2018-06-23
John 13:17 NIV
Reading, receiving, researching, remembering, and reflecting on God’s Word are important, but we must respond to it and be “doers of the word” (James 1:22). This is the hardest step because Satan will fight you on it. You can be so busy going to the next church meeting, that you forget to put into practice what you learned at the last one. Jesus said, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24 NIV). God doesn’t bless you because you know the truth but because you obey it. “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” We’re inclined to avoid personal application because not only is it hard – in some cases it’s downright painful! Jesus said, “The truth will set you free” (John 8:32 NIV), but first it may make you uncomfortable. God’s Word reveals our motives, exposes our flaws, rebukes our sin, and demands change. That’s why it’s good to discuss your personal insights with others. We learn truths from other people that we’d never learn on our own. They help us to see and apply what we miss. They hold us accountable. One of the best ways to become “a doer of the Word” is to write down an action plan. It should be personal (involving you); practical (something you can do); provable (with a benchmark or deadline). In the words of D. L. Moody: “The Bible wasn’t given to increase our knowledge but to change our lives.”
Soul food: 2 Cor 5-8; Luke 2:1-7; Ps 144:1-8; Prov 16:1-3
2018-06-22
Psalm 119:97 NLV
Mens bewaar God se Woord op drie maniere: 1) Deur dit na te vors. Dit beteken dat jy jou gedagtes daaroor neerskryf. Dit behels ook dat jy vrae soos: Wie? Wat? Wanneer? Waar? Hoekom? Hoe? moet vra. Met ander woorde, jou Bybelstudie moet jou insig gee, nie net inligting nie. 2) Deur dit te onthou. Jy mag dalk dink dat jou geheue sleg is, maar jy het alreeds miljoene idees en feite gememoriseer. Die waarheid is dat ons dit onthou wat waarlik vir ons belangrik is! Daar is enorme voordele daaraan verbonde om die Skrif te memoriseer. Dit sal jou help om versoeking te weerstaan, om beter besluite te maak, stres te verminder, jou selfvertroue op te bou en jou in staat te stel om jou geloof met ander te deel. Begin deur ‘n vers neer te skryf wat jou gehelp het en dra dit op ‘n klein kaartjie saam met jou rond. Sê dit hardop vir jouself terwyl jy werk, oefen, wag en voor jy gaan slaap. Die kuns daarin om Skrifgedeeltes te memoriseer, is om dit aanhoudend te hersien! 3) Deur daarop te reflekteer. Geen ander gewoonte sal jou meer geestelik volwasse laat word as om daagliks oor God se Woord te reflekteer nie. Soos jy dit doen, word jy letterlik ‘…al hoe meer verander om soos die Here te lyk…’ (2 Korintiërs 3:18 NLV). God het Dawid ‘…’n man na my hart…’ (Handelinge 13:22 NLV), genoem. Hoe het hy daardie onderskeiding gekry? Omdat hy lief was daarvoor om oor God se Woord te reflekteer: ‘Hoe lief het ek u gebooie! Ek oordink dit die hele dag.’ Die sleutel tot ‘n suksesvolle Christelike lewe is joune, wanneer jy leer om God se Woord te bewaar.
Sielskos: 2 Kor 1-4; Luk 1:67-80; Ps 139:13-24; Spr 15:31-33
Psalm 119:97 NCV
You treasure God’s Word in three ways: (1) By researching it. This calls for writing down your thoughts about it. It also calls for asking the right questions, like: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? In other words, your Bible study should give you insight, not just information. (2) By remembering it. You may think your memory is poor, but you’ve already memorized millions of ideas and facts. The truth is, we remember what’s truly important to us! And there are enormous benefits to memorizing Scripture. It will help you resist temptation, make better decisions, reduce stress, build your confidence, stretch your thinking, and enable you to share your faith with others. Your memory is like a muscle; the more you use it the stronger it becomes. Start by writing down a verse that has helped you, then carry it with you on a small card. Review it aloud while you’re working, exercising, waiting, and before going to sleep. The key to memorizing Scripture is – review…review…review! (3) By reflecting on it. No other habit will do more to mature you spiritually than reflecting daily on God’s Word. As you do, you’re literally “transformed into his likeness” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV). God called David “a man after my own heart” (Acts 13:22 NIV). And how did he earn that distinction? Because he loved to reflect on God’s Word: “How I love your teachings! I think about them all day long.” The key to successful Christian living is yours when you treasure God’s Word.
Soul food: 2 Cor 1-4; Luke 1:67-80; Ps 139:13-24; Prov 15:31-33
2018-06-21
Kolossense 3:16 NLV
Soos jy jou gedagtes met God se Woord vul, sal die Heilige Gees dit gebruik om jou te verander. ‘Laat die rykdom van alles wat Christus ons leer, julle leefstyl bepaal…’ Hoe doen jy dit? 1) Deur dit te lees. As jy die koerant maar nie die Bybel lees nie, sal jy nie geestelik groei nie. Jy kan nie televisie vir drie of vier ure kyk, dan jou Bybel vir drie of vier minute lees en groei verwag nie. Hoe kan jy sê jy glo die Bybel van begin tot einde, as jy dit nog nie deurgelees het nie? ‘…[Ons moet] dit elke dag lees so lank as wat [ons] lewe…’ (Deuteronomium 17:19 NLV). As jy jou Bybel net vyftien minute elke dag lees, sal jy dit teen die einde van die jaar heeltemal deurgelees het. As jy elke dag net een dertig-minute televisieprogram uitsny, kan jy dit twee keer ‘n jaar deurlees. Daaglikse Bybelstudie hou jou binne die bereik van God se stem. Wil jy geestelik groei? Ontwikkel dan ‘n daaglikse Bybel leesplan en hou daarby. 2) Deur dit te ontvang. In die gelykenis van die saaier praat Jesus van drie onontvanklike houdings: ‘n geslote gees (harde grond), ‘n oppervlakkige gees (vlak grond) en ‘n deurmekaar gees (grond met onkruid) (sien Lukas 8:5-15). Hy gaan dan verder om te sê, ‘Gee aandag aan wat jy hoor…’ (vers 18 NLV). Enige tyd wat jy nie besig is om te leer nie, kyk na jou houding, want God kan selfs deur die verveligste onderwyser met jou praat as jy nederig en ontvanklik daarvoor is. Jakobus sê ‘…aanvaar nederig die woord wat God in julle geplant het. Hierdie woord het die mag om julle te red’ (Jakobus 1:21 NLV). Hierdie is nie net goeie idees nie; dis lewensveranderende beginsels!
Sielskos: Eseg 46-48; Luk 1:57-66; Ps 139:7-12; Spr 15:28-30
Colossians 3:16 NLT
As you fill your mind with God’s Word, the Holy Spirit will use it to transform you. “Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives…with all the wisdom he gives.” How do you do that? (1) By reading it. If you read the newspaper but not the Bible, you won’t grow spiritually. You can’t watch TV for three or four hours, then read your Bible for three or four minutes and expect growth. How can you say you believe the Bible from cover to cover, when you haven’t read it from cover to cover? “[We] should…read from it every day” (Deuteronomy 17:19 NCV). If you read your Bible for just fifteen minutes a day, you’ll read completely through it once a year. If you cut out just one thirty-minute television program daily, you can read it through twice a year. Daily Bible reading keeps you within range of God’s voice. Do you want to grow spiritually? Develop a daily Bible reading plan and stick with it. (2) By receiving it. In the parable of the sower Jesus talks about three unreceptive attitudes: a closed mind (hard soil), a superficial mind (shallow soil), and a distracted mind (soil with weeds) (See Luke 8:5-15 NIV). He then goes on to say, “Consider carefully how you listen” (v.18 NIV). Any time you’re not learning, check your attitude, especially for pride, because God can speak to you through the most boring teacher if you’re humble and receptive. James says, “Humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you” (James 1:21 NIV). These aren’t just good ideas; they’re life-changing principles!
Soul food: Ezek 46-48; Luke 1:57-66; Ps 139:7-12; Prov 15:28-30
