2020-04-15
Proverbs 21:5 NLT
Some of us are ‘planners’, we love to-do lists, schedules, and goals. Others of us like to go with the flow rather than plan things. To live in a godly way, a balance between the two is needed. We need to be able to plan things so that we use our time wisely, set goals for the future, and keep on top of all our responsibilities. As the Bible says: ‘Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity.’ If we don’t create some sort of plan for our lives, we can end up not doing the things that are necessary, and being overwhelmed by everything piling up. Planning also means that we’re prepared for the future, and have a vision for where we want to go. However, it’s important to remember that God’s plan for our lives is far better than the plans we make. We need to be prepared to surrender our plans and let Him take control. Proverbs 19:21 says: ‘Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails’ (Proverbs 19:21 NIV). We should be taking our plans to God and asking Him to guide us. He will show us which way to take (have a read of Proverbs 3:5-6). It’s also important that we don’t allow our plans to cause us to miss out on opportunities from God. We need to leave space for the Spirit to move. If we’re flexible with our plans, we can follow God’s promptings throughout the day. He might have something He wants us to do, someone He wants us to talk to, or something He wants to teach us. If we ignore these promptings because they don’t fit into our schedule then we’re missing out on kingdom opportunities.
Lev 15-17; Mark 1:9-20; Ps 56; Prov 10:8-9
Spreuke 21:5 NLV
Sonder ‘n plan vir jou lewe, ‘gebeur’ die lewe net met jou. Sommige van ons beplan ons lewens een dag op ‘n slag. Ons word wakker, maak ons lysie van take en spring aan die werk. Sommige van ons beplan selfs ons lewens een week op ‘n slag. Ons bestudeer die kalender vir die week, hersien ons afsprake, dink aan ons doelwitte en neem dan aksie. Een leierskapskundige skryf: ‘Aan die begin van die maand, spandeer ek ‘n halwe dag om net aan my kalender vir die volgende veertig dae te werk. Veertig dae werk vir my beter as net dertig dae. Sodoende kan ek reeds ‘n voorsprong op die volgende maand kry en nie verras word nie. Ek begin deur na my reisskedule te kyk en beplan aktiwiteite saam met my familie. Dan kyk ek na watter projekte, lesse en ander doelwitte ek gedurende daardie vyf tot ses weke wil bereik. Ek begin dae en tye uitblok om te dink, te skryf, te werk, afsprake te maak ensovoorts. Ek sit tye eenkant vir pret, soos om ‘n toneelstuk te gaan kyk, ‘n rugbywedstryd te kyk of gholf te speel. Ek sit ook klein blokke tyd eenkant om vir die onverwagte te kompenseer. Teen die tyd wat ek klaar is, kan ek jou amper presies sê wat ek uur vir uur in die komende weke mee besig sal wees. Dis een van die redes hoekom ek dit regkry om so baie dinge te vermag.’ Die gedagte daaraan om vir veertig dae op ‘n slag te beplan mag jou dalk oorweldig, begin dus deur jou dag te beplan. Probeer dan om ‘n week, ‘n maand, ‘n jaar ensovoorts te beplan. As jy God daaroor raadpleeg, sal ‘…Hy… die regte pad vir jou wys’ (Spreuke 3:6 NLV).
Sielskos: Lev 15-17; Mark 1:9-20; Ps 56; Spr 10:8-9
Proverbs 21:5 NLT
Without a plan for your life, life just “happens” to you. Some of us plan our lives one day at a time. We wake up, make our to-do list, and dive into action. Some of us even plan our lives one week at a time. We review the calendar for the week, check our appointments, review our goals, and then get to work. One leadership expert writes: “At the beginning of every month, I spend a half day working on my calendar for the next forty days. Forty days works for me rather than just thirty. That way, I get a jump on the next month and don’t get surprised. I begin by reviewing my travel schedule and planning activities with my family. Then I review what projects, lessons, and other objectives I want to accomplish during those five to six weeks. Then I start blocking out days and times for thinking, writing, working, meeting with people, etc. I set times to do fun things such as seeing a show, watching a ball game, or playing golf. I also set aside small blocks of time to compensate for the unexpected. By the time I’m done, I can tell you nearly everything I’ll be doing, almost hour by hour, during the coming weeks. This is one of the reasons I have been able to accomplish so much.” The thought of planning forty days at a time may overwhelm you, so start by planning your day. Then aim for a week, a month, a year, etc. And if you consult God, “he will show you which path to take” (Proverbs 3:6 NLT).
Soul food: Lev 15-17; Mark 1:9-20; Ps 56; Prov 10:8-9
2020-04-14
Zechariah 3:1 NKJV
Sometimes Satan’s attacks are obvious. In the Old Testament the prophet Zechariah writes, “He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him.” Satan usually prefers to work incognito, so frequently he will attack you through people – especially those closest to you. The Bible tells us, “The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas…to betray Jesus” (John 13:2 NIV). So what’s your best line of defense? The living Word of God. Exposed to a greater level of temptation than any of us will ever face, Jesus quoted the Scriptures to Satan three different times and put him to flight. When Satan attacks your mind with temptation, condemnation, doubts, and feelings of inadequacy, God’s Word is a shield he cannot penetrate. David said, “If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished” (Psalm 119:92 NIV). Notice what happened when Jesus finished doing battle with the Enemy: “The devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus” (Matthew 4:11 NLT). You are not alone. God has placed a cordon of angels around you to sustain and protect you. And “angels are only servants – spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14 NLT). During seasons of adversity, remember you’re a champion, not a victim. Invest your words and energies into creating new goals and dreams. Stay awake, alert, aware, productive, and focused. Exude faith. And expect your faith to be supernaturally honored by the God who promised to intervene when you need Him most (See Isaiah 59:19).
Soul food: Lev 13:38-14:57; Mark 1:1-8; Ps 50:16-23; Prov 10:4-7
Zechariah 3:1 NIV
Sometimes Satan’s attacks are obvious. In the Old Testament the prophet Zechariah writes, ‘He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him.’ Satan’s attack was clear – He was ready to accuse Joshua. But often he prefers to work in disguise, so he’ll frequently attack us through other people – especially those closest to us. The Bible tells us, ‘The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas…to betray Jesus’ (John 13:2 NIV). Judas was one of Jesus’ close followers, but the enemy encouraged him to turn against his friend and betray Him. So how can we defend ourselves against his attacks? We need to use the living Word of God. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, Jesus quoted God’s Word to Satan three different times and defeated him. When Satan attacks our minds with temptation, condemnation, doubts, insecurity, and feelings of inadequacy, God’s Word is a shield he cannot break through. So we need to make sure we’re reading the Bible, and learning verses which we can use to deflect his attacks. Also, when Jesus finished battling the enemy, the Bible tells us that ‘the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus’ (Matthew 4:11 NLT). It’s important to remember that we’re not alone. God surrounds us, sustains us, and protects us. We shouldn’t forget that God’s already overcome the enemy. And He tells us that we’re ‘more than conquerors’ (Romans 8:37 NIV). We’re conquerors, not victims. Satan might be trying to accuse us, frighten us, and stop us, but ultimately we have a mighty, loving, and good God ready to help us fight back.
Lev 13:38-14:57; Mark 1:1-8; Ps 50:16-23; Prov 10:4-7
