2022-12-29
Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV
In the words of the legendary baseball player Satchel Paige, “Don’t look back. Something might be gaining on you.” That’s good advice! Paul bottom-lines it like this: “Focus on… Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead” (Philippians 3:13 NLT).
Author Ellen Vaughn writes: “Before our spiritual vitality can really flow, we must forget three things. [Today, here are two]: (1) We must forget our sins. Obviously we must remember our sins in order to confess them. But having done so, we must let them go. The fact that God forgets is like calling heaven and hearing, ‘There is no record of any offense.’ They’re expunged, as if they never existed. Satan would lure us to live in guilt and fear. He pulls us into the shadowboxes of memory in which our worst sins replay on the walls of our minds… We need to be very clear here, or we’ll miss the liberating point. It’s not as if forgiveness is real only if we experience some kind of holy amnesia. It’s not up to us. It’s up to God. And the Scriptures say that God forgets our sins (See Hebrews 8:12).
(2) We must forget our shame. Paul could have been a prime candidate for shame. He had presided over the harassment, imprisonment, torture, and murder of innocent human beings. But God’s grace is stronger than our shame. It was defanged when Jesus died and rose again. We can forget our slithering shame, for Jesus took it. He scorned it, beat it, broke it. We need not take it back.”
The word for you today is – “Do not dwell on the past… I am doing a new thing.”
Soul food: Zech 10-14; John 20:19-31; Ps 97; Prov 31:22-24
2022-12-28
Isaiah 43:19 NIV
Your life will manifest what you continually keep in front of you. Paul says, “We have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16 NIV), and creativity and vision are part of the package. A blind man asked St. Anthony, “What could be worse than losing your sight?” He replied, “Losing your vision.”
And a respected author adds, “Maybe you’re not experiencing God’s best because your vision needs to be improved. You say, ‘I have problems… I’m in debt… I’m lonely.’ Don’t let that image take root. Paint a new picture… See yourself stronger and healthier… rising higher… accomplishing your dreams… let the image of victory take hold. Get it on the inside… [Remind yourself] of these scriptural truths: ‘I can do all things through Christ’ (Philippians 4:13 KJV); ‘This is the day the Lord has made’ (Psalm 118:24 NKJV); ‘We are more than conquerors through [Christ]’ (Romans 8:37 KJV); ‘God… always causes us to triumph in Christ’ (See 2 Corinthians 2:14); ‘You bless the righteous; you surround them with your favour’ (Psalm 5:12 NIV); ‘Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life’ (Psalm 23:6 NKJV). In Bible times wine was stored in leather wineskins, but as they aged, they lost their flexibility. New wine always required new wineskins. And just like, “You can’t pour new wine into old wineskins” (See Matthew 9:17 NKJV), God can’t give you a new vision until you change the old images and attitudes you’re carrying around in your head.
God says, “I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” He is ready to do something new in your life today. Are you ready to change your old way of thinking and make room for it?
Soul food: Zech 6-9; John 20:10-18; Ps 117; Prov 31:18-21
Jesaja 43:19 NLV
Die lewe sal dit wat jy deurlopend voor jou hou, manifesteer. Paulus sê: ‘…ons is ingestel om soos Christus te dink’ (1 Korintiërs 2:16 NLV), en kreatiwiteit en visie is deel van die pakket. Jy sê: ‘Maar ek het probleme. Ek verdrink in die skuld. Ek is eensaam.’ Moenie dat daardie beeld wortel skiet nie. Skilder ‘n nuwe prentjie. Sien jouself waar jy sterker en gesonder is, hoër uitstyg en jou drome bewaarheid word. Laat die beeld van oorwinning ‘n houvas op jou kry.
Herinner jouself aan die volgende Skriftuurlike waarhede: ‘Ek kan onder alle omstandighede regkom deur Hom wat my krag gee’ (Filippense 4:13 NLV). ‘Dit is die dag wat die Here gemaak het…’ (Psalm 118:24 NLV). ‘Tog is ons ten spyte van al hierdie dinge besig om ‘n superoorwinning te behaal – oorwinnaars deur Christus…’ (Romeine 8:37 NLV). ‘Ek is dankbaar teenoor God wat ons, omdat ons één is met Christus, altyd saamneem in sy triomftog…’ (2 Korintiërs 2:14 NLV). ‘Want U seën die vromes, Here, u genade is vir hulle soos ‘n skild’ (Psalm 5:13 NLV). ‘U goedheid en trou vergesel my al die dae van my lewe…’ (Psalm 23:6 NLV).
In Bybelse tye is wyn in leersakke gestoor, maar soos hulle verouder het, het die sakke hul buigsaamheid verloor. Nuwe wyn het altyd nuwe leersakke geverg. Net soos jy nie nuwe wyn in ou leersakke kan gooi nie (sien Matteus 9:17), kan God nie vir jou ‘n nuwe visie gee totdat jy die ou beelde en houdings wat jy in jou gedagtes ronddra, verander nie. God sê: ‘Ek gaan iets nuuts doen. Dit het alreeds begin gebeur! Sien julle dit nie?..’ Hy is gereed om vandag iets nuuts in jou lewe te doen. Is jy gereed om jou ou denkwyse te verander en plek daarvoor te maak?
Sielskos: Sag 6-9; Joh 20:10-18; Ps 117; Spr 31:18-21
2022-12-27
Genesis 15:5 NLV
Visie is die Godgegewe vermoë om die onsigbare te sien. Daarsonder word mense koersloos (sien Spreuke 29:18). Toe God vir Abraham gesê het dat hy die vader van baie nasies sou wees, was hy en Sara oud en kinderloos. Natuurlik gesproke, het dit onmoontlik gelyk. “Daarom neem die Here Abram na buite toe onder die naghemel en sê: ‘Kyk op en tel die sterre. Kan jy? So sal jou nageslag wees – te veel om te tel!'” Dit was nie genoeg om te hoor wat God gesê het nie, Abraham moes dit ook in sy geestesoog sien. Alhoewel die belofte eers na twintig jaar vervul is, was die sterre elke aand wanneer Abraham na die hemel opgekyk het, ‘n konstante herinnering aan God se getrouheid.
Om geboorte aan iets te gee, moet jy dit eers verwek deur dit deur die oë van geloof te sien en die beeld daarvan op jou gedagtes in te brand. Jesus het gesê: “‘n Suiwer oog laat die lig na binne stroom sodat jy daarbinne geheel en al lig word. Maar as jou oog vuil en sleg is, versper dit die lig en jou binneste bly geheel en al donker…” (Matteus 6:22-23 NLV).
Volgens die legende het die eienaar van ‘n stuk marmer vir Michelangelo gesê dat dit waardeloos is. Michelangelo het egter geantwoord: ‘Dis onskatbaar vir my. Daar is ‘n engel daar binne opgesluit en ek moet hom bevry.’ Wat jy ‘sien’ sal die rigting van jou lewe verander. Dit sal bepaal hoe hoog jy uitstyg of hoe laag jy val. Die goeie nuus is egter, maak nie saak hoe donker dinge aan die buitekant lyk nie, God kan vandag vir jou ‘n vars visie en ‘n nuwe toekoms gee.
Sielskos: Sag 1-5; Joh 20:1-9; Ps 113; Spr 31:14-17
Genesis 15:5 NLT
Vision is the God-given ability to see the invisible. Without it, “people… stumble all over themselves” (Proverbs 29:18 MSG). When God told Abraham he would be the father of many nations, he and Sarah were old and childless. Naturally speaking, it looked impossible. So God “took Abram outside and said…’ Look up… and count the stars… That’s how many descendants you will have!'” It wasn’t enough to hear what God said: Abraham needed to see it in his mind’s eye. And although the promise wasn’t fulfilled for twenty years, every night when Abraham looked up at the heavens, the stars were a constant reminder of God’s faithfulness.
Woodrow Wilson said, “No man that does not see visions will ever realise any high hope or undertake any high enterprise.” To give birth to something, you must first conceive it by seeing it through the eyes of faith and burning the image on the canvas of your mind. Jesus said, “If your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness” (Matthew 6:22-23 NAS).
Legend has it, when Michelangelo looked at a chunk of marble the owner told him was worthless, Michelangelo said, “It’s priceless to me. There is an angel locked inside, and I must set it free.” What you “see” will change the direction of your life. Like a thermostat, it dictates how high you rise or how low you fall. And the good news is, no matter how dark things look on the outside, today God can give you a fresh vision and a new future.
Soul food: Zech 1-5; John 20:1-9; Ps 113; Prov 31:14-17
