2019-07-24
Psalm 119:166 NKJV
In his book Traveling Hopefully, Stan Mooneyham writes: “I will go, when – I will give, after – I will obey, but first – one can always find reasons for delay, and sometimes they may even seem to be valid reasons. A close friend of mine and I were called to preach about the same time, and we went to university together. I was out mutilating homiletics in rural Oklahoma churches during those four years of study, but my friend insisted he wouldn’t preach his first sermon until he had received his PhD. That was over thirty years ago. I am still mutilating homiletics, but my friend isn’t preaching at all. He never did. Preparation is important, but doing is a vitally important part of preparation. In the Old Testament we hear much about offerings of ‘first fruits.’ God’s portion came right off the top. Nowadays we are more likely to be known by and for our ‘lastfruits.’ Near the hold button on the hotline to heaven, these classic words would be appropriate: ‘If not I, who? If not here, where? If not now, when?’ Are you waiting for the ‘perfect moment’ to come before you step out in faith and obey what God has told you to do? Obey God. Now! It’s not enough to say you believe God’s Word, you must obey it. It’s not enough to accumulate Bible knowledge, you must apply the knowledge God has given you to your daily living.” James writes, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves …a doer… will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:22, 25 NKJV). The blessing comes by “doing.”
Soul food: Deut 3-4; Matt 12:1-14; Ps 46; Prov 16:20-22
2019-07-23
John 15:12 NLT
Jesus said, “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” (v. 11 NLT). What are these “things” that you must do to have His joy in life? Jesus tells us in the next verse: “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.” You say, “That’s a truly challenging commandment!” Yes, and you’ll have to do a lot of growing and maturing in order to keep it. But to enjoy the life Jesus wants you to have, you must commit yourself to doing it! God created all kinds of people with different temperaments and personalities, so clearly He loves variety. When God made the first person He said, “It was good.” So not only are there varieties of people, but there’s “good” in everybody and you’re supposed to look for it. Much of our unhappiness in life is caused by people not being what we want them to be or doing what we want them to do. What’s the answer? How can you enjoy each day if you’re going to have to deal with annoying people? By making up your mind to love them. You don’t have to like their ways, but you have to love them in spite of their ways. But when you think about it, that’s how God treats you, right? Here’s a key to loving annoying people: Annoying people are usually annoyed about something in their life. When you treat the source of their pain, they’ll begin to feel better and treat you better.
Soul food: Deut 1-2; Matt 11:20-30; Ps 42:6-11; Prov 16:17-19
Johannes 15:12 NLV
Jesus het gesê: ‘Dit het Ek vir julle gesê sodat julle my blydskap mag ervaar en julle blydskap volkome kan wees’ (vers 11 NLV). Wat is hierdie dinge wat jy moet doen om sy vreugde in die lewe te ervaar? Jesus sê vir ons in die volgende vers wat dit is: ‘Dit is my opdrag: Julle moet mekaar liefhê soos Ek julle liefgehad het.’ Dis ‘n uitdagende opdrag! Jy sal baie moet groei en volwasse word voordat jy aan hierdie opdrag sal kan voldoen. Om die lewe wat Jesus vir jou wil hê egter te geniet, moet jy jouself daaraan toewy om dit te doen! God het verskillende tipes mense met verskillende temperamente en persoonlikhede gekies, dus hou Hy duidelik van verskeidenheid. Toe God die eerste mens geskape het, het Hy gesê dit is goed. Dus is daar nie net ‘n verskeidenheid van mense nie, daar is ook ‘goed’ in elkeen van hulle. Jy is veronderstel om daarvoor op die uitkyk te wees. Baie van ons ongelukkigheid in die lewe word veroorsaak omdat mense nie is wat ons wil hê hulle moet wees nie en nie doen wat ons wil hê hulle moet doen nie. Wat is die antwoord? Hoe kan jy elke dag geniet wanneer jy met irriterende mense te doen moet kry? Deur te besluit om hulle lief te hê. Jy hoef nie van hulle maniere te hou nie, maar jy moet hulle ten spyte van hulle maniere liefhê. Wanneer jy daaroor dink, is dit ook hoe God jou behandel, nie waar nie? Hier is die sleutel om irriterende mense lief te hê: Irriterende mense word gewoonlik deur iets in hulle lewe geïrriteer. Wanneer jy die bron van hulle pyn ontdek, sal hulle beter begin voel en jou beter begin behandel.
Sielskos: Deut 1-2; Matt 11:20-30; Ps 42:6-11; Spr 16:17-19
2019-07-22
1 Tessalonisense 5:18 NLV
Dankbaarheid kom nie natuurlik vir ons nie, maar ‘n gekla en gekerm wel. Niemand het meer rede gehad om te kla as Josef nie. Hy is verlaat, tot slaaf gemaak, verraai en vervreem. Dis die hoofopskrifte van sy vroeë lewensverhaal. Tog, wanneer hy daaroor praat, hoor jy nie ‘n sweempie van bitterheid nie. Jy hoor die teenoorgestelde. Hy het sy twee seuns lewende, lewenslange getuienisse van sy dankbaarheid teenoor God gemaak met die name wat hy aan hulle gegee het. “Josef het die oudste een Manasse genoem, want het hy gesê: ‘God het my al my kwellings laat vergeet, en ook alles wat my familie teen my gedoen het.’ Die tweede een het hy Efraim genoem, want het hy gesê: ‘God het my vrugbaar gemaak in die land van my swaarkry'” (Genesis 41:51-52 NLV). Let twee dinge op: Eerstens het Josef na die verlede gekyk en God gedank vir dit waardeur Hy hom gebring het. Jy moet dit ook doen. Of dit nou dinge is wat ander mense aan jou gedoen het of iets wat jy aan hulle gedoen het, God se genade het jou daardeur gebring. Daar is net een goeie rede om die verlede op te haal en dit is om te onthou hoe God jou daardeur gelei, beskerm en geseën het. Tweedens het Josef na die huidige tyd gekyk. ‘God het my vrugbaar gemaak in die land van my swaarkry.’ Kan jy ‘n tyd onthou wat jy nie geweet het of jy dit gaan maak nie? Toe ander mense ook gedink het dat jy dit nie gaan maak nie? Kyk wat het die Here in jou lewe gedoen! Ten spyte van struikelblokke en teenstand het Hy jou geseën en vir jou gesorg. Draai die kermkraantjie toe en maak die dankbaarheidskraantjie oop. ‘Wees in alle omstandighede dankbaar, want dit is wat God van julle as Christene verwag.’
Sielskos: Hand 27-28; Matt 11:10-19; Ps 42:1-5; Spr 16:16
1 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV
Gratitude doesn’t come naturally to us, but grumbling does. No one had more cause to grumble than Joseph. Abandoned, enslaved, betrayed, and estranged. Those are the chapter titles for his life story. Yet when he talks about it you won’t hear a tinge of bitterness. Instead, you’ll hear the opposite. In naming his two sons, he makes them living, breathing, lifelong testimonies of his gratitude to God. “Joseph named his older son Manasseh, for he said, ‘God has made me forget all my troubles and everyone in my father’s family.’ Joseph named his second son Ephraim, for he said, ‘God has made me fruitful in this land of my grief'” (Genesis 41:51-52 NLT). Notice two things. First, Joseph looked at the past and gave God thanks for what He had brought him through. And you need to do that too. Whether it’s stuff others did to you, or stuff you did to them, God’s grace brought you through it. There’s only one good reason to bring up the past, and that’s to remember how God guided, protected, and blessed you in it. Second, Joseph looked at the present. “God has made me fruitful in this land of my grief.” Do you remember a time when you thought you wouldn’t make it? And when others thought you wouldn’t make it, too? Look what the Lord has done in your life! In spite of the obstacles and the opposition He has blessed and taken care of you. Turn off the complaining faucet and turn on the thanksgiving faucet. “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God…for you.”
Soul food: Acts 27-28; Matt 11:10-19; Ps 42:1-5; Prov 16:16
