2024-04-23
John 15:3 KJV
God’s Word is like a prescription from your doctor. You don’t have to understand how the medication works – you just have to faithfully keep taking it. Something amazing happens when you feed regularly on God’s Word. Temptation begins to lose power, and overcoming strength begins to replace it. Each time a Scripture opens up and becomes real to you, your desire for God’s Word increases. But that means reading your Bible even when you don’t feel like it, or think you don’t have time to do it, or you don’t seem to be getting much out of it.
The Bible says: “As the rain and snow come down from heaven and stay upon the ground to water the earth, and cause the grain to grow and to produce seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry, so also is my Word… it always produces fruit. It shall accomplish all I want it to” (Isaiah 55:10-11 TLB). You don’t have to have certain sensations to know that God’s Word is working in you.
Indeed, Bible reading will keep you from sin, and sin will keep you from Bible reading. After his affair with Bathsheba, David wrote, “I have thought much about your words and stored them in my heart so that they would hold me back from sin” (Psalm 119:11 TLB). Jesus said, “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.” Are you tired of living in defeat? Then bathe your mind each day in God’s Word. Let it flow over you until every vestige of sin and carnality is washed away.
Soul food: Acts 12-13; Mark 4:10-20; Ps 103:13-22; Prov 10:30-32
2024-04-22
Spreuke 19:21 NLV
Daar is ‘n spreekwoord wat sê dat die duiwel in die detail is. Vir ‘n verloste kind van God, is Hy egter in die detail! Wanneer jy jou hart op iets sit en dit gebeur nie, is dit menslik om teleurgesteld te voel. Jy moet die volgende in sulke oomblikke in gedagte hou:
1) Jy werk altyd met beperkte informasie. Jy mag dalk weet wat die eindresultaat is wat jy begeer, maar God weet wat die beste vir jou is en beplan daarvolgens. ‘Ek is God… Ek maak die einde bekend vanaf die begin… Wat Ek besluit, voer Ek uit. Wat Ek wil, doen Ek’ (Jesaja 46:9-10 NLV).
2) Om buite God se wil te probeer werk, is soos om ‘n gat met ‘n vurk deur ‘n soliede muur te probeer grawe. Jy grawe jouself in ‘n tronk in wanneer jy daarop aandring om te kry wat jy wil hê. Wil jy regtig ‘n plan uitvoer wat God nie goedgekeur het nie? Kan jy op Hom staatmaak om te weet wat die beste vir jou is? ‘Die Here die Almagtige het besluit, en wie sal sy planne kan verander? Wanneer sy hand beweeg, wie kan dit terugbring?’ (Jesaja 14:27 NLV).
Dis beter om tydelik teleurgesteld te wees as om met iets wat jy nie kan hanteer nie, op te eindig. Israel se verhaal is as volg: ‘Uit die vyand se mag het Hy hulle gered… Toe eers het Israel sy beloftes geglo en het hulle sy lof besing. Tog het hulle gou sy dade vergeet en nie op sy leiding gewag nie… In die wildernis het hulle God se geduld beproef. Hy het gegee wat hulle gevra het, maar ook ‘n ongeneeslike siekte’ (Psalm 106:10, 12-15 NLV). Vertrou op God en Hy sal vir jou die beste gee.
Sielskos: Hand 10-11; Mark 4:1-9; Ps 103:1-12; Spr 10:27-29
Proverbs 19:21 NIV
They say, “The devil is in the details.” But for a redeemed child of God, He is in the details! When you set your heart on something and it doesn’t happen, it’s only human to experience disappointment. At such moments, here is what you need to keep in mind:
(1) At best, you’re always working with limited information. You may know the end result you desire, but God knows what’s best for you, and He plans accordingly. “I am God,… declaring the end from the beginning,… saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure'” (Isaiah 46:9-10 NKJV).
(2) Trying to work outside of God’s will is like attempting to dig your way through a solid wall with a fork. Instead of digging your way out of a prison, you dig your way into one when you demand to get what you want. Do you really want to carry out a plan God hasn’t ordained? Can you depend on Him to know what’s best for you? “The Lord, the God of battle, has spoken – who can change his plans? When his hand moves, who can stop him?” (Isaiah 14:27 TLB).
It’s better to be disappointed temporarily than end up with something you can’t handle. The story of Israel reads like this: “He… redeemed them from the hand of the enemy…. Then they believed His words; they sang His praise. They soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel… and tested God in the desert. And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul” (Psalm 106:10, 12-15 NKJV). Trust God, and He will give you what’s best.
Soul food: Acts 10-11; Mark 4:1-9; Ps 103:1-12; Prov 10:27-29
2024-04-21
Matteus 15:14 NLV
Daar is baie goeie leiers om ons – moenie bang wees om hulle te volg nie. Wat egter van die ‘blinde gidse’ waarvan Jesus praat? Hier is ‘n paar tekens om jou te help om hulle te identifiseer en te vermy.
1) Onbuigbaarheid. Ware leiers het ‘n onderrigbare en diensbare gees. Hulle verbly hulself in jou groei en word nie deur jou ontwikkeling bedreig nie.
2) Meerderwaardigheid. Wees bedag vir ‘n ‘slegs-ons-is-reg’ houding. Wanneer iemand nie ander lede van God se familie kan erken en saam met hulle kan werk nie, is iets verkeerd.
3) Gierigheid. Hier is God se standaard vir leierskap: ‘…nie om julleself finansieel te verryk nie, maar omdat julle graag in God se diens staan’ (1 Petrus 5:2 NLV). Die Bybel sê dat goeie leiers ‘…behoort dubbele erkenning te kry…’ (1 Timoteus 5:17 AFR83). Wees egter op jou hoede vir leiers wat sê dat jy slegs in hulle veld en nêrens anders nie, moet saai.
4) Verantwoordbaarheid. Pasop vir die onaantasbare, ‘Ek-is-God se gesalfde’ tipes. Maak nie saak hoe talentvol ons is nie, ons almal het blinde kolle en moet van tyd tot tyd gekonfronteer en aangespreek word. Salomo het gesê: ‘…Maar as een val wat alleen is, is daar niemand om hom op te help nie’ (Prediker 4:10 NLV). Hier is wat Jesus oor die godsdienstige leiers van sy tyd te sê gehad het: ‘…Elke plant wat my hemelse Vader nie geplant het nie, sal uitgetrek word. Ignoreer hulle. Hulle is blinde gidse wat blindes wil lei. As een blinde vir ‘n ander blinde gids wil speel, beland hulle al twee in die sloot’ (Matteus 15:13-14 NLV). Wanneer jy ‘n leier kies, het jy nie ‘n blinde prima donna nodig nie; jy het een met ‘n diensbare gees nodig.
Sielskos: Gal 5:22; 2 Pet 3:3-15; Matt 5:39; 1 Sam 25:1-42
Matthew 15:14 NIV
There are plenty of good leaders around – don’t be afraid to follow them. But what about the “blind guides” that Jesus talks about? Here are some signs to help you identify and avoid them:
(1) Inflexibility. True leaders have a teachable spirit and a servant’s heart. They rejoice in your growth and aren’t threatened by your development. They won’t try to “keep you in the nest” when it’s clear that you’re ready to fly.
(2) Elitism. Look out for the “we-alone-are-right” attitude. When someone can’t acknowledge and fellowship with other members of God’s redeemed family, something’s wrong. The word exclusive is often another word for paranoid.
(3) Moneygrubbing. Here is God’s standard for leadership: “Not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve” (1 Peter 5:2 NIV). The Bible also says good leaders are “worthy of double honour” (1 Timothy 5:17 KJV), which means twice as much. But look out for those who teach that you must only sow your seed into their field, and nowhere else.
(4) Accountability. Beware of the untouchable, “I-am-God’s-anointed” types. No matter how gifted we are, we all have blind spots and need to be confronted and counseled from time to time. Solomon said, “Pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up” (Ecclesiastes 4:10 NIV). Here is what Jesus said about the religious leaders of His day: “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit” (Matthew 15:13-14 NIV). When choosing a leader, you don’t need a blind prima donna; you need one with a servant spirit.
Soul food: Gal 5:22; 2 Pet 3:3-15; Matt 5:39; 1 Sam 25:1-42
