2019-10-21
Genesis 15:14 NLV
Toe die kinders van Israel Egipte verlaat het, het God die rykdom van een nasie na die ander oorgedra. Hy het dit gedoen omdat sy mense geroepe was om sy doelwitte op die aarde te vervul. Na 400 jaar (tien generasies) wat bakstene gemaak het, brons gepoleer het en vloere gevee het, het God in wese gesê: ‘Dis betaaldag! Al die dinge wat julle geskrop en gepoleer het gaan julle s’n wees.’ Hoe groter die beproewing, hoe groter die oorvloed! Kom ons maak dit duidelik; die Bybel leer ons dat geld self nie vir God afstootlik is nie, maar die misbruik daarvan wel! ‘n Pastoor sê: “Geld praat. Dit sê vir die grond: ‘Ek kan jou besit.’ Dit sê vir die geboue: ‘Ek kan jou bou.’ Dit sê vir die visie: ‘Ek kan jou vervul.’ Dit sê vir die sendeling: ‘Ek kan jou ondersteun.’ Dit sê vir armoede: ‘Ek kan jou voed.’ En dit sê vir geleentheid: ‘Ek kan jou aanvaar.'” Hoekom het Farao die Israeliete agternagesit? Om Egipte se rykdom terug te kry. Stop en dink daaroor! Die duiwel gee nie om wie die geld kry nie, solank dit nie na God se mense gaan of gebruik word om God se doelwitte te vervul nie. Satan vrees die gedagte van ‘n generasie voorspoedige gelowiges wat toegewyd daaraan is om die wêreld met die evangelie te bereik. Hy sal ons slawe van onkunde hou as hy kan. ‘Ek is nie ‘n slaaf nie,’ sê jy egter. Wat van ‘n slaaf van skuld, of hopeloosheid, of vrees, of ou gewoontes? God wil jou vry maak van enigiets wat jou daarvan weerhou om sy wil te vervul. Sodra jy dit besef, sal jy in alle erns begin bid en glo dat God die hulpbronne het om dit te doen!
Sielskos: Sef 1-3; Joh 6:1-24; Ps 85; Spr 24:11-14
Genesis 15:14 NIV
When the children of Israel were leaving Egypt, God transferred the wealth from one nation of people to another. And He did it overnight. That’s because His people were called to fulfill His purposes in the earth. After 400 years (ten generations) of making bricks, polishing brass, and sweeping floors, God said in essence, “It’s payday! All that stuff you’ve been scrubbing and shining is going to be yours.” The greater the affliction, the greater the abundance! Let’s be clear, the Bible teaches that money isn’t offensive to God; the misuse of it is! One pastor says: “Money speaks. It says to land, ‘I can own you.’ It says to buildings, ‘I can build you.’ It says to vision, “I can fulfill you.’ It says to a missionary, ‘I can support you.’ It says to poverty, ‘I can feed you.’ And it says to opportunity, ‘I can accept you.'” Why did Pharaoh pursue the Israelites? To get back the wealth of Egypt. Stop and think about that! The Devil doesn’t care who gets the money, as long as it doesn’t go to God’s people or fulfill His purposes. Satan dreads the thought of a generation of prosperous believers committed to reaching the world with the gospel. And he will keep us enslaved to ignorance if he can. “But I’m not a slave,” you say. How about slavery to debt, or hopelessness, or fear, or old habits? God wants to set you free from anything that keeps you from fulfilling His will. Once you realize that, you’ll start to pray in earnest and believe God for the resources to do it!
Soul food: Zeph 1-3; John 6:1-24; Ps 85; Prov 24:11-14
2019-10-20
Proverbs 18:24 NIV
To fulfill God’s plan for your life, you need relationships with the right people, those who stick by you come what may. Remember Jonathan, who loved David even at the cost of his own life? And Ruth, who loved her mother-in-law Naomi and gave her a reason to live again? God can introduce you to such people and help you build a relationship with them. Think about it: He wouldn’t say, “It is not good that man should be alone,” then ask you to live in isolation (Genesis 2:18 NKJV). Sometimes when you’re by yourself, you’re in the worst possible company! But you may need to be healed within before you can build healthy relationships and make healthy choices. That means learning to differentiate between “using” relationships and “heart ties.” Blood ties don’t wear as well as heart ties. Allow God to work on you and when you’re ready, He will facilitate the necessary introductions. In the meantime get to know Him better because He’s the source of true self-esteem. If your last relationship stripped you of self-worth and drained you spiritually, use this time to get back on your feet. You may never have this opportunity again! Begin to love like God loves. He sees our imperfections, handles our rejection, and loves us regardless. Knowing that will help you not to discard a good person because they did a bad thing. Would you throw your car away because of a faulty part? If God forgave you the way you forgive others, could you stand? (See Psalm 130:3). Ask Him today to show you how to build healthy, fulfilling relationships. He will do it!
Soul food: Exo 20:1-17; Matt 5:1-12
Spreuke 18:24 NLV
Om God se plan vir jou lewe te vervul, moet jy verhoudings met die regte mense hê, mense wat jou deur dik en dun sal bystaan. Onthou jy vir Jonatan, wat Dawid selfs ten koste van sy eie lewe liefgehad het? En Rut, wat vir haar skoonma Naomi lief was en haar ‘n rede gegee het om te lewe? God kan jou aan sulke mense voorstel en jou help om ‘n verhouding met hulle te bou. Dink daaroor: Hy sal nie sê: ‘Dis nie goed dat die mens alleen is nie…’ (Genesis 2:18 NLV), en dan van jou verwag om in isolasie te lewe nie. Soms is jy in die slegste geselskap moontlik wanneer jy alleen is! Jy sal dalk egter eers innerlik genees moet word voordat jy gesonde verhoudings kan bou en gesonde besluite kan maak. Laat God toe om aan jou te werk en wanneer jy gereed is, sal Hy die nodige mense aan jou voorstel. Tot dan, moet jy Hom beter leer ken omdat Hy die bron van ware selfvertroue is. As jou laaste verhouding jou van jou selfwaarde gestroop het en jou geestelik gedreineer het, gebruik hierdie tyd om weer op jou voete te kom. Jy mag dalk nooit weer hierdie geleentheid kry nie! Begin om lief te hê soos God liefhet. Hy sien ons imperfeksies, hanteer ons verwerping en het ons nietemin steeds lief. Wanneer jy dit weet, sal dit jou help om nie ‘n goeie persoon af te skryf omdat hy of sy ‘n slegte ding gedoen het nie. Sal jy jou kar weggooi omdat hy ‘n foutiewe part het? Vra Hom vandag om jou te wys hoe om gesonde, vervullende verhoudings te bou. Hy sal dit doen!
Sielskos: Eks 20:1-17; Matt 5:1-12
2019-10-19
Isaiah 40:29 TLB
Sports Illustrated magazine says, “Stress fractures begin when the shocks and strains of playing game after game create tiny cracks in outer layers of bone. When those cracks become large enough to cause severe pain, they are known as ‘stress fractures.'” If you’ve ever had a stress-fractured mind, you can relate. It eats at you by day and keeps you awake at night. And when you try to “medicate” it with alcohol, or drugs, or an affair, or overeating, or a hyperactive lifestyle, it gets worse. What should you do? (1) Change your focus. “Come to me…and I will give you rest…Let me teach you…and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29 NLT). “He gives power to the tired and worn out, and strength to the weak…they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:29-31 TLB). Instead of struggling alone with the burden, share it with the burden-bearer and let Him strengthen you. (2) Lighten up! “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine” (Proverbs 17:22). Don’t make such a big deal out of everything! Lighten up and laugh more, especially at yourself! Do you even remember the last time you enjoyed a good laugh? Accept your imperfections. Let some stuff go. Stop trying to be Wonder Woman or Superman. Get away for some fun. Yes, you need fun too! Cancel some of your not-so-important meetings. If you want things to change, you will have to change them. Today talk to God; He knows how to heal stress fractures.
Soul food: 1 Tim 4-6; John 5:31-47; Ps 126; Prov 24:10
