2020-07-21
Job 42:10 NLV
In sy boek, The Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers, bespreek Patrick Kavanaugh die musikale meesterstuk Die Messias wat deur George Frideric Händel gekomponeer is. Händel was ‘n onvoorspelbare komponis en het baie van sy loopbaan van een mislukking na die volgende deurgebring. In daardie dae was bankrotskap nie ‘n opsie nie en teen 1741 was Händel besig om in skuld te verdrink. Sonder ‘n wonderwerk, was die tronk onvermydelik. Hy het besluit om ‘n laaste konsert te hou en as mislukking op die ouderdom van ses-en-vyftig uit die bedryf te tree. Toe ‘n vriend egter vir hom die operastuk oor Jesus se lewe, gebaseer op sekere verse uit die Bybel gee, het alles verander. Händel het homself in sy werk gewerp en Deel Een in ses dae geskryf, Deel Twee in nege dae en Deel Drie ses dae later. Hy het koorsagtig gewerk, aangedryf deur ‘n oorweldigende doel. Diensknegte het sy etes buite sy deur gekos, bang om hom te onderbreek. Een keer, toe ‘n dienskneg dit waag om die deur oop te maak, het Händel, met trane wat by sy wange afloop, uitgeroep: ‘Ek dink ek het die hemel gesien en die grote God Homself!’ Hy het toe pas klaar die gevierde ‘Halleluja Koor’ geskryf. Wat ‘n wonderlike verhaal van verlossing! Die Bybel is vol van hulle. In die eerste een-en-veertig hoofstukke van die boek Job, beskryf hy alles wat hy verloor het: sy gesondheid, sy rykdom en sy familie. Dan lees ons in die laaste hoofstuk: ‘…die Here [het] hom weer voorspoedig gemaak… Die Here het die laaste deel van Job se lewe meer geseën as die eerste…’ (verse 10-12 NLV). Wat God vir George Frideric Händel en vir Job gedoen het, kan Hy ook vir jou doen wanneer jy jou lewe in sy hande plaas.
Sielskos: Hand 10-11; Luk 8:40-56; Ps 14; Spr 16:6-7
Job 42:10 NLT
In his book The Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers, Patrick Kavanaugh discusses George Frideric Handel’s musical masterpiece Messiah. An unpredictable composer at best, Händel spent much of his up-and-down career moving from one failure to another. In those days bankruptcy wasn’t an option, and by 1741, Handel was drowning in debt. Without a miracle, prison was inevitable. He decided to perform his farewell concert and retire a failure at age fifty-six. But when a friend handed him a libretto on the life of Jesus based on selected Scriptures from the Bible, everything changed. Händel threw himself into writing and composing, and in a staggering stretch completed Part One in six days, Part Two in nine days, and Part Three six days later. He worked feverishly, driven by one overwhelming purpose. Servants left meals outside his door, afraid to disturb him. Once, when a servant did find the courage to open the door, the startled composer cried out, with tears streaming down his face, “I think I did see all heaven before me, and the great God Himself!” He had just finished the much-celebrated “Hallelujah Chorus.” What a comeback story – and the Bible is filled with them! The first forty-one chapters in the book of Job describe all that he had lost: his health, his wealth, and his family. Then, in the last chapter we read, “The Lord restored his fortunes…The Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning” (vv. 10-12 NLT). And what God did for George Frideric Handel, and for Job, He can do for you when you put your life in His hands.
Soul food: Acts 10-11; Luke 8:40-56; Ps 14; Prov 16:6-7
Job 42:10 NLT
Judah faced huge destruction after the people had continually been disobedient to God. Joel wrote that ‘What the locust swarm has left the great locusts have eaten; what the great locusts have left the young locusts have eaten; what the young locusts have left other locusts have eaten’ (Joel 1:4 NIV). Sometimes it can feel like things in our lives have been destroyed too. It can feel like locusts have devoured our hope, our success, our joy, and our relationships. But even when everything seems like a mess, and there doesn’t seem to be any way forward, there is hope. Later in the book of Joel, God says: ‘I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten…my great army that I sent among you’ (Joel 2:25 NIV). Other translations use the words ‘restore’ (ESV) or ‘give you back’ (NLT) instead of ‘repay’. God’s promising to bring goodness back to Judah again. He’s promising to restore all that was lost and destroyed. And He can bring restoration to our lives too. In the Bible, we read about a man called Job who faced immense loss. He lost his health, his wealth, and his family. But, in the last chapter of the book of Job it says, ‘The Lord restored his fortunes…The Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning’ (Job 42:10-12 NLT). Not only was Job’s life restored, but He was blessed even more. If we’re feeling like we’re broken and that our life is a mess, let’s put our trust in the One who can restore us. And let’s have hope that we’ll see God’s blessing more than we ever have before.
Acts 10-11; Luke 8:40-56; Ps 14; Prov 16:6-7
2020-07-20
Efesiërs 4:2 NLV
Een dag het ‘n leeu ‘n tier in die oerwoud raakgeloop. Hy het die tier se stert gegryp en gevra: ‘Wie is die koning van die oerwoud?’ Die tier het gedwee geantwoord: ‘Jy is, o magtige leeu.’ Volgende het die leeu ‘n apie gegryp en gevra: ‘En wie sê jy is die koning van die oerwoud?’ Die apie het nederig geantwoord: ‘Jy is, o magtige leeu.’ Toe het die leeu ‘n olifant raakgeloop en gevra: ‘Wie is die koning van die oerwoud?’ Die olifant het hom met sy slurp opgetel, in die lug rondgeswaai en hom teen ‘n boom vasgegooi, waar hy bloeiend en gebroke in ‘n hopie neergeval het. Die leeu het stadig opgestaan, sy wonde gelek en vir die olifant gesê: ‘Dis nie nodig om so rof te raak net omdat jy nie die antwoord ken nie.’ Die les uit hierdie verhaal is: Hoe groter jou gesag is, hoe genadiger moet jy teenoor ander mense wees. In die Skrif word daar na Jesus as die leeu en die lam verwys; Hy is die Leeu van die stam Juda en die Lam van God. Hierin wys Hy vir ons die kern van ware krag en leierskap. Wanneer jy vir die waarheid opstaan, moet jy soos ‘n leeu brul, maar wanneer jy met mense te doen kry, moet jy so sag soos ‘n lammetjie wees. Paulus spel dit duidelik in hierdie Skrifgedeelte uit: ‘Met totale beskeidenheid en sagmoedigheid, ja, met geduld, moet julle mekaar in liefde verdra.’ Weer skryf hy: ‘Verdra mekaar en as enigeen ‘n klagte teen iemand anders het, vergewe mekaar. Vergewe mekaar soos die Here julle vergewe het’ (Kolossense 3:13 NLV).
Sielskos: Hand 8-9; Luk 8:26-39; Ps 146; Spr 16:4-5
Ephesians 4:2 NKJV
One day a lion met a tiger in the jungle. He grabbed the tiger’s tail and demanded, “Who is the king of the jungle?” The tiger answered meekly, “You are, O mighty lion.” Next the lion grabbed a monkey, asking, “Who do you say is the king of the jungle?” The monkey humbly replied, “You, O mighty lion.” Then the lion met an elephant and asked, “Who is the king of the jungle?” The elephant grabbed him with his trunk, whirled him around and threw him up against a tree, leaving him bleeding and broken. The lion got up slowly, and licking his wounds, said to the elephant, “Just because you don’t know the answer is no reason for you to get so rough.” The lesson in this story is: The greater your authority, the more gracious your attitude toward others should be. In Scripture Jesus is referred to as a lion and a lamb; He’s the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and the Lamb of God. And in this He shows us the essence of true strength and leadership. When it comes to standing for the truth, you should roar like a lion, and when it comes to dealing with people, you should be as gentle as a lamb. Paul spells it out clearly in this Scripture: “With all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love.” Again he writes, “Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do” (Colossians 3:13 NKJV).
Soul food: Acts 8-9; Luke 8:26-39; Ps 146; Prov 16:4-5
