2021-10-20
Spreuke 23:15 NLV
As jy dit regkry om ‘n goeie lewe vir jouself te maak, maar nie daarin slaag om jou kinders te leer hoe om ‘reg’ te lewe nie, sal jou sukses leeg wees en sal jy eendag met spyt moet saamleef. Die gemiddelde kind bestee ses tot sewe ure elke dag op die internet, of om televise te kyk, of om met hulle portuurgroep om te gaan. Elke minuut daarvan is besig om hulle waardesisteem te skep en hulle in die persoon wat hulle eendag sal word, te vorm. Wees dus daar vir hulle!
As jy materiële dinge moet opoffer om hulle geestelik te ontwikkel, is dit ‘n ruilooreenkoms waaroor jy altyd goed sal voel. Dorothy Lawe Nolte het woorde geskryf wat elke ouer met hulle moet saamdra: ‘As ‘n kind met kritiek saamleef, leer hy om te oordeel. As ‘n kind met vyandigheid saamleef, leer hy om te baklei. As ‘n kind met bespotting saamleef, leer hy om skaam te wees. As ‘n kind met skaamte leef, leer hy om skuldig te voel. Maar, as ‘n kind met verdraagsaamheid lewe, leer hy om geduldig te wees. As ‘n kind met aanmoediging lewe, leer hy om selfvertroue te hê. As ‘n kind met bemoediging lewe, leer hy om te waardeer. As ‘n kind met regverdigheid lewe, leer hy geregtigheid. As ‘n kind met sekuriteit lewe, leer hy om geloof te hê. As ‘n kind met goedkeuring lewe, leer hy om van homself te hou. As ‘n kind met aanvaarding en vriendskap lewe, leer hy om liefde in die wêreld te vind.’
Salomo, wat self ‘n vader was, het dit as volg gestel: ‘Ek sal baie bly wees, my kind, as jy ook ‘n wyse mens word…’
Sielskos: Hab 1-3; Joh 5:1-15; Ps 15; Spr 24:7
2021-10-19
Luke 6:38 NKJV
In the late nineteenth century, a Member of Parliament went to Scotland to make an important speech. He travelled to Edinburgh by train, then took a horse-drawn carriage southward to his destination. But the roads were bad and the carriage became mired in mud. A Scottish farm boy came to the rescue of the team of horses and helped to pull the carriage loose. The Member of Parliament asked the boy how much he owed him. “Nothing,” the lad replied. “Are you sure?” the politician pressed, but the boy declined payment. “Well, is there anything I can do for you? What do you want to be when you grow up?” The boy responded, “I want to be a doctor.” The Member of Parliament offered to help the young Scot go to university, and sure enough he followed through on his pledge.
More than a half century later Winston Churchill lay dangerously ill with pneumonia; stricken while attending a wartime conference in Morocco. A new “wonder drug” was administered to him, a drug called penicillin that had been discovered by Sir Alexander Fleming. You’ve guessed it: Fleming was the young Scottish lad who came to the aid of the Member of Parliament. And the Member of Parliament was none other than Randolph Churchill, Winston Churchill’s father.
Yes, what goes around comes around. Jesus told the truth when He said, “Give, and it will be given to you.” So, when God tells you to sow a seed of kindness into the life of someone else, it’s because He has a harvest of blessing waiting for you somewhere down the road.
Soul food: Nahum 1-3; John 4:39-54; Ps 41; Prov 24:5-6
Lukas 6:38 NLV
In die laat negentiende eeu het ‘n parlementslid na Skotland vertrek om ‘n belangrike toespraak daar te lewer. Hy het met die trein na Edinburgh gereis en van daar af ‘n perdekar suidwaarts na sy bestemming toe geneem. Die paaie was egter sleg en die perdekar het in die modder vasgeval. ‘n Skotse plaasseun het tot sy redding gekom en hom gehelp om die perdekar weer op die pad te kry. Die parlementslid het die seun gevra hoeveel hy hom vir sy moeite skuld. ‘Niks,’ het die seun geantwoord. ‘Is jy seker?’ het die politikus gevra, maar die seun het betaling geweier. ‘Wel, is daar enigiets wat ek vir jou kan doen? Wat wil jy word wanneer jy groot is?’ Die seun het geantwoord: ‘Ek wil ‘n dokter word.’ Die parlementslid het aangebied om die jong Skotse seun te help om universiteit toe te gaan en wonder bo wonder sy belofte gestand gedoen.
Meer as ‘n halfeeu later was Winston Churchill dodelik siek aan longontsteking terwyl hy ‘n konferensie in Morokko bygewoon het. ‘n Nuwe ‘wondermiddel’ is aan hom toegedien, ‘n middel genaamd penisillien wat deur sir Alexander Fleming ontdek is. Jy het reg geraai: Fleming was die jong Skotse seun wat die parlementslid te hulp gesnel het. Die parlementslid was niemand anders as Randolph Churchill, Winston Churchill se pa, nie.
Ja, wat jy saai, sal jy maai. Wanneer God dus vir jou sê om ‘n saad van barmhartigheid in iemand anders se lewe te saai, is dit omdat Hy ‘n oes van seën, wat vir jou iewers langs die pad wag, het.
Sielskos: Nahum 1-3; Joh 4:39-54; Ps 41; Spr 24:5-6
Hebrews 6:10 NLT
Do you ever feel like you’re unappreciated, or that others take you for granted? That you just want to hear someone say ‘Thank you’? Two simple words, but they mean such a lot. The truth is that although other people might fail to thank us, our heavenly Father appreciates everything that we do and everything that we are. We’re fulfilling His purpose every day, and as soon as we accept that, we’ll find joy and meaning in whatever we’re doing.
Other people are the receivers of our good work and deeds, but God is the reason for them. We mustn’t let someone else’s response to our actions (or lack of response) decide our levels of joy. They may not notice what we’ve done, but God does. He closely observes every day and every detail of our lives. ‘God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do.’
Paul wrote, ‘Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him’ (Colossians 3:17 NIV). Do it for Him – that’s all there is to it. There’s no need to over-complicate it. Today why not pray this prayer: ‘Lord, all that I do, I do for You. I know that You appreciate me, and You’ve blessed me in so many ways, so I will choose to praise and honour You throughout this day with my thoughts, my words and my deeds. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Nahum 1-3; John 4:39-54; Ps 41; Prov 24:5-6
2021-10-18
Psalm 119:143 NLT
God blesses us with skilled doctors who know how to diagnose illnesses and prescribe medication that bring health and healing. But what about when it’s our souls that need healing? In those times, we should to turn to God to nourish us and bring the restoration we need. The psalmist wrote: ‘As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands. Your laws are always right; help me to understand them so I may live…Those who love your instructions have great peace’ (vv. 143-144, 165 NLT).
When there’s a chemical imbalance in our bodies, it might need to be treated with medication, an altered diet, or a lifestyle change. But when our souls are starved to the point of breaking, they need to be treated with God’s Word. We’re not talking about skimming through a few verses and rushing off into the day. Butterflies cover a lot of ground, but only bees gather honey. Sometimes we have to stay with a particular Scripture until we extract the ‘honey’; to live with and meditate on it till it takes root and starts to grow within us (see Psalm 119:48).
It takes time to change ingrained character traits. God may work on one area of our lives for several weeks, or even months. He won’t give up on us. New habits and ways of thinking need time to be established. We must recognise this and allow God to reveal and reinforce new truths. Just because we’ve read a certain scriptural truth doesn’t mean it will produce instant change. It must be applied every day, and that takes time and meditation.
2 Pet 1-3; John 4:27-38; Ps 87; Prov 24:1-4
