2021-07-11
Luke 5:9 NKJV
Lesson two: God is interested in your success. Peter knew Jesus was a great teacher and that He could even heal the sick. But what he was about to learn was that Jesus wants us to succeed in our work. Peter probably had good nets, owned a good boat, and knew exactly where to catch the most fish. And his income depended on a good catch. But after fishing all night and catching nothing, Peter made the best move of his life: he got Jesus involved.
We might lose sight of the fact that God wants to be involved in our work. We can involve Him by making our work available to Him to use any time for His glory, so He’s able to minister to people through us while we’re working. We often try to separate secular things from spiritual things; we have our Christian life nicely partitioned off from our work life. But this prevents God from using and blessing our work.
God says: ‘I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is good for you, and leads you along the paths you should follow (Isaiah 48:17 NCV). We might think that if the work we’re doing isn’t for a church or a ministry, then God can’t or won’t use it. But He wants to be involved and give us His wisdom and guidance in all areas of our lives, and He can use the work we do to bless others in ways we couldn’t have imagined. Work takes up a large part of our day – imagine the difference it could make if we invited God into that time too.
Ruth 1:3-18; John 6:41-69
Lukas 5:9 NLV
Les twee: God is geïnteresseerd in jou sukses. Petrus het geweet dat Jesus ‘n wonderlike leermeester is en dat Hy selfs die siekes gesond kon maak. Petrus het heel waarskynlik die beste nette gehad, ‘n goeie boot besit en presies geweet waar om die meeste vis te vang. Sy inkomste het van ‘n goeie vangs afgehang. Nadat hy egter heelnag niks gevang het nie, het Petrus die beste skuif van sy lewe gemaak: Hy het Jesus by sy besigheid betrek!
Het jy geweet dat God wil hê dat jy sukses moet behaal? Wil jy nie graag hê dat jou kinders sukses moet behaal nie? Net so, wil God dit ook hê. Die vraag is: Neem jy God saam werk toe? Is jou besigheid beskikbaar vir Hom om enige tyd te gebruik? Laat jy Hom toe om mense deur jou te bereik? Ons probeer dikwels om die sekulêre apart van die geestelike te hou; ons hou ons Christelike lewe mooi afgesonder van ons loopbaan. Dit verhoed God egter om jou besigheid of werk te seën.
Wanneer jy dit besef, sal jy wys wees om volgens die beginsels van die Skrif te begin optree. Hier is een van God se suksesbeginsels vir jou besigheid of loopbaan: ‘Hou hierdie wetboek altyd by jou. Dink dag en nag daaroor na sodat jy alles kan doen wat daarin geskryf is. Jy sal dan sukses behaal op jou pad. Jy sal voorspoedig wees’ (Josua 1:8 NLV). God, wat die hoof uitvoerende beampte van die heelal is, sê: ‘…Ek is die Here jou God wat jou leer wat vir jou reg is. Ek lei jou op die pad waarop jy moet loop’ (Jesaja 48:17 NLV). Eis vandag hierdie belofte op!
Sielskos: Rut 1:3-18; Joh 6:41-69
Luke 5:9 NKJV
Lesson two: God is interested in your success. Peter knew Jesus was a great teacher and that He could even heal the sick. What he was about to learn, however, was that Jesus wants you to succeed in your career. Peter probably had the best nets, owned a good boat, and knew exactly where to catch the most fish. And his income depended on a good catch. But after fishing all night and catching nothing, Peter made the best move of his life: He got Jesus involved in his business!
Did you know that God wants you to succeed? Don’t you want your children to succeed? So does God. The question is: Do you take God to work with you? Is your business available to Him to use at any time? Is He able to minister to people through you?
Too often we try to separate the secular from the spiritual; we have our Christian life nicely partitioned off from our career. But this prevents God from blessing your business or job. When you realize this, if you’re wise you’ll begin to operate according to the principles of Scripture.
Here’s one of God’s success principles for your business or career: “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do” (Joshua 1:8 NLT). God, who’s the CEO of the universe, says: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go” (Isaiah 48:17 NKJV). Today claim that promise!
Soul food: Ruth 1:3-18; John 6:41-69
2021-07-10
Luke 5:3 NKJV
At the beginning of Luke 5, we read about when Jesus met the fishermen Simon Peter, James and John. Over the next few days, let’s take a look at what we can learn from their meeting. Lesson one: Invite Jesus into your boat. That should always be our starting point. Nothing has greater influence on us than whether or not we have Jesus Christ in our lives.
By himself, Peter fished all night and caught nothing. But when he brought Jesus on board, he caught more fish than he had ever caught before. Jesus used His miracles to illustrate principles, and this incident teaches us what to do when we’ve failed, or when our best just isn’t good enough.
For Peter, his boat represented his livelihood. It was his means of support and he was probably relying on it to be his provision for his future. It’s significant that Peter invited Jesus into one of the most important things in his life, and Jesus used it as a platform for ministry.
We need to be willing to do what Peter did. And if we give Jesus access to all areas of our life, He’ll bless all of it. But if we only give Him part of it, He’ll bless just that one part. Having Jesus in our boat removes the fear of failure and reduces our worries about the results. When Peter made Jesus his fishing partner, the results were incredible.
But don’t miss the sequence. First, Peter let Jesus use the boat for His purposes. Then Jesus blessed Peter’s boat and used it to take care of all Peter’s needs. Jesus said, ‘Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need’ (Matthew 6:33 NLT).
Acts 1:1-3:10; Luke 6:27-36; Ps 109:1-15; Prov 15:22
Lukas 5:3 NLV
Les een: Nooi Jesus aanboord jou boot. Dis altyd die beginpunt! Niks het ‘n groter invloed op jou persoonlike sukses as wanneer jy Jesus Christus in jou lewe het nie. Petrus het heelnag alleen op sy skuit probeer visvang, maar niks gevang nie. Toe hy egter vir Jesus aanboord bring, het hy meer vis as ooit tevore gevang.
Jesus het altyd sy wonderwerke gebruik om beginsels te illustreer. Hierdie insident leer jou dus wat om te doen wanneer jy misluk het, of wanneer jou beste nie goed genoeg is nie. Petrus se boot het sy lewensbestaan verteenwoordig. Wanneer jy ‘n visserman is, is jou boot jou besigheid! Dis beduidend dat Petrus vir Jesus in sy besigheid ingenooi het en dat Jesus dit as ‘n platform vir sy bediening gebruik het.
Is jy gewillig om te doen wat Petrus gedoen het? As jy is, sal die Here jou besigheid seën. Hy sal inderwaarheid alles wat jy vir Hom gee, seën. As jy jou hele lewe vir Hom gee, sal Hy alles daarvan seën. As jy egter net ‘n deel daarvan vir Hom gee, sal Hy net daardie een deel seën.
Wanneer jy Jesus in jou boot het, elimineer dit die vrees vir mislukking en verminder dit jou bekommernisse. Toe Petrus vir Jesus sy visvangvennoot gemaak het, was die resultate wonderbaarlik. Moet egter nie die volgorde miskyk nie. Eerstens, het Petrus sy boot vir Jesus se doelwitte gebruik. Toe het Jesus Petrus se boot geseën en dit gebruik om aan al Petrus se behoeftes te voldoen. Jesus het gesê: ‘Nee, maak die koningsheerskappy van God en dit wat voor Hom reg is, julle heel eerste prioriteit; dan sal God vir julle al hierdie ander dinge as ‘n bonus byvoeg’ (Matteus 6:33 NLV). Het jy mooi gelees? ‘Al hierdie ander dinge.’
Sielskos: Hand 1:1-3:10; Luk 6:27-36; Ps 109:1-15; Spr 15:22
