2019-09-20
Daniël 1:8 NLV
Wat was Daniël se probleem? Wat was fout daarmee om die beste kos in die land te eet? Die meeste mense het van ‘n karige dieet gelewe. Daniël het die geleentheid gehad om letterlik soos ‘n koning te kon eet. Hoekom het hy so ‘n vasberade houding daarteen ingeneem? Wanneer jy dieper in die kulturele realiteite van die situasie delf, kom jy agter dat daar meer op die spel was. ‘n Babeloniese fees is altyd ter ere van die gode gevier. Wanneer jy dus vir die maaltyd aangesit het, het jy nie net saamgeëet nie, jy was ook deel van ‘n daad van lofprysing. Hierdie kos is eers vir ‘n heidense god geoffer. Vir ‘n Joodse tiener wat sy geloof in God ernstig opgeneem het, sou deelname aan die ete beteken het dat hy dit waarvoor hy geroep was, in gevaar sou stel. Deur hulle kos te eet, sou hy hulle god prys. Dit was ‘n stappie te ver vir Daniël. Hy sou nie sy karakter so onder verdenking plaas nie. Jy ontdek nie wat jou oortuigings is wanneer jy onder druk verkeer nie, jy besluit vooraf wat jou oortuigings is. Dis gedurende die goeie tye wat jy bepaal wat jy sal of nie sal doen wanneer die moeilike tye aanbreek nie. Die Psalmdigter het gesê: ‘Hoe kan ‘n jongmens ‘n skoon lewe lei? Deur gehoorsaam te wees aan u woord. Met my hele hart soek ek U; moenie dat ek afdwaal van u gebooie nie. Ek het u woord in my hart gebêre sodat ek nie teen U sou sondig nie’ (Psalm 119:9-11 NLV). ‘n Oorwinnende Christelike lewe word met hierdie drie stellings opgesom: 1) ‘Deur gehoorsaam te wees aan u woord.’ 2) ‘Met my hele hart soek ek U.’ 3) Ek het u woord in my hart gebêre.’
Sielskos: 1 Sam 8-10; Matt 26:47-68; Ps 54; Spr 21:18-21
Daniel 1:8 NIV
What was Daniel’s problem? What was wrong with eating the best food in the country? Most people lived on a meager diet. Daniel was going to have the opportunity to eat, literally, like a king. Why the hard line? When you dig down into the cultural realities of the situation, more seems to be at stake. A Babylonian feast was always eaten in honor of the gods. So whenever you sat down to a meal, it wasn’t just dining that you participated in, but an act of worship. This food had previously been sacrificed to a pagan god. For a Jewish teenager who took his faith in God seriously, participation would mean compromising who he was called to be. By eating their meal, he would be worshiping their god. And for Daniel, that was a bridge too far. It was about compromising his character, and that he would not do. You don’t discover your convictions when the pressure is on; you decide them in advance. It’s during the good times that you determine what you will or won’t do during the hard times. The psalmist said: “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:9-11 NIV). Victorious Christian living is encapsulated in these three statements: (1) “By living according to your word.” (2) “I seek you with all my heart.” (3) “I have hidden your word in my heart.”
Soul food: 1 Sam 8-10; Matt 26:47-68; Ps 54; Prov 21:18-21
2019-09-19
Mark 1:35 NIV
Make prayer your daily habit. Prayer is the great stress-reliever. Jesus began His day with prayer. He often stopped throughout the day to pray, and He ended each day with prayer. Now, if Jesus made time for prayer as busy as He was, how much more do you need to do it! Time alone with God can be a decompression chamber for life’s stresses. We talk to God in prayer, tell Him what’s on our minds, and let Him talk to us as we read the Bible. Then we look at our schedule, evaluate our priorities, and wait for instructions. If we lived that way, the pharmaceutical industry would go broke because we wouldn’t need a fraction of the tranquilizers they market! Many of our problems come from our inability to sit still. We just don’t know how to be quiet. God says, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). And one reason we don’t know God more personally is because we can’t be still. We’re too busy to be quiet and just think. Someone said, “It seems to be an ironic habit of man that when he loses his way he doubles his speed.” The story’s told of a World War II Air Force pilot who flew over the Pacific. When he radioed the tower and the controller asked for his location, he replied, “I don’t know – but I’m making record time!” A lot of us are like that, speeding through life without knowing where we’re headed. We need to start our morning with prayer like Jesus did, and stop throughout the day to pray again and recharge our spiritual batteries.
Soul food: S of Sol 5-8; Matt 26:1-16; Ps 39; Prov 21:9-13
Matteus 11:28 ABA
As die las wat jy dra te swaar vir jou is, het Jesus dit nie vir jou gegee nie. Ander mense het dalk, of jy het dit dalk op jouself geneem, maar Jesus het geen deel daaraan gehad nie. ‘…Daarom wil Ek julle uitnooi: Voel julle moeg vir hierdie lewe? Knak julle knieë onder al die probleme en verantwoordelikhede wat julle moet dra?.. Kom dan na My toe!.. Kom ontdek watter vreugde dit bring om te leef soos God wil hê jy moet leef. Dis nie moeilik om so te leef nie; om die waarheid te sê, as jy so begin leef, sal jy agterkom hoe lekker die lewe regtig kan wees’ (verse 28-30 DB). Die finale stresbestuur beginsel wat Jesus vir ons geleer het is: Gee jou stres vir Hom. Let op, Jesus het nie gesê: ‘Kom na My toe en ek sal vir jou meer skuld, meer laste, meer stres en meer bekommernisse gee’ nie, selfs al is dit wat baie godsdienstige mense ons probeer leer! Sommige kerke skep druk in plaas daarvan om dit te verlig. Jesus het egter gesê: ‘Ek wil jou rus gee en jou stres verlig. Wanneer jy in harmonie met My lewe, sal Ek vir jou innerlike krag gee.’ Net Jesus kan jou lewe transformeer. Die grootste bron van stres is wanneer ons ons lewens apart van die God wat ons geskep het, probeer lei, wanneer ons op ons eie manier probeer lewe en ons eie god probeer wees. Wat het jy dan nodig? As jy nog nooit jou lewe aan God oorgegee het nie, het jy ‘n transformasie nodig. Gee jou lewe met al jou stres aan Hom en sê: ‘Here, gee asseblief vir my ‘n nuwe lewe. Vervang die druk wat ek voel met die vrede wat U bied. Help my om u beginsels vir stresbestuur te volg.’
Sielskos: 1 Sam 4-7; Matt 26:30-46; Ps 52; Spr 21:17
Matthew 11:28 CEV
If the load you’re carrying is too heavy for you to bear, Jesus didn’t give it to you. Others may have, or you may have taken it upon yourself, but Jesus had no part in it. “If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. This yoke is easy to bear, and this burden is light” (vv. 28-30 CEV). The final stress management principle Jesus taught us is: Give your stress to Him. You’ll never enjoy complete peace of mind until you develop a relationship with the Prince of Peace. Note, Jesus didn’t say, “Come to Me and I’ll give you more guilt, more burdens, more stress, and more worries,” even though that’s what a lot of religious people seem to teach! Some churches create pressure instead of relieving it. But Jesus said, “I want to give you rest. I’m the stress-reliever. When you get in harmony with Me I’ll give you inner strength.” Only Jesus can transform your lifestyle from stressful to satisfied. The greatest source of stress comes from trying to live our lives apart from the God who made us, trying to go our own way and be our own god. What do you need? If you’ve never committed your life to Christ you need a transformation. Give Him your life with all its stresses and say, “Lord, please give me a new life. Replace the pressure I feel with the peace You offer. Help me to follow Your principles of stress management.”
Soul food: 1 Sam 4-7; Matt 26:30-46; Ps 52; Prov 21:17
