2020-06-29
Isaiah 57:18 NLT
Ever felt broken? Or felt like you’d made too many mistakes and now could never be the person who God made you to be? In the Bible we read about God raising up broken people in amazing ways. For example, He used Moses, a murderer, to deliver the Hebrew slaves. And He used Jacob, a liar, to fulfil His promise to Abraham. If God redeemed them, He can redeem us too. Sometimes we can think that brokenness is a bad place to be. We don’t like how it feels, and we think we’ve failed. But when we’re broken, we’re in a great place. Brokenness creates humility in us because it’s at the point we reach rock bottom that we truly realise how much we need God. Jesus said, ‘apart from me you can do nothing’ (John 15:5 NLT). Brokenness can help us fully grasp what Jesus was saying in this verse. And when we learn to rely on God for everything we need, we’re in a powerful position. This surrender allows God’s will to be brought about in our lives. It allows God access to our hearts so He can heal and restore them. But if we constantly focus on the mistakes and hurts of our past, then we’re not allowing God to do new things in us. We need to look ahead to our future rather than be stuck looking at our past. When we turn to God He’ll forgive us, restore us, and use us for His purposes. He said, ‘I have seen what they do, but I will heal them anyway! I will lead them. I will comfort those who mourn, bringing words of praise to their lips’ (Isaiah 57:18-19 NLT). God doesn’t give up on us, so let’s not give up on ourselves.
Jer 7-9; Luke 3:11-20; Ps 64; Prov 14:25-28
2020-06-28
Hebreërs 12:8 ABA
God sien hoe jy sukkel, Hy ignoreer dit nie. Hy is ten volle daarby betrokke. Hy sien die behoeftes van die toekoms en gebruik jou huidige omstandighede om jou vandag te toets en vir die toekoms voor te berei. Het Hy nie die gesag om dit te doen nie? Hy is die pottebakker; ons is die klei. Hy is die skaapwagter; ons is die skape. Hy is die tuinier; ons is die takke. Hy is die onderwyser; ons is die studente. Vertrou sy opleiding. Jy sal hierdeur kom. Onthou, alle toetse is tydelik. Hulle tyd is beperk. Die Bybel sê: ‘Hieroor kan julle baie bly wees, al moet die baie beproewings julle vir ‘n rukkie laat swaarkry’ (1 Petrus 1:6 NLV). Hier is nog iets om in gedagte te hou: Jy kan nie jou toetsperiode verkort nie, maar jy kan dit vir seker verleng deur hardkoppig en trots te wees en dit wat God jou wil leer, teen te staan. God sal nie jou keuse om dit te doen van jou wegneem nie, maar Hy sal jou ook nie van die nagevolge van jou keuse beskerm nie. Jy sal nie die eerste student wees wat ‘n graad in die skool moet oordoen nie en jy sal ook nie die laaste een wees nie. Jy kan Sondag kerk toe gaan en verveeld daar sit en droom; jy kan die beginsels van die waarheid verwerp en die maklike uitweg soek. Dit werk egter nie. ‘Mense het respek vir iemand wat goeie insig het. ‘n Onbetroubare mens loop ‘n pad van vernietiging’ (Spreuke 13:15 NLV). Doen dit op God se manier, want dit is die beste manier. Altyd!
Sielskos: Heb 11:23-28; Eks 3:1-22; Eks 33:7-23; Eks 34:29-35
Hebrews 12:8 MSG
The Hebrew verb for test comes from a word that means “to take a keen look at, to look, to choose.” Dismiss the notion that God does not see your struggle. On the contrary, He is fully engaged. He sees the needs of tomorrow and, accordingly, uses your circumstances to create the test of today. Does He not have the authority to do so? He is the potter; we are the clay. He is the shepherd; we are the sheep. He is the gardener; we are the branches. He is the teacher; we are the students. Trust His training. You’ll get through this. And remember, all tests are temporary. They are limited in duration. The Bible says, “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials” (1 Peter 1:6 NIV). And here’s something else to keep in mind: You can’t shorten your testing period, but you can definitely lengthen it by being proud and stubborn, resisting what God wants to teach you. God won’t deny you that choice, but neither will He protect you from the consequences of that choice. You wouldn’t be the first student who had to repeat a grade in school, and you won’t be the last. You can go to church on Sunday and pay lip service to God’s Word; you can reject the principles of truth and seek the easy way out. But it doesn’t work. “Good understanding gains favour, but the way of the unfaithful is hard” (Proverbs 13:15 NKJV). Do it God’s way, for that’s the best way. Always!
Soul food: Heb 11:23-28; Exo 3:1-22; Exo 33:7-23; Exo 34:29-35
Hebrews 12:8 MSG
When we walk through a tough time, our automatic reaction can often be to ask God to take us out of it. And when He doesn’t, we assume He doesn’t care or that we’ve been abandoned. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. God cares about everything we go through, and always knows what’s happening in our lives. In fact, He walks alongside us through everything. The psalmist wrote: ‘Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me’ (Psalm 23:4 NIV). He is with us, even in the toughest of times. So why doesn’t God take us out of the situation? We don’t know all the reasons why, but one of them could be because He wants us to learn something. Hebrews 12:8 in The Message says: ‘This trouble you’re in isn’t punishment; it’s training.’ God’s training us to be stronger and more like Him. In every situation we go through, there are things we can learn. But we’ll only learn them if we open our hearts. If we’re too busy begging God to take the situation away, we won’t be open to the opportunity of growing. All tests and valleys we experience are temporary. They’ll end. But it’s up to us whether we’ll just about make it through or if we’ll come out looking more like Jesus. In the Bible we’re encouraged to go as far as rejoicing in the troubles that we face. ‘In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials’ (1 Peter 1:6 NIV). This might seem impossible, but when we think about the training God’s doing, we can be joyful while we’re walking through the valley.
Heb 11:23-28; Exo 3:1-22; Exo 33:7-23; Exo 34:29-35
2020-06-27
2 Timoteus 3:17 NLV
Daaglikse Bybelstudie rus jou vir jou Godgegewe lewenstaak toe. Paulus skryf: ‘Die hele Skrif is deur God geïnspireer en is nuttig om ons te leer wat waar is en… wat verkeerd is in ons lewe. Dit ruk ons reg en kweek ‘n regte leefstyl. Dit is God se manier om ons voor te berei, ten volle toegerus vir elke goeie ding wat Hy wil hê ons moet doen’ (verse 16-17 NLV). Volgens Paulus is die hele Skrif daar om ons te leer – maar om ons wat te leer? 1) Leerstellings en opvoeding. Dit sal struktuur aan jou denke gee wat noodsaaklik is, want as jy nie reg dink nie, lewe jy nie reg nie. Wat jy glo bepaal uiteindelik hoe jy optree. 2) Teregwysing. Dit sal jou sê waar jy die grense oorskry. Die Bybel leer jou wat sonde is en wat God vir jou lewe wil hê. 3) Regstelling. Het jy ‘n kas in die huis waar jy alles waarvoor jy nie ‘n ander plek het nie, stoor? Jy druk dit alles in en een dag wanneer jy die kas oopmaak, tuimel alles uit en jy moet dit alles skoonmaak en plek daarvoor kry. Die Bybel is so; dit maak die kasdeur op jou lewe oop en voorsien ‘n suiwerende dinamiek. 4) Opleiding in geregtigheid. Nadat Paulus vir ons die negatiewe uitgewys het, gee hy vir ons positiewe riglyne om in ons lewens te volg, sodat jy ‘ten volle toegerus vir elke goeie ding wat Hy wil hê [jy] moet doen.’ Het jy al ooit gewens dat jou lewe meer effektief vir Christus Jesus is? Wat het jy gedoen om jouself voor te berei? Bybelstudie is die belangrikste stuk gereedskap om ‘n effektiewe dienaar van Jesus Christus te word. Niks kan die Bybel se plek inneem nie!
Sielskos: Jer 4-6; Luk 3:1-10; Ps 59:9-17; Spr 14:23-24
