2022-03-16
Lukas 13:12 NLV
Hierdie vrou het godsdiens probeer, maar dit kon haar nie help nie. Sy het dokters probeer, maar hulle kon haar nie genees nie. Die mense rondom haar het gedink dat haar probleem nooit opgelos sou word nie. Sy het self so gedink! Maar nie Jesus nie. Sy belofte is: ‘Kom na My toe, julle almal wat moeg is en swaar laste moet dra, en Ek sal julle lewens verkwik’ (Matteus 11:28 NLV).
Maak nie saak hoe moeilik die lewe lyk nie, verligting is net ‘n gebed weg. Ongeag die struikelblokke wat in jou pad staan, reik uit na Jesus toe. Jy mag dalk tans ‘n buite-egtelike kind in jou arms hê, maar hou aan deurdruk na Hom toe. Jy mag dalk mishandel en gemolesteer wees en kan vir niemand daarvan vertel nie, maar moenie ophou om na Hom uit te reik nie.
Jy hoef nie vir almal jou hele verlede te vertel nie. Weet net dat Jesus jou roep. Hy ken jou verlede en Hy roep jou in elk geval. Hy sien jou nie soos jy is nie, maar soos jy sal wees wanneer sy genade in jou lewe gewerk het. Maria Magdalena mag dalk ‘n prostituut gewees het voor sy Jesus ontmoet het, maar sy het een van sy naaste dissipels geword. Matteus, wat die eerste boek van die Nuwe Testament geskryf het, was ‘n veragte tollenaar wat vir die Romeine gewerk het toe hy Jesus ontmoet het.
Jesus ondersoek nie jou verlede om te besluit wat Hy met jou toekomstige self gaan doen nie. Saul van Tarsus, die moordenaar van Christene, het Paulus die Apostel geword, die skrywer van helfte van die Nuwe Testament. Die goeie nuus is wanneer Jesus jou red, het jy nie langer ‘n verlede nie. Jy het slegs ‘n toekoms.
Sielskos: 2 Tess 1-3; Luk 17:11-19; Ps 115; Spr 8:1-3
Luke 13:12 NKJV
The woman in Luke 13 had tried religion, but it couldn’t help her. She tried doctors, but they couldn’t cure her. And the people around her thought her problem would never be solved. Even she thought that. But not Jesus. His promise is: ‘Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will…[relieve and refresh your souls]’ (Matthew 11:28 AMPC).
We can give our burdens to Jesus and receive rest. No matter how hard life seems, relief is just a prayer away. Whatever the obstacles standing in our way, we need to reach out to Jesus. Keep pressing towards Him. Never stop reaching out for Him. We don’t have to tell everyone our whole past. We only need to know that Jesus is calling us to Him. He knows every step, every moment of our past, but He calls us anyway.
He doesn’t see us as we are, but as we will be when His grace has been at work in our lives. The Samaritan woman at the well was an outcast because of her immoral life, but she was chosen to tell many more people about Jesus (see John 4:39). Matthew, who wrote the first book of the New Testament, was a despised tax collector working for the Romans when he met Jesus. But Jesus doesn’t examine our past in order to decide what He’ll do with our future. Saul of Tarsus, the murderer of Christians, became Paul the Apostle, author of half the New Testament.
Today, focus on these words: when Jesus saves you, you no longer have a past. You only have a future.
2 Thes 1-3; Luke 17:11-19; Ps 115; Pro 8:1-3
Luke 13:12 NKJV
This woman tried religion, but it couldn’t help her. She tried doctors, but they couldn’t cure her. And the people around her thought her problem would never be solved. Even she did! But not Jesus. His promise is: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will… [relieve and refresh your souls]” (Matthew 11:28 AMPC).
What a relief; you can give your burden to Jesus. No matter how hard life seems, relief is just a prayer away. Regardless of the obstacles standing in your way, reach out to Jesus. You may have an out-of-wedlock infant cradled in your arms, but keep pressing toward Him. You may have been abused and molested and have never been able to tell anyone, but don’t stop reaching out for Him. You don’t have to tell everyone your whole past. Just know that Jesus is calling you. He knows your past, but He is calling you anyway. He doesn’t see you as you are but as you will be when His grace has wrought a work in your life.
Mary Magdalene may have been a prostitute before she met Jesus, but she became one of His closest disciples. Matthew, who wrote the first book of the New Testament, was a despised tax collector working for the Romans when he met Jesus. But Jesus doesn’t examine your past in order to decide what He will do with your future. Saul of Tarsus, the murderer of Christians, became Paul the Apostle, author of half the New Testament. The good news is, when Jesus saves you, you no longer have a past. You only have a future.
Soul food: 2 Thes 1-3; Luke 17:11-19; Ps 115; Pro 8:1-3
2022-03-15
Luke 13:12 NKJV
We don’t know how long it took the woman to get to the front of the church when Jesus called her. People who are hurting can’t always move as quickly as others. There are two important lessons for us in her story.
1) Sometimes we won’t grow and mature as fast as others because we’ve been struggling with a problem for a long time. Even though something seems easy for others, it can be very difficult for us. But the good news is that Jesus will wait for us, and He’ll work with us until we overcome the problem that’s holding us back.
2) Our testimonies of God’s love and power will come out of the tests we’ve been through. And no matter what we’ve been through, today Jesus is calling to us, saying, ‘I love you, and you can come to Me.’ Regardless of what we’ve done or not done, whatever we’ve suffered, He’s calling us to Him.
We might think we have the world’s worst secret, and that nobody’s got is as wrong or failed as hard as we have. But God already knows all about it, and it still doesn’t change His promise to us. He’s still saying: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you…I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt’ (Jeremiah 31:3-4 NKJV). Like a master sculptor creating something beautiful out of a rough piece of rock, God can turn our mess into a message of hope for others.
The reason Satan attacks us is because we have something valuable to contribute. This woman’s story ends with these words: ‘The multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him’ (Luke 13:17 NKJV). God’s plan is for people to look at our lives and say, ‘Something has happened to you. Something’s different. You’re not the same person anymore!’ The difference is Jesus.
Est 5-10; Luke 17:1-10; Ps 18:1-29; Pro 26:24-27
Lukas 13:12 NLV
Ons weet nie hoe lank dit hierdie vrou geneem het om vorentoe te kom nadat Jesus haar geroep het nie. Gestremde persone beweeg nie so vinnig soos ander nie. Daar is twee belangrike lesse in haar verhaal vir jou.
1) Soms sal jy nie so vinnig soos ander groei en volwasse word nie, omdat jy al vir ‘n lang tyd met ‘n aftakelende probleem worstel. Wat maklik vir ander mense lyk, kan baie moeilik vir jou wees. Daar is egter goeie nuus: Jesus sal vir jou wag en Hy sal saam met jou werk totdat jy jou probleem oorkom.
2) Jou getuienis sal uit die toetse wat jy deurgemaak het, kom. Maak nie saak waardeur jy al is nie, vandag roep God jou. Hy sê: ‘Staan op! Jy kan My nader.’ Ongeag wat jy gedoen het of watter tipe misbruik jy gely het, Hy roep jou. Jy mag dalk dink dat jou geheim erger as enigiemand anders s’n is. Wees gerus dat God reeds alles weet. En sy belofte is dit: ‘…Ek het jou lief met ‘n liefde wat nooit ophou nie. Ek trek jou met troue liefde na My toe. Ek sal jou weer herbou soos jy vroeër was…’ (Jeremia 31:3-4 NLV). Soos ‘n beeldhouers iets pragtigs uit ‘n stuk rots te voorskyn kan bring, so kan God jou gemors in ‘n boodskap van hoop vir ander mense verander.
Die rede hoekom Satan jou aanval, is omdat jy iets waardevols het om by te dra. Die vrou se verhaal eindig met hierdie woorde: ‘…en al die mense was verheug oor die wonderlike dinge wat Hy gedoen het’ (Lukas 13:17 NLV). God se plan is dat ander mense na jou lewe kyk en sê: ‘Iets het met jou gebeur; jy is nie meer dieselfde persoon nie!’
Sielskos: Est 5-10; Luk 17:1-10; Ps 18:1-29; Spr 26:24-27
