2023-09-05
2 Kings 20:19 NKJV
The Bible says: “Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord: “Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated… shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,” says the Lord. “And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”‘ So Hezekiah said to Isaiah, ‘The word of the Lord which you have spoken is good!’ For he said, ‘Will there not be peace and truth at least in my days?'” (vv. 16-19 NKJV).
Hezekiah heard that the things he had inherited from his forefathers would be lost and his children would live in slavery to their enemies. But instead of being concerned and praying for God to intervene on their behalf, he said, “At least I will have security and comfort during my lifetime.”
Why did he say that? Was he callous and indifferent? Was he being selfish, thinking only of himself and not about the welfare of his children? Was he being fatalistic, thinking, “The prophet has declared it, and there is nothing I can do to change it?” Earlier in this chapter when the prophet Isaiah told him, “Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live,” he cried out to God to spare his life and was given an additional fifteen years of life (See vv. 1-6 NKJV).
It seems he was more concerned about his own future than his children’s future. How about you? Are you praying for your children?
Soul food: Eze 5-9; Mark 10:23-34; Ps 142; Prov 19:21-23
2 Konings 20:19 NLV
Die Bybel sê: “Toe sê Jesaja vir Hiskia: ‘Luister na die boodskap van die Here. Die tyd sal aanbreek wanneer alles wat jy besit, al die skatte wat jou voorgangers versamel het, na Babel weggevoer sal word. Niks sal daarvan oorbly nie, sê die Here. Sommige van jou nageslag sal in ballingskap weggevoer word. Hulle sal as ontmandes in die paleis van die koning van Babel diens doen.’ Toe sê Hiskia vir Jesaja: ‘Hierdie boodskap wat jy van die Here bring, is goed.’ Maar die koning het gedink: ‘Daar sal minstens gedurende my leeftyd vrede en sekuriteit wees'” (verse 16-19 NLV).
Hiskia het gehoor dat die dinge wat hy by sy voorgeslagte geërf het verlore sou gaan en dat sy kinders in slawerny by sy vyande sou woon. In plaas daarvan om bekommerd te wees en tot God te bid om namens hulle in te tree, het hy gesê: ‘Daar sal minstens gedurende my leeftyd vrede en sekuriteit wees.’ Hoekom het hy dit gesê? Was hy gevoelloos en onverskillig? Was hy selfsugtig, het hy net aan homself en nie aan die welsyn van sy kinders gedink nie? Was hy fatalisties en het hy gedink: ‘Die profeet het dit verklaar en daar is niks wat ek kan doen om dit te verander nie’?
Vroeër in hierdie hoofstuk toe die profeet Jesaja vir hom gesê het: ‘Kry jou sake in order, want jy gaan sterf. Jy sal nie van hierdie siekte herstel nie,’ het hy tot God gebid om sy lewe te spaar en het hy nog vyftien lewensjare bygekry (sien verse 1-6 NLV). Dit lyk asof hy meer besorg oor sy eie toekoms as sy kinders se toekoms was. Wat van jou? Bid jy vir jou kinders?
Sielskos: Eseg 5-9; Mark 10:23-34; Ps 142; Spr 19:21-23
2023-09-04
Isaiah 25:4 NKJV
When you start worrying about the future, recall what God has already brought you through. In situations you thought you wouldn’t survive, He caused you to thrive, right? Nothing can separate you from His love (See Romans 8:38-39). But your anxieties can rob you of the security His love brings.
One writer says: “I was a person who wanted to understand everything because it made me feel I was in control. I was not good at ‘not knowing.’ My mind went on and on all day with thoughts like, Why did I act like that? I wonder what so-and-so is thinking about my decision to buy a new car? Why hasn’t God answered my prayer yet for a promotion at work? I wonder if I’m doing something wrong, or don’t have enough faith? The ‘whys’ in my mind seemed to never cease, and they made me miserable. My mind was home to all sorts of uninvited guests (tormenting thoughts) simply because I never said ‘no’ to them. I wondered, reasoned, worried, fretted, imagined, and was anxious to the point where it left me completely exhausted… God actually showed me that I was addicted to reasoning and that I had to give it up. It didn’t happen overnight, but each time I started my mental gymnastics, I said, ‘I will not worry or try to figure this out,’ and gradually I was able to trust God with my life.”
Today God wants to be your provider, your guide, your adviser, your protector, and your “all in all.” So stand on His Word, which says, “You have been a strength… to the needy in his distress.”
Soul food: Eze 1-4; Mark 10:13-22; Ps 111; Prov 19:18-20
Jesaja 25:4 NLV
Wanneer jy jouself oor die toekoms begin bekommer, onthou waardeur God jou al gebring het. In situasies waar jy gedink het jy nie gaan oorleef nie, het Hy jou laat floreer, nie waar nie? Niks kan jou van sy liefde skei nie (sien Romeine 8:38-39). Jou angs kan egter die sekuriteit wat sy liefde meebring, by jou steel.
Een skrywer sê: ‘Ek was ‘n persoon wat alles wou verstaan, omdat dit my laat voel het dat ek in beheer is. Ek kon dit nie hanteer om nie te weet nie. My gedagtes het die hele dag gemaal met vrae soos: Hoekom het ek dit gedoen? Ek wonder wat so-en-so dink van my besluit om ‘n nuwe kar te koop? Hoekom het God nog nie my gebed oor bevordering by die werk beantwoord nie? Ek wonder of ek iets verkeerd doen, of dalk nie genoeg geloof het nie? Die ‘hoekoms’ in my gedagtes het nooit opgehou nie en dit het my ellendig laat voel. My gedagtes was die tuiste van allerhande ongenooide gaste (kwellende gedagtes), omdat ek eenvoudig nooit ‘nee’ vir hulle gesê het nie. Ek het gewonder, geredeneer, bekommer, gekwel, verbeel en was so angstig dat dit my heeltemal uitgeput het. God het my uiteindelik gewys dat ek aan redenering verslaaf is en dat ek dit moes prysgee. Dit het nie oornag gebeur nie, maar sodra my gedagtes gimnastiek begin doen het, het ek gesê: ‘Ek sal myself nie daaroor bekommer of dit probeer oplos nie,’ en geleidelik was ek in staat om God met my lewe te vertrou.’
God wil vandag jou voorsiener, jou leier, jou raadgewer, jou beskerming en jou ‘alles van alles’ wees. Staan dus op sy Woord wat sê: ‘…Vir die behoeftiges in nood is U ‘n skuilplek teen die hitte en die reën…’
Sielskos: Eseg 1-4; Mark 10:13-22; Ps 111; Spr 19:18-20
2023-09-03
Matthew 6:31 AMPC
It’s good to have a goal for the future and a plan for reaching it. But it’s not good to project into the future and worry about all the things that could go wrong. That’s anxiety, and it should have no place in your mind as a redeemed child of God.
“Do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear? For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all. But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own” (vv. 31-34 AMPC).
Those Scriptures could be reduced to one line: “Live trusting God each day to take care of you, and stop projecting into the future.” Each morning God gave the Israelites a one-day supply of food. If they tried to gather more, it rotted. God’s message was simple: “Each day I will guide you and provide for you.”
Anxiety can consume you. So when you feel anxious, stand on this Scripture: “It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23 AMPC).
Soul food: Acts 20:7-12; Jer 29:4-14
