2023-11-18
Zechariah 13:9 NAS
If you’re being tested today, you’re in good company! Job, the most righteous man on earth, was tested beyond what most of us will ever have to endure. And when he emerged, he told God, “I heard about you from others; now I have seen you” (Job 42:5 CEV). In the heat of the furnace, you experience God up close and personal.
Sheila Schuller Coleman says, “Some tests are intended to assess what we’ve learned; others are intended to teach. We learn our most profound lessons when we’re tested… Like what we’re capable of… where we need to grow… and that there’s still more to learn! When your faith is being tested, the last thing you’re thinking about is learning a lesson… you just want to survive. But the lesson we learn from Job is that when we keep our faith in the most testing of times, we’ll ‘come out as gold’ (Job 23:10 NAS).
Think about it: Did you ever hear a testimony that wasn’t about someone surviving a test? James says, ‘Consider it pure joy… whenever you face trials’ (James 1:2 NIV). When we suffer, when people say hateful things, when we lose our homes, when we encounter rifts in our family, when the doctor calls with a dire diagnosis – the last thing we feel is joy… If anyone could speak with authority on praising God in trials, it was Paul. He was beaten, thrown into jail, and run out of town. How does your week compare to his?”
When you get through this test, you will have a testimony to God’s strength and faithfulness, and be able to say, “The Lord is my God.”
Soul food: 1 Chron 19:1-23:20; John 10:11-21; Ps 50; Prov 26:27-28
2023-11-17
Jeremiah 3:15 NIV
Seeking to impress the congregation, a young seminary graduate incorporated the biggest words he could find into his Sunday-morning sermon. It was a disaster! Stepping down from the pulpit, he met an old preacher who said, “Son, you spoke over their heads.” Irritated and defensive, the young seminarian said, “Then why don’t they stretch their necks?” To which the old preacher replied, “Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep,’ not my giraffes!”
Whether you’re in a pulpit, a classroom, a board meeting, or talking to someone one-on-one over coffee, you must decide whether your goal is to impress people – or help them. God said, “I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.” Your aim shouldn’t be merely to communicate knowledge – but understanding. The measure of a good teacher isn’t what he or she knows – it’s what the student learns.
Making things simple is a necessary skill if you want to connect with people. To put it in the words of Albert Einstein: “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it enough.” If you’re serious about trying to reach people, keep these four words firmly in mind:
(1) Heart. To move someone, you must touch them on an emotional level.
(2) Hope. By spelling out their potential and their possibilities, you will inspire them to try.
(3) Help. Show them how to apply what you’re saying in a tangible way.
(4) Humor. By laughing at your own mistakes, you let people know their problem isn’t unique – and to someone who is struggling, that can be the best feeling in the world.
Soul food: 1 Chron 16-18; John 10:1-10; Ps 105:1-15; Prov 26:23-26
Jeremia 3:15 NLV
Om die gemeente te beïndruk, het ‘n jong proponent die grootste woorde wat hy kon vind in sy Sondagoggend-preek ingewerk. Dit was ‘n ramp! Toe hy van die preekstoel afstap, het hy ‘n ou prediker ontmoet wat sê: ‘Seun, jy het oor hulle koppe gepraat.’ Geïrriteerd en verdedigend het die jong man gesê: ‘Hoekom rek hulle dan nie hul nekke nie?’ Waarop die ou prediker geantwoord het: ‘Jesus het gesê: ‘Laat my skape wei, nie my kameelperde nie!’
Of jy nou op ‘n preekstoel, in ‘n klaskamer of ‘n raadsvergadering is of iemand een-tot-een vir koffie ontmoet, moet jy besluit of jou doelwit is om mense te beïndruk, of om hulle te help. God het gesê: ‘Dan sal Ek vir julle nuwe leiers gee volgens my keuse. Hulle sal julle met kennis en insig lei.’ Jou doel moenie net wees om kennis te kommunikeer nie, maar om begrip te kommunikeer. Die teken van ‘n goeie onderwyser is nie wat hy of sy weet nie – dis wat die student leer.
Om dinge eenvoudig te maak is ‘n noodsaaklike vaardigheid as jy met mense wil skakel. Soos Albert Einstein gesê het: ‘As jy dit nie eenvoudig kan verduidelik nie, verstaan jy dit nie genoeg nie.’ As jy ernstig daaroor is om mense te bereik, moet jy die volgende vier woorde ferm in jou gedagtes hou:
1) Hart. Om iemand te bereik, moet jy hulle op ‘n emosionele vlak aanraak.
2) Hoop. Deur hulle potensiaal en moontlikhede uit te spel, sal jy hulle inspireer om te probeer.
3) Hulp. Wys hulle hoe om dit wat jy sê op ‘n tasbare wyse aan te wend.
4) Humor. Deur vir jou eie foute te lag, laat jy mense besef dat hulle probleem nie uniek is nie – en vir iemand wat sukkel, kan dit die beste gevoel in die wêreld wees.
Sielskos: 1 Kron 16-18; Joh 10:1-10; Ps 105:1-15; Spr 26:23-26
2023-11-16
1 Chronicles 11:10 NKJV
Success in any endeavor calls for surrounding yourself with the right people. That’s why you should always seek God’s input in your relationships. Rehoboam should have listened to the advice of his father Solomon’s wise and experienced inner circle. Instead he heeded the advice of those who agreed with his own opinion – and it proved fatal.
David, on the other hand, chose people who helped make him great. “These were… the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom, with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel” (v. 10 NKJV). Notice four important things here:
(1) David built a strong inner circle before he needed it. He started building his team long before he was crowned.
(2) He attracted people with varied gifts. He reached for them, rewarded them, and wasn’t intimidated by those who had skills that differed from his. With the help of these “mighty men,” David felt ready for anything.
(3) He cultivated loyalty. He drew people close to him, shared his life with them, and in the end, they were willing to lay their lives on the line for him.
(4) He delegated responsibility based on ability. Because he was secure in his own identity and calling, David wasn’t afraid to delegate authority and responsibility to those around him.
In the beginning some of his mighty men were misfits, but he transformed this ragtag group into a winning team (See 1 Samuel 22:1-2). David made his inner circle great, and in turn his inner circle made him great. So, the word for you today is – pick the right people!
Soul food: 1 Chron 12:23-15:29; John 9:24-41; Ps 8; Prov 26:17-22
1 Kronieke 11:10 NLV
Om sukses in enige projek te behaal, moet jy jouself met die regte mense omring. Dis hoekom jy altyd God se insette in jou verhoudings moet soek. Rehabeam moes na die raad van sy vader Salomo se wyse en ervare binnekring geluister het. In plaas daarvan het hy na diegene wat met sy eie opinie saamgestem het, geluister – wat noodlottige gevolge gehad het. Dawid, aan die ander kant, het mense gekies wat sy uitnemendheid help bevestig het. ‘Dit is die leiers van Dawid se magtigste manne. Saam met die hele Israel het hulle Dawid koning gemaak, net soos die Here vir Israel belowe het’ (vers 10 NLV).
Let vier belangrike dinge hier op: 1) Dawid het ‘n sterk binnekring gebou nog voordat hy dit nodig gehad het. Hy het sy span lank voor hy gekroon is, byeen gebring.
2) Hy het mense met verskillende gawes gekies. Hy het na hulle toe uitgereik, hulle beloon en hy is nie deur diegene wie se vaardighede van syne verskil het, geïntimideer nie. Met die hulp van hierdie ‘magtigste manne,’ het Dawid vir enigiets gereed gevoel.
3) Hy het lojaliteit ontwikkel. Hy het mense nader getrek, sy lewe met hulle gedeel en op die ou einde was hulle bereid om hulle lewens vir hom neer te lê.
4) Hy het verantwoordelikheid gebaseer op vaardigheid, gedelegeer. Omdat hy seker van sy eie identiteit en roeping was, was Dawid nie bang om gesag en verantwoordelikheid aan diegene rondom hom te delegeer nie. In die begin het sommige van sy magtige manne nie ingepas nie, maar hy het hulle in ‘n wenspan verander (sien 1 Samuel 22:1-2).
Dawid het sy binnekring besonders gemaak en in ruil daarvoor het sy binnekring hom besonders gemaak. Die woord vir jou vandag is dus – kies die regte mense!
Sielskos: 1 Kron 12:23-15:29; Joh 9:24-41; Ps 8; Spr 26:17-22
