2019-04-23
Ecclesiastes 7:14 NKJV
The digital age has great advantages. Through emails, texts, and tweets we can communicate quickly. The disadvantage is that it doesn’t cultivate in us a desire to think about things deeply. You can’t microwave personal growth; it requires a crockpot. The Bible says, “In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: surely God has appointed the one as well as the other.” By taking time to reflect: (1) You gain confidence in decision making. Ever made a snap decision and later wondered if you did the right thing? Reflective thinking can help to defuse that doubt. It also gives you confidence for the next decision. Once you’ve reflected on an issue, you don’t have to repeat every step of the thinking process when you’re faced with it again. You’ve got mental road markers from having been there before. (2) You clarify the big picture. Reflective thinking encourages us to go back and spend time pondering what we have done and what we have seen. To keep from making the same mistake over and over, you must stop and examine the process that led to it. In other words, reflection helps you to see the big picture. (3) You take a good experience and make it a valuable experience. They say we learn by experience. No, we learn from evaluated experience. An experience becomes valuable when it informs and equips us. That’s why daily prayer and Bible reading are so essential. You’ll understand things in God’s presence that you won’t understand any other way.
Soul food: Matt 27:62-66; Mark 1:9-13; Ps 6; Deut 21:22-23
2019-04-22
Rigters 14:8 NLV
Een dag het Simson teen ‘n leeu te staan gekom en hom verslaan. Die Bybel sê: ‘Toe hy later weer… terugkom… het hy afgedraai om na die leeu se karkas te gaan kyk. ‘n Swerm bye was besig om in die geraamte heuning te maak. Hy het met sy hand van die heuning uitgehaal en langs die pad daaraan loop en eet…’ (verse 8-9 NLV). Daar is ‘n les hieruit te leer. Wanneer jy die tyd neem om te stop en te reflekteer, ontdek jy ‘heuning’ in jou ervarings wat jy kan eet om sterker en wyser te word. Wanneer jy reflekteer is jy in staat om dinge in perspektief te plaas; jy kry nuwe waardering vir dinge wat jy nie voorheen opgemerk het nie. Min van ons het ‘n duidelike perspektief in die hitte van die oomblik. Die meeste van ons wat ‘n traumatiese ervaring beleef het, vermy gewoonlik ten alle koste soortgelyke situasies. Dit kan ons met onopgeloste kwessies laat. Reflekterende denke stel jou in staat om afstand van die intense emosies van ‘n ervaring te kry en dit met vars oë te sien. Dis inderdaad die eerste stap om van ons emosionele bagasie ontslae te raak. President George Washington het opgemerk: ‘Ons moenie terugkyk nie, tensy ons dit doen om nuttige lesse uit foute uit die verlede te leer.’ Elkeen van ons is deur die ervarings in ons lewe – goed en sleg – gevorm. Die dinge wat ons weier om te hanteer, beheer ons dikwels op skadelike maniere. Wanneer ons dit egter in die lig uitbring en God vir die genade vra om hulle vas in die oë te kyk, verloor hulle hul mag oor ons.
Sielskos: Num 3:1-4:33; Mark 1:1-8; Ps 144:9-15; Spr 10:22-23
Judges 14:8 NIV
One day Samson encountered a lion and slew it. The Bible says, “Some time later, when he went back…he turned aside to look at the lion’s carcass. In it he saw…some honey. He scooped out the honey with his hands and ate as he went along” (vv. 8-9 NIV). There’s a lesson here for you. When you take time to stop and reflect, you discover “honey” in your experiences that you can eat and grow stronger and wiser. When you reflect, you are able to put things into perspective; you gain new appreciation for things you didn’t notice before. Few of us have clear perspective in the heat of the moment. Most of us who have survived a traumatic experience usually avoid similar situations at all costs. This can leave us with unresolved issues that leave us tied up in knots. Reflective thinking enables you to distance yourself from the intense emotions of an experience and see it with fresh eyes. Indeed, this process is one of the first steps to getting rid of our emotional baggage. President George Washington observed, “We ought not to look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose of profiting by dearly bought experience.” Each of us has been shaped by the experiences, good and bad, that we’ve had in life. What we refuse to deal with deals with us, and often in harmful ways. We “act out” of our unresolved issues. But when we bring them into the light and ask God for the grace to face them squarely, they lose their power over us.
Soul food: Num 3:1-4:33; Mark 1:1-8; Ps 144:9-15; Prov 10:22-23
2019-04-21
John 11:25 KJV
Why is Christ’s resurrection unique? (1) He’s the only one who didn’t die again. In Scripture all others who rose from the dead, died again. Jesus was the glorious exception. Consequently, “He was made a priest…through the power of a life which has no end” (Hebrews 7:16 GNT). His testimony stands: “I was dead…I am alive for ever” (Revelation 1:18 NIV). (2) He alone ascended into Heaven to represent us before God. Other priests died and ceased to serve. But Jesus was “declared…a priest forever” (Hebrews 7:17 NIV). And He’s not sitting around awaiting the second coming; He’s representing us before God. “He entered heaven itself…to appear for us in God’s presence” (Hebrews 9:24 NIV). That means no accusation against us can stand. “Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died…is at the right hand of God…interceding for us” (Romans 8:34 NIV). (3) He has the power to resurrect you when you die. Jesus comforted His disciples with this awesome promise: “Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19 NIV). And that promise applies to you too! “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven…the dead in Christ will rise first…we who are still alive…will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NIV). What a day that will be!
Soul food: 1 Cor 15; Luke 24:1-53
Johannes 11:25 NLV
Hoekom is Christus se opstanding uniek? 1) Hy is die enigste een wat nie weer gesterf het nie. Al die ander wat in die Skrif uit die dood opgestaan het, het weer gesterf. Jesus was die wonderlike uitsondering. Uiteindelik het Hy ‘…’n priester geword omdat Hy nie kon sterf nie’ (Hebreërs 7:16 ABA). Sy getuienis staan sterk: ‘…Ek was dood en kyk, nou leef Ek vir altyd…’ (Openbaring 1:18 NVL) 2) Hy het opgevaar na die hemel om ons voor God te verteenwoordig. Jesus is ‘…priester vir ewig…’ (Hebreërs 7:17 NLV). Hy sit egter nie net en wag op sy wederkoms nie, Hy verteenwoordig ons voor God. ‘Christus het immers tot in die hemel self ingegaan om nou as ons voorspraak voor God te verskyn…’ (Hebreërs 9:24 NLV). Dit beteken dat geen beskuldiging teen ons staande kan bly nie. ‘Wie sal ons veroordeel? Christus Jesus is tog die Een wat vir ons gesterf het… wat op die ereplek langs God sit en wat daar vir ons pleit’ (Romeine 8:34 NLV). 3) Hy het die mag om jou weer lewendig te maak wanneer jy sterf. Jesus het sy dissipels met hierdie wonderbaarlike belofte getroos: ‘Nog net ‘n klein tydjie en die wêreld sien My nie meer nie, maar julle sien My nog omdat Ek lewe en julle sal lewe’ (Johannes 14:19 NLV). Hierdie belofte is ook op jou van toepassing! ‘Wat eerste gaan gebeur, is dat die Here self uit die hemel sal neerdaal en dat die dooies wat aan Christus behoort, sal opstaan… Daarna sal ons wat bly lewe het, saam met hulle op wolke die lug in weggevoer word om die Here te ontmoet en vir altyd by Hom te wees’ (1 Tessalonisense 4:16-17 NLV). Wat ‘n wonderlike dag sal dit nie wees nie!
Sielskos: 1 Kor 15; Luk 24:1-53
