2019-07-14
Isaiah 30:21 NKJV
Jesus understood God’s strategic plan for His life – the redemption of humankind – and lived each day of His life in the light of it. At the end of His life He could pray, “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do” (John 17:4 NKJV). Strategic planning is critical to success in any undertaking. And as a redeemed child of God, your strategy should come from God, otherwise pressures and people can take you in the wrong direction. Jesus could easily have gotten sidetracked by the demands of the crowd and the misguided thinking of His disciples. How did He avoid that? By nights spent in prayer, and predawn meetings with His Father seeking guidance. Jesus lived by this principle: “The Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does…I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will” (John 5:19, 30 NLT). When seeking a plan for your life, the first book you should read is the Bible. Don’t adopt someone else’s plan unless God told you to do the same thing, or you’ll end up frustrated. You ask, “You mean God has a strategy and a plan for my life and that He will reveal it to me?” Yes. “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it.'”
Soul food: 1 Sam 21:1-6; Hosea 6:4-6; Matt 12:1-14
2019-07-13
Johannes 21:21 NVL
Die Bybel sê: “Toe Petrus omdraai, sien hy dat die lieflingdissipel Jesus volg. Dit is hy wat by die paasete na aan Jesus se bors oorgeleun en gevra het: ‘Here, wie is die een wat U gaan uitlewer?’ Toe Petrus hom sien, vra hy vir Jesus: ‘Wat van hom, Here?’ Jesus reageer daarop: ‘As Ek wil hê dat hy moet bly leef totdat Ek terugkeer, wat het dit met jou te doen? Volg jy net vir My!’ Hierdie gerug het toe onder die medegelowiges rondgegaan dat daardie dissipel nie sal sterf nie. Jesus het egter nie vir Petrus gesê dat daardie dissipel nie sal sterf nie, maar eintlik net: ‘As Ek wou hê dat hy moet bly leef totdat Ek terugkeer, wat gaan dit jou aan?'” (verse 20-23 NLV). Toe Petrus vir Jesus gevra het: ‘Wat van hom, Here?’ het hy na die apostel Johannes verwys, wat ‘n besondere nabye verhouding met Christus geniet het. Jesus het inderwaarheid gesê: ‘Haal jou oë van Johannes af en vestig hulle op My. Volg My en jy kan ook ‘n nabye verhouding met My hê.’ Mense sal jou teleurstel, net soos jy hulle sal teleurstel. Jesus sal jou egter nooit teleurstel as jy jou oë op Hom gevestig hou en Hom volg nie. Hy ken nie net die pad nie, Hy sê: ‘…Ek is die pad en die waarheid en die lewe…’ (Johannes 14:6 NLV). Hy sê: ‘…Ek is die lig vir die mensdom. Wie My aanhou volg, sal nooit in die duisternis leef nie, maar sal die lig hê wat lewe gee’ (Johannes 8:12 NLV). Die woord vir jou vandag gaan dus oor een van die mees fundamentele beginsels van ‘n Christelike lewe: Hou jou oë op Jesus, nie op mense nie.
Sielskos: Hand 12-13; Matt 9:14-26; Ps 123; Spr 16:1
John 21:20 NLT
The Bible says, “Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved – the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, ‘Lord, who will betray you?’ Peter asked Jesus, ‘What about him, Lord?’ Jesus replied, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.’ So the rumor spread among the community of believers that this disciple wouldn’t die. But that isn’t what Jesus said at all. He only said, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?'” (vv. 20-23 NLT). When Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?” he was referring to the apostle John, who enjoyed an especially close relationship with Christ. And Jesus said, “Get your eyes off John and keep them on Me. Follow Me and you can have a close relationship with Me too.” People will disappoint you, just as you will disappoint them. But Jesus will never disappoint you if you keep your eyes on Him and follow Him. Even with the best of intentions people will give you poor advice, and you will give them poor advice. But Jesus won’t. He doesn’t merely know the way, He says, “I am the way” (John 14:6 NKJV). He says, “He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12 NKJV). So the word for you today is about one of the most fundamental principles in Christian living: Get your eyes off people and keep them on Jesus.
Soul food: Acts 12-13; Matt 9:14-26; Ps 123; Prov 16:1
2019-07-12
Eksodus 33:14 NLV
Oorweldig die lewe jou? Jy is nie alleen nie. Moses, een van die grootste leiers in die geskiedenis, het so gestres geraak oor al die verantwoordelikhede wat op sy skouers gerus het, dat hy wou doodgaan. Jy sê: ‘Dit was sekerlik nie God se wil vir hom nie.’ Jy is reg. Dis egter nie genoeg om God se wil te ken nie, jy moet ook dinge op God se manier doen. Moses het van die oggend tot die aand, ses dae ‘n week, sonder vakansies of af tye gewerk. Hy het in die hardloop geëet, afsprake beplan, spertye gemaak en almal gesien wat met hom iets wou bespreek. Die mense naaste aan Moses was óf te besig om op te let, óf self te behoeftig om agter te kom dat hy besig was om uit te brand. Sy skoonpa, Jetro, het dit egter opgemerk en gesê: ‘Jy hanteer die saak nie reg nie. Jy en die volk sal die pas nie kan volhou nie. Jy kan dit nie alles op jou eie doen nie’ (Eksodus 18:17-18 NLV). Gelukkig het Moses die antwoord in twee dele gekry: 1) Delegeer die werk aan gekwalifiseerde mense en vertrou hulle om dit te doen. Die kern van goeie leierskap is nie om alles self te doen nie, maar om dit deur ander mense gedoen te kry. Soos die evangelis D.L. Moody gesê het: ‘In plaas daarvan om die werk van tien mense te doen, kry tien mense om die werk te doen.’ 2) Maak op God se krag staat, nie op jou eie nie. God het vir Moses gevra: “…’Moet Ek dan self saamgaan sodat jou hart kan rus?'” Die woord ‘rus’ beteken innerlike vrede, gesondheid, sekuriteit en vertroue. Dis God se wil dat jy so moet lewe.
Sielskos: Hand 10-11; Matt 9:1-13; Ps 118:19-29; Spr 15:33
Exodus 33:14 NKJV
Is life overwhelming you? You’re not alone. Moses, one of the greatest leaders in history, got so stressed out with the responsibilities he was carrying that he wanted to die. You say, “Surely that wasn’t God’s will for him.” You’re right. But it’s not enough to know God’s will, you’ve got to do things God’s way. Moses was working from early morning until late at night, six days a week, with no vacations and no time off. He was eating on the run, planning appointments, meeting deadlines, and seeing everybody who wanted to see him. And the people close to Moses were either too busy to notice, or too needy themselves to care that he was suffering from burnout. But his father-in-law Jethro noticed it and said, “The thing that thou doest is not good. Thou wilt surely wear away…this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone” (Exodus 18:17-18). Fortunately, Moses found the answer. And it was in two parts: (1) Delegate the work to qualified people and trust them to do it. The essence of good leadership is not about trying to do everything yourself, but getting it done through others. Or as nineteenth-century evangelist D. L. Moody said, “Instead of trying to do the work of ten people, get ten people to do the work.” (2) Draw on God’s strength rather than your own. God told Moses, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” The word “rest” means “inner peace, well-being, security, and confidence.” And God’s will is for you to live that way.
Soul food: Acts 10-11; Matt 9:1-13; Ps 118:19-29; Prov 15:33
