2022-01-21
Psalm 90:1 NLV
Selfs al was die Israeliete God se volk, het hulle ‘…in ‘n dorre land rondgedwaal, in ‘n woesterny; maar die pad na ‘n bewoonde stad kon hulle nie kry nie. Hulle was honger en dors, hulle was heeltemal uitgeput’ (Psalm 107:4-5 NLV). Indien jy vandag so voel, het jou siel dalk ‘n ‘toevlugsplek’ nodig.’n Plek waar daar vrede is, waar dit veilig en koesterend is; ‘n plek waar jy jou sorge, moegheid en frustrasies kan neerlê. Dawid het gesê: ‘Here, ek verlang, ek hunker na u woning. Met my hele wese, liggaam en gees… [na] die lewende God’ (Psalm 84:3 NLV).
Goeie nuus! Jesus wil jou toevlugsplek en jou tuiste wees! Hy het gesê: ‘Julle moet in My bly…’ (Johannes 15:4 AFR83). Jy kan Hom as ‘n noodskuiling sien om in tye van moeilikheid na toe te hardloop, of jy kan in Hom bly. Jy vra: ‘Hoe maak ek Jesus my toevlugsplek?’ Dink daaroor: As iemand vir jou ‘n pragtige huis as geskenk gegee het, hoe sou jy dit benader? Jy sou seker maak dat die gewer ernstig daaroor is, die papierwerk deurgelees het, dan opgepak het, ingetrek het en dit geniet het, nie waar nie?
Jesus is ernstig wanneer Hy jou uitnooi om in Hom te bly. Dus moet jy vandag deur die daad van geloof jou besittings oppak en intrek. God het gesê: ‘My volk sal veilig bly, rustig in hulle huise. Hulle sal vrede hê’ (Jesaja 32:18 NLV). Die Engelse digter, Hartley Coleridge, het hierdie insiggewende woorde oor geloof geskryf: ‘It is an affirmation and an act, that bids eternal truth be present fact.’ Die gesproke Woord van God is magtig! Wanneer jy dus elke oggend opstaan, maak die volgende jou bevestiging of affirmation: ‘God is vandag my toevlugsplek!’
Sielskos: Gen 44-46; Luk 4:31-44; Ps 89:38-52; Spr 3:1-2
Psalm 90:1 NKJV
Even though the Israelites were God’s people, they “wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them” (Psalm 107:4-5 NKJV). If you feel that way today, perhaps your soul needs a “dwelling place.” A home where it’s at peace, secure, and nurtured; a place where you can lay down your worries, weariness, and frustrations. David said, “My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and…flesh cry out for the living God” (Psalm 84:2 NIV).
Good news! Jesus wants to be your home! He said, “Live in me. Make your home in me” (John 15:4 MSG). You can treat Him as an emergency shelter you run to in times of trouble, or you can live in Him. You say, “How do I make Jesus my ‘dwelling place?'” Think about it: if someone gave you the gift of a beautiful home, how would you enter it? You would check to make sure the giver was serious, inspect the paperwork, then pack up, move in, and enjoy it, right?
Jesus is serious when He invites you to live in Him. So by the act of faith, pack up and move in today. God said, “My people will live in peaceful places…in safe homes and…calm places of rest” (Isaiah 32:18 NCV). The English poet Hartley Coleridge penned these insightful words about faith: “It is an affirmation and an act, that bids eternal truth be present fact” (emphasis added). The spoken Word of God is powerful! So when you get up every morning, make this your affirmation: “Today, God is my dwelling place!”
Soul food: Gen 44-46; Luke 4:31-44; Ps 89:38-52; Pro 3:1-2
Hebrews 10:38 NCV
In Genesis 19, we read about the destruction of the sinful towns Sodom and Gomorrah. God decided to completely flatten the towns for their wickedness, but He allowed Lot and his family to escape, with the instruction, ‘”Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!”…But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt’ (Genesis 19:17, 26 NLT). Instead of looking ahead to the place of safety, she looked back to her old life.
God says, ‘Those who are right with me will live by faith. But if thy turn back with fear, I will not be pleased with them.’ In Hebrews 11 we find a list of ordinary people who refused to turn back, even when times were bad. ‘If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them’ (Hebrews 11:15-16 NLT).
Satan will use every trick in the book to get us off track in our walk with God. As we go further with God, Satan will try to discourage us by whispering that we’re not good enough. He’ll remind us of all our faults and failures, and try to persuade us that our old life was better. But we mustn’t listen to him. Instead, we should be more determined than ever to stay focused on God, and refuse to look back to anything He’s told us to leave behind. He has something much better ahead.
Gen 44-46; Luke 4:31-44; Ps 89:38-52; Pro 3:1-2
2022-01-20
Proverbs 14:17 NIV
When a person loses his or her temper, one of the expressions used to describe their reaction is ‘flying off the handle’. The phrase refers to the head of a hammer coming loose from the handle as you try to use it. And several not-so-good things happen as a result.
1) The hammer becomes useless. Our message may be an important one, but the way we deliver it can make the difference in whether or not it gets the results we want. In other words, when people don’t take us seriously, we don’t get the outcome we hoped for.
2) The hammer head does damage. By flying out of control, it’s likely to damage anything in its path. Words spoken in anger cause wounds, and sometimes those wounds can last a lifetime. James’ words are paraphrased: ‘Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God’s righteousness doesn’t grow from human anger’ (James 1:19-20 MSG).
3) Repairing both the hammer and the damage might take a long time. In some cases, the damage is so severe that it just can’t be done. Here are some Scriptures to keep in mind before we vent. ‘A quick-tempered person does foolish things.’ ‘Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil’ (Psalm 37:8 NIV). ‘A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offence’ (Proverbs 19:11 NIVUK). ‘Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools’ (Ecclesiastes 7:9 NIV).
So today, and every day, let’s try to avoid hurting others unnecessarily and keep our tempers under control.
Gen 42-43; Luke 4:14-30; Ps 89:15-37; Pro 2:21-22
Spreuke 14:17 NLV
Wanneer ‘n persoon sy of haar humeur verloor, is een van die algemeenste Engelse uitdrukkings om hulle reaksie te beskryf, ‘flying off the handle.’ Hierdie frase verwys na die kop van ‘n hamer wat loskom van die handvatsel soos jy dit probeer gebruik. Verskeie nare dinge gebeur dan as gevolg daarvan.
1) Die hamer word onbruikbaar. Jou boodskap mag dalk belangrik wees, maar die manier waarop jy dit oordra, bepaal of jy die resultate wat jy wil hê, gaan kry of nie. Eenvoudig gestel, wanneer mense jou nie ernstig opneem nie, kry jy nie die uitkoms waarop jy gehoop het nie.
2) Die hamerkop rig skade aan. Dis heel waarskynlik dat dit alles in sy pad gaan vernietig as hy uit beheer uit vlieg. Woorde wat in woede gespreek word veroorsaak wonde en soms kan daardie wonde ‘n leeftyd duur. Jakobus skryf: ‘My geliefde broers en susters, wees altyd gou om te luister, nie te gou om te praat nie, en nie te gou om kwaad te word nie. As jy kwaad is, kan jy nie doen wat God wil hê nie’ (Jakobus 1:19-20 NLV).
3) Dit mag dalk lank neem om beide die hamer en die skade te herstel. In sommige gevalle, sal dit eenvoudig nie gedoen kan word nie.
Hier is ‘n paar Skrifgedeeltes om in gedagte te hou, voor jy weer gal afgaan. ‘Iemand wat kort van draad is, doen dom dinge…’ ‘Moenie kwaad word nie; laat staan liewer jou woede… dit lei net tot jou nadeel’ (Psalm 37:8 NLV). “‘n Verstandige mens hou homself in bedwang. Hy stel sy eer daarin om ander se oortredings oor te sien” (Spreuke 19:11 NLV). ‘Moenie gou kwaad word nie; ergenis hoort by dwase’ (Prediker 7:9 NLV). Die woord vir jou vandag is dus – ‘Don’t fly off the handle.’
Sielskos: Gen 42-43; Luk 4:14-30; Ps 89:15-37; Spr 2:21-22
