2021-05-26
Johannes 17:4 NLV
Josef se broers het sy droom verafsku, dus het hulle hom in ‘n put gegooi. Jesus se familie het nie sy roeping verstaan nie; op ‘n stadium het hulle gedink Hy is mal. Tog, toe hy die einde van sy lewe bereik het, kon hy sê: ‘Ek het U op aarde verheerlik deur die werk te voltooi wat U my gegee het om te doen.’ As jy wag tot almal verstaan en met jou saamstem, sal jy nooit doen wat God jou geroep het om te doen nie.
In die laaste deel van die negentiende eeu, toe die Metodiste ‘n kerklike konferensie gehou het, het een leier opgestaan en sy visie vir beide die kerk en die groter samelewing gedeel. Hy het sy mede-predikante vertel hoe hy geglo het dat mense eendag van plek tot plek sou vlieg, eerder as om met perde te reis. Dit was ‘n konsep wat heeltemal te vreemd vir baie in die gehoor was. Een man, biskop Wright, het opgestaan en vurig geprotesteer: ‘Dwaalleer! Vlug is slegs vir die engele bedoel!’ Hy het verder gegaan deur te sê dat indien God wou gehad het dat mense moes vlieg, Hy vir hulle vlerke sou gegee het. Duidelik was die biskop nie in staat om in te sien wat die spreker voorspel het nie. Toe hy klaar geprotesteer het, het hy sy twee seuns, Orville en Wilbur, geroep en die ouditorium verlaat. Dis reg – sy seuns was die beroemde Orville en Wilbur Wright! Verskeie jare later, op 17 Desember 1903, het hulle reggekry wat hulle pa as onmoontlik verklaar het; hulle het die eerste menslike vlug onderneem.
Baie mense verkies die gemak van die verlede bo die risiko’s van die toekoms. As jy hulle ondersteuning en goedkeuring nodig het, sal jy nooit doen wat God jou geroep het om te doen nie.
Sielskos: 1 Kon 12-13; Mark 11:27-33; Ps 128; Spr 12:10-11
John 17:4 NIV
Joseph’s brothers despised his dream, so they threw him into a pit. Jesus’ family didn’t understand His calling; one time they actually thought He was mad. Yet, when He reached the end of His life, He could say, “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.” If you wait for everybody to understand and agree with you, you’ll never do what God called you to do.
In the latter part of the nineteenth century when the Methodists were holding a denominational convention, one leader stood up and shared his vision for both the church and society at large. He told his fellow ministers how he believed that someday men would fly from place to place instead of travelling on horseback. It was a concept too outlandish for many in the audience to handle.
One man, Bishop Wright, stood up and furiously protested: “Heresy! Flight is reserved for the angels!” He went on to say that if God had intended man to fly, He would have bestowed him with wings. Clearly the bishop was unable to envision what the speaker was predicting. When he finished his protest, he collected his two sons, Orville and Wilbur, and left the auditorium. That’s right – his sons were the famous Orville and Wilbur Wright! And several years later on December 17, 1903, they did what their father had declared impossible; they recorded the first human flight.
Understand this: Many people prefer the comforts of the past to the risks of the future. If you need their support and approval, you’ll never do what God called you to do.
Soul food: 1 Ki 12-13; Mark 11:27-33; Ps 128; Prov 12:10-11
John 17:4 NIV
Joseph’s brothers despised his dream, so they threw him into a pit. Jesus’ family didn’t understand His calling; one time they actually thought He was mad. But when He reached the end of His life, He could say, ‘I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.’ If we wait for everybody to understand and agree with us, we’ll never do what God called us to do.
Towards the end of the nineteenth century, the Methodists were holding a denominational convention. One leader stood up and shared his vision for both the church and society as a whole. He told his fellow ministers how he believed that one day men would fly from place to place instead of riding horses. But his idea was too outlandish for many in the audience to handle. One man, Bishop Wright, stood up and furiously protested: ‘Heresy! Flight is reserved for the angels!’ He went on to say that if God had intended man to fly, He would have bestowed him with wings. Clearly the bishop was unable to envision what the speaker was predicting. When he finished his protest, he collected his two sons, Orville and Wilbur, and left the auditorium. Several years later, on 17 December 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright did what their father had declared impossible; they made the first powered flight.
Many people prefer the comforts of the past to the risks of the future, and we’ll always meet with opposition when we try to do something new and innovative. If we need the support and approval of others before we start, we’ll never do what God called us to do.
1 Ki 12-13; Mark 11:27-33; Ps 128; Prov 12:10-11
2021-05-25
Matthew 6:7 NASB
When it comes to prayer, Jesus knew that we tend to complicate things, so He gave us this advice: ‘When you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition…for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him’ (vv. 7-8). By using the words ‘thoughtless repetition’, He’s teaching us that prayer doesn’t have to be long, loud, or laboured. And because He said ‘your Father knows what you need before you ask Him,’ He’s inviting you to find a scriptural promise that corresponds to your need.
Author Charles Swindoll, who uses his driving time to pray, wrote this: ‘Often I speak to God out loud. Sometimes I sing to Him. Occasionally the entire prayer will be in my mind. Each time I commit myself to prayer, I notice that God becomes my focus rather than some personal struggle. I’m relieved of worry. I’m able to release anything concerning me so that I can become altogether lost in the majesty of His presence and the joy of ministry. When I arrive, I’m excited to do as God pleases. I find myself refreshed, relieved, and ready. My mind is focused. My heart is prepared. My emotions are clear, and whatever was troubling me when I began that drive no longer concerns me. Prayer has made that possible. Now I wish I could say I use every commute every day for time in prayer. But like many people, I often forget. My mind will be spinning from one problem to the next and rather than pray, I churn. At times I’ll be so anxious it doesn’t occur to me that I should quit worrying and commence praying.’
When we’re praying, let’s keep it simple and frequent.
1 Ki 10-11; Mark 11:12-26; Ps 45; Prov 12:7-9
2 Korintiërs 9:11 NLV
Pastoor Andy Stanley skryf: ‘Soos jy vorentoe in jou verhouding met God beweeg, sal Hy af en toe jou greep op jou beursie toets. Dis ‘n toets van geloof; elke nou en dan sal God jou aanspoor om uit jou gemaksone van vrygewigheid te klim. As jy regtig God in beheer van jou finansies wil hou, moet jy toegee.
Daar is ‘n lyn wat jy gewillig moet wees om oor te steek. Jy moet gewillig wees om op ‘n plek te kom waar jy nie op jou eie finansiële opgaring kan vertrou nie, maar slegs op die Here self as jou voorsiener. Dit beteken nie dat jy onverantwoordelik met jou geld moet wees nie. Jy moet egter ‘n houding hê waar God se stem harder as jou eie ‘wat as’ vrae in jou lewe is. Jy kan daaraan as jou ‘wat as’ lyn dink. Jy sal weet dat jy naby daardie lyn is wanneer jou begeerte om vrygewig te wees voor vrae soos: ‘Wat as die rentekoers verander?’ of ‘Wat as die inflasiekoers verhoog?’ te staan kom.
Hierdie lyn is verskillend vir almal. So vreesaanjaend soos dit met tye kan voel, gee God ons finansiële saad vir een doel: om te saai. Tensy ons ons hande oopmaak en die saad laat val, sal ons nooit weet watter vrugte Hy daaruit te voorskyn kan bring nie.’ Hier is ‘n Bybelse beginsel waarvan jy altyd seker kan wees: ‘…wie ruimhartig saai, sal volop oes’ (2 Korintiërs 9:6 NLV). Wanneer jy daardie tree van geloof neem en die ‘wat as’ lyn oorsteek, belowe God jy sal: ‘In elke opsig… ryk gemaak word om ook by elke geleentheid vrygewig te kan wees…’ (vers 11 NLV). Begin saai en kyk wat gebeur.
Sielskos: 1 Kon 10-11; Mark 11:12-26; Ps 45; Spr 12:7-9
