2019-09-23
Job 8:21 NIV
Sometimes when your heart has been broken, the healing comes first and the answers come later. But when you think about it, wouldn’t you rather walk with God in the darkness than walk alone in the light? It’s doubtful Job ever fully comprehended all the losses he experienced in life or why. But there came a time when he was able to look back and say with confidence, “He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.” And that’s God’s promise to you too! Theologian E. Stanley Jones said, “Anything less than God will let you down.” For every predicament you face in life, God has sufficient grace to carry you through. For every need, He has a supply. For every problem, He has an answer. For every hurt, He has a cure. After recalling everything God had brought him through, Jeremiah concluded, “There is nothing too hard for You” (Jeremiah 32:17 NKJV). God looks for opportunities to show you what He can do on your behalf when you put your trust in Him. David said, “According to Your mercy remember me” (Psalm 25:7 NKJV). Aren’t you glad God’s goodness and mercy are based on His character and not yours? Corrie ten Boom said, “If you want to be depressed, look within. If you want to be defeated, look back. If you want to be distracted, look around. But if you want to be delivered, look up.” So the word for you today is: By God’s grace, you will get through this.
Soul food: 1 Sam 14-15; Matt 27:11-31; Ps 91; Prov 21:28-31
2019-09-22
Luke 17:17 NLT
One day Jesus healed ten men of leprosy, which at the time was a death sentence because there was no known cure for it. Amazingly, only one of them remembered to come back and thank Him. What’s the story with the other nine? Were they too busy to be thankful? Surely they felt grateful, yet they didn’t take time express it. Did they just get caught up in other things and forget? Were they too cautious to be thankful? Maybe they thought their healing wouldn’t last, so they wanted to give it time before announcing it. Or maybe they were concerned that Jesus wanted something in return that they were either unwilling or unable to give. Were they too self-centered to be thankful? In some ways, the sick life was a simpler life. Now they had to get a job, take responsibility, and play a role in society. Were they too arrogant to be thankful? Maybe they thought that given enough time, they would have recovered by themselves. Plus, to be grateful is to admit to being needy. Who wants to show weakness when you have an image to protect? If this story is any indication, nine out of ten of us have a problem with gratitude – at least when it comes to expressing it. Don’t be like that. Be one of the 10 percent! In three back-to-back psalms – 105, 106, and 107 – David repeats similar words: “O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” Don’t let a day pass without remembering God’s goodness to you and thanking Him for it.
Soul food: Gen 1:1-2:3; John 1:1-18
Lukas 17:17 NLV
Een dag het Jesus tien mans van melaatsheid, wat in daardie tyd ‘n doodsvonnis met geen kuur was nie, genees. Net een van hulle het egter onthou om terug te kom en Hom te bedank. Wat is die ander nege se storie? Was hulle te besig om dankbaar te wees? Hulle het sekerlik dankbaar gevoel, maar het tog nie die tyd geneem om dit uit te druk nie. Het hulle met ander dinge besig geraak en vergeet? Was hulle te versigtig om dankbaar te wees? Miskien het hulle gedink dat hulle gesondheid nie gaan hou nie, dus wou hulle seker maak voor hulle dit bekend maak. Of miskien was hulle bang dat Jesus iets van hulle sou wou hê wat hulle onwillig of nie in staat was om te gee nie. Was hulle te self-gesentreerd om dankbaar te wees? Op ‘n manier was die lewe van siekte ‘n eenvoudiger lewe. Nou moes hulle ‘n werk kry, verantwoordelikheid neem en ‘n rol in die samelewing speel. Was hulle te arrogant om dankbaar te wees? Miskien het hulle gedink dat hulle met tyd self gesond sou word. Plus, wanneer jy dankbaar is, erken jy dat jy behoeftig is. Wie wil swakheid ten toon stel wanneer jy ‘n openbare beeld het om te beskerm? As hierdie verhaal enige aanduiding is, het nege uit die tien van ons ‘n probleem met dankbaarheid – ten minste wanneer dit daarby kom om dit uit te druk. Moenie so wees nie. Wees een van die 10 persent! In drie opeenvolgende Psalms – 105, 106 en 107 – herhaal Dawid hierdie soortgelyke woorde: ‘Prys die Here! Dank die Here, want Hy is goed! Sy trou ken geen einde nie.’ Moenie dat ‘n dag verbygaan sonder om God se goedheid aan jou te onthou en Hom daarvoor te dank nie.
Sielskos: Gen 1:1-2:3; Joh 1:1-18
2019-09-21
1 Corinthians 16:9 NKJV
One day the Chamber of Commerce in a small town invited a successful businessman to come and speak. The local economy was bad and they were discouraged, so his job was to motivate them. He took a large piece of white paper and made a red dot in the center of it. “What do you see?” he asked the audience. One person replied, “I see a red dot.” The speaker said, “Fine, but what else do you see?” Others chimed in, “A red dot.” The speaker asked, “Don’t you see anything else besides the dot?” The audience responded with a resounding “no!” The speaker said, “You’ve overlooked the most important thing; you’ve missed seeing the sheet of paper!” Then he went on to explain that in life we are often distracted by small, dot-like failures and experiences. They keep us from seeing the blessings and successes that are more important than the disappointments that try to monopolize our attention and drain our energy. Paul wrote, “A great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” Opportunity and obstacles – they go together like macaroni and cheese or fish and chips. Now, Paul didn’t deny the reality of the opposition he faced; he just chose to focus on the opportunity it presented. The poet wrote, “Two men looked through prison bars. One saw mud, the other stars.” What are you looking at? Are you so preoccupied with what is that you’ve lost sight of what can be? If so, you need to step back and ask God to help you see the bigger picture.
Soul food: 1 Sam 11-13; Matt 26:69-27:10; Ps 13; Prov 21:22-27
1 Korintiërs 16:9 NLV
Een dag het die Kamer van Koophandel in ‘n klein dorpie ‘n suksesvolle besigheidsman uitgenooi om hulle te kom toespreek. Die plaaslike ekonomie was sleg en hulle was mismoedig, dus was dit sy werk om hulle te motiveer. Hy het ‘n groot stuk papier geneem en ‘n rooi kolletjie in die middel van die papier gemaak. ‘Wat sien jy?’ het hy vir die gehoor gevra. Een persoon het geantwoord: ‘Ek sien ‘n rooi kolletjie.’ Die spreker het gesê: ‘Goed, maar wat anders sien jy?’ Ander mense het ook begin antwoord: “‘n Rooi kolletjie.” Die spreker het gevra: ‘Sien julle niks anders behalwe die kolletjie nie?’ Die gehoor het soos een man geantwoord: ‘Nee!’ Die spreker sê toe: ‘Julle kyk die belangrikste ding mis; julle sien nie die groot stuk papier raak nie!’ Hy het voortgegaan om te verduidelik dat ons aandag dikwels in die lewe deur die klein kolletjie-mislukkings en -ervarings afgetrek word. Dit weerhou ons daarvan om ons seëninge en suksesse, wat belangriker as die teleurstellings wat ons aandag probeer monopoliseer en ons energie dreineer, te sien. Paulus het geskryf: ‘want hier staan nou ‘n wye deur oop en daar is baie mense wat reageer. Daar is egter ook baie teenstanders.’ Paulus het nie die realiteit van die teenstand waarvoor hy te staan gekom het ontken nie; hy het net besluit om eerder op die geleentheid wat dit meebring, te fokus. ‘n Digter het geskryf: ‘Two men looked through prison bars. One saw mud, the other stars.’ Waarna kyk jy? Is jy so besig met dit wat is dat jy dit wat kan wees uit die oog verloor het? Indien dit die geval is, tree terug en vra God om jou te help om die groter prentjie te sien.
Sielskos: 1 Sam 11-13; Matt 26:69-27:10; Ps 13; Spr 21:22-27
