2020-06-22
Psalm 118:5 NKJV
At age twenty-six, Thomas started a publishing company and founded the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses in America. He worked with some of the greatest singers in the history of Gospel music, including Mahalia Jackson. But one night after singing to a Saint Louis audience, he was handed a telegram that said, “Your wife just died.” She had passed away in childbirth. Thomas hurried back home to Chicago, where his newborn son died the following day. He plunged into depression, avoided people, and grew angry with God. “I felt God had done me an injustice. I didn’t want to serve Him anymore or write Gospel songs.” Then a friend took him to a neighbourhood music school. That evening Thomas sat down at a piano and began to play…and pray. He poured out his heart to God, and what wonderful words they were: “Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, let me stand, I am tired, I am weak, I am worn; through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light: Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.” Thomas A. Dorsey testified that the Lord healed him that night as he sat at the piano. He went on to pen more than a thousand songs and become one of the most influential Christian songwriters of all time. All because he reached out to God for help. The psalmist did that too: “I called on the Lord in distress, and the Lord answered me.” So the word for you today is – turn to God; He will not disappoint you.
Soul food: 2 Kings 24-25; Luke 2:1-7; Ps 144:9-15; Prov 14:5-8
2020-06-16
Matteus 25:45 NLV
Die Bybel leer ons dat God ons eendag sal evalueer en beloon volgens hoe ons die mense rondom ons wat seer het en behoeftig is, behandel het. Dis hoekom jy ernstig daaroor moet raak om hulle te help. Thomas Barnardo het dit geglo en een van die grootste Christelike helde van die 1800’s geword. Gedurende sy werk onder die armes en haweloses in die ooste van London, het hy ‘n huis vir hawelose kinders gebou wat vierhonderd seuns en dogters gehuisves het. Hy het die Edinburgh Castle Gin Palace and Music Hall in die Coffee Palace, ‘n sentrum vir evangelistiese en Christelike aktiwiteite, omskep. Hy het ‘n dorpie vir dogters gebou wat meer as negeduisend meisies gedurende sy leeftyd bedien het. Altesaam het meer as sestigduisend kinders baat by die beroepsopleidingsentrums en huise wat hy gebou het, gevind. In uiterste gevalle waar hy kinders in die hande van wrede mense gevind het, het hy hulle ‘ontvoer’ – ‘n beleid wat onwettig was wanneer daar ouers by betrokke was. Hy was egter aan ‘n hoër wet gebonde – God se wet. Dit het hom weerloos teenoor kriminele aanklagte en bitter onderhoudsgevegte gemaak, maar uiteindelik is die landswette verander, nie Barnardo nie. Sy suksesverhale het prokureurs, dokters, musikante, vlootoffisiere, besigheidsmanne en koloniale staatsministers ingesluit, wat almal eens op ‘n tyd haweloos was en gered is. Hoe kan jy die wêreld verander? Begin vandag, een lewe op ‘n slag.
Sielskos: 2 Kon 10-12; Luk 1:11-25; Ps 73:17-28; Spr 13:20
2020-06-05
Job 11:16 NCV
We also need to develop emotionally. When we don’t get help for our past emotional hurts, we can find ourselves acting out of character. We might treat others like we were treated, and hurt the most important people in our lives. Our relationships might even end up falling apart. Being stuck in the past is not what God wants for us. He has new things He wants to do in and through us. Isaiah 43 says: ‘Forget what happened before, and do not think about the past. Look at the new thing I am going to do. It is already happening. Don’t you see it?’ (vv.18-19 NCV). If we’re still emotionally tied to our past, we’ll struggle to step into the new things ahead of us. Regret, bitterness, resentment, anger, and hurt keep us trapped. But it’s often easier said than done to let go of them and move on. In the Bible, Job faced a lot of trouble and heartache. When he was struggling, one of his friends gave him this advice: ‘You must give your whole heart to [God] and hold out your hands to him for help…You will forget your trouble and remember it only as water gone by’ (Job 11:13-16 NCV). We need to hand everything over to God and ask Him to help us work through these situations and emotions. We can’t simply forget about them or pretend that we’re not bothered by them anymore. That will just make things harder in the long run. Instead, we need to go through the process of dealing with them so we can ultimately find healing and freedom. It’s possible for us to move on and develop emotionally, we just need to be open to the process God wants to take us through.
1 Kings 21-22; Mark 14:27-42; Ps 129; Prov 12:27-28
2020-05-14
Proverbs 3:6 NLT
In order for us to maintain the right attitude in life, we need to stay connected to God – the One who sees the big picture and is in control of everything. He makes sure everything that needs to happen, happens at the right time, and moves at the appropriate speed to make sure we arrive safely at the destination He’s planned for us. When we distance ourselves from God and try to do everything on our own, we can become overwhelmed and stressed. We feel afraid of the future. We worry about the decisions we need to make. We can become negative when things aren’t working out the way we wanted them to. But when we stay closely connected to God, we begin to want the things He wants. We surrender our plans and hand over our fears. We listen to His voice, and follow His guidance. The Bible says: ‘Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take’ (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT). We don’t have to do everything on our own. God wants us to go to Him for help and wisdom. We’re told to ‘approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need’ (Hebrews 4:16 NIV). If we’re staying in constant communication with God, we’ll feel His peace and reassurance in our lives. We’ll be able to deal with the things in our past which are holding us back, look to the future without being afraid, and be in the present with a positive attitude.
Num 30:1-32:24; Mark 9:1-13; Ps 49; Prov 11:16-18
