2022-11-08
Romans 12:2 NLT
The letter E stands for experience. How can you know God’s will for your life? Paul answers, “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you” (v. 2 NLT). The word “transform” means “to change in shape.”
How is a diamond formed? It’s the result of unrelenting pressure over a long period of time. Your life’s experiences will point you toward your life’s purpose. God never wastes a pain! The psalmist said, “I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word…. My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees” (Psalm 119:67, 71 NLT). How do we learn to do what’s right? By experiencing the pain of doing what’s wrong.
You say, “But others have mistreated me. Is that also part of God’s will for my life?” It could be. Paul writes, “My imprisonment here has had the opposite of its intended effect. Instead of being squelched, the Message has actually prospered” (Philippians 1:12 MSG). Then he adds: “Everything happening to me in this jail only serves to make Christ more accurately known, regardless of whether I live or die. They didn’t shut me up; they gave me a pulpit! Alive, I’m Christ’s messenger; dead, I’m his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can’t lose” (Philippians 1:20-21 MSG).
The reverse side of a tapestry looks like a tangled mess of threads. But that’s what it takes to produce a picture of beauty, order, and value. Getting the idea? Re-examine your life’s experiences.
Soul food: Ezra 9-10; John 7:45-53; Ps 30; Prov 25:13-17
2022-11-07
Hebreërs 13:20-21 NLV
Die letter P staan vir persoonlikheid. Voor ‘n maatskappy ‘n leier aanstel, doen hulle dikwels ‘n persoonlikheidsprofiel om sy of haar swak- en sterkpunte te identifiseer. Vraag: Is jy deernisvol teenoor ander mense, of kompeterend? Is jy ‘n harddrywende tipe A-persoonlikheid, of het jy ‘n meer koesterende temperament? Die slegste ding wat jy kan doen is om iemand anders se tipe persoonlikheid te beny en te sê: ‘Ek wens ek was eerder soos hulle.’ Dis soos om vir God te sê: ‘U het ‘n fout gemaak toe U my gemaak het.’ God sal jou help om jou optrede te verander en jou karakter te versterk, maar jy kan bid tot jy blou is in die gesig, Hy sal nie jou persoonlikheid verander nie. Hy sal jou wel help om dit te identifiseer en ten volle te benut.
Die ou gesegde: ‘Hulle is voëls van eenderse vere,’ is waar. Arende wil nie saam met eende uithang nie. Hulle wil nie op die plaaswerf rondloop of in die dammetjie swem nie. Hulle potensiaal maak hulle ongeduldig met diegene wat nie kan sweef nie. Arende is alleenlopers. Eende, aan die ander kant, is spanspelers. Hulle vlieg duisende myle van Kanada na Meksiko in ‘n perfekte V formasie sonder om rang te breek. Hulle respekteer mekaar en sorg vir mekaar.
God het vir jou die regte persoonlikheid gegee om sy plan vir jou lewe te vervul. In plaas daarvan om jouself dus af te kraak of te wens dat jy ‘n ander temperament gehad het, sê saam met die Psalmdigter: ‘U self het my diepste wese gemaak, my in die moederskoot gevorm. Ek loof U omdat U my so besonder wonderlik gemaak het. U werke is wonderbaar, ek weet dit alte goed!’ (Psalm 139:13-14 NLV).
Sielskos: Esra 6-8; Joh 7:33-44; Ps 86; Spr 25:8-12
Hebrews 13:21 NLT
The letter P stands for personality. Before a company hires a leader, they often do a personality profile to identify their strengths and weaknesses. Question: Are you compassionate toward people, or competitive with them? Are you a hard-driving type A personality, or do you have a more nurturing temperament? The worst thing you can do is to envy someone else’s personality type and say, “I wish I was just like them.” That’s like saying to God, “You made a mistake when you made me.”
God will help you to change your conduct and strengthen your character, but you can pray until you’re blue in the face and He won’t change your personality. Instead, He will help you to recognize it and maximize it.
The old saying is true: “Birds of a feather flock together.” Eagles don’t want to hang around with ducks. They don’t want to live in a barnyard or swim in a pond. Their potential makes them impatient with those who cannot soar. Eagles are loners. Ducks, on the other hand, are team players. They fly thousands of miles from Canada to Mexico in a perfect V formation without breaking rank. They know how to defer to one another and care for one another.
Before God assigns you, He designs you. He gives you the right personality to fulfill His plan for your life. So instead of putting yourself down or wishing you had a different temperament, say with the psalmist, “You… knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – how well I know it” (Psalm 139:13-14 NLT).
Soul food: Ezra 6-8; John 7:33-44; Ps 86; Prov 25:8-12
2022-11-06
Psalm 40:9 NLV
Die letter A staan vir ‘abilities’ of vaardighede. Die Bybel sê: ‘Ons het gawes wat van mekaar verskil volgens die genade wat God aan elkeen van ons gegee het…’ (Romeine 12:6 NLV).
Wat is jou dominante gawe? Jy sê: ‘Ek dink nie ek het enige gawes nie.’ Niemand is sonder ‘n gawe gebore nie! Jou gawe mag dalk onontdek, onontwikkeld, ongebruik, ondergebruik of selfs misbruik wees, maar jy het ‘n gawe. Daar is niks so kragtig as ‘n idee wat op die regte tyd by mens opkom nie. Wanneer jy die regte geleentheid saam met die regte gawe op die regte tyd sit, kan die resultate letterlik die verstand te bowe gaan.
Dit mag dalk voel of jy net probeer oorleef wanneer daar skielik ‘n krisis opduik, ‘n situasie ontstaan, of ‘n deur van geleentheid oopgaan en jy vermoëns ontdek wat vir jare dormant in jou gelê het. Vandag mag jy dalk voel of jy in ‘n situasie opgesluit is waaruit jy nie jou weg kan vind nie, maar God sal vir jou ‘n uitweg gee (sien 1 Korintiërs 10:13).
Daniël, Sadrag, Mesag en Abednego was Jode wat as slawe na Babel geneem is. Praat van ‘n situasie sonder enige uitkoms! Die Bybel sê egter: ‘God het vir hierdie vier jong manne kennis gegee, insig in dinge wat neergeskryf is en ook wysheid… [Die koning] het gevind dat hulle in sake wat wysheid en insig vereis, tien keer beter was as al die towenaars en voorspellers in sy hele koninkryk’ (Daniël 1:17,20 NLV).
Beteken dit dat jy net moet rondsit en wag vir sukses om in jou skoot te val? Nee, geleenthede wag vir diegene wat die deur oopmaak en daarvoor gaan soek.
Sielskos: 2 Kon 5:1-27; Matt 6:19-34; Hand 5:1-11
Psalm 40:8 NLT
The letter A stands for abilities. The Bible says, “God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well” (Romans 12:6 NLT). What is your dominant gift? You say, “I don’t think I have any gifts.” No one was born without a gift! Your gift may be undiscovered, undeveloped, unused, underused, or even misused, but you have a gift.
Have you ever heard the saying, “There is nothing so powerful as an idea whose time has come”? When you put together the right opportunity with the right gift at the right time, the results can literally blow your mind. Before, life can seem like you’re just spending it surviving, when suddenly a crisis arises, a situation occurs, or a door of opportunity opens, and you discover abilities that have lain dormant within you for years. Today you may feel locked into a situation with no way out, but God is “a way maker” (See 1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV).
Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were Jews who were taken as slaves to Babylon. Talk about being locked into a situation with no way out! But the Bible says: “God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom… Whenever the king consulted them in any matter… he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom” (Daniel 1:17, 20 NLT).
Does that mean you can just sit around and wait for success to be dropped into your lap? No, the old saying “opportunity knocks” is actually not true. Opportunity waits for those who open the door and go out and look for it.
Soul food: 2 Kings 5:1-27; Matt 6:19-34; Acts 5:1-11
