2023-04-07
Romeine 5:8 NLV
As jy al Schindler’s List gekyk het, het jy seker na die tyd gevra: ‘Hoe kon hulle dit gedoen het?’ Die storte… die oonde… die skoorstene wat menslike oorskot uitrook. Treine wat daagliks met moeders, vaders, kinders en bejaardes opdaag – soos beeste op pad na ‘n slagplaas. Die ergste van alles – soldate wat bevele uitvoer sonder om ‘n oog te knip. Hoe kon hulle dit doen?
Die antwoord is sonde! As jy dink dat slegs Hitler en sy trawante ‘n monopolie op sonde besit, dink weer! Dawid het gesê: ‘Want ek is as sondaar gebore en was dit voor my geboorte’ (Psalm 51:7 NLV). Sy eie ongure hoofstuk van owerspel en moord bevestig dit.
Lees die volgende opsomming wat ons almal beskryf: ‘Almal het die spoor byster geraak. Hulle het in sonde verval. Niemand doen goed nie, nie ‘n enkele een nie. Hulle kele is ‘n oop deur na die doderyk toe. Hulle tonge is vol bedrog. Hulle lippe is vol van die dodelikste gif. Elke woord wat hulle sê, is gelaai met bitterheid. Hulle vloek links en regs’ (Romeine 3:12-14 DB).
Jy moet dit verstaan sodat jy die volgende kan waardeer: ‘God laat blyk sý liefde vir ons egter daarin dat Christus vir ons kom sterf het ten spyte daarvan dat ons nog sondaars was’ (Romeine 5:8 NLV). Wanneer jy hierdie Skrifgedeelte lees, verander die vraag na: ‘Hoe kon Hy dit doen?’ Dank God dat ons nie die straf kry wat ons verdien nie. Ons het egter gekry wat ons nodig het – genade!
William R. Newell het geskryf: ‘Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan! Oh, the grace that brought it down to man! Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary!’ Neem vandag ‘n oomblik en dank God vir die genade wat jou verlos het. Dis waaroor Goeie Vrydag gaan.
Sielskos: Gen 22:1-18; Luk 23:26-49; Ps 22; Jes 53
Romans 5:8 KJV
If you watched Schindler’s List, you probably came away asking, “How could they do it?” The showers… the ovens… the smokestacks belching out human ashes. Trains arriving every day with mothers, fathers, children, and old people – herded like cattle on the way to a slaughterhouse. And worst of all – soldiers who carried out orders without a shrug of conscience. How could they do it? The answer is sin! And if you think Hitler and his henchmen had a corner on it, think again! David says, “I was brought forth in iniquities, and in sin my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5 NAS). His own sordid chapter of adultery and murder confirms that.
Read this résumé; it describes each of us: “They’ve all taken the wrong turn… all wandered down blind alleys… Their throats are gaping graves, their tongues slick as mud slides… They open their mouths and pollute the air. They race for the honor of sinner-of-the-year” (Romans 3:12-15 MSG). If God did an evaluation on any one of us, that would be it. And you must understand that in order to appreciate this: “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 NKJV).
When you read that Scripture, the question changes to, “How could He do it?” Thank God we didn’t get what we deserved – punishment. We got what we needed – grace! Hymnist William R. Newell wrote, “Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan! Oh, the grace that brought it down to man! Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary!” Take a moment today and thank God for the grace that redeemed you. It’s what Good Friday is all about.
Soul food: Gen 22:1-18; Luke 23:26-49; Ps 22; Isa 53
2023-04-06
Filippense 3:14 NLV
Om God se wil vir jou lewe te vervul, moet jy die volgende doen:
1) Na ‘n hoër vlak van geloof beweeg (sien Romeine 1:17). Voor Dawid vir Goliat doodgemaak het, moet hy eers ‘n leeu en ‘n beer doodmaak. Deesdae worstel ons met kwessies wat vereis dat ons God nog meer moet vertrou.
2) God se leiding in elke situasie soek (sien Spreuke 3:6). Hy belowe: ‘…Ek sal jou onderrig en die pad wys waarop jy moet gaan. Ek sal vir jou raad gee, my oog sal op jou wees’ (Psalm 32:8 NLV).
3) Jouself geestelik belyn. God is besig om sy volk in lyn te bring en diegene saam te bring wat as een man sal staan wanneer die stryd aanbreek. Dit is noodsaaklik om te weet wie jy kan vertrou om saam met jou te veg en jy ontdek sulke mense net in tye van beproewing (sien Josua 8:1).
4) God se wil vir jou lewe ken. God speel nie wegkruipertjie met sy wil nie. Wanneer jy tyd met Hom bestee, sal jy dit ontdek (sien Psalm 143:10) Wanneer jy dit doen, sal jy floreer.
5) God se Woord in die stryd te gebruik. Die Godgegewe woorde wat in die Skrif gevind word, is jou krag in tye van moeilikheid en toetse. Jesus het die Woord gebruik om Satan die aftog te laat blaas (sien Matteus 4). Die wapen van God se Woord werk steeds vandag.
6). Moenie oormatig introspektief wees nie. Net die Heilige Gees het die vermoë om ons harte en gedagtes te ondersoek en te ken (sien Johannes 16:8-15). God sal areas wat korreksie nodig het volgens sy tyd openbaar. Totdat dit gebeur, beweeg in geloof vorentoe.
7) Pas jou gedagtes op. Maak dit ‘n ommuurde stad wat toegang tot negatiewe gedagtes en skadelike invloede weier (sien Spreuke 4:23 NLV).
Sielskos: Lev 8-10; Luk 23:13-25; Ps 26; Spr 9:10-12
Philippians 3:14 NKJV
To fulfill God’s will for your life, you must do these:
(1) Move to a higher level of faith (See Romans 1:17). Before David killed Goliath, he first had to kill a lion and a bear. And today we’re contending with issues that require us to trust God in a greater way.
(2) Seek God’s guidance about each situation that arises (See Proverbs 3:6). His promise is: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye” (Psalm 32:8 NKJV).
(3) Get into proper spiritual alignment. God is aligning His people and putting together those who will stand as one in the day of battle. It’s imperative to know who you can trust to go into battle with you, and you only discover such people in times of testing (See Joshua 8:1).
(4) Know God’s will for your life. God doesn’t play hide-and-seek with His will. It’s only as you spend time with Him that you discover it (See Psalm 143:10). And when you do that, you thrive.
(5) Fight, using God’s Word. The God-breathed words found in Scripture are your strength in times of difficulty and testing. Jesus used Scripture to put Satan to flight (See Matthew 4), and the weapon of God’s Word still works today.
(6) Don’t be unduly introspective. Only the Holy Spirit has the ability to search and know our hearts and minds (See John 16:8-15). And when God is ready to reveal areas that need correction, He will. Until then, keep moving forward in faith.
(7) Guard your mind. Make it a walled city that refuses entry to negative thoughts and harmful influences (See Proverbs 4:23 GNT).
Soul food: Lev 8-10; Luke 23:13-25; Ps 26;
Prov 9:10-12
2023-04-05
Matthew 11:28 CEV
The average office worker is bombarded each day with over two hundred messages via email, texts, tweets, Twitter, and blogs. In fact, one in three managers gets sick because of information overload. It’s a blizzard out there! It makes you wonder – if technology is saving us all this time and energy, how come we’re so frazzled?
Here is something Madison Avenue and Wall Street won’t tell you: Success presents more opportunities for the Enemy to run you into the ground. That’s no way to live, and it certainly isn’t God’s will for you. Don’t wait until you hit bottom, get fired, throw away your life, settle for a dead-end job, or lose your family. Don’t wait until you’re too old, too cranky, and too locked into your lifestyle.
Today, Jesus is saying to you, “If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest… learn from me.”
Leadership expert and Christian author Phil Cooke says: “The Lord can’t relieve the pressure while you’re in the wrong place, at the wrong time, doing the wrong thing, with the wrong people. If you climb the corporate ladder and neglect your family, your priorities are out of order. When you’re in God’s will, you can work hard, but travel light! He’ll carry your burdens and take the weight. Simplifying your life may mean working fewer hours, scheduling ‘down time’ and investing more in your loved ones. Markets, assignments, personalities and situations are all different, but these principles hold true for everyone.”
So the word for you today is – simplify your life.
Soul food: Exo 12:1-14; Matt 26:1-29; Ps 49; 1 Cor 11:20-34
