2022-02-23
2 Corinthians 4:15 MSG
If you’re going through a difficult time right now, let Paul’s words encourage you. ‘Surrounded and battered by troubles…we’re not demoralised; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows…we’ve been spiritually terrorised, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken’ (v.8-9 MSG). Paul was talking to followers of Christ who were having a rough time.
Here’s what he told them: ‘For all [these] things are for your sake…Therefore we do not become discouraged [spiritless, disappointed, or afraid]. Though our outer self is [progressively] wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day by day. For our momentary, light distress [this passing trouble] is producing for us an eternal weight of glory’ (v.15-17 AMPC).
When we’re under pressure, our faith has an opportunity to grow. God knows exactly how much pressure to apply in order to help us grow. Sometimes He’ll let us get to 1) a place where we’re out of answers and our resources seem to be depleted, 2) a place where we’re tired of Satan stealing what we know God has promised, and 3) a place where we’re no longer willing to let other people’s opinions control us. (Remember, with God there are no hopeless situations, just people who have grown hopeless about them.)
It’s when there’s nothing more we can do that we start trusting God to do the impossible. As Paul says in verse 17, compared to the eternity and our everlasting reward in heaven, our trouble is fleeting. The challenges we’re experiencing now might actually be blessings in disguise – an opportunity to experience God’s ‘unfolding grace’ and power at work.
Isa 63-66; Luke 11:14-28; Ps 40:1-8; Pro 6:1-5
2022-02-22
2 Timothy 4:7 NKJV
The philosopher Seneca the Younger said, ‘Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.’ As we read in Scripture about the people God used to accomplish great things, we’ll discover that a lot of their time was spent preparing for what seems like a relatively brief assignment. The ego in each of us craves two things – limelight and lastingness! But with God only one thing matters: doing His will.
When we can say like Paul, ‘I have finished the race,’ we’ll know we’ve lived successfully. Whether we’re called to business, art, education, politics, medicine, or ministry, this principle is constant: opportunity comes to those who are prepared. God uses people who are willing to put in the preparation and take time to learn and grow. That means every experience we have in life has potential value.
But it’s not enough to just get prepared and ready; we must stay ready. Solomon writes, ‘Hold on to instruction…guard it well, for it is your life’ (Proverbs 4:13 NIV). To put it in a practical context, knowledge in most fields doubles about every five years. That means unless we’re prepared to keep growing and learning, we’ll end up with outdated skills that don’t match the challenges of the world we’re living in.
Think of the technology we had just a few years ago compared to what we have now. It’s constantly changing, and that means we have to constantly adapt and be open to new experiences and ways of doing things; otherwise, we’ll get left behind and struggle to pick up where we left off. So let’s look out for new opportunities and be prepared for God to tell us to move.
Isa 58-62; Luke 11:1-13; Ps 36; Pro 5:21-23
2 Timothy 4:7 NKJV
Seneca the Younger said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” As you read in Scripture about the people God used to accomplish great things, you discover that much of their time was spent preparing for what seems like a relatively brief assignment. The ego in each of us craves two things – limelight and longevity! But with God only one thing matters: doing His will. When you can say like Paul, “I have finished the race,” you have lived successfully.
So, who does God use? Those who are prepared! Whether you’re called to business, art, education, politics, medicine, or ministry, this principle is immutable: Opportunity comes to the prepared. That means every experience in life has potential value. Disraeli said, “One secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his time when it comes.”
And it’s not enough to simply get prepared; you must stay prepared. Solomon writes, “Hold on to instruction…guard it well, for it is your life” (Proverbs 4:13 NIV). Knowledge in most fields doubles about every five years, and unless you keep growing, you will end up with outdated skills that don’t match the challenges of the world you live in.
And here is another thing: Preparation doesn’t start with what you do; it starts with what you believe. When you believe that tomorrow’s success depends on today’s preparation, you see today differently. Queen Elizabeth I reputedly offered the royal physicians up to half her estate if they could extend her lifespan. But of course, they couldn’t. That’s why the Bible says it’s important to recognize “how short our lives really are so that we may be wise” (Psalm 90:12 NCV).
Soul food: Isa 58-62; Luke 11:1-13; Ps 36; Pro 5:21-23
2 Timoteus 4:7 NLV
Seneca die Jonger het gesê: ‘Sukses gebeur wanneer voorbereiding, geleentheid ontmoet.’ Soos jy in die Skrif van die mense wat God gebruik het om groot dinge te bereik, lees, sal jy agterkom dat hulle baie tyd bestee het om vir ‘n relatiewe kort opdrag voor te berei. Die ego in elkeen van ons smag na twee dinge – die kollig en ‘n lang lewe! Vir God maak net een ding egter saak: om sy wil te doen. Wanneer jy soos Paulus kan sê: ‘Ek het die wedloop voltooi,’ het jy suksesvol gelewe.
Vir wie gebruik God dus? Diegene wat voorbereid is! Of jy nou na besigheid, kuns, opvoeding, politiek, die mediese veld of die bediening geroep word, bly hierdie beginsel onveranderd: Die wat voorbereid is, ontvang geleenthede. Disraeli het gesê: ‘Een geheim tot sukses in die lewe is vir ‘n man om gereed te wees wanneer sy tyd kom.’ Dis ook nie genoeg om net eenvoudig voorbereid te word nie, jy moet voorbereid bly. Salomo skryf: ‘Hou vas aan die reëls wat ek jou leer. Moet dit nie laat los nie. Bly daarby, want dit verryk jou lewe’ (Spreuke 4:13 NLV).
Kennis in die meeste velde verdubbel ongeveer elke vyf jaar en tensy jy aanhou groei, sal jy met verouderde vaardighede opeindig wat nie by die uitdagings van die wêreld waarin jy leef, aanpas nie. Wanneer jy glo dat more se sukses van vandag se voorbereiding afhang, sal jy vandag anders sien. Koningin Elizabeth I het na bewering die koninklike geneeshere die helfte van haar boedel aangebied indien hulle haar lewe kon verleng. Hulle kon natuurlik nie. Ons lewens is kort, dis hoekom die Bybel sê: ‘Leer ons ons dae so gebruik dat ons wysheid bekom’ (Psalm 90:12 AFR83).
Sielskos: Jes 58-62; Luk 11:1-13; Ps 36; Spr 5:21-23
2022-02-21
Hebrews 11:5 NCV
When we’ve experienced rejection, it can show itself in a need to isolate and withdraw or in a drive to constantly ‘prove ourselves’ (or to prove others wrong). The Bible says Enoch ‘was a man who truly pleased God’, and he did it ‘by faith’ (v.5 NCV). God sees us differently from the way our parents or peers do. Other people’s acceptance is often based on our performance, whereas God’s acceptance is based on our position.
Paul writes, ‘God made him who had no sin to be sin for us…that in him we might become the righteousness of God’ (2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV). God sees us wrapped in the righteousness of Christ; and that means we’re always acceptable to and accepted by Him. That doesn’t mean we don’t need to work hard; it means working for the right reasons. Instead of striving for God’s approval, we serve Him out of gratitude.
Once we know that our identity and worth aren’t tied to the value of our possessions, the homes we live in, how much we’ll earn, or the people we mix with, it changes our motivation. Instead of being concerned about the neighbourhood we live in, we become concerned about our neighbours. Instead of focusing on how much money we make, our focus becomes how much we can do to help God’s kingdom. Instead of worrying whether we’ll ever have a fantastic job, our goal is to do every task, big or small, with excellence and integrity. In other words, we’re doing it for the right reasons.
Isa 53-57; Luke 10:38-42; Ps 33:13-22; Pro 5:15-20
