2020-05-23
Deuteronomy 8:18 KJV
When it comes to God and your money: (1) When you do what pleases Him, He will bless you. Why? Because your actions prove that doing His will is more important to you than doing your own thing. “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things” (Matthew 25:23 KJV). But there’s another side to the coin. When you knowingly don’t do what pleases God, He will stop blessing you. “Take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away” (vv. 28-29 NKJV). (2) God will show you how to make more money. He taught Joseph how to prosper in the midst of a worldwide famine, and bless the needy nations around him. And when the fish weren’t biting, Jesus showed the disciples where to find a boatload of them. On one occasion, they actually caught a fish with enough money in its mouth to pay their taxes! (See Matthew 17:27). God works through unlikely channels, and He wants you to depend on Him as the source for everything you need. The Bible says, “Remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth.” The word “power” encompasses ideas, strategies, plans, relationships, and investments. Yes, God can send you an unexpected check in the mail that will solve your problem temporarily, but you should believe Him for a plan that’ll solve your problem long term.
Soul food: Heb 11:17-13:25; Mark 11:1-11; Ps 47; Prov 12:4-6
Deuteronomy 8:18 NLT
Sometimes we can find ourselves in a tricky situation with money. Maybe we don’t have enough, and we’re not sure how we’re going to pay for the things we need. Maybe we are unexpectedly given a substantial amount of money, and we’re not sure how we should use it. In all of our financial situations, we can come to God and ask for wisdom. James said: ‘If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you’ (James 1:5 NLT). Throughout the Bible, we see God giving wisdom to those who needed it. He taught Joseph how to prosper during a famine (you can read about this in Genesis 41). And when the disciples had been fishing all night without catching anything, Jesus advised them to cast their nets on the other side, and performed a miracle in front of their eyes. Jesus said, ‘”Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it’ (John 21:6 NLT). God wants us to depend on Him as the source of everything we need. When Jehoshaphat was facing a huge battle, he prayed: ‘We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help’ (2 Chronicles 20:12 NLT). We need to look to God for help too. And when God answers us by giving us the wisdom we need to move forwards or by miraculously providing for us, we must never forget to thank Him. The Bible says: ‘Remember the LORD your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful.’ So let’s remember the One who helps us in all areas of our lives.
Heb 11:17-13:25; Mark 11:1-11; Ps 47; Prov 12:4-6
2020-05-22
Matteus 6:33 DB
Die Bybel leer ons die volgende beginsels oor geld: 1) God wil hê dat jy genoeg geld het om aan die grootte van enige van jou behoeftes, te kan voldoen. Dink daaroor: Werknemers is hoofsaaklik oor een ding besorg – om hulle salaristjeks te kry. Werkgewers, aan die ander kant, het ‘n groter behoefte. Hulle moet genoeg geld hê om almal se salarisse te betaal. Daar is egter goeie nuus vir beide werkgewer en werknemer: ‘…julle Vader weet presies wat julle behoeftes is, selfs nog voordat julle Hom vra!’ (vers 8 NLV). 2) Baie keer sal God jou na ‘n spesifieke plek of persoon stuur om aan jou behoefte te voldoen. Gedurende ‘n tyd van erge hongersnood toe mense in Israel van honger gesterf het, het God vir die profeet Elia gesê: ‘…Gaan in ‘n oostelike rigting en kruip weg by die Kritspruit… Ek sal die kraaie beveel om vir jou kos te bring’ (1 Konings 17:3-4 NLV). Dit het goed vir ‘n tydjie gewerk, maar ‘Na ‘n tyd het die spruit egter opgedroog, want daar was geen reënval in die opvanggebied nie’ (vers 7 NLV). God het dit so beplan, want Hy sal nooit toelaat dat jy van enigiemand of enigiets anders as Homself afhanklik is nie. Hy sal jou ‘spruit’ laat opdroog om jou sodoende na jou ware bron toe terug te stuur – na Hom toe. God het volgende vir Elia gesê: ‘…Gaan bly in die dorp Sarfat… Daar woon ‘n weduwee. Ek het aan haar opdrag gegee om vir jou te sorg’ (vers 8 NLV). God het onwaarskynlike dinge soos kraaie, ‘n spruit en ‘n arm weduwee gebruik om aan Elia se behoeftes te voldoen. Hou op om God te probeer uitpluis! Vertrou die Een wat ‘…die aarde… aan niks [ophang]’ (Job 26:7 NLV), om wie ook al, wat ook al, waar ook al en wanneer ook al te gebruik om aan jou behoeftes te voldoen.
Sielskos: Heb 9:1-11:16; Mark 10:35-52; Ps 97; Spr 12:1-3
Proverbs 21:5 NIV
It’s important that we save money to ensure we’re prepared for the future, but if we’re too focused on saving our money, we’re not using it to be generous to others. Balance is key. Firstly, we need to make sure we’re not spending all our money and saving nothing for our future, and the futures of our loved ones. The Bible says: ‘The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.’ If we’re quick to spend everything we earn, we’ll be less prepared for unexpected expenses or needs that arise. Savings can help us plan ahead with our finances. However, if we’re always saving our money because we’re either wanting to build up riches or because we’re afraid of not having enough in the future, then we need to address these issues. Building up riches should not be our aim. We should be aiming to live God’s way, which means we should be generous and sacrificial. We need to be focused on God and His kingdom, not our earthly riches. Jesus said: ‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal’ (Matthew 6:19-20 NIV). If we’re saving because we’re afraid, then we need to hand our fears and doubts over to God and ask Him to help us believe that He’ll always provide for us. God wants us to live life to the full now, and that sometimes means giving or spending some of the money we’ve been blessed with. Whether we’re spending or saving, we need to have a good balance and keep God as our priority.
Heb 9:1-11:16; Mark 10:35-52; Ps 97; Prov 12:1-3
Matthew 6:33 NLT
When it comes to money, the Bible teaches that: (1) God wants you to have enough to meet any size of need you may face. Think about it: Employees are mainly concerned with one thing – getting their paychecks. Employers, on the other hand, have a bigger need. They must have enough money to cover everybody’s paycheck. And here’s the good news for both employer and employee: “Your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” (v. 8 NLT). (2) Many times God will send you to a particular place or person in order to meet your need. During a time of severe famine when people in Israel were dying of starvation, God said to the prophet Elijah, “Turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith…I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there” (1 Kings 17:3-4 KJV). And that worked well for a time – until “the brook dried up, because there had been no rain” (v. 7). God arranged it that way, because He will never permit you to depend on anybody or anything other than Him. He will dry up your “brook” in order to send you back to your true source – Himself. Here’s what God told Elijah next: “Arise, get thee to Zarephath…and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman to sustain thee” (v. 9). God used unlikely things like ravens, a brook, and a poor widow to meet Elijah’s needs. So stop trying to figure God out! Trust the One who “hangs the earth on nothing” (Job 26:7 NLT) to use whomever, whatever, wherever, and whenever to meet your needs.
Soul food: Heb 9:1-11:16; Mark 10:35-52; Ps 97; Prov 12:1-3
