2022-01-07
James 3:2 NLT
When it comes to your tongue, here are three rules: (1) Don’t speak too quickly. “We all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we…could…control ourselves in every other way” (v. 2 NLT). Because you can never be totally aware of all the sensitivities of a person, you must rely on the Holy Spirit to direct your speech in a way that doesn’t tap into their pain or other negative experiences. Everybody has a different sensitivity level, depending on their past experiences. That includes you too. So practice not being easily offended, and giving others the benefit of the doubt when they say something that could be misconstrued as offensive.
(2) Don’t respond too quickly. “To answer before listening – that is folly and shame” (Proverbs 18:13 NIV). Before you speak, listen carefully and make sure you understand what is really being said. And if you don’t – say so. Your need to “look good” can cause you to lose respect in the eyes of the person you’re seeking to impress.
(3) Don’t commit too quickly. Solomon writes, “Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God” (Ecclesiastes 5:2 NKJV). Then he goes on to explain how we shouldn’t try to drop out of a commitment by saying we made a mistake. Your word is your bond, and when you break a promise, you hurt people and forfeit their trust.
So pause before you speak, and if need be, take time to pray. Your time and your words are two things that can never be taken back, so carefully weigh what you say.
Soul food: Gen 13-16; Luke 1:57-66; Ps 42:1-5; Pro 1:20-27
2022-01-06
John 15:2 TLB
You must submit to the pruning process. “He prunes those branches that bear fruit for even larger crops.” Pruning entails cutting off dead branches and cutting back living branches. Both are necessary to shape the tree and stimulate growth. Professional pruners will tell you that most people are too hesitant when it comes to pruning.
But God is not. He not only cuts off that which is sinful and superficial, He cuts back that which is alive and successful; a business that’s doing great, a satisfying relationship, or a plan that seems to be working well. God doesn’t just cut off the “bad,” but the “good,” in order to give you the “best.” It’s not pleasant, but it’s absolutely essential for spiritual growth.
What does God want in your life? “Much fruit” (John 15:8). So, you are going to be pruned! You may be undergoing pruning right now, and it may not all be deadwood. God cuts off things we view as productive so that more fruit may be produced in our lives. This can be perplexing. We believe we’re being faithful, so we are puzzled, even frustrated, by His pruning.
“Why are you doing this, God? I have given my business to you, but it’s unprofitable. I have committed my health to you, now I’m in the hospital. I’ve been tithing faithfully, yet I’m going bankrupt.” What’s happening? “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11 NIV). You’re being pruned for greater fruitfulness.
Soul food: Gen 10-12; Luke 1:39-56; Ps 10:12-18; Pro 1:17-19
2022-01-05
Luke 8:14 NLT
You must eliminate the weeds. In His famous parable of the sower, Jesus said the seed fell into four different kinds of soil. “The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature” (v. 14 NIV). Notice, three varieties of “weeds” can keep you from growing into spiritual maturity.
(1) Worry. You become so preoccupied with everyday cares that you take your eyes off Jesus.
(2) Riches. Making money and buying things dominates your life so much that you don’t have time for the Lord.
(3) Pleasure. Pursuing “the good life” can choke out your spiritual growth. It’s okay to have a good time, but you need to protect your priorities. When you have time to shop, go to the beach, play golf, or spend hours watching television yet you don’t have time to read your Bible and pray, your priorities are out of balance. You say, “I just don’t have time to serve the Lord. I’m too busy. I don’t have time to commit.” Then you are too busy!
You’d better do some weeding. Lots of things in life are not necessarily wrong; they are just not necessary. Maybe you need to cut back your schedule a little to remove the weeds. You have to tend your tomato plants, but you don’t have to do anything to produce dandelions; they grow by themselves when you neglect your garden. Getting the idea? If the “weeds” in your life are keeping you from bearing “fruit,” it’s time to stop talking about it and take action.
Soul food: Gen 7-9; Luke 1:26-38; Ps 10:1-11; Pro 1:10-16
Lukas 8:14 NLV
Jy moet die onkruid uitwis. Jesus het in sy bekende gelykenis gesê dat die saad op vier verskillende tipes grond geval het. ‘Die saad tussen die onkruid is mense wat die boodskap hoor en ook aanvaar, maar tog te gou word dit verdring deur die sorge en rykdom en plesiere van hierdie lewe. En só groei hulle nooit tot volwassenheid nie’ (vers 14 NLV).
Let op dat daar drie soorte ‘onkruid’ is wat jou daarvan kan weerhou om geestelik volwasse te word. 1) Sorge. Jy raak so besig met alledaagse sorge dat jy jou oë van Jesus afneem. 2) Rykdom. Om geld te maak en dinge te koop domineer jou lewe in so ‘n groot mate dat jy nie tyd vir die Here het nie. 3) Plesiere. Deur die ‘goeie lewe’ na te streef, kan jou geestelike groei verwurg word.
Dis in die haak om ‘n goeie tyd te hê, maar jy moet jou prioriteite beskerm. As jy tyd het om inkopies te doen, strand toe te gaan, gholf te speel of ure voor die televisie deur te bring, maar nie tyd het om jou Bybel te lees nie, is jou prioriteite uit balans uit. Jy sê: ‘Ek het eenvoudig nie tyd om die Here te dien nie.’ Dan is jy te besig! Jy moet dan die onkruid uittrek.
Baie dinge in die lewe is nie noodwendig verkeerd nie; hulle is net nie noodsaaklik nie. Miskien moet jy jou skedule ‘n bietjie aanpas om die onkruid te verwyder. Jy moet na jou tamatieplante omsien, maar jy hoef nie enigiets te doen om kakiebos te produseer nie; hulle groei vanself wanneer jy jou tuin verwaarloos. Kry jy die idee? As die ‘onkruid’ in jou lewe jou daarvan weerhou om ‘vrugte’ te dra, is dit tyd om aksie te neem.
Sielskos: Gen 7-9; Luk 1:26-38; Ps 10:1-11; Spr 1:10-16
2022-01-04
Colossians 2:7 NLT
Paul writes this: “Just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ….you…are complete through your union with Christ” (vv. 6-8, 10 NLT).
If you ever visit an Arizona desert, you will find that it is full of different kinds of vegetation. The contrasts are fascinating. The dried-up, brittle tumbleweed blows everywhere. Why? Because it has no roots. By contrast, the saguaro cactus bears fruit even in 130-degree weather. Why? Because its roots go out fifty to sixty feet in all directions.
You must have deep spiritual roots if you are going to make it through the “dry spells” of life. Anyone can survive a day or two of drought, but what about extended seasons of stress, grief, lack, illness, and adversity? Whatever your life is rooted to – is what you will draw your strength from. The psalmist writes this: “They delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind” (Psalm 1:2-4 NLT). Pray, “Lord, root me deep in you.”
Soul food: Gen 4-6; Luke 1:11-25; Ps 90:7-17; Pro 1:5-9
2022-01-03
Proverbs 12:3 NLT
You must cultivate deep spiritual roots. “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord…They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by…heat or worried by…months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8 NLT). This Scripture gives you one reason why you need deep spiritual roots: to make it through the rough times – times of heat and drought. Solomon said, “No one can be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted” (Proverbs 12:3 NIV).
It’s when seasons of adversity hit your life that you discover what you’re “rooted” to: God’s strength or merely your own. When the Bible speaks of “heat,” it’s speaking about the pressures of life. When it speaks about “drought,” it’s speaking about seasons of crisis and lack. What’s the answer? “Roots that reach deep into the water.” What’s the result? “They never stop producing fruit.”
Because of their roots, the giant redwoods of Northern California can withstand the major forest fires. If you were to measure the roots of a large oak tree, they would stretch out for several hundred miles. That’s why they’re stable in the storms of life. Paul writes this: “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong…you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God” (Ephesians 3:16-17, 19 NLT).
Soul food: Gen 1-3; Luke 1:1-10; Ps 90:1-6; Pro 1:1-4
