2020-01-28
Proverbs 1:5 NIV
As you examine your mistakes, you realize it was your thinking at the time that caused them, and that’s why you need to keep challenging your own thinking. “Let the wise listen and add to their learning.” How do you do that? By learning to appreciate how others think and by continually exposing yourself to people who are different from you. You will think like the people you spend the most time with. When you spend time with people who think outside the box, you’re more likely to break new ground. Let’s face it, any time we find a way of thinking that works, our greatest temptation is to rely on it repeatedly – even if it doesn’t work in new situations. When your goal is to protect the success you already enjoy, you put the brakes on the process that can lead you to even greater success. Holding on to a good tradition is a good thing. But you need to remember that every tradition was originally a good idea, perhaps even a revolutionary idea, but every tradition may not be a good idea for the future. When you cling to what’s already in place, you resist change – even change for the better. That’s why it’s important to challenge your own thinking. If you’re too attached to how things are done now, nothing will change for the better. Dr. John Maxwell writes: “In your early years you won’t be as wrong as people think you are. In your later years you won’t be as right as people think you are. And all through the years you will be better than you thought you could be.”
Soul food: Isa 12-16; Matt 10:21-31; Ps 104:24-35; Prov 3:11-12
Proverbs 1:5 NIV
When we think about the mistakes that we’ve made, we can realise that often it was our thinking at the time that caused them. We need to learn to keep challenging our thinking. The Bible says: Let the wise listen and add to their learning.’ So how do we do that? We need to learn to appreciate how others think and continually expose ourselves to people who think differently from us. We’ll tend to think like the people we spend the most time with. When we spend time with people who think outside the box, we’re more likely to be open to new ideas. Any time we find a way of thinking that works, our greatest temptation is to rely on it repeatedly – even if it doesn’t work in new situations. Holding on to a good tradition is a good thing, but we need to remember that not every tradition is a good idea for the future. When we cling to what’s already in place, we resist change. That’s why it’s important for us to challenge our own thinking. If we’re too attached to how things are done now, nothing will change for the better. We also need to saturate our mind with God’s truth, by spending time reading our Bible’s. The more we understand God’s Word, the easier it’ll be to change our thoughts to line up with it. The Bible says: ‘Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ’ (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV). We need to become aware of our wrong-thinking, and change it to be in line with God’s Word. Changing our thoughts isn’t easy, especially if we’ve thought that way for a long time, but if we want to change how we live, we need to start replacing our thoughts with godly ones.
Isa 12-16; Matt 10:21-31; Ps 104:24-35; Prov 3:11-12
2020-01-27
Genesis 16:9 NIV
The Bible says: ‘Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her. The angel of the Lord found Hagar…in the desert…And he said, “Hagar…where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. Then the angel…told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count”‘ (vv.6-10 NIV). Hagar obeyed, and when her son Ishmael was born, God said, ‘I have heard you: I will surely bless him…make him fruitful and…greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation’ (Genesis 17:20 NIV). Most of us don’t like the idea of surrendering and obeying, and God didn’t send Hagar back to an easy place. But when she obeyed, He blessed her. Not all the places God wants us to go or the things He wants us to do will be easy. Sometimes they’ll be really hard. But we have to make a choice. Are we only going to surrender when we like the plan? Or are we going to surrender to God’s will, whatever that looks like? God, who knows the end from the beginning and who brings good things out of bad, has our best interests at heart. Even though it’s hard to do, if we’ll obey Him, He’ll bless us. He’ll give us grace and strength to help us when it’s a struggle. Sometimes, like Hagar, we can want to run away because it feels too hard. But by trying to escape our present situation, we may be running from the lesson God wants to teach us and the rewards that lie beyond it.
Isa 8-11; Matt 10:11-20; Ps 104:1-23; Prov 3:9-10
Genesis 16:9 NLV
Die Bybel sê: ‘…Sarai het haar toe so sleg behandel dat Hagar weggeloop het. Die engel van die Here het haar by ‘n fontein in die woestyn op pad na Sur gekry. Die engel sê vir haar: ‘Hagar, diensmeisie van Sarai, waar kom jy vandaan? Waarheen gaan jy?’ ‘Ek loop weg van my meesteres,’ antwoord sy. Toe sê die engel van die Here vir haar: ‘Gaan terug na jou meesteres toe en wees aan haar onderdanig.’ Die engel van die Here sê ook: ‘Ek sal vir jou ‘n groot nageslag gee wat nie getel kan word nie’ (verse 6-10 NLV). Hagar het die engel gehoorsaam en toe haar seun Ismael gebore is, het God gesê: ‘Wat Ismael betref, Ek sal hom ook seën soos jy gevra het. Ek sal hom seën met ‘n ryke nageslag wat ‘n groot nasie sal word; twaalf heersers sal uit hom voortkom’ (Genesis 17:20 NLV). Die meeste van ons hou nie van die idee om onderdanig te wees nie; en God het vir Hagar daardie dag na ‘n moeilike plek teruggestuur. Toe sy egter gehoorsaam was, het Hy haar geseën. God, wat die einde van die begin ken en goeie dinge uit die slegte meebring, het jou beste belange op die hart. Selfs al is dit moeilik, sal Hy jou seën wanneer jy gehoorsaam is. Hy sal jou die genade en krag gee om dinge in jou lewe te bereik wat nie op ‘n ander manier moontlik sou wees nie. Deur te probeer om uit jou huidige situasie te ontsnap, mag jy dalk weghardloop van die les wat God jou wil leer en die belonings wat aan die ander kant daarvan wag. Die woord vir jou vandag is dus: ‘Gaan terug en wees onderdanig.’
Sielskos: Jes 8-11; Matt 10:11-20; Ps 104:1-23; Spr 3:9-10
Genesis 16:9 NIV
The Bible says: “Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her. The angel of the Lord found Hagar…in the desert…And he said, ‘Hagar…where have you come from, and where are you going?’ ‘I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,’ she answered. Then the angel…told her, ‘Go back to your mistress and submit to her.’ The angel added, ‘I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count'” (vv. 6-10 NIV). Hagar obeyed, and when her son Ishmael was born, God said, “I have heard you: I will surely bless him…make him fruitful and…greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation” (Genesis 17:20 NIV). Most of us don’t relish the idea of submitting [acquiescing, deferring to, surrendering], and God sent Hagar back to a hard place that day. But when she obeyed, He blessed her. Note the question the angel asked her, because it may be one God’s asking you as well: “Where have you come from, and where are you going?” If He is, stop and consider your answer. God, who knows the end from the beginning and who brings good things out of bad, has your best interests at heart. Even though it’s hard to do, if you’ll obey Him, He will bless you. He’ll give you grace to endure and strength for the struggle, and do things in your life that can’t be accomplished any other way. By trying to escape your present situation, you may be running from the lesson God wants to teach you and the rewards that lie beyond it. So the word for you today is: “Go back, and submit.”
Soul food: Isa 8-11; Matt 10:11-20; Ps 104:1-23; Prov 3:9-10
