2018-06-20
John 8:31 NKJV
John writes, “I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John v.2 NKJV). In order to “prosper,” reading God’s Word must be one of your first priorities each day. Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.” To “abide” means to reside in a certain place. It makes us think of home, the place where you find joy, acceptance, encouragement, support, protection, purpose, identity, and rest. To “treasure” God’s Word means to accept it as your highest authority, your compass for direction, your counselor in making decisions, your benchmark for evaluating every relationship and action. In other words, the first and last word in your life. Many of our troubles occur because we base our choices on unreliable authorities, like: Culture – “Everybody’s doing it.” Tradition – “We’ve always done it this way.” Reason – “It seems logical.” Emotion – “It just feels right.” All these are flawed because they come from within us, not from God. What we need is a perfect standard that will never lead us in the wrong direction, and only God’s Word meets that criteria. Solomon wrote, “Every word of God is flawless” (Proverbs 30:5 NIV). That means when His Word tells you to do something, you need to do it whether or not it makes sense to you, and whether or not you feel like doing it. You must say like Paul, “I believe everything that…is written” (Acts 24:14 NIV).
Soul food: Ezek 43-45; Luke 1:39-56; Ps 139:1-6; Prov 15:25-27
Johannes 8:31 NLV
Johannes skryf, ‘…ek hou aan bid dat dit in alle opsigte met jou goed mag gaan en dat jy nét so gesond sal wees soos dit geestelik goed met jou gaan’ (3 Johannes vers 2 NLV). Om God se Woord te lees moet een van jou eerste prioriteite wees, sodat dit ‘in alle opsigte goed mag gaan’ met jou. Jesus het gesê, ‘…As julle in ‘n noue verbintenis aan my boodskap leef, is julle my egte navolgers.’ Om in noue verbintenis met God se Woord saam te leef, beteken dat jy vreugde, aanvaarding, aanmoediging, ondersteuning, beskerming, doelwitte, identiteit en rus daarin vind. Om God se Woord te ‘bewaar’ beteken dat jy dit as jou hoogste outoriteit, jou kompas vir rigting, jou berader wanneer jy besluite maak en jou maatstaf wanneer jy elke verhouding en aksie evalueer, aanvaar. Met ander woorde, die eerste en laaste woord in jou lewe. Baie van ons moeilikhede ontstaan omdat ons ons keuses op onbetroubare outoriteite baseer, soos: Kultuur – ‘Almal doen dit.’ Tradisie – ‘Ons het dit nog altyd so gedoen.’ Rede – ‘Dit lyk logies.’ Emosie – ‘Dit voel net reg.’ Al hierdie outoriteite is foutief omdat hulle vanuit onsself kom, nie van God af nie. Wat ons nodig het is ‘n perfekte standaard wat ons nooit in die verkeerde rigting sal lei nie, en net God se Woord voldoen aan daardie kriteria. Salomo het geskryf, ‘Elke woord van God is getoets…’ (Spreuke 30:5 NLV). Dit beteken dat wanneer sy Woord vir jou sê om iets te doen, moet jy dit doen, of dit nou vir jou sin maak of nie en of jy lus is om dit te doen of nie. Jy moet soos Paulus sê, ‘…Ek handhaaf alles… wat geskryf staan’ (Handelinge 24:14 NLV).
Sielskos: Eseg 43-45; Luk 1:39-56; Ps 139:1-6; Spr 15:25-27
2018-06-19
Job 23:12 NIV
The Spirit of God makes us like the Son of God, through the Word of God! That’s why Satan will put 101 roadblocks in your way to keep you from reading the Bible. Paul writes, “[God’s]…Word can make you into what he wants you to be and give you everything you could possibly need” (Acts 20:32 TM). Underscore that word “everything.” God’s Word is like seed; it’s filled with potential. Jesus said, “The words that I have spoken to you…are life” (John 6:63 NAS). An amazing thing happens when you study the Scriptures. Your mind illuminates, your heart resonates, and the truth comes to life in you. The Bible is more than just a doctrinal guidebook. It creates faith, produces change, causes miracles, heals hurts, builds character, transforms circumstances, imparts joy, overcomes adversity, defeats temptation, builds hope, releases power, cleanses minds, brings things into being, and guarantees your future. You can’t survive without it. It’s as essential to your life as food. That’s why Job said, “I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.” God’s Word is the spiritual nourishment you need to fulfill your life’s purpose. The Bible is described as milk, bread, solid food, and sweet dessert (See 1 Peter 2:2; Matthew 4:4; 1 Corinthians 3:2; Psalm 119:103). This four-course meal is the Spirit’s menu for daily strength and growth. Peter writes, “Crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up” (1 Peter 2:2 NIV). So make a commitment to spend time each day reading God’s Word.
Soul food: Ezek 40:10-42:20; Luke 1:26-38; Ps 73:17-28; Prov 15:22-24
Job 23:12 NLV
Die Gees van God maak ons soos die Seun van God, deur die Woord van God! Dis hoekom Satan honderde padversperrings in jou pad sal plaas om te keer dat jy jou Bybel lees. Paulus skryf, ‘…[God se] boodskap kan julle geloof sterk maak en dit kan julle help om te weet dat God vir julle die dinge sal gee wat Hy belowe het om vir al die gelowiges te gee’ (Handelinge 20:32 ABA). God se Woord is soos ‘n saadjie; dis met potensiaal gevul. Jesus het gesê, ‘…Die woorde wat Ek aan julle gerig het, is Gees en lewe’ (Johannes 6:63 NLV). ‘n Wonderbaarlike ding gebeur wanneer jy die Skrif bestudeer. Jou verstand verhelder, jou hart resoneer en die waarheid begin in jou lewe. Die Bybel is meer as net ‘n doktrinale handboek. Dit skep geloof, produseer verandering, veroorsaak wonderwerke, genees seer, bou karakter, transformeer omstandighede, dra vreugde oor, oorkom teenstand, verslaan versoeking, bou hoop, stel krag vry, reinig gedagtes, bring dinge tot stand en waarborg jou toekoms. Jy kan nie daarsonder oorleef nie. Dis so noodsaaklik soos kos vir jou lewe. Dis hoekom Job gesê het, ‘…Wat Hy sê, het ek in my hart bewaar.’ God se Woord is die geestelike voedsel wat jy nodig het om jou lewensdoelwit te vervul. Die Bybel word as melk, brood, vaste kos en soeter as heuning beskryf (sien 1 Petrus 2:2; Matteus 4:4; 1 Korintiërs 3:2; Psalm 119:103). Hierdie viergang maaltyd is die Gees se spyskaart vir daaglikse krag en groei. Paulus skryf, ‘Hiervoor moet julle genoeg geestelike melk inkry. Smag daarom daarna… sodat julle daardeur kan groei tot volwasse gereddenes’ (1 Petrus 2:2 NLV). Maak dus ‘n verbintenis om elke dag tyd te spandeer om God se Woord te lees.
Sielskos: Eseg 40:10-42:20; Luk 1:26-38; Ps 73:17-28; Spr 15:22-24
2018-06-18
2 Peter 3:18 NLT
Winning gracefully can be harder than losing gracefully. When we win we’re tempted by arrogance, power, insensitivity, gloating, and wanting to relive our success long after everyone else is bored by it. Gracious winners always remember what it feels like to lose. They are caught up in something bigger than their own wins and losses. Abraham Lincoln had the wisdom to place the good of the country above his own ego, appointing his worst political critic, Edwin Stanton, to run the War Department. Stanton, a brilliant legal mind, could be brusque and condescending. As Frederick Douglass put it, ‘Politeness was not one of his weaknesses.’ Lincoln, on the other hand, was keenly aware of his looks and his uneducated background. (When someone charged him with being two-faced during a campaign, he responded: ‘If I had two faces, do you think I’d be wearing this one?’). As outgoing attorney general of the losing party, Stanton had belittled Lincoln as ‘the original gorilla.’ How Lincoln treated Stanton is Civil War history. Lincoln trusted in him, confided in him, leaned on him, depended on him. And Stanton responded with unfailing loyalty and affection. On the morning of April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln died after having been shot the night before at Ford’s Theatre. The most famous words ever spoken after the death of a president were spoken that morning: ‘Now he belongs to the ages.’ The speaker was Edwin Stanton. Robert Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln’s son, said that after his father died he was visited in his room each morning for two weeks by Stanton who ‘spent the first ten minutes of his visits weeping without saying a word.’ When nothing else works, showing grace does!
Soul food: Ezek 37:1-40:9; Luke 1:11-25; Ps 73:1-16; Prov 15:18-21
