might think we have the world’s worst secret, and that nobody’s got is as wrong or failed as hard as we have. But God already knows all about it, and it still doesn’t change His promise to us. He’s still saying: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you…I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt’ (Jeremiah 31:3-4 NKJV). Like a master sculptor creating something beautiful out of a rough piece of rock, God can turn our mess into a message of hope for others.
The reason Satan attacks us is because we have something valuable to contribute. This woman’s story ends with these words: ‘The multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him’ (Luke 13:17 NKJV). God’s plan is for people to look at our lives and say, ‘Something has happened to you. Something’s different. You’re not the same person anymore!’ The difference is Jesus.
Est 5-10; Luke 17:1-10; Ps 18:1-29; Pro 26:24-27
Lukas 13:12 NLV
Ons weet nie hoe lank dit hierdie vrou geneem het om vorentoe te kom nadat Jesus haar geroep het nie. Gestremde persone beweeg nie so vinnig soos ander nie. Daar is twee belangrike lesse in haar verhaal vir jou.
1) Soms sal jy nie so vinnig soos ander groei en volwasse word nie, omdat jy al vir ‘n lang tyd met ‘n aftakelende probleem worstel. Wat maklik vir ander mense lyk, kan baie moeilik vir jou wees. Daar is egter goeie nuus: Jesus sal vir jou wag en Hy sal saam met jou werk totdat jy jou probleem oorkom.
2) Jou getuienis sal uit die toetse wat jy deurgemaak het, kom. Maak nie saak waardeur jy al is nie, vandag roep God jou. Hy sê: ‘Staan op! Jy kan My nader.’ Ongeag wat jy gedoen het of watter tipe misbruik jy gely het, Hy roep jou. Jy mag dalk dink dat jou geheim erger as enigiemand anders s’n is. Wees gerus dat God reeds alles weet. En sy belofte is dit: ‘…Ek het jou lief met ‘n liefde wat nooit ophou nie. Ek trek jou met troue liefde na My toe. Ek sal jou weer herbou soos jy vroeër was…’ (Jeremia 31:3-4 NLV). Soos ‘n beeldhouers iets pragtigs uit ‘n stuk rots te voorskyn kan bring, so kan God jou gemors in ‘n boodskap van hoop vir ander mense verander.
Die rede hoekom Satan jou aanval, is omdat jy iets waardevols het om by te dra. Die vrou se verhaal eindig met hierdie woorde: ‘…en al die mense was verheug oor die wonderlike dinge wat Hy gedoen het’ (Lukas 13:17 NLV). God se plan is dat ander mense na jou lewe kyk en sê: ‘Iets het met jou gebeur; jy is nie meer dieselfde persoon nie!’
Sielskos: Est 5-10; Luk 17:1-10; Ps 18:1-29; Spr 26:24-27
Luke 13:12 NKJV
We don’t know how long it took this woman to get to the front of the church when Jesus called her. Disabled people don’t move as quickly as others. There are two important lessons for you in her story.
(1) Sometimes you won’t grow and mature as fast as others because you have been struggling with a debilitating problem for a long time. What seems easy for others can be very difficult for you. But there is good news: Jesus will wait for you, and He will work with you until you overcome your problem.
(2) Your testimony will come out of the tests you have been through. And no matter what you have been through, today Jesus is calling you. He is saying, “Get up! You can approach me.” Regardless of what you have done or what kind of abuse you have suffered, He is calling you.
You may think your secret is worse than anyone else’s. Rest assured that God knows all about it. And His promise is this: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you… I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt” (Jeremiah 31:3-4 NKJV). Like a master sculptor creating something beautiful out of a crude piece of rock, God can turn your mess into a message of hope for others.
The reason Satan has attacked you is because you have something valuable to contribute. This woman’s story ends with these words: “The multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him” (Luke 13:17 NKJV). God’s plan is to have people look at your life and say, “Something has happened to you; you’re not the same person anymore!”
Soul food: Est 5-10; Luke 17:1-10; Ps 18:1-29; Pro 26:24-27
2022-03-14
Luke 13:12 NKJV
“There was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, ‘Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.’ And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God” (vv. 11-13 NKJV).
This woman couldn’t walk right because she had been bound by “a spirit of infirmity” for eighteen years. That’s a long time to struggle with something. And during that time, she had come to church and received no help. Then Jesus “called” her to the forefront. Why didn’t He just heal her in her seat? Here are two reasons:
(1) God wants us to exercise faith and act on His Word. When you live with an unsolved problem for a long time, you start thinking, “This will never change.” So, before God changes your circumstances, He changes your mind and enables you to see new possibilities. This is called “faith.” The Bible says, “Without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]” (Hebrews 11:6 AMPC). Today God wants to see you moving toward Him.
(2) God wants us to invest in our own deliverance. When you have an investment in something, you value and protect it. That way, when Satan tries to bring the problem back, you say, “No, I don’t receive that. That’s no longer who I am. I’m a new creation in Christ.”
Soul food: Est 1-4; Luke 16:19-31; Ps 24; Pro 7:24-27
