2024-05-19
Ruth 2:7 NKJV
After ten years of sorrow and hardship in which she lost her husband and her support system, God introduced Ruth to her new husband, Boaz. Where? In the field where she worked each day. Who was Boaz? The owner of the field. One of the things that attracted Boaz to Ruth was her work ethic. The servant in charge of his reapers told him, “She came and has continued from morning until now.” As a result, she ended up married to the boss.
That’s why the Bible has so much to say about the difference between laziness and hard work, sloppiness and excellence, tardiness and punctuality, honesty and dishonesty, a positive attitude and a negative one. Someone is always observing you who is capable of blessing you. Read these three Scriptures:
(1) “Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before unknown men” (Proverbs 22:29 NKJV).
(2) “The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich” (Proverbs 13:4 NKJV).
(3) “He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich” (Proverbs 10:4 NKJV).
Notice the phrases “a slack hand” and “a lazy man.” By expecting much and giving back as little as possible in return, you don’t just shortchange the company you work for, you shortchange yourself. Why? Because God promises to honor you when you give your best. His Word says, “Promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another” (Psalm 75:6-7 KJV).
Soul food: Lev 23:15-22; Acts 2:1-21
2024-05-18
Spreuke 3:5 NLV
Wanneer jy jou bekommernisse eerlik evalueer, sal jy agterkom dat jy die volgende doen:
1) Vergeet dat God jou vriend is. Die Psalmdigter het gesê: ‘Die Here vertel vir die mense wat Hom dien, alles wat Hy besluit…’ (Psalm 24:14 ABA). Vriendskap met God word gebou deur jou lewenservarings – elke aktiwiteit, elke gesprek, elke probleem en elke gedagte – met Hom te deel. Wanneer jy dit nie doen nie, raak jy onbewus van sy teenwoordigheid en stem, weerstandig teenoor sy teregwysing en uit pas met sy tydsberekening. Wanneer jy so lewe, is daar net een onvermydelike resultaat – bekommernis!
2) Verantwoordelikheid neem vir dinge waarvoor jy nie moet nie. Peter Marshall het gebid: ‘Vader, help ons met ons neiging om onsself so dun te versprei dat ons aan vrees en twyfel, aan die moegheid en ongeduld wat ons humeure dun laat raak; wat ons van gemoedsrus beroof; wat die lug grys maak wanneer dit blou moet wees en wat ‘n lied in ons harte smoor, blootgestel word.’ Jy verloor die lied in jou hart wanneer jy probeer om almal reg te ruk en aan hulle verwagtinge te voldoen.
3) Nie die verskil tussen die sekulêre en die heilige verstaan nie. Of Jesus is Here oor elke area in jou lewe, of Hy is oor geen daarvan Here nie. Ons sê vir onsself dat God oor sekere dele van ons lewens besorg is en nie oor ander dele nie. Die Bybel sê: ‘Vertrou op die Here met alles wat jy het. Moenie staatmaak op jou eie insigte nie. Vra na die wil van die Here in alles wat jy doen. Hy sal die regte pad vir jou wys’ (Spreuke 3:5-6 NLV). Om op enige ander manier te lewe, is ‘n lewe vol bekommernisse!
Sielskos: Obadja; Mal 1-4; Mark 9:30-37; Ps 18:1-29
Proverbs 3:5 NIV
When you honestly evaluate your worries, you will find you are doing these:
(1) Forgetting that God is your friend. The psalmist said, “The Lord is a friend to those who fear him” (Psalm 25:14 NLT). Friendship with God is built by sharing your life’s experiences with Him – every activity, every conversation, every problem, and every thought. When you don’t, you end up unaware of His presence, oblivious to His voice, resistant to His correction, and out of sync with His timing. And when you live that way, there is one inevitable result – worry!
(2) Taking on things you shouldn’t. Peter Marshall prayed: “Father… check our impulse to spread ourselves so thin that we’re exposed to fear and doubt, to the weariness and impatience that makes our tempers wear thin; [that] robs us of peace of mind; that makes skies grey when they should be blue; that stifles a song along the corridor of our hearts.” You lose your song when you add the unnecessary pressure of maintaining your exterior image, increasing your pace to keep up with the Joneses, and trying to fix everybody or live up to their expectations.
(3) Failing to understand the difference between the secular and the sacred. Either Jesus is Lord over every area of your life, or He is not Lord over any of it. We tell ourselves certain parts of our lives lie in the realm of God’s concern, but not others. The Bible says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV). To live any other way is to live a worried life!
Soul food: Obad; Mal 1-4; Mark 9:30-37; Ps 18:1-29
2024-05-17
Matteus 6:33 DB
Die sendeling Gladys Aylward het gesê: ‘Die arend wat in die boonste lugstrome sweef, bekommer homself nie oor hoe om riviere oor te steek nie.’ Jy kan nie van bekommernis ontsnap nie; dit sal uit verskillende rigtings en in verskillende vorms kom. Soos die arend moet jy egter bo dit uitstyg.
Jesus het gesê: ‘Moenie gedurig loop en julle bekommer nie. Moenie van vroeg tot laat vra: ‘Gaan ek genoeg hê om te eet?’ of: ‘Gaan ek genoeg hê om aan te trek?’ nie. Die lewe gaan tog oor baie meer as kos en klere. Kyk ‘n slag na die voëls: hulle het nie groot skure waarin hulle elke dag hulle kos bêre nie. Tog is hulle nooit honger nie. God sorg dat hulle elke dag genoeg het om te eet. Weet julle, julle is baie meer werd vir God as al die voëls in die hemel. Daarom help al julle bekommernis net mooi niks. Dit gaan nie julle lewe met een enkele dag verleng nie. Allesbehalwe! Kyk gerus ‘n bietjie in die veld hoe mooi die lelies lyk wat daar groei. Hulle werk nie van vroeg tot laat om so deftig te lyk nie… As God soveel aandag gee aan hoe die veldgras lyk, wat vandag nog groei en môre weer dood is, sal Hy mos vir julle ook sorg… Hou op om te sê: ‘Wat gaan ons vandag eet en drink?’ of: ‘Wat gaan ons vandag aantrek?’ As julle dit doen, tree julle op soos mense wat God glad nie ken nie… Stel God se koninkryk eerste. Doen net daardie dinge wat vir Hom belangrik is. Hy sal vir die res sorg… En los môre se probleme vir die dag van môre. Van probleme het elke dag immers oorgenoeg. Leef vandag voluit vir God!’ (verse 25-34 DB).
Sielskos: 1 Pet 1-5; Mark 9:14-29; Ps 49; Spr 12:20-22
Matthew 6:33 MSG
Missionary Gladys Aylward said, “The eagle that soars in the upper air does not worry itself how it is to cross rivers.” You can’t escape worry; it will come at you from different directions and in different forms. But like the eagle, you can rise above it.
Jesus said: “If you decide for God… it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion… Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds. Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion – do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers… The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers… don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God… fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works… Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow” (vv. 25-34 MSG).
Soul food: 1 Pet 1-5; Mark 9:14-29; Ps 49; Prov 12:20-22
