2021-11-17
Philippians 1:12 NLT
Shortly before he was executed, 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” (vv. 12-14 NLT). Later on, he wrote, “Always be full of joy” (Philippians 4:4 NLT). Paul had a PMA: a positive mental attitude. He couldn’t control his environment, but he chose an attitude that enabled him to overcome it.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said: “Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you’re listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?” (emphasis added). When you meet people, do you tell yourself they will let you down? When you face new experiences, does a voice within you tell you you’re going to fail? A man came upon a Little League baseball game one afternoon when he was walking in the park. He stopped and asked a boy in the dugout about the score. He responded, “Eighteen to nothing – we’re behind.” The man said, “I bet you’re discouraged.” The little boy replied, “Why should I be discouraged? We haven’t been up to bat yet!”
What a difference an attitude of faith makes! 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). Have faith – God will give you the grace to handle it!
Soul food: 2 Chr 12-15; John 11:28-37; Ps 50; Prov 26:27-28
Filippense 1:12 NLV
Kort voordat hy tereggestel is, het Paulus geskryf: ‘Julle moet weet, liewe broers en susters, dat dit wat met my gebeur het, gelei het tot ‘n deurbraak vir die Goeie Nuus. Dit het vir almal hier, ook vir die soldate van die paleiswag, duidelik geword dat ek in die tronk is ter wille van Christus. En die meerderheid medegelowiges hier is só deur my gevangenskap in hulle vertroue in God versterk dat hulle dit al hoe meer waag om oor die boodskap van God te praat sonder om bang te wees’ (verse 12-14 NLV). Lateraan het hy geskryf: ‘Wees altyd bly… (Filippense 4:4 NLV). Paulus het ‘n positiewe geestelike gesindheid gehad. Hy kon nie sy omgewing beheer nie, maar hy het ‘n gesindheid gekies wat hom in staat gestel het om sy omstandighede te oorkom.
Wanneer jy mense ontmoet, sê jy vir jouself dat hulle jou in die steek gaan laat? Wanneer jy voor nuwe ervarings te staan kom, sê ‘n stem binne-in jou dat jy gaan misluk? Een middag toe hy in die park gestap het, het ‘n man op ‘n bofbalwedstryd afgekom. Hy het gestop en vir een van die seuntjies gevra wat die telling is. Die seuntjie het geantwoord: ‘Agtien teen niks – ons is agter.’ Die man het gesê: ‘Julle is seker moedeloos.’ Die seuntjie het geantwoord: ‘Hoekom sal ek moedeloos wees? Ons het nog nie eers ons beurt gehad om te kolf nie!’
Wat ‘n verskil kan ‘n gesindheid van geloof nie maak nie! Die laaste woorde in die Bybel is as volg: ‘Die genade van die Here Jesus sal by almal wees’ (Openbaring 22:21 NLV). Besit ‘n gesindheid van geloof – God sal jou die genade gee om dit te hanteer!
Sielskos: 2 Kro 12-15; Joh 11:28-37; Ps 50; Spr 26:27-28
2021-11-16
Ezra 8:23 MSG
Several times in the Bible, we read about people praying and fasting. In 2 Samuel 12, David prayed and fasted when his son was ill. When the Jewish people were threatened with annihilation, Esther fasted before visiting the king (see Esther 4:16 NCV). Anna the prophetess ‘never left the Temple; day and night she worshipped God, fasting and praying (Luke 2:37 GNB).
The Bible doesn’t command us to fast. It’s not compulsory, and God certainly isn’t going to reject us or our prayers if we choose not to do it. But the discipline of fasting in a godly way encourages us to say no to our physical needs so that we can focus on our spiritual ones. It’s about putting other things aside for a while so we can keep our minds fixed on God.
When we think of fasting, we generally think about going without food. But that isn’t appropriate for everyone to do, and God understands that. So there are other ways we can fast. In Daniel 10 we read: ‘I did not eat any fancy food or meat, or drink any wine, or use any perfumed oil for three weeks’ (v.3 NCV). We might choose to cut out certain foods we enjoy for a few days, or to eat as normal but drink only water. (However, we must always use wisdom when changing our diet in some way. We mustn’t put our health at risk.) We could even give up social media for a while, or if we love reading, we could refuse to read any book other than the Bible.
Fasting is a way of showing our devotion to God, and saying that even though there are many things we love, none of them compare to Him. He’s always first in our lives.
2 Chr 8-11; John 11:17-27; Ps 8; Prov 26:23-26
Markus 9:29 AFR53
Staan jy voor ‘n probleem wat gebed nog nie opgelos het nie? Het jy ‘n geliefde wat deur dwelms, alkohol of ‘n ander destruktiewe krag gevange geneem is? Probeer om te bid – en te vas. Soms is die geestelike geveg waarin jy is so intens, dat dit nodig is om jou liggaamlike behoeftes te ontken en jou geloof deur gebed en deur te vas op te bou, sodat jy kan seëvier.
Jesus het vir sy dissipels gesê: ‘Ek verseker julle, wie aanhou om in My te glo, sal ook die werke doen wat Ek doen…’ (Johannes 14:12 NLV). Tog, toe die dissipels met ‘n bose gees wat in ‘n seun met selfvernietigende neigings woon, gekonfronteer word, was hulle teleurgesteld omdat hulle gebid het en daar niks gebeur het nie. Toe hulle vir Jesus vra hoekom, het Hy vir hulle gesê: ‘…Hierdie geslag kan deur niks anders uitgaan as deur gebed en vas nie.’
Toe die Joodse volk met uitwissing bedreig is, kon net die koning hulle red. Dus het Ester gesê: ‘Gaan maak al die Jode wat jy in Susan kan kry bymekaar. Vas ter wille van my… Ek en my diensmeisies sal ook vas. Al is dit in stryd met die wette sal ek na die koning toe gaan…’ (Ester 4:16 NLV). Gevolglik is Haman, wat hulle uitwissing beplan het, aan sy eie galg opgehang en die hele Joodse volk is gered.
Daar is tye in jou lewe wat jy vir jou fisiese behoeftes nee moet sê sodat jy op jou geestelike behoeftes kan fokus. Om te vas verskerp jou fokus in gebed, versterk jou geloof, berei jou vir ‘n uitdaging voor en bring wonderbaarlike resultate mee. Om te vas gaan daaroor om ‘n eensgesindheid in jou soeke na God se hulp te hê – en dit bring groot resultate mee.
Sielskos: 2 Kro 8-11; Joh 11:17-27; Ps 8; Spr 26:23-26
Mark 9:29 KJV
Are you facing a problem that prayer alone hasn’t yet solved? Do you have a loved one who has been taken captive by drugs, or alcohol, or some other destructive power? Try praying – and fasting. Sometimes the spiritual battle you’re in is so intense that it calls for denying the legitimate needs of your body and building up your faith through prayer and fasting so that you are able to prevail.
Jesus had told His disciples, “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also” (John 14:12 KJV), yet when the disciples were confronted with a demon-possessed boy with self-destructive tendencies, they were disappointed because they prayed and nothing happened. And when they asked Jesus why, He said to them, “This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.”
When the Jewish people were threatened with annihilation, only the king could save them. So Esther said, “Gather all the Jews…and fast for me…I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king” (Esther 4:16 NKJV). As a result, Haman, who had plotted their destruction, was hanged on his own gallows, and the entire Jewish nation was saved.
There are times in life when you must say no to your physical needs so that you can focus on your spiritual ones. Fasting sharpens your focus in prayer, fortifies your faith, prepares you to meet a challenge, and brings miraculous results. Fasting is about having single-mindedness in your search for God’s help – and it brings great results.
Soul food: 2 Chr 8-11; John 11:17-27; Ps 8; Prov 26:23-26
