2020-06-24
Lukas 19:8 NLV
Saggeus het ryk geword deur meer tolgeld by mense te vat as wat sy Romeinse base verwag het en dan die verskil in sy eie sak te steek. Nadat hy Jesus egter ontmoet het, het hy gesê: ‘…as ek iets van iemand met ‘n slenter bekom het, gee ek dit vierdubbel terug.’ Jesus het toe gesê: ‘…Vandag het daar verlossing vir hierdie huis gekom…’ (vers 9 NLV). Integriteit gaan nie oor spyt, of om pynlike nagevolge te minimaliseer of om skadebeheer te doen nie. Dit gaan oor eerlike berou, om vrede te maak en op ‘n manier te lewe wat waarborg dat jy dinge in die toekoms anders sal doen. Een pastoor het gesê: ‘Mense kyk om hulle rond na losbandigheid, aborsie, seksueel oordraagbare siektes en rou daaroor. Hulle sien hoe amptenare omkoopgeld aanvaar, hoe beleggers inligting vir geld verkoop en kla oor die ondergang van integriteit. Hulle lees oor vrouens wat geslaan word, werklose mans en mishandelde kinders en wonder wat van omgee geword het.’ Die Bybel sê: ‘Die opregtheid van eerlike mense wys vir hulle die koers…’ (Spreuke 11:3 NLV). As jy jou integriteit wil herbou, moet jy erken dat jou gedagtes soms nie geskik is vir goeie geselskap nie, of dat jy iemand seergemaak het en dinge met daardie persoon moet regmaak. Daar word geskat dat 50 persent van Amerikaanse Christene op hulle belastingopgawes kul. Dis amper dieselfde hoeveelheid mense wat nie vir Christus volg nie! Integriteit is wie jy is wanneer niemand jou dophou nie. Job het gesê: ‘Sien Hy nie hoe ek optree nie?.. Het ek ooit vir iemand gelieg, of iemand bedrieg? Laat God my dan weeg en oordeel. Hy ken my onskuld’ (Job 31:4-6 NLV). Begin vandag om jou integriteit te herbou.
Sielskos: Hosea 6-10; Luk 2:21-33; Ps 17; Spr 14:13-16
2020-06-23
Spreuke 4:27 NLV
Baie van ons misluk, nie omdat ons nie talentvol, gedetermineerd of passievol is nie, maar omdat ons van ons ‘koers afwyk.’ God het vir die profeet Habakuk gesê: ‘…Skryf my antwoord, die visioen, in groot, duidelike letters op kleitablette sodat iemand wat verbyhardloop dit kan lees’ (Habakuk 2:2 NLV). Tensy jy ‘n duidelik gedefinieerde doelwit het en dit ten alle tye voor jou hou, sal jy nie in die regte rigting hardloop nie. Motiveringspreker en skrywer, Sam Horn, het gesê: ‘Dis moeilik om op koers te bly, as ons nie weet wat ons bestemming is nie.’ In sy boek, One Big Thing, skryf Phil Cooke: ‘Ek was nog nooit ‘n aanhanger van die persoon wat die ‘oop deur beleid’ uitgedink het nie. Ja, ons wil toeganklik vir kollegas en werknemers wees, maar op ‘n stadium is dit tyd om die deur toe te maak en aan die werk te spring. Na jou volgende onderbreking, maak ‘n nota van hoe lank dit neem om weer by jou vorige vlak van intensiteit en fokus te kom. Jy sal geskok wees oor hoeveel tyd dit van jou dag steel. Te dikwels geniet ander mense se behoeftes prioriteit bo jou droom. Natuurlik moet ons vir ons kinders sorg, ons eggenote eer en ons primêre verantwoordelikhede rondom ons familie en werk nakom. Die eerste tree om jou droom te vervul, is egter om verantwoordelikheid daarvoor te aanvaar. Dit beteken dat jy dit moet skeduleer en minder belangrike behoeftes van kollegas en vriende moet ‘onskeduleer.’ Hierdie daaglikse verpligtinge beitel ons tyd weg en kort voor lank verdwyn jou droom in die stof. Hou dus op om te doen wat ander mense belangrik ag en begin fokus op dit wat vir jou (en God!), belangrik is.’
Sielskos: Hosea 1-5; Luk 2:8-20; Ps 8; Spr 14:9-12
Proverbs 4:27 NLT
How easy do you find it to keep focused? Every day we’re constantly bombarded with things that can distract us from what we’re supposed to be doing. We face all kinds of interruptions, from notifications on our phones to other people asking us to do things for them. God created each of us with a purpose. He has things He wants us to do. The Bible says: ‘We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do’ (Ephesians 2:10 NIV). But we can easily find ourselves distracted by other things. In today’s society, we’re expected to be busy. If we’re not busy and efficient, we’re often seen as unsuccessful. But God never called us to be rushed off our feet. In fact, Jesus often took Himself away from the crowds in order to spend time alone with God. There will always be more we can do, never-ending to-do lists, and things we have to achieve, but we can’t allow busyness to take us away from time with God or from doing what He’s called us to do. Also, we can be influenced by other people. We might know what God wants us to do, but we’re worried about letting other people down so we try and incorporate their expectations and demands into our lives too. But God tells us to not be distracted by other things. In Proverbs 4, we’re told: ‘Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you…Do not turn to the right or the left’ (vv.25-27 NIV). And in Colossians, it says: ‘Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things’ (3:2 NIV). We need to be focused on what God wants us to do, not what other people want us to do.
Hosea 1-5; Luke 2:8-20; Ps 8; Prov 14:9-12
Proverbs 4:27 NLT
Many of us fail, not because we aren’t talented, determined, or passionate, but because we get “sidetracked.” God told the prophet Habakkuk, “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it “(Habakkuk 2:2 NKJV). Unless you have a clearly defined goal and keep it before you at all times, you won’t run in the direction you should. As motivational speaker and author Sam Horn said: “It’s hard to stay on purpose, if we don’t know what our purpose is.” In his book One Big Thing, Phil Cooke writes: “I’ve never been a fan of the person who invented the ‘open door policy.’ Sure, we want to be accessible to employees and coworkers, but at some point it’s time to shut the door and get to work. After your next interruption by a visitor, make a note of how long it takes to get back to your previous level of intensity and focus. You’ll be shocked at how much time that steals from your day…Too often other people’s needs come before our dream. Obviously we need to care for our children, honor our spouses, and deal with our primary responsibilities around our families or jobs. But the first step in achieving our dream is to take responsibility for it. That means scheduling it, and ‘unscheduling’ the lesser needs of coworkers and friends. These daily commitments chip away at our time, and before long our dream gets lost in the shuffle. Stop doing what other people think is urgent, and start focusing on what matters to you” [and to God!].
Soul food: Hosea 1-5; Luke 2:8-20; Ps 8; Prov 14:9-12
2020-06-22
Psalm 118:5 NKJV
At age twenty-six, Thomas started a publishing company and founded the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses in America. He worked with some of the greatest singers in the history of Gospel music, including Mahalia Jackson. But one night after singing to a Saint Louis audience, he was handed a telegram that said, “Your wife just died.” She had passed away in childbirth. Thomas hurried back home to Chicago, where his newborn son died the following day. He plunged into depression, avoided people, and grew angry with God. “I felt God had done me an injustice. I didn’t want to serve Him anymore or write Gospel songs.” Then a friend took him to a neighbourhood music school. That evening Thomas sat down at a piano and began to play…and pray. He poured out his heart to God, and what wonderful words they were: “Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, let me stand, I am tired, I am weak, I am worn; through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light: Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.” Thomas A. Dorsey testified that the Lord healed him that night as he sat at the piano. He went on to pen more than a thousand songs and become one of the most influential Christian songwriters of all time. All because he reached out to God for help. The psalmist did that too: “I called on the Lord in distress, and the Lord answered me.” So the word for you today is – turn to God; He will not disappoint you.
Soul food: 2 Kings 24-25; Luke 2:1-7; Ps 144:9-15; Prov 14:5-8
