2020-01-30
Psalm 95:6-7 NLT
When we speak words of praise and affirmation to those around us, we build our relationship with them. And the same is true about our relationship with God. Praise draws us closer to Him, and creates a sense of intimacy between God and us. When we adore God and thank Him for all that He has done for us, we focus our minds on Who He is and cultivate a grateful heart. Worship isn’t just singing songs in church. It’s also about how we live our lives. It’s about making decisions that honour Him and glorify Him. The Bible says: ‘Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him. Worship the LORD in the splendour of his holiness’ (1 Chronicles 16:29 NIVUK). Sometimes our worship can become mundane. It can feel like we’re just going through the motions, saying all the right things, singing the right songs, but not really connecting with God or meaning what we’re saying. Not every style of worship is going to suit every person. But at the end of the day, we should be able to praise and glorify God no matter what we’re doing. If we can only connect with God when the music is loud and the song is one we know, then we may actually be enjoying the music rather than using it to connect with God. When we’re close to God, it won’t matter if it’s silent or there’s a full band, we’ll know we’re lifting our praise to Him alone. The Bible says: ‘Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the LORD our maker, for he is our God.’ Our worship should be done in humility, recognising how great our God is.
Isa 22-25; Matt 11:1-9; Ps 107:10-16; Prov 3:19-20
2020-01-29
1 Timothy 4:15 NIV
One day a friend of Chuck Swindoll’s stopped by his study to “speak the truth in love” to him (See Ephesians 4:15). The man said, “I don’t think you’ll fall morally or ethically. What does worry me is that you could be tempted to let your time with God and your time in the study of the Scriptures become less and less important to you. I want to urge you, do not let that happen.” Swindoll took his words to heart and wrote down these five promises to himself. If you’re serious about being devoted to Christ, you need to make these same promises to yourself also: “(1) I promise to keep doing original and hard work in my study. Those to whom I am called deserve my best efforts. (2) I promise to maintain a heart for God. That means I will pray frequently and fervently, and stay devoted to Him and to my calling. (3) I promise to remain accountable. Living the life of a religious lone ranger is not only unbiblical, it’s dangerous. (4) I promise to stay faithful to my family. My wife deserves my time, affection, and undivided attention. Our now-grown children deserve the same. (5) I promise to be who I am, just me. To keep laughing and saying things a little ‘off-the-wall.’ To be a friend and make a few mistakes each month.” On that second promise: Being devoted to Christ doesn’t make you weird, judgmental, antisocial, or isolated from the world. No, it makes you the best version of yourself you can be – and the one God wants you to be.
Soul food: Isa 17-21; Matt 10:32-42; Ps 107:1-9; Prov 3:13-18
1 Timothy 4:15 NIV
How much of our heart have we handed over to God? Are we wholeheartedly seeking Him, or has He lost His place as priority in our lives? God wants us to be devoted to Him. That means God should be more to us than any other person or thing. It means we surrender to Him and His plans for our lives. It means we let Him lead us rather than trying to do life our own way. David was someone who was devoted to God. He still made mistakes, like we all do, but his heart was in the right place. In fact when talking about David, the Bible says: ‘The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart’ (1 Samuel 13:14 NIV). David was a man after God’s heart. He wanted to seek God and be close to Him. He wanted to be devoted to serving Him. David actually prayed: ‘Teach me your way, LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name’ (Psalm 86:11 NIV). Is our heart undivided? There are many things which can try and steal parts of our heart away. We might focus on things like our relationships, work, family, and hobbies. They can all try to distract us from God. It’s not bad to have these things in our lives, but God still needs to be our priority. We should love God above everything else. In the New Testament, we’re told: ‘Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful’ (Colossians 4:2 NIV). We should be desiring to spend time with God in prayer. It’s a great way to deepen our relationship with Him. We shouldn’t be praying only when we need something, but because we long to spend time talking and listening to Him.
Isa 17-21; Matt 10:32-42; Ps 107:1-9; Prov 3:13-18
1 Timoteus 4:15 NLV
Een dag het ‘n vriend van Chuck Swindoll by sy studeerkamer aangekom om hom in liefde aan te spreek (sien Efesiërs 4:15). Die man het gesê: ‘Ek dink nie jy sal moreel of eties val nie. Wat my bekommer is dat jy in die versoeking mag kom om toe te laat dat jou tyd met God en jou tyd wat jy aan die bestudering van die Skrif spandeer, al hoe minder belangrik vir jou word. Ek wil jou aanmoedig, moenie toelaat dat dit gebeur nie.’ Swindoll het sy woorde ter harte geneem en hierdie vyf beloftes aan homself neergeskryf. As jy ernstig daaroor is om toegewyd aan Christus te wees, moet jy ook hierdie beloftes aan jouself maak: ‘1) Ek beloof om aan te hou om oorspronklike en harde werk in my studeerkamer te doen. Diegene wat ek geroep is om te dien, verdien my beste pogings. 2) Ek beloof om ‘n hart vir God te onderhou. Dit beteken dat ek gereeld en vurig sal bid en toegewyd aan Hom en my roeping sal bly. 3) Ek beloof om toerekeningsvatbaar te bly. Dis nie net gevaarlik nie, maar ook onbybels om die lewe as ‘n godsdienstige alleenloper aan te pak. 4) Ek beloof om getrou aan my familie te wees. My vrou verdien my tyd, liefde en onverdeelde aandag. Ons volwasse kinders verdien dieselfde. 5) Ek beloof om net myself te wees. Om aan te hou lag en vreemde sêgoed te hê. Om ‘n vriend te wees en ‘n paar foute elke maand te maak.’ Om toegewyd aan Christus te wees maak jou nie vreemd, veroordelend, anti-sosiaal of geïsoleerd van die wêreld nie. Nee, dit maak jou die beste weergawe van jouself wat jy kan wees – en die een wat God wil hê jy moet wees.
Sielskos: Jes 17-21; Matt 10:32-42; Ps 107:1-9; Spr 3:13-18
2020-01-28
Spreuke 1:5 NLV
Soos jy jou foute in die lewe ondersoek, besef jy dat dit jou denke was wat die foute veroorsaak het en dis hoekom jy moet aanhou om jou eie denkwyses uit te daag. Hoe doen jy dit? Deur te leer om die manier wat ander mense dink te waardeer en om jouself aanhoudend aan mense wat anders as jy is, bloot te stel. Jy sal soos die mense met wie jy die meeste tyd spandeer, dink. Wanneer jy met mense tyd spandeer wat buite die boks dink, is jy meer geneig om nuwe moontlikhede te ondersoek. Ons kom egter maklik in die versoeking om op die manier van dink wat in die verlede gewerk het staat te maak – selfs wanneer dit nie in nuwe situasies werk nie. Wanneer dit jou doelwit is om die sukses wat jy reeds geniet het, te beskerm, slaan jy remme aan op die proses wat jou tot selfs groter sukses kan lei. Om aan ‘n goeie tradisie vas te hou is ‘n goeie idee. Jy moet egter onthou dat elke tradisie oorspronklik ‘n nuwe of selfs ‘n rewolusionêre idee was, maar dat elke tradisie nie noodwendig ‘n goeie idee vir die toekoms sal wees nie. Wanneer jy aan dit wat reeds in plek is vashou, staan jy verandering teë – selfs as die verandering ten goede is. Dis hoekom dit belangrik is om jou eie denkwyses uit te daag. Dr John Maxwell skryf: ‘In jou vroeë jare sal jy nie so verkeerd wees soos mense dink jy is nie. In jou latere jare sal jy nie so reg wees soos mense dink jy is nie. En deur al die jare sal jy beter wees as wat jy gedink het jy kan wees.’
Sielskos: Jes 12-16; Matt 10:21-31; Ps 104:24-35; Spr 3:11-12
