2022-06-17
Hebrews 11:17 NKJV
In Genesis 12, God told Abraham to leave his country, his family, and his security. When he said yes to God, he travelled along an unknown path to an unknown destiny based on the strength of God’s promise. Without hesitating, the seventy-five-year-old patriarch ‘went, as the LORD had told him’ (Genesis 12:4 NIV).
Now fast-forward twenty-five years and Isaac is born; the miracle son who would fulfil God’s promise that through Abraham’s descendants ‘all the nations of the earth shall be blessed because Abraham obeyed my voice’ (Genesis 26:4-5 ESV). Then God makes a heart-wrenching demand: ‘Take your son, your only son, whom you love – Isaac – and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering’ (Genesis 22:2 NIV). And in obedience to God’s Word, ‘the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two if his servants and his son Isaac’ (v.3 NIV). God’s promised blessing hung on Abraham’s willingness to let go of what he loved most. Holding on to Isaac would have been natural and understandable, but it would have short-circuited the promised blessing.
Are you clinging to something that’s blocking God’s blessing? Is it a particular friendship, your reputation among people you’re close to, power, possessions, comfort, or habits? Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac was the ultimate act of faith. ‘By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac.’ How could he do it? ‘Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life’ (Hebrews 11:19 NLT). Abraham believed that, with God, letting go never means losing, but getting back something better.
2 Kings 10-12; Matt 18:21-35; Ps 73:1-16; Pro 13:17-19
John 10:10 KJV
The things we experience as we go through life can sometimes make us different from the way God intended us to be. If we’re not careful, the people, activities, and entertainments we choose to spend our time on can end up leaving us with regrets and feelings of hopelessness. When we lose our sense of self-worth, it gets difficult to believe God could love us – but He absolutely does. He knows that hidden inside each of us is a person who can do great things for Him. That’s why He stirs our hearts – it’s to let us know that He’s at work in our lives. Our part is to respond to Him in faith, and dare to believe that He can make each one of us ‘a new creation’ (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV).
We need to shift our thoughts from our own weaknesses to His power, and trust in Him rather than our limited strength. Jesus knows about every mistake we’ve ever made, and He wants to mend the broken parts of our hearts and make us whole again. But to do that, He needs to have access to every area of our lives. When He comes into our hearts, we’re changed, and we’ll be empowered to reach the potential He sees within us!
David’s sins became a national scandal. But when God forgave and restored him, he wrote: ‘Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things (Psalm 103:2-5 NIV).
Hosea 11-14; Matt 21:33-46; Ps 17; Pro 14:13-16
2022-06-16
Spreuke 6:2-3 NLV
Stormie Omartian sê: ‘Vroeg in my wandel met die Here het ek baie negatief gepraat. ‘Ek is ‘n mislukking,’ ‘Ek is lelik,’ ‘Niks loop ooit reg nie.’ Toe het die Heilige Gees met my hart gepraat: ‘Die tong het mag oor dood en oor lewe…’ (Spreuke 18:21 NLV).
Ek het van kindsbeen af ‘n spraakprobleem gehad en is dwarsdeur my skoolloopbaan daaroor gespot. Toe ek oud genoeg was om professionele hulp te kon bekostig, het ek met ‘n spraakterapeut begin werk. Ek het dag vir dag, jaar na jaar geoefen, maar net ‘n klein verbetering ervaar. Met elke toespraak wat ek gelewer het, het ek steeds halfpad deur my stem verloor. ‘Ek sal nooit reg kan praat nie,’ het ek gehuil. Soos ek egter daardie woorde gesê het, het die Here vir my gesê: ‘Jy bring dood oor jou situasie omdat jy nie die waarheid praat nie. Praat dit wat jy weet die waarheid in my Woord is. ‘…Die mense wat hakkel, sal maklik kan praat’ (Jesaja 32:4 NLV). ‘Ek het my woorde in jou mond gesit…’ (Jesaja 51:16 NLV).
Kort daarna, toe ek gevra is om ‘n toespraak by ‘n damesoggend te lewer, het ek my vrese na God toe geneem en sy waarheid gepraat in plaas daarvan om my eie negatiewe opinies te lug. My praatjie het so goed afgeloop dat ‘n hele nuwe bediening daaruit ontstaan het. Die Bybel sê: ‘as jy gevang is deur wat jy sê, vir jouself ‘n strik gestel het, dan moet jy gou iets daaraan doen…’ (Spreuke 6:2-3 NLV). Dit sluit die manier wat jy met jouself praat, in. Vee woorde van hopeloosheid, twyfel en negatiwiteit uit jou woordeskat uit. Dit mag dalk onskadelik klink, maar dit affekteer jou liggaam en siel. Spreek woorde wat die heelheid wat jy begeer, reflekteer.’
Sielskos: 2 Kon 7-9; Matt 18:10-20; Ps 80:12-19; Spr 13:13-16
Proverbs 6:2 NIV
Stormie Omartian says: “Early in my walk with the Lord I spoke many negatives… ‘I’m a failure,’ ‘I’m ugly,’ ‘Nothing ever goes right,’ ‘Nobody cares about me,’… [Then] the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart… ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue’ (Proverbs 18:21 NKJV).
I had been speaking words of death, not life. One clear example had to do with my speech problems. I’d had them since childhood and was teased about them all through school… [When] I was old enough to afford professional help, I worked with a speech therapist… I practiced day after day, year after year, to gain… little improvement… I still lost my voice… halfway through each [speaking] engagement… ‘I’ll never be able to speak right,’ I cried… But as I spoke those words… the Lord [said]: ‘You’re bringing death to your situation because you’re not speaking the truth… Do not speak what you think… or what seems to be truth… speak what you know to be the truth of my Word… ‘The stammering tongue will be fluent and clear’ (Isaiah 32:4 NIV)… ‘I have put My words in your mouth’ (Isaiah 51:16 NKJV)…
Soon after, when I was asked to speak at a… women’s meeting, I took my fears… to [God]… and… spoke [His] truth instead of voicing my own negative opinions…. My talk went so well… an entire speaking ministry opened up… The Bible says, ‘You are snared by the words of your mouth’ (Proverbs 6:2 NKJV). That includes [your self-talk]… Wipe [out] words of hopelessness, doubt, and negativity from your vocabulary. [They] may seem harmless… but [they] affect your body and soul… Speak words that reflect the wholeness you desire.”
Soul food: 2 Kings 7-9; Matt 18:10-20; Ps 80:12-19; Pro 13:13-16
Proverbs 6:2 NIV
Author Stormie Omartian wrote: ‘Early in my walk with the Lord I spoke many negatives… “I’m a failure,” “I’m ugly,” “Nothing ever goes right,” “Nobody cares about me,”… [Then] the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart… “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21 NKJV). I had been speaking words of death, not life. One clear example had to do with my speech problems. I’d had them since childhood and was teased about them all through school… [When] I was old enough to afford professional help, I worked with a speech therapist… I practised day after day, year after year, to gain… little improvement… I still lost my voice… halfway through each [speaking] engagement… “I’ll never be able to speak right,” I cried… But as I spoke those words… the Lord [said]: “You’re bringing death to your situation because you’re not speaking the truth… Do not speak what you think… or what seems to be truth… speak what you know to be the truth of my Word… ‘The stammering tongue will be fluent and clear’ (Isaiah 32:4 NIV)… ‘I have put My words in your mouth'” (Isaiah 51:16 NKJV)…
Soon after, when I was asked to speak at a… women’s meeting, I took my fears… to [God]… and… spoke [His] truth instead of voicing my own negative opinions… My talk went so well… an entire speaking ministry opened up… The Bible says, “You are snared by the words of your mouth” (Proverbs 6:2 NKJV). That includes [your self-talk]… Wipe [out] words of hopelessness, doubt, and negativity from your vocabulary. [They] may seem harmless… but [they] affect your body and soul… Speak words that reflect the wholeness you desire.’
2 Kings 7-9; Matt 18:10-20; Ps 80:12-19; Pro 13:13-16
