2020-05-28
Jesaja 42:3 NLV
Het jy al ooit van die groot melasse vloed wat in Boston plaasgevind het, gehoor? Op 15 Januarie, 1919, het ‘n staalvat wat amper nege miljoen liter melasse bevat het, gebreek. ‘n Nege meter hoë muur van warm stroop het mense en perde verdrink, geboue vernietig en karre, vragmotors en waens saamgesleur. Die enorme tenk, wat 15 meter hoog was en ‘n omtrek van 73 meter gehad het, was swak ontwerp. Besigheidsamptenare het die krake op die tenk wat aanhoudend te voorskyn gekom het, net met dieselfde kleur as die melasse geverf – hulle filosofie was uit die oog, uit die hart. Hierdie amptenare het geweet dat die vat gevaarlik was, maar niks daaraan gedoen nie. Daar het 21 mense gesterf en 150 mense is in die tragedie beseer, wat deur een skrywer as die ‘Swart Golf’ beskryf is. Daar is twee belangrike lesse uit hierdie verhaal te leer. Eerstens, gee aandag aan die krake in jou karakter; dit wat jy vandag ignoreer, kan jou dalk môre laat verdrink. Tweedens, dit maak nie saak hoe gebroke jy mag wees nie, as jy na God toe draai, sal Hy jou herstel. Jesaja sê: ‘Hy sal ‘n geknakte riet nie verder afbreek nie…’ Miskien dink jy dat jou sonde te groot is en dat daar nie vir jou omdraai kans is nie. Nee. God het gesê: ‘…Ek is ‘n God wat barmhartig en genadig is. Ek het geduld met mense. Ek is lojaal. Ek bly getrou’ (Eksodus 34:6 NLV). ‘…Dan sal Ek hulle genees van hulle ontrouheid; my liefde sal geen perke ken nie, want my woede is weg vir altyd!’ (Hosea 14:5 NLV). ‘…U bly nie vir altyd kwaad nie, maar is liefdevol en getrou. U sal weer medelye hê met ons. U sal ons sonde… weggooi in die diepte van die see!’ (Miga 7:18-19 NLV). God sal jou vandag vergewe en jou herstel.
Sielskos: Lev 23:15-22; Hand 2:1-18
Isaiah 42:3 ESV
Ever felt like your life was lying in ruins? That you’d been hurt so much your emotions were bruised and broken? That you’d made too many mistakes to ever experience God’s redemption? No matter how badly broken we may be, if we turn to God, He’ll restore us. Isaiah said, ‘A bruised reed he will not break.’ These words portray the gentleness and grace of God as He restores and makes us whole. The Bible says: ‘His anger lasts only a moment, but his kindness lasts for a lifetime’ (Psalm 30:5 NCV). Other people might walk away from us when our lives are a mess, but God doesn’t. He never abandons us. He is longing for us to hand all the pieces over to Him so that He can bring something beautiful out of them. The Prodigal Son is a great example of this (you can read the whole story in Luke 15). When the son returned home after wasting all of his inheritance money, his father welcomed him back, forgave him, and then restored him to his rightful place as son. ‘The son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet”‘ (Luke 15:21-22 NIV). Sometimes we can think our sin is too great and we’re too far gone. But with God, there’s always hope of restoration. When we confess our mistakes to Him, He promises to forgive us, and to forget our sins.
Lev 23:15-22; Acts 2:1-18
2020-05-27
Psalm 89:19 NIV
The psalmist says: “You spoke in a vision, to your faithful people you said…’I have found David my servant; with my sacred oil I have anointed him. My hand will sustain him; surely my arm will strengthen him'” (vv. 19-21 NIV). Great vision always precedes great achievement. And God is the giver of great visions – so ask Him for one. Vision gives birth to the goal; it sparks and fuels the fire within, and moves you forward in spite of the odds and obstacles. To get a handle on the word “vision,” you must understand these things: (1) Vision comes from God. He knows what you’re capable of and what He has gifted you to do. Are you looking beyond yourself, even beyond your own lifetime, as you seek your vision? If not, you may be missing your God-given potential and His best for you. If, after seeking God for a vision, you still don’t have one, consider partnering with someone whose vision resonates within you. (2) Vision draws on your history. Vision isn’t some mystical quality that comes out of a vacuum. It grows out of your past experiences, and the history of the people around you. (3) Vision meets other people’s needs. A God-given vision goes far beyond what one person can accomplish. It includes and blesses others. If your vision doesn’t do that, it’s probably too small. (4) Vision attracts resources. Like a magnet, it draws, challenges, and unites people. It also rallies finances and other resources. The greater your vision, the more faith-filled people it will attract. And the more challenging the vision, the harder the participants will fight to achieve it.
Soul food: 1 Kings 6-7; Mark 12:1-27; Ps 101; Prov 12:12-14
Psalm 89:20 NLV
Die Psalmdigter sê: “Voorheen het U deur ‘n visioen met u heiliges gepraat en gesê: …’Ek het my dienskneg Dawid gesoek. Met heilige olie het Ek hom gesalf. Met my hand sal Ek hom ondersteun, met my arm sal Ek hom sterk maak'” (verse 20-22 NLV). ‘n Groot visie gaan altyd groot prestasie vooruit. God is die gewer van groot visies – vra Hom dus vir een. Visie gee geboorte aan die doelwit; dit laat die vuur binne-in vlamvat en beweeg jou, ten spyte van die struikelblokke en teenstand, vorentoe. Om ‘n beter begrip van die woord ‘visie’ te hê, moet jy die volgende dinge verstaan: 1) Visie kom van God af. Hy weet waartoe jy in staat is en wat se talente Hy vir jou gegee het. As jy vir God vir ‘n visie gevra het en steeds nie een het nie, dink daaraan om by iemand wie se visie by jou aanklank vind, aan te sluit. 2) ‘n Visie put krag uit jou verlede uit. ‘n Visie is nie ‘n mistieke kwaliteit wat uit ‘n vakuum kom nie. Dit groei vanuit jou ervarings in die verlede en die geskiedenis van die mense rondom jou. 3) ‘n Visie vervul ander mense se behoeftes. ‘n Godgegewe visie bereik veel meer as wat een mens kan bereik. Dit seën en sluit ander mense in. As jou visie dit nie doen nie, is dit heel waarskynlik te klein. 4) ‘n Visie trek hulpbronne aan. Dit trek mense en uitdagings soos ‘n magneet aan en verenig hulle. Dit trek ook finansies en ander hulpbronne aan. Hoe groter jou visie is, hoe meer geesvervulde mense sal dit aantrek. Hoe uitdagender die visie is, hoe harder sal die deelnemers daaraan werk om dit te bereik.
Sielskos: 1 Kon 6-7; Mark 12:1-27; Ps 101; Spr 12:12-14
Colossians 3:2 NIV
The things we’re focusing on will determine how we feel. If we’re looking at all the problems and struggles we’re facing, we’ll feel stressed and overwhelmed. If we’re focusing on the negatives, then we’ll probably feel negative. But if we’re looking at God, and fixing our minds on Him, then we’ll be able to keep going through whatever lies ahead, because we’ll see that He’s bigger than anything we’ll ever face. The Bible says: ‘Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.’ Sometimes we can get caught up with looking at our own lives, and forget that not only is God bigger, but that His plan is bigger too. We need to have a godly perspective. We should be looking for the bigger picture, rather than just focusing on our small part of it. We also need to have vision for the future. When we ask God to show us His plans and purposes for us, we’re accepting His invitation to join Him in bringing His kingdom to earth. When we have a vision of how our lives can be, and what part we can play in God’s kingdom, we have something to focus on and work towards. This helps us to keep going when things get tough. And having a vision helps us hold on to hope when nothing seems to be changing. The Bible says: ‘So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal’ (2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV). So let’s lift our eyes from what we can see around us, and look to the vision He’s given us. Let’s focus on Him, and see how our attitudes change.
1 Kings 6-7; Mark 12:1-27; Ps 101; Prov 12:12-14
