The devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8
One morning, I watched a rabbit nibble grass in my backyard. He was on the small side, with brown flecked fur and a cotton-puff tail. Suddenly, a hawk sliced through the air as fast and precise as lightning. With talons outstretched, he snatched for his prey. But the rabbit recognized the approaching danger and sped to safety, just inches ahead of the hawk. Like the rabbit that spotted its predator and scurried away, we as Christians need to be watchful so that we can evade our enemy. “The devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Satan wants to devour us by winning us over to his ways; he does this by toying with the truth (John 8:44) and trying to deceive us (Gen. 3:1). The devil’s schemes reflect his dishonest nature, and his tricks are meant to catch us off guard. In response, Christians should be alert and clear-headed (1 Peter 5:8). Living in this state of active readiness helps us discern false teaching (1 John 4:1-3; 2 John 1:7-11) and overcome temptation (Matt. 26:41). Today, watch out for your spiritual predator. What kind of lies is he whispering? How is he tempting you? Resist him, and he will flee (James 4:7). John said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" Joh 1:29 Jesus was born crucified. Whenever he became conscious of who he was, he also became conscious of what he had to do. The cross-shaped shadow could always be seen. And the screams of hell's imprisoned could always be heard. This explains the glint of determination on his face as he turned to go to Jerusalem for the last time. He was on his death march (Luk 9:51 ). This explains the resoluteness in the words, "The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord" (Joh 10:17-18 NIV)… So call it what you wish: An act of grace. A plan of redemption. A martyr's sacrifice. But whatever you call it, don't call it an accident. It was anything but that. God Came Near (Max Lucado) Though your sins are like scarlet, they can be as white as snow. Though your sins are deep red, they can be white like wool. Isa 1:18
When Jesus told us to pray for forgiveness of our debts as we forgive our own debtors, he knew who would be the one to pay the debt. As he would hang on the cross he would say, "It is finished"… the debt is paid! There are some facts that will never change. One fact is that you are forgiven. If you are in Christ, when he sees you, your sins are covered—he doesn't see them. He sees you better than you see yourself. And that is a glorious fact of your life. Walking with the Savior (Max Lucado) Are you facing trouble in your business or career? As you read the following verses, be reminded that career people and businessmen here are likened to seamen in ships. The great waters signify the big world of competition, an ocean of activity. "They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; these see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. For He commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. . . . They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end" (Psalm 107:23-27). These people are God's beloved saints. They are in awe of His greatness and power, but a storm breaks out that is beyond their control. It is not judgment for sin, yet suddenly waves are swamping them, swallowing up their boat. They are staggered by problems on all sides, and it looks as if their ship is going down. Suddenly they are confused and perplexed: "Their soul is melted because of trouble" (verse 26). Many career people have told me, "It looks bad. I don't know what happened, but suddenly I'm in a mess." They were able to solve their own problems in the past, and to escape one crisis after another. With this trial, however, there seems to be no way of escape. They are mentally and physically exhausted. How easily we forget that our loving heavenly Father is our partner in our work, regardless of our career or calling. Indeed, nothing happens to us without His involvement. He has power over all our difficulties and He has a reason and purpose behind them all. What can you do when your business partner has no advice and consultants cannot help you? Where do you turn when your spouse, your pastor, your best friend has nothing to say to you? I am not a businessman but I can point you to the seamen in Psalm 107: "Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven" (Psalm 107:28-30). PENCIL
I'm sorry ERASER For what? You didn't do anything wrong. PENCIL I'm sorry because you get hurt because of me. Whenever I made a mistake, you're always there to erase it. But as you make my mistakes vanish, you lose a part of yourself. You get smaller and smaller each time. ERASER That's true. But I don't really mind. You see, I was made to do this. I was made to help you whenever you do something wrong. Even though one day, I know I'll be gone and you'll replace me with a new one, I'm actually happy with my job. So please, stop worrying. I hate seeing you sad. I found this conversation between the pencil and the eraser very inspirational. Parents are like the eraser whereas their children are the pencil. They're always there for their children, cleaning up their mistakes. Sometimes along the way, they get hurt, and become smaller / older, and eventually pass on. Though their children will eventually find someone new (spouse), but parents are still happy with what they do for their children, and will always hate seeing their precious ones worrying, or sad. All my life, I've been the pencil. And it pains me to see the eraser that is my parents getting smaller and smaller each day. For I know that one day, all that I'm left with would be eraser shavings and memories of what I used to have. This is to all the parents out there. Then Jesus went about a stone's throw away from them. He kneeled down and prayed. Luk 22:41 The final prayer of Jesus was about you. His final pain was for you. His final passion was for you. Before he went to the cross, Jesus went to the garden. And when he spoke with his Father, you were in his prayers… And God couldn't turn his back on you. He couldn't because he saw you, and one look at you was all it took to convince him. Right there in the middle of a world which isn't fair. He saw you cast into a river of life you didn't request. He saw you betrayed by those you love. He saw you with a body which gets sick and a heart which grows weak… On the eve of the cross, Jesus made his decision. He would rather go to hell for you than go to heaven without you. And the Angels Were Silent (Max Lucado) When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Psalm 8:3-4 Since the dawn of time, people have gazed up at the night sky and contemplated the great expanse that covers the earth like an endless canopy. What is out there, and how big is it? The more we learn, the smaller our little corner of the universe seems. Our Milky Way galaxy is 100,000 light years in diameter and contains approximately 200 billion stars. It is part of a cluster that includes nearly 50 other galaxies. Yet this is a comparatively miniscule galaxy cluster. The Virgo Cluster contains about 2,500 galaxies. In this vast universe, it is easy to feel tiny and insignificant. What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? (Psalm 8:4). In spite of our frailties, we are tremendously important to God. It is astounding to think the Creator of innumerable galaxies knows us as individuals. He cares so much He sent His Son to die for our sins. We can trust Him with our lives, knowing the One who made the measureless universe loves us beyond measure. God is mighty enough to overcome our biggest problems—and personal enough to care about the smallest details of our lives. Dit maak nie saak hoe geestelik sterk jy geword het nie, jy sal nooit versoeking kan ontgroei nie. Sodra jy dit op een front oorwin het, val dit jou op 'n ander kant aan. En hoe nader jy aan God kom, hoe meer sal die Satan jou probeer verlei. Paulus het dit as volg verduidelik: 'Want die slegte dinge binne-in jul harte wil altyd iets anders hê as wat die Heilige Gees wil hê...Hulle is altyd teen mekaar...' (Galasiërs 5:17 BVA). So, wat is die antwoord? Daar is twee maniere waarop jy versoeking kan oorkom: Eerstens, wees eerlik daaromtrent. Vra jouself af: 'Wanneer kom ek die meeste in versoeking?' Gewoonlik is ons die mees kwesbare wanneer ons stres beleef: wanneer ons seer het, kwaad, bekommerd, alleen, verveeld of moeg is, of na 'n groot sukses of geestelike hoogtepunt. Leer om jou patrone te identifiseer: 'Opregte mense vermy die kwaad op hul lewensweg' (Spreuke 16:17 NV). Tweedens reik uit na God se hulp. 'Roep My aan in die dag van benoudheid. Ek sal jou help...' (Psalm 50:15 NV). So, waarom roep ons nie meer dikwels tot God nie? Want soms wil ons net doen wat ons wil doen, of hoe? Of ons is skaam omdat ons toegee aan versoekings. Moenie mismoedig raak nie; God sal nie opgee nie. Sy Woord sê: 'Daarom moet ons nie bang wees om tot God te bid nie, God wat op Sy troon sit. Ons moet na Hom toe gaan sodat Hy... vir ons...genadig kan wees... en... Hy vir ons kan help wanneer ons Hom nodig het' (Hebreërs 4:16 BVA). As jy elke uur van elke dag om God se hulp moet uitroep, sal Hy daar wees vir jou! Net soos 'n boom se wortels dieper groei as die storms opsteek, word jy ook telkens sterker as jy 'n versoeking weerstaan.
Sielskos: Hosea 1-5; Matt 27:1-10; Ps 32; Spr 9:10-16 Jeremiah 31:25 for I will fully satisfy the weary soul and I will replenish every languishing and sorrowful person. Lord come and refresh and satisfy us. Give us strength and enable us through your Holy Spirit. Guide us in Your wisdom to stay on the path You prepared for us.
A couple of days ago I was running (I use that term very loosely) on my treadmill, watching a DVD sermon by Louie Giglio... And I was BLOWN AWAY! I want to share what I learned... But I fear not being able to convey it as well as I want. I will share anyway.. He (Louie) was talking about how inconceivably BIG our God is... How He spoke the universe into being.... Then He went on to speak of how this universe creating God ALSO knitted our human bodies together with amazing detail and wonder. At this point I am LOVING it (fascinating from a medical standpoint, you know.)... And I was remembering how I was constantly amazed during medical school as I learned more and more about God's handiwork. I remember so many times thinking.. 'How can ANYONE deny that a Creator did all of this???' Louie went on to talk about how we can trust that the God who created all this, also has the power to hold it all together when things seem to be falling apart..how our loving Creator is also our sustainer. And then I lost my breath. And it wasn't because I was running my treadmill, either!!! It was because he started talking about laminin.. I knew about laminin. Here is how Wikipedia describes them: 'Laminins are a family of proteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding of basement membranes in almost every animal tissue.' You see... Laminins are what hold us together.. LITERALLY. They are cell adhesion molecules. They are what holds one cell of our bodies to the next cell. Without them, we would literally fall apart. And I knew all this already. But what I didn't know is what they LOOKED LIKE. But now I do. And I have thought about it a thousand times since (already).. Here is what the structure of laminin looks like.... AND THIS IS NOT a 'Christian portrayal' of it... If you look up laminin in any scientific/medical piece of literature, this is what you will see... Now tell me that our God is not the coolest!!! Amazing. The glue that holds us together..... ALL of us.... Is in the shape of the cross. Immediately Colossians 1:15-17 comes to mind. 'He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible And invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in Him all things HOLD TOGETHER. ' I just think that is very, very, very cool. Thousands of years before the world knew anything about laminin, Paul penned those words. And now we see that from a very LITERAL standpoint, we are held together... One cell to another... By the cross. You would never in a quadrillion years convince me that is anything Other than the mark of a Creator who knew EXACTLY what laminin 'glue' would look like long before Adam breathed his first breath!! What an amazing God. |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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