2025-01-14
1 John 4:18 AMPC
When you were young and said a bad word, your parents may have threatened to wash your mouth out with soap. Well, if fear is a dirty word, then faith in God’s unconditional love for you is like soap! Too many put the cart before the horse. We believe that God accepts us based on the degree of our love for Him rather than on the degree of His love for us. The Bible says, “We love Him because He first loved us” (v. 19 NKJV). God’s love for you is not based upon your performance but Christ’s performance on your behalf. When you put your trust in Christ, God sees you “in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17) from that moment forward.
Do you want to know how God sees you at this moment and every other moment? “As He [Jesus] is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17 NKJV). Does that mean you can disobey God and get away with it? Not a chance! “For whom the Lord loves He chastens…Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:6, 11 NKJV).
But God’s correction is not rejection! It’s proof of His unconditional, unlimited, unwavering, undeserved, and unearned love for you. God doesn’t love you more on those days when you’re victorious and less on those days when you’re defeated. His love for you doesn’t vary or vacillate. Knowing that truth will boost your faith and take your fear down a notch!
Soul food: Isa 45-48; Luke 3:1-10; Ps 79; Prov 2:9-10
2025-01-13
2 Peter 1:3 NLT
Following God means finishing what He has called you to do. Not everyone who starts out well finishes well. Occasionally we’re shocked and saddened to learn that a leader has been brought down by a moral or a financial problem. Paul writes, “Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you” (Colossians 4:14 KJV). Later, he writes, “Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world” (2 Timothy 4:10 KJV).
There are three forces arrayed against you, and they never let up: the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world will try to pour you into its mold, your fleshly nature will try to drag you down, and the devil will use every trick in the book to defeat you. Paul was aware of these three forces when he said, “My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus” (Acts 20:24 NLT).
So, make up your mind to complete the assignment God has given you and enjoy every minute of it. How can you finish strong? “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises” (2 Peter 1:3-5 NLT).
Soul food: Isa 42-44; Luke 2:41-52; Ps 74:12-23; Prov 2:7-8
2 Petrus 1:3 NLV
Om God te volg beteken dat jy dit waarvoor Hy jou geroep het om te doen, klaarmaak. Nie almal wat begin, eindig sterk nie. Ons is soms geskok en hartseer om te verneem dat ‘n leier voor ‘n morele of ‘n finansiële probleem geswig het. Paulus skryf: ‘Lukas, ons geliefde dokter, stuur vir julle groete, en ook Demas’ (Kolossense 4:14 NLV). Later skryf hy: ‘Demas het my verlaat omdat hy verlief geraak het op die dinge van hierdie lewe…’ (2 Timoteus 4:10 NLV).
Daar is drie magte wat teen jou saamspan en nooit opgee nie: die wêreld, die vlees, en die duiwel. Die wêreld sal probeer om jou volgens sy voorbeeld te vorm, jou vleeslike aard sal probeer om jou af te trek en die duiwel sal elke truuk in die boek gebruik om jou te probeer verslaan. Paulus was bewus van hierdie drie kragte toe hy gesê het: ‘Al is my lewe kosbaar, ag ek dit van geen waarde as ek nie my lewenstaak en my bediening wat ek van die Here Jesus gekry het, kan klaarmaak nie…’ (Handelinge 20:24 NLV).
Neem dus ‘n wilsbesluit om die taak wat God jou gegee het klaar te maak en elke oomblik daarvan te geniet. ‘Deurdat ons Hom regtig ken, het sy Goddelike krag ons alles laat kry wat ons nodig het om naby aan Hom te lewe. Hy het ons geroep om sy heerlikheid en goedheid te ontvang!.. Die gevolg hiervan is dat julle deel gekry het aan sy Goddelike natuur. Só het julle vrygekom van die proses van agteruitgang wat, as gevolg van die geneigdheid van ons menslike natuur, oral alles en almal laat sleg word. Juis om hierdie rede moet julle alles in julle vermoë doen om te wys dat hierdie beloftes vir julle waar geword het…’ (2 Petrus 1:3-5 NLV).
Sielskos: Jes 42-44; Luk 2:41-52; Ps 74:12-23; Spr 2:7-8
2025-01-12
Ephesians 4:24 NLT
Dealing with crucifixion, Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. He felt intense emotions. “Being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44 NKJV). So strong were these emotions that He prayed for the cup of crucifixion to pass. But that night, Jesus broke the domination of emotions by obedience to the will of His Father, saying, “Not My will, but Yours, be done” (v. 42 NKJV). Not only can emotions be ruled by obedience, but they will obey faith.
Emotions will do what we, in faith, order them to do. David said, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name” (Psalm 103:1 KJV). David ordered his soul, the center of his emotions, to bless the Lord. He believed his soul and everything in him would do what he commanded. Feelings can be transformed from drama to blessing.
Paul believed that negative emotions can be put off, and positive emotions can be put on. “Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy” (Ephesians 4:22-24 NLT).
Again he writes, “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts” (Colossians 3:15 NKJV). It is clear from the Scriptures that emotions can be governed, and the will can respond to God’s power and faith rather than the drama of emotions.
Soul food: 1 Sam 3:1-11; Acts 9:1-9
Efesiërs 4:24 NLV
Jesus het voor sy kruisiging in die tuin van Getsémané gaan bid. Hy het intense emosies ervaar. ‘Terwyl Hy intense angs beleef, het Jesus nog ernstiger gebid. Sy sweet het soos druppels bloed geword wat op die grond drup’ (Lukas 22:44 NLV). Hierdie emosies was so sterk dat Hy gebid het dat die beker van die kruis by Hom verby moet gaan. Daardie nag het Jesus egter die oorheersing van emosies deur gehoorsaamheid aan die wil van sy Vader gebreek deur te sê: ‘…Laat nogtans nie my wil nie, maar u wil geld!’ (vers 42 NLV).
Emosies sal dit doen wat ons hulle, in geloof, beveel om te doen. Dawid het gesê: ‘Ek wil die lof van die Here verkondig. Met alles wat binne-in my is, wil ek sy heilige Naam verheerlik’ (Psalm 103:1 NLV). Dawid het sy siel, die kern van sy emosies, beveel om die Here te verheerlik. Hy het geglo dat sy siel en alles in hom sou doen wat hy beveel het. Gevoelens kan van drama tot seën getransformeer word.
Paulus het geglo dat negatiewe emosies uitgetrek en positiewe emosies aangetrek kon word. ‘naamlik dat julle, wat julle vroeëre leefstyl betref, die ou, sondige mens soos vuil klere moet uittrek. Julle moet op ‘n nuwe, geestelike manier leer dink. Ja, trek die nuwe mens soos skoon klere aan, die mens wat na God se beeld geskape is: iemand wat werklik reg lewe voor God en werklik aan Hom toegewy is’ (Efesiërs 4:22-24 NLV).
Weer skryf hy: ‘Verder, laat die vrede wat Christus bewerk het, in julle lewe skeidsregter wees…’ (Kolossense 3:15 NLV). Dit is duidelik uit die Skrif dat emosies beheer kan word en dat mens se wil op God se krag en geloof, eerder as op die drama van emosies, kan reageer.
Sielskos: 1 Sam 3:1-11; Hand 9:1-9
