2021-09-20
Jeremiah 23:6 NLT
The name Jehovah-Tsidkenu: the Lord my righteousness, was given by God to Jeremiah, announcing the coming of Jesus. “I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line…And this will be his name: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness'” (vv. 5-6 NLT).
Before Jesus came, our righteousness was dependent on our own efforts. “We will be counted as righteous when we obey all the commands the Lord our God has given us” (Deuteronomy 6:25 NLT). But we failed the righteousness test big time! Then the “Lord our righteousness” became our solution. Here’s how: God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV).
Notice, in Jesus we’ve “become” [been converted…turned into] righteous before God! We’re not to try to do right just so we can feel right before God or generate a supply of good works to draw from when we need credit. We’re to draw what we need from the righteousness deposited into our account by Christ.
If we need humility, purity, patience, kindness or love, it’s useless to look within ourselves. They’re just not there! We must draw them by faith from the supply stored up for us in Jesus. Guilty hearts can draw forgiveness, anxious spirits can draw peace, weary souls can draw strength, and confused minds can draw guidance from our inexhaustible supply in Jehovah-Tsidkenu.
Just as you receive salvation by faith, you must draw righteousness and everything else you need through faith in what God has accomplished and stored up for your use in Jesus – the Lord your righteousness!
Soul food: Lev 23:33-44; John 7:1-40; Zech 14:16-21
Jeremiah 23:6 NLT
The name Jehovah-Tsidkenu: the Lord my righteousness, was given by God to Jeremiah, announcing the coming of Jesus. ‘I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line…And this will be his name: “The LORD Is Our Righteousness”‘ (v.5-6 NLT).
Before Jesus came, our righteousness was dependent on our own efforts. ‘We will be counted as righteous when we obey all the commands the LORD our God has given us’ (Deuteronomy 6:25 NLT). But when we failed the righteousness test, the ‘Lord our righteousness’ became our solution. Here’s how: ‘Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so that in Christ we could become right with God’ (2 Corinthians 5:21 NCV). In Jesus we’ve been made righteous before God.
If we’re trying to do what’s right just so we can feel right before God, or to generate a supply of good deeds to draw from when we need a bit of credit, we’re doing it for the wrong reasons. We’re supposed to draw what we need from the righteousness deposited into our account by Christ. If we need humility, purity, patience, kindness or love, we shouldn’t look within ourselves. We should draw them by faith from the supply stored up for us in Jesus.
Guilty hearts can draw forgiveness, anxious spirits can draw peace, weary souls can draw strength, and confused minds can draw guidance from our inexhaustible supply in Jehovah-Tsidkenu. Just as we receive salvation by faith, we can draw righteousness and everything else we need through faith in what God has done for us and stored up for us in Jesus – the Lord your righteousness!
Lev 23:33-44; John 7:1-40; Zech 14:16-21
Romeine 8:26 NLV
Gebed werk soos die 911 noodgevalsisteem. Die sisteem werk as volg: Jy hoef net die nommer te skakel, voor jy dadelik aan ‘n operateur gekonnekteer word wat opgelei is om kalm in noodsituasies te bly en wat in staat is om kontak met die nooddiens wat nodig is om onmiddellik hulp te stuur, te maak. Jy mag dalk nie presies kan sê wat die probleem is nie. Miskien het ‘n geliefde pas ‘n hartaanval gehad en jy is so buite jouself dat jy net oor die telefoon kan skree. Geen probleem. Die operateur het nie al die details nodig nie. Hy weet waar die oproep vandaan kom en hulp is op pad.
Daar is tye wat ons in ons wanhoop en pyn 911-gebede nodig het. Ons is oorweldig. Soms weet ons nie watter woorde ons moet sê nie. God hoor ons egter. Hy ken ons naam en ons situasie. Hulp is op pad; Hy het alreeds die oplossing begin bring. ‘Die Gees van God help ons ook nog boonop in ons onbeholpenheid. Ons weet immers nie mooi wat en hoe ons moet bid nie. Maar die Gees self neem ons gebedsbehoeftes voor God op met versugtinge wat nie in menslike taal verwoord kan word nie. Dié God, wat die dieptes van elke hart deurgrond, weet wat die Gees in die oog het – dat Hy in harmonie met God se wil vir die gelowiges intree. En ons weet dat God alles ten goede laat saamwerk vir hulle wat Hom liefhet, hulle wat geroep is volgens sy doel vir hulle lewe’ (verse 26-28 NLV).
John Bunyan het die volgende oor gebed gesê: ‘In gebed is dit beter om ‘n hart sonder woorde te hê, as wat jy woorde sonder ‘n hart het.’
Sielskos: Lev 23:33-44; Joh 7:1-40; Sag 14:16-21
2021-09-19
Judges 6:23 NIV
The name Jehovah-Shalom: the Lord my peace, was discovered by Gideon when God assigned him the job of leading Israel against the Midianites – a position Gideon saw as far beyond his abilities. “How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family” (v. 15 NIV). The Lord responded, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites…Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die” (vv. 16, 23 NIV). A frightened Gideon believed God before the battle was even fought and the victory secured. Through the eyes of faith, he envisioned peace already secured, and built an altar to Jehovah-Shalom: the Lord our peace.
We assume that we can only have inner peace when our outer circumstances are favourable. Let’s learn, like Gideon, that inward peace doesn’t depend on altering outward circumstances. It depends on believing that Jehovah-Shalom is with you, and that will bring you through the battle with inner peace. Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you; my peace [inner, faith-based] I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives [outward, circumstantial]. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27 NIV).
No matter how inadequate you feel today, remember these words: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace…take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NIV). Your job is to “take heart” because Jehovah-Shalom is with you, and to trust Christ the “overcomer” to handle the circumstances for you!
Soul food: Gen 2:7-25; 1 Cor 15:39-55
Judges 6:23 NIV
Gideon discovered the name Jehovah-Shalom: the Lord my peace when God assigned him the job of leading Israel against the Midianites – a position Gideon thought was way beyond his abilities. ‘How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family’ (v.15 NIV). The Lord responded, ‘I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites…Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die’ (v.16, 23 NIV). A frightened Gideon believed God before the battle was even fought and the victory secured. Through the eyes of faith, he envisioned peace already secured, and built an altar to Jehovah-Shalom: the Lord my peace.
We assume that we can only have inner peace when our outer circumstances are good. Let’s learn, like Gideon, that our inner peace doesn’t depend on changing our external circumstances. It depends on believing that Jehovah-Shalom is with us, which will bring us through the battles we face with inner peace.
Jesus said: ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace [which is inner, and faith-based] I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives [which is based on external circumstances]. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid’ (John 14:27 NIV). Today, let’s think about these words: ‘I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace…take heart! I have overcome the world’ (John 16:33 NIV). Our job is to ‘take heart’ because Jehovah-Shalom is with us, and to trust Christ the ‘overcomer’ to handle the circumstances for us.
Gen 2:7-25; 1 Cor 15:39-55
