2019-10-11
Philippians 4:6-7 NLT
God’s peace is a wonderful thing. And some of the people around you today are in need of it. It comes when you commit your life to Christ and live by the principles laid out in Scripture. When you “commit” something to the Lord, you transfer every part of it from you to Him (See Psalm 37:5). Peter writes, “Casting…the whole of your…concerns, once and for all, on Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7 AMPC). What a privilege. Have you been availing yourself of it lately? “How do I cast all my cares on Him?” you ask. Through prayer! As soon as you become aware that you’re starting to worry and lose your sense of peace, take it to God immediately and leave it with Him. Don’t give the Devil time to work you over. The longer you wait, the greater his hold over you becomes. “But I can’t help thinking about it,” you say. “What can I do?” These two things: (1) Give it to God and then start to focus on other things. It’s a learned response, one you’ll have to practice daily. Paul writes, “Whatever is true…honorable and worthy of respect…whatever is lovely and brings peace…think continually on these things” (Philippians 4:8 AMP). In other words, redirect your thoughts! (2) Find out what God says in His Word about your situation. Then line your thoughts, words, and actions up with it. When you do this, “You will experience God’s peace” (Philippians 4:6-7).
Soul food: 2 Sam 20:1-22:30; John 4:1-12; Ps 100; Prov 23:22-28
Filippense 4:6-7 NLV
God se vrede is wonderlik. Sommige mense rondom jou het dit vandag nodig. Jy ontvang dit wanneer jy jou lewe aan God toevertrou en volgens die beginsels wat in die Skrif weergegee word, lewe. Wanneer jy iets aan God ‘toevertrou,’ gee jy elke deel daarvan aan Hom (sien Psalm 37:5). Petrus skryf: ‘Gee al julle bekommernisse aan God oor, want Hy gee vir julle om’ (1 Petrus 5:7 NLV). Wat ‘n voorreg. Het jy onlangs daarvan gebruik gemaak? ‘Hoe gee ek al my bekommernisse aan Hom oor?’ vra jy. Deur gebed! Sodra jy bewus word dat jy jouself begin bekommer en jou sin vir vrede begin verloor, neem dit onmiddellik na God toe en los dit daar by Hom. Moenie die Duiwel kans gee om aan jou te begin werk nie. Hoe langer jy wag, hoe groter word sy houvas op jou. ‘Maar ek kan nie help om daaraan te dink nie,’ sê jy. ‘Wat kan ek doen?’ Hierdie twee dinge: 1) Gee dit oor aan God en begin op ander dinge fokus. Dis ‘n reaksie wat jy moet aanleer en een wat jy daagliks moet oefen. Paulus skryf: ‘…beplan alles wat waar, eerbaar, skoon, suiwer, lieflik en lofwaardig is… Dan sal die God wat vrede gee, by julle wees’ (Filippense 4:8-9 NLV). Met ander woorde, herlei jou gedagtes! 2) Vind uit wat God in sy Woord oor jou situasie sê. Bring dan jou gedagtes, woorde en aksies in lyn daarmee. As jy dit doen, sal jy God se vrede beleef.
Sielskos: 2 Sam 20:1-22:30; Joh 4:1-12; Ps 100; Spr 23:22-28
2019-10-10
Filippense 3:14 NLV
Die tydskrif Life het in 1972 ‘n storie oor die wonderbaarlike avonture van John Goddard gepubliseer. Toe hy vyftien jaar oud was, het Goddard se ouma gesê: ‘As ek dit maar net gedoen het toe ek jonk was.’ John was vasbeslote om nie dieselfde stelling aan die einde van sy lewe te maak nie en het toe 127 doelwitte vir sy lewe neergeskryf. Hy het tien riviere genoem wat hy wou verken en sewentien berge wat hy wou uitklim. Hy wou ‘n wêreldreisiger en ‘n vlieënier word. Ook op sy lys was om ‘n perd in die Rose Bowl parade te ry, in ‘n duikboot te duik, Marco Polo se spoor na te loop, die Bybel van voor tot agter deur te lees en die hele Encyclopedia Britannica te lees. Hy het ook beplan om die werke van Shakespeare, Plato, Dickens, Socrates, Aristotel en verskeie ander klassieke skrywers te lees. Hy wou graag die fluit en viool leer speel, trou, kinders kry (hy het vyf kinders gehad), ‘n dokter word en as sendeling vir sy kerk dien. Klink dit onmoontlik? Op die ouderdom van sewe-en-veertig het hy 103 van sy 127 doelwitte bereik! Jou lys van doelwitte mag dalk nie so uitgebrei soos syne wees nie, maar as jy nie ten minste ‘n paar doelwitte vir jou lewe het nie, sal jy min motivering hê om in die oggend op te staan en min bevrediging hê wanneer jy in die aand jou kop op jou kussing neerlê. Tensy jy iets probeer wat jy nog nie voorheen bemeester het nie, sal jy nie groei nie. Stel dus jou doelwitte in gebed saam en werk elke dag, met God se hulp, daarnatoe.
Sielskos: 2 Sam 17:14-19:43; Joh 3:22-36; Ps 89:38-52; Spr 23:19-21
Philippians 3:14 NIV
In 1972, Life magazine published a story about the amazing adventures of John Goddard. When he was fifteen, his grandmother said, “If only I had done that when I was young.” Determined not to make that statement at the end of his life, John wrote out 127 goals. He named ten rivers he wanted to explore and seventeen mountains he wanted to climb. He set goals of becoming an Eagle Scout, a world traveler, and a pilot. Also on his list was riding a horse in the Rose Bowl parade, diving in a submarine, retracing the travels of Marco Polo, reading the Bible from cover to cover, and reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica. He also planned to read the entire works of Shakespeare, Plato, Dickens, Socrates, Aristotle, and several other classic authors. He desired to learn to play the flute and violin, marry, have children (he had five), pursue a career in medicine, and serve as a missionary for his church. Sound impossible? At age forty-seven, he had accomplished 103 of his 127 goals! Now, your list of goals may not be as extensive as his, but if you don’t have some goals for your life you’ll have little motivation to get up in the morning and little satisfaction when you put your head on your pillow each night. And unless you try something beyond what you’ve already mastered, you won’t grow. So set your goals in prayer, and with God’s help work toward them each day.
Soul food: 2 Sam 17:14-19:43; John 3:22-36; Ps 89:38-52; Prov 23:19-21
2019-10-09
Proverbs 24:16 NIV
On the night of December 9, 1914, Edison Industries was destroyed by fire. The loss exceeded two million dollars, along with the majority of Thomas Edison’s work. He was insured only for $238 because the buildings were constructed of concrete, which was thought to make a building fireproof. At sixty-seven years of age, the great inventor watched his life’s work go up in flames. The next morning after firefighters had finally brought the inferno under control, he surveyed his charred dreams and crushed hopes. As he looked at the scene, he said, “There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.” Three weeks after the fire, Edison produced one of his greatest inventions: the first phonograph. Try to imagine the world of music and entertainment without it! The Bible says, “For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.” With God on your side you can begin again because the power to do it resides within you. It’s the same power that raised Christ from the dead (See Romans 8:11). Paul prayed for believers at Ephesus: “That out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being” (Ephesians 3:16 NIV). Where is your strength? “In your inner being.” He continues: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20 NIV). So the word for you today is – you can start again.
Soul food: Lev 16; Lev 23:26-32; Heb 9:1-14; Heb 13:11-16
