2022-03-20
Efesiërs 4:32 NLV
Daar is niks erger as die pyn wat ouers hul kinders toedien nie. Dikwels gebeur dit as gevolg van onkunde, maar dit beteken nie dat dit minder seer is wanneer jy aan die ontvangkant daarvan is nie.
‘n Christelike skrywer merk op: ‘Behoeftes waaraan daar nie in die kinderjare voldoen is nie, sal net so sterk in volwassenheid wees, maar dit sal kundig gekamoefleer wees. As jy as kind mishandel is, moenie mislei word om te dink: ‘Ek is wedergebore – dis nie veronderstel om steeds seer te maak,’ nie. Die feit dat jy steeds seer het, negeer nie jou wedergebore status of maak jou minder geestelik nie. Omdat mense geneig is om God op dieselfde manier as wat hulle hulle ouers beskou het, te sien, neem dit tyd vir genesing, verlossing en om die liefde van God te leer ken, voordat algehele vertroue plaasvind.
Om jou ouers te vergewe is ‘n groot deel van die genesing. Jy moet die vader wat jou nooit beskerm het nie, die moeder wat jou misbruik en mishandel het, die stiefpa wat nie lief was vir jou nie, die oupa of oom wat jou seksueel mishandel het, die ouer wat nooit daar was vir jou nie, die selfsugtige ouer, of die emosioneel gebrekkige ouer, vergewe. Hierdie bitter pynlike ervarings sal aanhou om jou seer te maak as jy nie al daardie pyn en bitterheid laat gaan nie en vir God vra om jou te help om te vergewe nie. Hy is die God van genesing, so Hy kan enigiets wat in jou verlede gebeur het, verlos. Hy kan die brug tussen jou en jou kinders, of ouers, of vriende, regmaak. Laat God toe om jou situasie te verlos, sodat dit omgedraai kan word en in die regte rigting kan begin beweeg.’
Sielskos: Lev 24:17-22; Deut 15:7-11; Matt 5:38-48
2022-03-19
Luke 17:14 NKJV
“Ten… lepers… lifted up their voices and said, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’… He said to them, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and… glorified God… So Jesus answered and said, ‘Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the [other] nine?’… And He said to him… ‘Your faith has made you well'” (vv. 12-19 NKJV).
This story teaches us these three things: (1) Sometimes the answer comes quickly; other times it comes slowly, step-by-step. The Bible says, “As they went, they were cleansed.” You don’t know which step will bring the answer, so you must keep walking in faith. Mosaic law dictated that before a leper could be welcomed back into society, the priest must pronounce him “clean.” Think about it: Jesus saw the change in these men before it ever took place; that’s because He has the power to make it happen!
(2) Don’t give up because others reject you. As social outcasts, these men expected Jesus to treat them accordingly. But when you draw close to God, He will draw close to you (See Jas 4:8). Are you struggling with an issue that has caused others to shun you or cast you aside? Jesus won’t do that. He said, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37 NIV).
(3) Always remember to thank and praise God. Only one of the ten lepers passed the gratitude test. Would you have passed it? When you realize how much your thanks means to the Lord, you will never let a day go by without praising and worshiping Him.
Soul food: Job 8-10; Luke 18:18-30; Ps 116:1-11; Pro 8:8-9
Lukas 17:14 NLV
“…tien melaatse mans… het hard na Hom geroep: ‘Jesus, Here, kry ons tog jammer!’ Toe Hy hulle sien, sê Hy aan hulle: ‘Gaan wys julleself aan die priesters.’ Terwyl hulle soontoe op pad was, het hulle gesond geword. Een uit die groep, toe hy sien dat hy gesond geword het, het omgedraai en met ‘n harde stem vir God geloof… Toe merk Jesus op: ‘Was daar dan nie tien wat gesond gemaak is nie? Waar is die ander nege?’… Aan hierdie man het Hy gesê: ‘Staan op en gaan. Jou geloof het jou gered'” (verse 12-19 NLV).
Hierdie verhaal leer ons drie dinge: 1) Soms kom die antwoord gou; ander kere stadig, stap-vir-stap. Die Bybel sê: ‘…Terwyl hulle soontoe op pad was, het hulle gesond geword…’ Jy weet nie watter stap die antwoord gaan meebring nie, dus moet jy in geloof bly wandel. Mosaïese wette het vereis dat voor ‘n melaatse weer in die samelewing toegelaat kon word, ‘n priester hom eers as ‘skoon’ moes verklaar.
2) Moenie tou opgooi omdat ander mense jou verwerp nie. Hierdie mans het van Jesus verwag om hulle ook soos uitgeworpenes te hanteer. Wanneer jy egter nader aan God beweeg, sal Hy nader aan jou beweeg (sien Jakobus 4:8 NLV). Worstel jy met ‘n kwessie wat veroorsaak het dat ander mense jou vermy of eenkant toe stoot? Jesus sal dit nie doen nie. Hy het gesê: ‘…Ek sal dié persoon wat na My toe kom, glad nie verstoot nie’ (Johannes 6:37 NLV).
3) Onthou altyd om vir God dankie te sê en Hom te prys. Net een van die melaatse mans het die dankbaarheidstoets geslaag. Sou jy geslaag het? Wanneer jy besef hoe baie jou danksegging vir God beteken, sal jy nie ‘n dag laat verbygaan waar jy Hom nie loof en prys nie.
Sielskos: Job 8-10; Luk 18:18-30; Ps 116:1-11; Spr 8:8-9
Luke 17:14 NCV
‘Ten men who had a skin disease… called to him, “Jesus! Master! Have mercy on us!” When Jesus saw the men, he said, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” As the ten men were going, they were healed. When one of them saw that he was healed, he went back to Jesus, praising God in a loud voice… Jesus said, “Weren’t ten men healed? Where are the other nine?… Then Jesus said to him, “Stand up and go on your way. You were healed because you believed” (v.12-19 NCV).
This story teaches us these three things: 1) Sometimes the answer comes quickly; other times it comes slowly, step-by-step. The Bible says, ‘As the ten men were going, they were healed.’ We don’t know which step will bring the answer, so we must keep walking in faith. Mosaic law said that before someone with leprosy could be welcomed back into society, the priest must pronounce them ‘clean’. But Jesus saw the change in these men before it ever took place; that’s because He has the power to make it happen.
2) We mustn’t give up because others reject us. The men were social outcasts, and they expected Jesus to treat them like everyone else did. But when you draw close to God, He will draw close to you (see James 4:8). Are you struggling with an issue that has caused others to shun you or cast you aside? Jesus won’t do that. He said, ‘Whoever comes to me I will never drive away’ (John 6:37 NIV).
3) Always remember to thank and praise God. Only one of the ten men passed the gratitude test. When we realise how much God appreciates our thanks, we’ll never let a day go by without praising and worshipping Him.
Job 8-10; Luke 18:18-30; Ps 116:1-11; Pro 8:8-9
2022-03-18
Proverbs 4:23 CEV
When it comes to everyday living, you can walk according to the unchanging principles of God’s Word or by your constantly changing feelings. When you live by God’s Word, you have stability. When you live by your feelings, it’s like riding a roller coaster; one day you’re up, the next day you’re down.
God wants to bring you into emotional maturity, but you have to cooperate with Him. This calls for a daily act of your will; choosing to do things His way rather than your own. And once it becomes a habit, you discover that life is more enjoyable. Now, you don’t let everyone who knocks on your door come in and make themselves at home, so why would you let every emotion that surfaces dictate the direction of your day or decide your responses?
“Carefully guard your thoughts because they are the source of true life” (v. 23 CEV). It’s your thinking that produces your feelings, not vice versa! That’s why Paul writes, “Capture every thought and make it… obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5 NCV). In other words, if a thought doesn’t line up with God’s Word, don’t give it a voice or a vote. “We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
This may come as a surprise, but as a Christian, you won’t always feel God’s presence. After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to two of His disciples on the Emmaus road, yet they didn’t recognize Him. Why? Because they were occupied with their feelings! How did He lift them out of their negative emotions? “He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27 NKJV). Bottom line: You must be led only by God’s Word.
Soul food: Job 5-7; Luke 18:1-17; Ps 19; Pro 8:6-7
