2021-02-18
Spreuke 25:28 NLV
‘n Christelike leier skryf: ‘Die Groot Muur van China is in die derde eeu NC as verdediging teen strooptogte van die nomadiese volke uit die noorde opgerig. Dwarsdeur die daaropvolgende eeue, veral gedurende die Ming Dinastie (1368 – 1644), is die Groot Muur herstel en uitgebrei totdat dit uiteindelik vyf-en-veertig myl lank gestrek het.’ Eeue voor die oprigting daarvan, het Bybelse volke mure gebruik om hulself te beskerm en om grense rondom hulle op te rig, om sodoende die land wat aan hulle behoort het, te kon identifiseer. Om effektief te wees, moes die mure egter gereeld onderhou word. Die kleinste gat kon die vyand ‘n noodlottige voordeel gee. Daar is ‘n waardevolle les hieruit te leer.
As ‘n Christen, is daar een muur in jou verdedigingsisteem wat ten alle tye onderhou en beskerm moet word – die muur van selfbeheersing. Die Bybel sê: ‘Iemand wat homself nie in bedwang kan hou nie, is soos ‘n stad sonder ‘n muur wat beskerming bied.’ Jou versuim om selfbeheersing te handhaaf, is soos om die hekke van die stad oop te maak en vir die Duiwel ‘n uitnodiging te stuur om jou aan te val.
J. Wilbur Chapman, een van grootste predikers in die geskiedenis, het ‘n reël wat hy ‘My reël vir ‘n Christelike lewenstyl’ genoem het, geformuleer. Dis ‘n reël wat jy in jou lewe moet nastreef. Hy het gesê: ‘Die reël wat my lewe regeer is as volg: Enigiets wat my visie vir Christus aantas, of my lus vir Bybelstudie wegneem, of my gebedslewe inperk, of Christelike werk moeilik maak, is verkeerd vir my en ek moet, as Christen, daarvan af wegdraai.’ Vraag: Is jou verdedigingsmure geskend of het dit vervalle geraak? Indien so, doen vandag iets daaraan.
Sielskos: Gen 4-6; Matt 15:29-39; Ps 33:1-12; Spr 5:7-14
Proverbs 25:28 NCV
For centuries, people have been using walls to protect themselves and to show what land belonged to them. We can still see some of those ancient walls today. The Great Wall of China was built to protect the Chinese Empire from invaders. Hadrian’s Wall helped to control the northern border of the Roman Empire. But to be effective, those walls had to be maintained regularly. The smallest weakness could give the enemy a disastrous advantage.
As Christians, we also have to build and maintain a wall around ourselves – a wall of self-control. The Bible says, ‘Those who do not control themselves are like a city whose walls are broken down.’ When we don’t make the effort to maintain our self-control, we give the devil a way in to attack us.
The preacher J. Wilbur Chapman had what he called ‘my rule for Christian living’. It goes like this: ‘Anything that dims my vision of Christ, or takes away my taste for Bible study, or cramps my prayer life, or makes Christian work difficult, is wrong for me, and I must, as a Christian, turn away from it.’ It’s a rule we should all try to apply to our daily lives.
The other thing to remember about borders is that they have to be fit for purpose. The ancient walls had to be tall and strong enough to withstand attackers and their weapons. A little wooden fence wouldn’t do the job. And we need to make sure we have the best protection possible for our self-control. Trying to rely on our own strength won’t be enough when we’re facing Satan’s attacks. But when we lean on God and His strength, we can withstand any attack.
Gen 4-6; Matt 15:29-39; Ps 33:1-12; Prov 5:7-14
Proverbs 25:28 NKJV
A Christian leader writes: “The Great Wall of China was erected in the third century BC as a defense against raids by nomadic peoples from the north. Throughout succeeding centuries, especially during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Great Wall was repaired and extended in length, finally stretching for forty-five-hundred miles.”
Centuries before it began, biblical cultures used walls to protect themselves, and to draw boundaries around themselves for the purposes of identifying the land which was theirs. To be effective, however, those walls had to be regularly maintained. The slightest breach could give the enemy a fateful advantage. There is a valuable lesson here.
As a Christian, there is one wall in your defense system that has to be maintained and protected at all times – the wall of self-control. The Bible says, “Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.” Your failure to maintain self-control is like opening the city gates and issuing an invitation to the Devil to attack you.
J. Wilbur Chapman, one of history’s great preachers, formulated what he called “my rule for Christian living.” And it’s a rule you should endeavor to live by. He said, “The rule that governs my life is this: Anything that dims my vision of Christ, or takes away my taste for Bible study, or cramps my prayer life, or makes Christian work difficult, is wrong for me, and I must, as a Christian, turn away from it.”
Question: Have your boundary walls been breached or fallen into disrepair? If so, do something about it today.
Soul food: Gen 4-6; Matt 15:29-39; Ps 33:1-12; Prov 5:7-14
2021-02-17
2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT
Often, people drift through life with the feeling that there’s something missing. Sometimes it can be a lingering thought at the back of our brain that we’re not quite where we want to be. Sometimes it looks like chasing a goal, thinking that we’ll feel complete once we have the next new job, car, house, relationship, or anything else. But the truth is, when we have the persistent feeling that something is missing, it can often be a God-given reminder created to draw us closer to Him. We know that God works in this way.
In John 12:32, Jesus said, ‘I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself’ (NIV). He also said ‘for no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up’ (John 6:44 NLT). From that, we can understand that God our Father, Jesus our Saviour, and the Holy Spirit our Helper step into our lives to draw us closer.
Even when we already know God, we can experience this feeling that there must be more. Because we live in a world that we have made imperfect, there is always room for God to draw us closer and closer to Himself. He is looking to continually give us more of Himself, so that we can ‘be transformed by the renewing of [our] mind’ (Romans 12:2 NIV). We should interrogate that ‘something’s missing’ feeling, press closer to Him, and allow ourselves to be led to a place where He’ll renew us, just like we’re told in 2 Corinthians 5:17.
Gen 1-3; Matt 15:15-28; Ps 28; Prov 5:3-6
2 Korintiërs 5:17 NLV
Mickey Mantle is een van die ware legendes in die geskiedenis van bofbal. Hy het van 1951 tot 1968 tweeduisend vierhonderd en een wedstryde vir die New York Yankees gespeel en met ‘n rekord van agtien tuislopies in twaalf wêreldreekse, vir hom ‘n plek in bofbal se ‘Hall of Fame’ in 1974 losgeslaan. Die skare was mal oor hom. Hy was beroemd. Hy was ryk. Maar tog het hy leeg gevoel, dus het hy na alkohol gedraai.
In ‘n onderhoud met Sports Illustrated, het hy sy lang stryd met drank en sy hartverskeurende probleme met sy familie beskryf. Die onderhoudvoerder het hom gevra: ‘Hoe gaan dinge deesdae met jou, Mickey?’ Hy het geantwoord: ‘Ek het al vir agt maande nie ‘n druppel drank gedrink nie. Ek begin my lewe weer agtermekaar kry, maar ek voel dat daar iets ontbreek.’
Voel jy dieselfde vandag? Het al die dinge wat jy bereik het of verkry het jou nie bevredig nie? Mickey Mantle het uiteindelik uitgevind hoe om die gat in sy siel te vul.
Aan die einde van sy lewe het hy dít gevind waarna hy nog altyd op soek was – Jesus Christus. ‘n Ander beroemde bofbalspeler, Bobby Richardson, het hom na Christus gelei. By Mantle se begrafnis, het Richardson vertel hoe hy Mantle gehelp het om die Here Jesus as sy persoonlike Redder te aanvaar. Op sy sterfbed het Mickey Mantle gesê: ‘Ek vertrou in Christus se dood om my hemel toe te neem.’ Wat Jesus vir Mickey Mantle gedoen het, wil Hy vir jou ook doen. ‘Daarom – iemand wat één is met Christus, is ‘n nuwe skepping. Die ou dinge is verby, kyk, die nuwe is hier!’
Sielskos: Gen 1-3; Matt 15:15-28; Ps 28; Spr 5:3-6
