2021-11-19
Johannes 7:24 NLV
John Wesley het gesê: ‘Ons moet onsself streng oordeel en genadig wees wanneer ons ander mense oordeel.’ Hoekom het Jesus gesê: ‘Moenie oordeel net op wat julle sien nie; oordeel billik’ (vers 24 NLV)? Omdat Hy die pyn van verwerping en misverstand ervaar het. ‘Hy het na sy eiendom toe gekom, en tog het sy eie mense Hom nie aanvaar nie’ (Johannes 1:11 NLV).
Die apostel Jakobus skryf: ‘My liewe broers en susters, hoe kan julle beweer julle glo in ons Here Jesus Christus… terwyl julle sommer so op die uiterlike af tussen mense diskrimineer?.. As julle dan ‘n ophef maak van die persoon met die deftige klere… maar vir die arm man sê julle:… ‘Kom sit hier op die vloer,’ sal julle nie toegee dat julle diskrimineer en mense op grond van verkeerde oorwegings beoordeel nie?.. as julle teen mense diskrimineer, doen julle sonde…’ (Jakobus 2:1, 3-4, 9 NLV).
Die storie word vertel dat die country sanger Lonzo Green se neef, Jimmy, hom gevra het om ‘n vriend se kitaar in te stem. Die probleem was dat Jimmy se vriend aan die ‘verkeerde kant van die treinspoor’ gewoon het en Jimmy se ouers wou hom nie in hulle huis toelaat waar oom Lonzo gekuier het nie. Dus het hulle besluit om mekaar buite te ontmoet. Soos die jong vriend nader gestap het, het Green sy selfbewustheid opgemerk. Lonzo, wat self armoede en diskriminasie in sy eie lewe ervaar het, het die seun se kitaar gestem, ‘n paar liedjies gespeel en hom ‘n paar akkoorde geleer. Die jong man het hom bedank en met ‘n warm herinnering vertrek. Uiteindelik het die seun die treinspoor finaal met sy kitaar, sagte stem en huiwerige glimlag oorgesteek en was nooit weer onwelkom nie. Die seun wat daardie dag nie in die huis toegelaat is nie, was niemand anders as Elvis Presley nie!
Sielskos: 2 Kro 19-21; Joh 12:1-11; Ps 76; Spr 27:4-6
2021-11-18
Genesis 32:31 NLT
In the Bible, we read this account about Jacob: ‘A man came and wrestled with him until…dawn began to break…He touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket. Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” “What is your name?” the man asked. He replied, “Jacob.” “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”…Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen God face to face”….The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel, and he was limping’ (Genesis 32:24-28, 30-31 NLT).
Jacob was a farmer. He would have been on his feet all day, so a problem with his hip was one of the last things he wanted. It was something he leaned on every day, and now he was weak in an area that he’d always prided himself on being strong. So he had to depend on God like never before.
We can find ourselves in a similar place as Jacob. We might have experienced a painful failure that we can’t hide, so people notice it. God loves to use flawed people because when they become successful in what He’s tasked them with, they humbly give Him the glory rather than becoming arrogant like someone who thinks their success is totally down to their own actions. They’re a little warmer, a little more willing to reach out and embrace others. They understand that without God they wouldn’t have made it. If we limp spiritually, we have to depend on God more – and that’s always a good thing to do.
2 Chr 16-18; John 11:38-57; Ps 81; Prov 27:1-3
Genesis 32:31 NLV
Die Bybel vertel ons van Jakob: ‘…Dáár kom hy ‘n man teë wat met hom worstel. Tydens die gestoei kry die man nie die oorhand oor Jakob nie en slaan hom op sy heup sodat dit uit die potjie spring. Toe sê die man: ‘Los my, want dit word dagbreek.’ Uitasem sê Jakob: ‘Ek sal jou nie laat gaan nie tensy jy my seën.’ ‘Wat is jou naam?’ sê die man. Hy antwoord: ‘Jakob.’ ‘Jou naam sal nie meer Jakob wees nie,’ sê die man vir hom. ‘Van nou af is dit Israel, want jy het met God en mens geworstel en volhard’… Jakob het die plek Pniël genoem, want hy het gesê: ‘Ek het God persoonlik gesien…’ Die son het opgekom net toe hy van Pniël af weggaan. Van toe af was hy mank aan sy heup’ (verse 24-28, 30-31 NLV).
Dink net hoe belangrik ‘n heupbeen vir ‘n boer soos Jakob was. Dit was iets waarop hy elke dag gesteun het en nou was hy swak in ‘n area waarop hy trots was om sterk te wees. Gevolglik moes Hy op God, soos nog nooit tevore nie, begin staatmaak. God het kinders soos Jakob wat mank loop, en jy mag dalk een van hulle wees. Miskien het jy ‘n pynlike mislukking beleef en omdat mankheid nie iets is wat jy kan wegsteek nie, kom mense dit agter.
God is lief daarvoor om gebreklike mense te gebruik, want wanneer hulle sukses behaal, is hulle nie arrogant soos ander wat dink dat hulle die sukses verdien, nie. Hulle is ‘n bietjie meer gewillig om uit te reik en ander mense te omhels. Hulle verstaan dat hulle dit sonder God nie sou gemaak het nie. Wanneer jy geestelik mank loop, moet jy meer op God staatmaak. Dis nie ‘n las nie – dis ‘n bate!
Sielskos: 2 Kro 16-18; Joh 11:38-57; Ps 81; Spr 27:1-3
Genesis 32:31 NLT
Concerning Jacob, the Bible tells us: “A man came and wrestled with him until…dawn began to break…He touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket. Then the man said, ‘Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!’ But Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’ ‘What is your name?’ the man asked. He replied, ‘Jacob.’ ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob,’ the man told him. ‘From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.’…Jacob named the place Peniel (which means ‘face of God’), for he said, ‘I have seen God face to face….The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel, and he was limping” (vv. 24-28, 30-31 NLT).
Imagine the importance of a hip bone to a farmer like Jacob. It was something he leaned on every day, and now he was weak in an area where he had prided himself on being strong. As a result, he had to depend on God as never before. God has children like Jacob who walk with a limp, and you may be one of them. Perhaps you have experienced a painful failure, and because a limp isn’t something you can hide, people notice it. God loves to use flawed people because when they become successful, they aren’t arrogant like others who think they deserve it. They’re a little warmer, a little more willing to reach out and embrace others. They understand that without God they wouldn’t have made it. When you limp spiritually, you have to depend on God more, and that’s not a liability – it’s an asset!
Soul food: 2 Chr 16-18; John 11:38-57; Ps 81; Prov 27:1-3
2021-11-17
Philippians 1:12 NLT
In his letter to the Philippian church, Paul wrote: ‘I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear’ (Philippines 1:12-14 NLT). Later on, he wrote, ‘Always be full of joy’ (Philippians 4:4 NLT).
It doesn’t sound like the sort of thing you’d write while in prison, but that’s exactly where Paul was. He couldn’t control his environment, but he chose an attitude that enabled him to overcome it. He chose to draw His peace from God and have faith. It can be difficult for us to lift our thoughts out of our immediate circumstances and fix them on God, but it can help if we remember that whatever’s happening around us, He’s always with us.
Paul reassures us with these words: ‘I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 8:38-39 NCV). Nothing has the power to stop God loving us, and even if the situation we’re in is anything but joyful, our faith in Him can bring a sense of inner peace that can’t be shaken.
The last words recorded in the Bible are these: ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen’ (Revelation 22:21 NKJV). Whatever happens, trust God – He’ll give us the grace to handle it.
2 Chr 12-15; John 11:28-37; Ps 50; Prov 26:27-28
