2025-04-08
Romans 14:19 NLT
Paul wouldn’t yield an inch when it came to standing on the central truths of Scripture. But when it came to traditions, personal opinions, and personal preferences, he said, “Let each be fully convinced in his own mind” (v. 5 NKJV). Under the law of Moses, being circumcised was considered equal to having a covenant between you and God. So when Gentile believers joined the New Testament church, Jewish believers insisted they too must be circumcised. Not as babies, mind you, but as adults! Were these Jewish believers sincere? Absolutely. But they were sincerely misguided. When this issue threatened to split the church, the apostles met in Jerusalem, prayed about the matter, and issued the following opinion: “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things” (Acts 15:28 NKJV).
Any time a tradition or personal preference becomes equal in authority to God’s Word, we have gone too far. Question: Have you been upset with someone who doesn’t agree with you on some nonessential point of doctrine? Have you been critical of someone whose opinion differs from yours? Perhaps in insisting on your list of dos and don’ts, you have forgotten the most important item on God’s list: that we exhibit love.
Jesus said, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35 NKJV). Our hearts can be in unity even when our minds don’t agree. We can walk hand in hand, even when we don’t see eye to eye. As theologians often say, “In essential things, unity. In all things, charity!”
Soul food: Lev 26-27; Luke 22:1-13; Ps 56; Prov 10:8-9
2025-04-07
Psalm 37:24 NLT
Every opportunity in life comes with two things: the possibility of succeeding, and the possibility of failing. When you reach the end of your life, your greatest regrets won’t be over your failures, but the opportunities you failed to seize because you were afraid of failing. So here are some principles to help you conquer the fear of failing:
(1) Be willing to try and fail at something. And when it happens, tell people. Why? Because that’s how you discover failure isn’t fatal.
(2) Find a project so big that you cannot do it without God’s help, then commit to it.(3) Socialize with some impulsive types. Observe how they take risks without dying. Seeing and imitating is a great way to learn.
(4) The way we learn to take big steps of faith is by taking small steps of faith. Compliment someone you don’t know. Volunteer for an additional task at work. Go out of your way to help someone in need.
(5) Declare war on perfectionism. Instead of waiting until you can do it perfectly, do your best and tell yourself, “That’s good enough for now.”
(6) Be afraid, and obey God anyway. You will never totally defeat your fears, but you can diminish them to where they have less control of your life.
Here is a promise for you to stand on: “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand” (vv. 23-24 NLT).
Sielskos: Lev 23:26-25:55; Luke 21:29-38; Ps 50:16-23; Prov 10:4-7
Psalm 37:24 NLV
Every opportunity in life comes with two things: the possibility of succeeding, and the possibility of failing. When you reach the end of your life, your greatest regrets won’t be over your failures, but the opportunities you failed to seize because you were afraid of failing. So here are some principles to help you conquer the fear of failing:
(1) Be willing to try and fail at something. And when it happens, tell people. Why? Because that’s how you discover failure isn’t fatal.
(2) Find a project so big that you cannot do it without God’s help, then commit to it.
(3) Socialize with some impulsive types. Observe how they take risks without dying. Seeing and imitating is a great way to learn.
(4) The way we learn to take big steps of faith is by taking small steps of faith. Compliment someone you don’t know. Volunteer for an additional task at work. Go out of your way to help someone in need.
(5) Declare war on perfectionism. Instead of waiting until you can do it perfectly, do your best and tell yourself, “That’s good enough for now.”
(6) Be afraid, and obey God anyway. You will never totally defeat your fears, but you can diminish them to where they have less control of your life.
Here is a promise for you to stand on: “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand” (vv. 23-24 NLT).
Sielskos: Lev 23:26-25:55; Luk 21:29-38; Ps 50:16-23; Spr 10:4-7
2025-04-06
Genesis 37:25 NKJV
If Abraham and Sarah had been willing to wait a little longer, Isaac would have been born and the promise of God fulfilled. But they became impatient, and as a result, Ishmael was born. One of the names given to God in Scripture is “Redeemer,” because He can redeem our mistakes and turn them into learning experiences; He can turn the mess you make into the miracle you need.
It took three generations, but God turned the mess Abraham made into the miracle of deliverance Joseph needed. Joseph’s destiny was to be ruler of Egypt and save his family and the world in time of famine. But because his brothers resented him, they sold him as a slave to “a company of Ishmaelites.” These were the descendants of Ishmael, who was born to Abraham and Hagar, Sarah’s maid. And where were these Ishmaelites going? To Egypt! “Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt… so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt” (vv. 25, 28 NKJV).
It’s not over until God says it’s over. He can turn the mess you made in the past into a miracle you need in the future. And that miracle will not only bless you, but others too. And perhaps those others will be in your own family, just as in the case of Joseph.
Soul food: 2 Ki 5:1-27; Matt 6:19-34; Acts 5:1-11
Genesis 37:25 NLV
As Abraham en Sara bereid was om net ‘n bietjie langer te wag, sou Isak gebore word en God se belofte vervul gewees het. Hulle het egter ongeduldig geword en gevolglik is Ismael gebore. Een van die name wat aan God in die Skrif gegee word, is ‘Verlosser,’ omdat Hy jou van jou foute kan verlos en dit in ‘n leerervaring kan verander; Hy kan die gemors wat jy maak in die wonderwerk wat jy nodig het, verander.
Dit het drie generasies geneem, maar God het die gemors wat Abraham gemaak het in die wonderwerk van bevryding wat Josef nodig gehad het, verander. Josef se lotsbestemming was om oor Egipte te heers en sy familie en die wêreld in ‘n tyd van hongersnood te red. Omdat sy broers egter wrokkig oor hom gevoel het, het hulle hom as slaaf aan ‘n groep Ismaelitiese handelaars verkoop. Hulle was die nageslag van Ismael, wat vir Abraham en Hagar, Sara se slavin, gebore is. Waarheen was hierdie Ismaeliete op pad? Egipte toe! ‘Net toe hulle gaan sit… sien hulle… ‘n groep Ismaelitiese handelaars wat gom, balsem en hars vanaf Gilead na Egipte toe neem… Toe die handelaars by hulle verbykom, trek die broers vir Josef op uit die put. Daarna verkoop hulle hom vir twintig stukke silwer. Die Ismaelitiese handelaars het hom saamgeneem Egipte toe’ (verse 25, 28 NLV).
Dis nie verby nie totdat God sê dis verby. Hy kan die gemors wat jy in die verlede gemaak het in ‘n wonderwerk wat jy in die toekoms gaan benodig, omskep. Hierdie wonderwerk sal nie net jou nie, maar ook ander mense seën. Miskien sal daardie ander mense jou eie familie wees, net soos in Josef se geval.
Sielskos: 2 Kon 5:1-27; Matt 6:19-34; Hand 5:1-11
