2023-01-02
John 15:11 AMPC
You need to enjoy each day of your life for Christ’s sake, because He paid a very high price for you to be able to. He said, “I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)” (John 10:10 AMPC). He said: “I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing” (John 15:11 AMPC). He said, “Ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy (gladness, delight) may be full and complete” (John 16:24 AMPC).
Jesus actually prayed that you would have joy: “Now I am coming to You… so that My joy may be made full and complete and perfect in them [that they may experience My delight fulfilled in them, that My enjoyment may be perfected in their own souls, that they may have My gladness within them, filling their hearts]” (John 17:13 AMPC).
With Jesus Himself praying such powerful words about His desire for you to have joy, how could you ever doubt that God wants you to be happy and enjoy your life? As a redeemed child of God, you’re a walking billboard for Christianity! Don’t go around looking severe, stern, strict, sour, and sensorial, believing that you’re coming across as “spiritual.” No, that’s a turnoff to non-Christians! You need a new mindset; a scriptural one that will enable you to enjoy life and make you a more enjoyable person to be around.
Soul food: Isa 1; Luke 1:1-4; Ps 1; Prov 1:1-2
2023-01-01
Psalm 118:24 CEV
Each day is a gift from God. Next to your salvation, today is the most valuable gift you will ever receive. When you receive a gift, what do you do? Thank the giver, unwrap it, and enjoy it. Getting the idea?
One Bible teacher writes: “I make an effort to focus on and enjoy every moment of my life, but doing so has been a long and difficult journey for me… I am a planner, and if I am not careful, I find myself planning the next thing while doing the current thing, which of course steals the present moment from me. Although being focused is a good thing, I can also easily get so focused on my work that I fail to enjoy the magic of the moment. For example, I was usually working while my children were little and found it difficult to even take a moment to stop and enjoy the cute things they said or did. I missed many of those moments and will never get them back. We should celebrate life and the people God has placed in our path. Life is to be enjoyed, not dreaded or regretted.”
Solomon wrote: “There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and make himself enjoy good in his labor. Even this, I have seen, is from the hand of God” (Ecclesiastes 2:24 AMPC). Note these two phrases: (1) “From the hand of God.” That means it’s God’s will for you to enjoy every day. (2) “Make himself enjoy good.” That means you must look for things to celebrate each day. And you can start doing this – today!
Soul food: Rom 13:12-14:19; John 1:1-14
Psalm 118:24 NLV
Elke dag is ‘n gawe van God. Naas jou verlossing, is vandag die kosbaarste geskenk wat jy ooit sal ontvang. Wat doen jy wanneer jy ‘n geskenk ontvang? Jy bedank die gewer, maak dit oop en geniet dit.
Een Bybelonderwyser skryf: ‘Ek doen moeite om op elke oomblik van my lewe te fokus en dit te geniet, maar dit was ‘n lang en moeilike reis om by hierdie punt uit te kom. Ek is ‘n beplanner en as ek nie versigtig is nie, begin ek al die volgende ding beplan terwyl ek nog met die huidige een besig is. Ek raak maklik so gefokus op my werk dat ek nie die wonder van die oomblik geniet nie. Ek het byvoorbeeld gewoonlik gewerk terwyl my kinders klein was en het dit moeilik gevind om selfs ‘n oomblik te neem om die oulike dingetjies wat hulle gesê of gedoen het te geniet. Ek het baie van daardie oomblikke misgeloop en sal dit nooit terugkry nie. Ons moet die lewe en die mense wat God op ons pad geplaas het, vier. Die lewe is daar om geniet te word, nie om gevrees te word of oor spyt te wees nie.
Salomo het geskryf: ‘Daar is vir die mens niks goeds behalwe dat hy kan eet en drink en ten spyte van sy arbeid nog die goeie kan geniet nie. Ek het besef dit is ‘n gawe wat uit God se hand kom’ (Prediker 2:24 NLV). Let die volgende twee frases op: 1) ‘uit God se hand.’ Dit beteken dat dit God se wil vir jou is om elke dag te geniet. 2) ‘die goeie kan geniet.’ Dit beteken dat jy elke dag op die uitkyk moet wees vir dinge om te vier. Begin dit vandag doen!
Sielskos: Rom 13:12-14:19; Joh 1:1-14
2022-12-31
Hebreërs 12:1 NLV
Susan Alexander Yates stel vyf voornemens voor om aan te werk: ‘1) Reik uit na iemand wat Christus nie ken nie. God beveel ons om sout en lig te wees (sien Matteus 5:13-16), maar dit sal nie gebeur as ons al ons tyd saam met gelowiges deurbring nie.
2) Wees dankbaar. Ek het altyd wakker geword en gedink aan al die dinge wat ek moet doen en die mense wat my nodig het. Ek het depressief geraak nog voor ek uit die bed geklim het! Dus het ek op God se karaktereienskappe begin mediteer en begin dink hoe wonderbaarlik God is. My perspektief het verander.
3) Bestee kwaliteittyd saam met jou eggenoot. Ek het voorheen ‘n framboosbos gehad. Aan die begin het ek dit versorg en dit het vrugbare oeste opgelewer. Toe het ek besig geraak en onkruid het die bos oorgeneem. Dit kan ook met ‘n huwelik gebeur. Ons dink dat ons tyd saam sal bestee wanneer die lewe rustiger raak. Die probleem is dat dit nooit gebeur nie. Moenie toelaat dat onkruid julle huwelik verwurg nie.
4) Sê vir iets ‘nee.’ Volwassenheid beteken dat jy iets wat jy graag wil doen uitstel om op iets belangrikers te fokus. Wat sal oor tien jaar die meeste beteken – dat jy jou kind vir nog ‘n aktiwiteit ingeskryf het, of dat jy ‘nee’ gesê het en saam as familie in die aande geëet het?
5) Jaag Christus met nuwe krag na. Dawid het gebid: ‘Gee my tog weer die vreugde van u redding…’ (Psalm 51:14). Verander jou roetine. Kies ‘n nuwe onderwerp vir Bybelstudie. Begin ‘n dagboek hou. As jy steeds sonder energie voel, vra God om vir jou die rede daaragter te wys.’
‘…Kom ons stroop alles af wat ons spoed kan vertraag… Kom ons hardloop met volharding op die baan wat voor ons uitgestrek lê’ (Hebreërs 12:1 NLV).
Sielskos: Jes 43:9-21; Joh 21:15-25; Ps 139:13-24; Spr 31:28-31
Hebrews 12:1 NIV
Susan Alexander Yates suggests five resolutions to work on.
“(1) Reach someone who doesn’t know Christ. God commands us to be salt and light… (Matthew 5:13-16 KJV); that won’t happen if we spend all our time with believers…. While reaching out feels scary, when you take the risk, you’ll see God work through you.
(2) Be more grateful. I used to wake… thinking about all the things I had to do and… the people who needed me. I got depressed before I… got out of bed!… So I started meditating on… God’s character traits… thinking about how awesome God is. My perspective… changed.
(3) Spend quality time with your spouse. I used to have a… raspberry patch. In the early years I… tended it, and it produced prolific crops. Then I got busy… and… weeds took over… A marriage can become like [that]. We get busy with kids, career, church… We think [we’ll] spend time [together] when life calms down. The problem is life never does. Don’t let the weeds… choke your marriage… You’re raising future husbands and wives who need to know a happy marriage takes time.
(4) Say ‘no’ to something. Maturing means you postpone something you’d like to do to focus on something more important. In 10 years, what will matter most – that you signed your child up for another activity or said ‘no’ and had family dinners together?
(5) Pursue Christ with fresh vigor. [David prayed], ‘Restore to me the joy of your salvation’ (Psalm 51:12 NIV). Vary [your routine]… [Pick] a new topic for Bible study. Begin a fresh journal. If you… still feel stale, ask God to show you the reason.” “Let us throw off everything that hinders and… run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1 NIV).
Soul food: Isa 43:9-21; John 21:15-25; Ps 139:13-24; Prov 31:28-31
