2022-12-30
Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV
Author Ellen Vaughn continues: “(3) We must also forget our successes. That doesn’t necessarily mean we must forget the great projects we have completed. We are to work and live with excellence unto God, and He takes pleasure in our successes as they are offered to His glory. But we should forget past successes if they have defined our identity or caused us to be complacent, smug and self-congratulatory. We’re not to fondle the past, dwelling on past glories. (Similarly, we must make sure our stories of God’s work and grace in our lives are not all old. If we can only point to instances of God’s faithfulness from five years ago but none from this week, our connection with Christ isn’t very current.)
Paul warns the Philippians against those who would put their confidence in human criteria and accomplishment: ‘If someone… thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more’ (Philippians 3:4 NIV), he said, citing his power résumé that many in his day would have coveted. But his focus wasn’t on his past: ‘Whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ… But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 3:7, 13-14 NIV).”
The good news is, God doesn’t analyse your past in order to determine your future. He says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past… I am doing a new thing!” Learn from the past, leave it, and don’t look back!
Soul food: Malachi 1-2; John 21:1-14; Ps 139:1-12; Prov 31:25-27
Jesaja 43:18-19 NLV
Ellen Vaughn gaan voort: ‘3) Ons moet ook ons suksesse vergeet. Dit beteken nie noodwendig dat ons die groot projekte wat ons voltooi het, moet vergeet nie. Ons moet met uitnemendheid vir God werk en lewe en Hy verlustig Homself in ons suksesse soos dit tot sy eer aangebied word. Ons moet egter suksesse in die verlede vergeet, indien dit ons identiteit gedefinieer het of veroorsaak het dat ons selfvoldaan, selftevrede en selfgenoegsaam geword het. (Net so moet ons seker maak dat ons verhale van God se werk en genade in ons lewens nie almal oud is nie. As ons net gevalle van God se getrouheid van vyf jaar gelede kan uitwys, maar geen hierdie week nie, is ons verbintenis met Christus nie baie deurlopend nie).
Paulus waarsku die mense in Filippi teen diegene wat hul vertroue in menslike kriteria en prestasies stel. ‘…As iemand meen om op menslike dinge te vertrou, ek nog méér!’ (Filippense 3:4 NLV), het hy gesê, met verwysing na sy agtergrond en al sy prestasies. Sy fokus was egter nie op die verlede nie. ‘Alhoewel ek hierdie menslike dinge eers as ‘n wins beskou het, beskou ek hulle, in die lig van wat Christus vir my gedoen het, nou as ‘n verlies… maar een ding is seker: ek vergeet dit wat agter my lê, en strek my uit na dit wat voorlê. Ek jaag wenpaal toe, na die hemelse prys wat God aan my wil gee omdat Christus Jesus dit vir my verdien het’ (Filippense 3:7, 13-14 NLV).’
Die goeie nuus is dat God nie jou verlede analiseer om jou toekoms te bepaal nie. Hy sê: ‘Vergeet al die dinge wat in die verlede gebeur het… Ek gaan iets nuuts doen…’ Leer uit die verlede, laat dit agter en moenie terugkyk nie!
Sielskos: Maleagi 1-2; Joh 21:1-14; Ps 139:1-12; Spr 31:25-27
2022-12-29
Jesaja 43:18-19 NLV
In die woorde van die legendariese bofbalspeler Satchel Paige: ‘Moenie terugkyk nie. Iemand mag dalk besig wees om jou in te haal.’ Dis goeie raad! Paulus stel dit as volg: ‘…ek vergeet dit wat agter my lê, en strek my uit na dit wat voorlê’ (Filippense 3:13 NLV).
Ellen Vaughn skryf: ‘Voor ons geestelike lewenskrag werklik kan vloei, moet ons drie dinge vergeet. [Ons kyk vandag na twee daarvan]. 1) Ons moet ons sondes vergeet. Natuurlik moet ons ons sondes onthou sodat ons hulle kan bely. Nadat ons dit egter gedoen het, moet ons hulle laat gaan. Die rekord van ons sonde word by God uitgewis, asof dit nooit bestaan het nie. Satan wil ons graag verlei om met skuld en vrees te lewe. Hy herinner ons aan ons ergste sondes en laat dit oor en oor in ons gedagtes afspeel. Ons moet baie duidelik hier wees, anders sal ons die bevrydende punt misloop. Dit is nie asof vergifnis slegs werklik is as ons een of ander soort heilige geheueverlies ervaar nie. Dit hang nie van ons af nie. Dit hang van God af en die Skrif sê dat God ons sondes vergeet (sien Hebreërs 8:12).
2) Ons moet ons skaamte vergeet. Paulus kon ‘n uitstekende kandidaat vir skaamte gewees het. Hy het die teistering, tronkstraf, marteling en moord op onskuldige mense gelei. God se genade is egter sterker as ons skaamte. Skaamte het sy byt verloor toe Jesus gesterf het en weer opgestaan het. Ons kan ons skaamte vergeet, want Jesus het dit op Homself geneem. Hy het dit geminag, verslaan en gebreek. Ons hoef dit nie terug te neem nie.’
Die woord vir jou vandag is dus: ‘Vergeet al die dinge wat in die verlede gebeur het… Ek gaan iets nuuts doen…’
Sielskos: Sag 10-14; Spr 31:22-24
Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV
In the words of the legendary baseball player Satchel Paige, “Don’t look back. Something might be gaining on you.” That’s good advice! Paul bottom-lines it like this: “Focus on… Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead” (Philippians 3:13 NLT).
Author Ellen Vaughn writes: “Before our spiritual vitality can really flow, we must forget three things. [Today, here are two]: (1) We must forget our sins. Obviously we must remember our sins in order to confess them. But having done so, we must let them go. The fact that God forgets is like calling heaven and hearing, ‘There is no record of any offense.’ They’re expunged, as if they never existed. Satan would lure us to live in guilt and fear. He pulls us into the shadowboxes of memory in which our worst sins replay on the walls of our minds… We need to be very clear here, or we’ll miss the liberating point. It’s not as if forgiveness is real only if we experience some kind of holy amnesia. It’s not up to us. It’s up to God. And the Scriptures say that God forgets our sins (See Hebrews 8:12).
(2) We must forget our shame. Paul could have been a prime candidate for shame. He had presided over the harassment, imprisonment, torture, and murder of innocent human beings. But God’s grace is stronger than our shame. It was defanged when Jesus died and rose again. We can forget our slithering shame, for Jesus took it. He scorned it, beat it, broke it. We need not take it back.”
The word for you today is – “Do not dwell on the past… I am doing a new thing.”
Soul food: Zech 10-14; John 20:19-31; Ps 97; Prov 31:22-24
2022-12-28
Isaiah 43:19 NIV
Your life will manifest what you continually keep in front of you. Paul says, “We have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16 NIV), and creativity and vision are part of the package. A blind man asked St. Anthony, “What could be worse than losing your sight?” He replied, “Losing your vision.”
And a respected author adds, “Maybe you’re not experiencing God’s best because your vision needs to be improved. You say, ‘I have problems… I’m in debt… I’m lonely.’ Don’t let that image take root. Paint a new picture… See yourself stronger and healthier… rising higher… accomplishing your dreams… let the image of victory take hold. Get it on the inside… [Remind yourself] of these scriptural truths: ‘I can do all things through Christ’ (Philippians 4:13 KJV); ‘This is the day the Lord has made’ (Psalm 118:24 NKJV); ‘We are more than conquerors through [Christ]’ (Romans 8:37 KJV); ‘God… always causes us to triumph in Christ’ (See 2 Corinthians 2:14); ‘You bless the righteous; you surround them with your favour’ (Psalm 5:12 NIV); ‘Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life’ (Psalm 23:6 NKJV). In Bible times wine was stored in leather wineskins, but as they aged, they lost their flexibility. New wine always required new wineskins. And just like, “You can’t pour new wine into old wineskins” (See Matthew 9:17 NKJV), God can’t give you a new vision until you change the old images and attitudes you’re carrying around in your head.
God says, “I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” He is ready to do something new in your life today. Are you ready to change your old way of thinking and make room for it?
Soul food: Zech 6-9; John 20:10-18; Ps 117; Prov 31:18-21
