2022-01-05
Luke 8:14 NLT
You must eliminate the weeds. In His famous parable of the sower, Jesus said the seed fell into four different kinds of soil. “The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature” (v. 14 NIV). Notice, three varieties of “weeds” can keep you from growing into spiritual maturity.
(1) Worry. You become so preoccupied with everyday cares that you take your eyes off Jesus.
(2) Riches. Making money and buying things dominates your life so much that you don’t have time for the Lord.
(3) Pleasure. Pursuing “the good life” can choke out your spiritual growth. It’s okay to have a good time, but you need to protect your priorities. When you have time to shop, go to the beach, play golf, or spend hours watching television yet you don’t have time to read your Bible and pray, your priorities are out of balance. You say, “I just don’t have time to serve the Lord. I’m too busy. I don’t have time to commit.” Then you are too busy!
You’d better do some weeding. Lots of things in life are not necessarily wrong; they are just not necessary. Maybe you need to cut back your schedule a little to remove the weeds. You have to tend your tomato plants, but you don’t have to do anything to produce dandelions; they grow by themselves when you neglect your garden. Getting the idea? If the “weeds” in your life are keeping you from bearing “fruit,” it’s time to stop talking about it and take action.
Soul food: Gen 7-9; Luke 1:26-38; Ps 10:1-11; Pro 1:10-16
Lukas 8:14 NLV
Jy moet die onkruid uitwis. Jesus het in sy bekende gelykenis gesê dat die saad op vier verskillende tipes grond geval het. ‘Die saad tussen die onkruid is mense wat die boodskap hoor en ook aanvaar, maar tog te gou word dit verdring deur die sorge en rykdom en plesiere van hierdie lewe. En só groei hulle nooit tot volwassenheid nie’ (vers 14 NLV).
Let op dat daar drie soorte ‘onkruid’ is wat jou daarvan kan weerhou om geestelik volwasse te word. 1) Sorge. Jy raak so besig met alledaagse sorge dat jy jou oë van Jesus afneem. 2) Rykdom. Om geld te maak en dinge te koop domineer jou lewe in so ‘n groot mate dat jy nie tyd vir die Here het nie. 3) Plesiere. Deur die ‘goeie lewe’ na te streef, kan jou geestelike groei verwurg word.
Dis in die haak om ‘n goeie tyd te hê, maar jy moet jou prioriteite beskerm. As jy tyd het om inkopies te doen, strand toe te gaan, gholf te speel of ure voor die televisie deur te bring, maar nie tyd het om jou Bybel te lees nie, is jou prioriteite uit balans uit. Jy sê: ‘Ek het eenvoudig nie tyd om die Here te dien nie.’ Dan is jy te besig! Jy moet dan die onkruid uittrek.
Baie dinge in die lewe is nie noodwendig verkeerd nie; hulle is net nie noodsaaklik nie. Miskien moet jy jou skedule ‘n bietjie aanpas om die onkruid te verwyder. Jy moet na jou tamatieplante omsien, maar jy hoef nie enigiets te doen om kakiebos te produseer nie; hulle groei vanself wanneer jy jou tuin verwaarloos. Kry jy die idee? As die ‘onkruid’ in jou lewe jou daarvan weerhou om ‘vrugte’ te dra, is dit tyd om aksie te neem.
Sielskos: Gen 7-9; Luk 1:26-38; Ps 10:1-11; Spr 1:10-16
2022-01-04
Colossians 2:7 NLT
Paul writes this: “Just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ….you…are complete through your union with Christ” (vv. 6-8, 10 NLT).
If you ever visit an Arizona desert, you will find that it is full of different kinds of vegetation. The contrasts are fascinating. The dried-up, brittle tumbleweed blows everywhere. Why? Because it has no roots. By contrast, the saguaro cactus bears fruit even in 130-degree weather. Why? Because its roots go out fifty to sixty feet in all directions.
You must have deep spiritual roots if you are going to make it through the “dry spells” of life. Anyone can survive a day or two of drought, but what about extended seasons of stress, grief, lack, illness, and adversity? Whatever your life is rooted to – is what you will draw your strength from. The psalmist writes this: “They delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind” (Psalm 1:2-4 NLT). Pray, “Lord, root me deep in you.”
Soul food: Gen 4-6; Luke 1:11-25; Ps 90:7-17; Pro 1:5-9
2022-01-03
Proverbs 12:3 NLT
You must cultivate deep spiritual roots. “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord…They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by…heat or worried by…months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8 NLT). This Scripture gives you one reason why you need deep spiritual roots: to make it through the rough times – times of heat and drought. Solomon said, “No one can be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted” (Proverbs 12:3 NIV).
It’s when seasons of adversity hit your life that you discover what you’re “rooted” to: God’s strength or merely your own. When the Bible speaks of “heat,” it’s speaking about the pressures of life. When it speaks about “drought,” it’s speaking about seasons of crisis and lack. What’s the answer? “Roots that reach deep into the water.” What’s the result? “They never stop producing fruit.”
Because of their roots, the giant redwoods of Northern California can withstand the major forest fires. If you were to measure the roots of a large oak tree, they would stretch out for several hundred miles. That’s why they’re stable in the storms of life. Paul writes this: “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong…you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God” (Ephesians 3:16-17, 19 NLT).
Soul food: Gen 1-3; Luke 1:1-10; Ps 90:1-6; Pro 1:1-4
2022-01-02
John 15:16 NIV
When Jesus said, “I chose you…that you might…bear fruit – fruit that will last,” He was saying, “Spend your life in pursuit of that which has lasting significance and eternal value!” What does He mean by “fruit”? “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV). Those nine qualities describe the only life that’s truly worth living.
Fortunately, you’re not left to produce this kind of fruit by self-effort. Indeed, you may as well try to pick yourself up by your own bootstraps! No, Jesus said this: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful…No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:1-2, 4-5 NIV).
Who is Jesus speaking to? Believers. “Every branch in me” (v. 2 NIV). Who is the gardener? “My Father is the gardener” (v. 1 NIV). What’s His goal? For you to be “even more fruitful” (v. 2 NIV). What’s the secret of fruitfulness? Constant contact and intimacy with Jesus. “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit” (v. 5 NIV). So, if you want to be more fruitful, draw closer to the Lord.
Soul food: 2 Chron 7:12-16; Matt 6:5-15; Luke 18:1-8
2022-01-01
1 Corinthians 10:31 NKJV
In 1643, the Houses of Parliament in England abolished the Episcopal system of government in the Church of England. An assembly of one hundred twenty-one ministers and thirty laypersons was called to Westminster Abbey to rebuild the English church. The documents coming out of that six-year assembly are some of the most famous in church history. The first question in the Shorter Westminster Catechism reads, “What is the chief end of man?” Answer: “To glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”
The implications of that question and answer are profound in their simplicity. And if you’re wise, you will make them a blueprint for your life this coming year. Glorify God. Obey God. Enjoy God. When you know your life is glorifying God, you enjoy His presence, but when you know your life is not glorifying God, you tend to avoid Him. And that’s bad, because without God’s presence in your life, what are your chances of true success? Not good!
As you look back on last year, are there things you regret because you know that God was not glorified in them? Well, God is giving you a new year to do things differently. And if you’re making New Year’s resolutions, base every one of them on the foundation of this Scripture: “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” If you follow that rule, you will stay on the right path, and you will have the peace and joy of knowing your life is pleasing to the Lord. Whatever circumstances may arise, you will face them with peace and confidence, knowing that God is with you.
Soul food: Rom 13:12-14:19; John 1:1-14
