2020-06-09
Psalm 119:9 NLT
When a sponge is put into water, it soaks up the water and becomes full of it. That’s what we should be like with God’s Word. We need to spend time soaking in His Word, taking it in, and reflecting on it. Then we need to live our lives full of it. The Bible says: ‘How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word.’ To obey God’s Word, we need to know it. And the only way we’ll do that is by getting stuck into the Bible. So what are the benefits of spending time soaking in God’s Word? Firstly, by knowing the truth we can recognise when the enemy is telling us lies. If we know what God says about our identity, then we’ll know when our thoughts are not lining up with His truth. Secondly, we can use the Scriptures we’re reading to fight against the enemy. When Jesus was tempted in the desert, He used God’s Word to fight back. For example, ‘Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only'”‘ (Luke 4:8 NIV). Thirdly, when we’re full of God’s Word, we can’t help but let it overflow to those around us. We can encourage others and build them up with truth (take a look at 1 Thessalonians 5:11). Finally, by soaking in God’s Word, we’ll be changed from the inside out. The Bible says: ‘For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart’ (Hebrews 4:12 NIV). The more we read the Bible, the more we can see the parts of our lives we need to change in order to become more like Jesus.
Rev 10-14; Mark 14:66-72; Ps 132:1-10; Prov 13:4-6
2020-06-08
Jesaja 54:13 AFR53
Min dinge kan jou hart so breek soos ‘n kind wat op dwelms is, of met die verkeerde vriende meng en by aktiwiteite wat hulle lewens kan vernietig, betrokke raak. Wat moet jy as ouer doen? Eerstens, moet jy vir hulle bid en God se beloftes oor hulle uitspreek. Jy mag dalk nie in staat wees om hulle te verander nie, maar God kan. Sy Woord sê: ‘En al jou kinders sal deur die Here geleer wees, en die vrede van jou kinders sal groot wees.’ Wat as jou kind buite beheer is, maar nog in die ouerhuis bly? Dan het jy ‘n groot uitdaging wat God se hulp benodig. Soms is jou ‘probleemkind,’ ‘n kind met ‘n groot roeping en toekoms en Satan weet dit. God het ‘n roeping op hulle lewe geplaas en dis waaroor die stryd gaan! Jy het as ouer God se wysheid nodig wanneer dit by die volgende kom: 1) Om duidelike grense te stel met gepaste en konsekwente nagevolge. Die Bybel sê: ‘Tug is nodig! As ‘n kind toegelaat word om te doen net wat hy wil, loop dinge verkeerd. Dissipline verdryf stoutighede’ (Spreuke 22:15 DB). 2) Om die vrees te oorkom dat jou kind jou sal verwerp wanneer jy ‘n onpopulêre, maar wyse besluit maak. Satan sal jou probeer oortuig dat jy hulle sal verloor wanneer jy hulle dissiplineer. Die waarheid is dat jy hulle sal verloor indien jy hulle nie dissiplineer nie! Onthou: ‘Want God het ons nie ‘n gees van skugterheid gegee nie, maar van krag, liefde en selfbeheersing’ (2 Timoteus 1:7 NLV). Twee van die grootste wapens wat jy kan gebruik om Satan oor jou kind se toekoms te beveg, is gebed en deur vas op God se Woord te staan. As jy getrou aan God bly – sal jy wen.
Sielskos: Op 5-9; Mark 14:53-65; Ps 48; Spr 13:2-3
Isaiah 54:13 NKJV
Few things in life can break your heart like a child on drugs, or running with the wrong crowd and being involved in activities you know can destroy their lives. As a parent, what can you do? First and foremost, pray for them and speak God’s promises over them. You may not be able to change them, but God can. His Word says, “All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.” What if your child is out of control and living at home? Then you have a big challenge that requires God’s help. Sometimes your “problem child” is a child of destiny with a great future, and Satan knows that. God has a calling on their life, and that’s what the battle is all about! As a parent, you need God’s wisdom when it comes to: (1) Setting clear boundaries with appropriate and consistent consequences. The Bible says, “Young people are prone to foolishness and fads; the cure comes through tough-minded discipline” (Proverbs 22:15 MSG). (2) Overcoming the fear that your child will reject you when you make an unpopular, but wise decision. Satan will try to convince you that you’ll lose them if you discipline them. The truth is that you’ll lose them if you don’t! Remember: “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT). Prayer and standing firmly on His Word are two of the greatest weapons God has provided when it comes to engaging Satan over your child’s future. And if you stay true to God – you’ll win.
Soul food: Rev 5-9; Mark 14:53-65; Ps 48; Prov 13:2-3
2 Thessalonians 3:15 NIV
What should we do when a friend or family member seems to go the opposite way from what God says is right? Here are a few tips for when we find ourselves in that situation: 1) Speak up with love. It’s important that we do speak up rather than just ignore what’s happening. However, we need to speak with love. The Bible says we should be ‘speaking the truth in love’ (Ephesians 4:15 NIV). If we condemn people, we can push them away. We need to remind them that God loves them and that His commands are given to us from a place of love. When we obey Him, we’ll experience the best things in our lives. 2) Don’t abandon them. Sometimes it’s right for us to walk away from a friendship, especially if it’s harming us to stay in it, but in other circumstances we need to stick with people and help them come back to God. The Bible says: ‘Do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer.’ We shouldn’t turn against them, but continue to love them as God does. 3) Pray for them. It can be easy for us to fall into the trap of trying to fix people and their situations. But that can cause us to feel stressed and overwhelmed. The best thing we can do is to pray for the person. This hands the situation over to God and reduces the burden we place on ourselves. We can’t control other people, or fix their problems, but we can invite God to come and do the things we can’t. He can turn people’s lives around and bring them back to Him.
Rev 5-9; Mark 14:53-65; Ps 48; Prov 13:2-3
