Lord, help me learn your ways. Show me how you want me to live. Psalm 25:4
"Most people in the Christian world don’t want the process, they want the encounter. They want some kind of impartation that means they can be miraculously delivered from their circumstances and can be made into a new person without having to do anything. That’s not impartation. That’s magic, and God does not do magic! If God wants you to learn something through your circumstances He will be totally committed to walking with you in such a way that you learn something and become the person He wants you to be. THAT is the resolution of your circumstances." From THE PROCESS SERIES (Graham Cooke) 1 Quit Worrying:
Life has dealt you a blow and all you do is sit and worry. Have you forgotten that I am here to take all your burdens and carry them for you? Alternatively, do you just enjoy fretting over every little thing that comes your way? 2. Put It On The List: Something needs to be done or taken care of. Put it on the list. No, not YOUR list. Put it on MY to-do-list. Let ME be the one to take care of the problem. I cannot help you until you turn it over to Me. Moreover, although My to-do-list is long, I am after all.. God. I can take care of anything you put into My hands. In fact, if the truth were ever really known, I take care of many things for you that you never even realize. 3. Trust Me: Once you have given your burdens to Me, quit trying to take them back. Trust in Me. Have the faith that I will take care of all your needs, your problems and your trials. Problems with the kids? Put them on My list. Problem with finances? Put it on My list. Problems with your emotional roller coaster? For My sake, put it on My list. I want to help you. All you have to do is ask. 4. Leave It Alone: Do not wake up one morning and say, "Well, I'm feeling much stronger now; I think I can handle it from here." Why do you think you are feeling stronger now? It is simple. You gave Me your burdens and I am taking care of them. I also renew your strength and cover you in my peace. Don't you know that if I give you these problems back, you will be right back where you started? Leave them with Me and forget about them. Don't you trust me! 5. Talk To Me: I want you to forget many things. Forget what was making you crazy. Forget the worry and the fretting because you know I am in control. Nevertheless, there is one thing I pray you never forget. Please, do not forget to talk to Me - OFTEN! I love YOU! I want to hear your voice. I want you to include Me in on the things going on in your life. I want to hear you talk about your friends and family. Prayer is simply you having a conversation with Me. I want to be your dearest friend. 6. Have Faith: I see many things from up here that you cannot see from where you are. Have faith in Me that I know what I am doing. Trust Me; you would not want the view from My eyes. I will continue to care for you, watch over you, and meet your needs. You only have to trust Me. Although I have a much bigger task than you do, it seems as if you have so much trouble just doing your simple part. How hard can trust be? 7. Share: You were taught to share when you were only two years old. When did you forget? That rule still applies. Share with those who are less fortunate than you are. Share your joy with those who need encouragement. Share your laughter with those who have not heard any in such a long time. Share your tears with those who have forgotten how to cry. Share your faith with those who have none. 8. Be Patient: I managed to fix it so in just one lifetime you could have so many diverse experiences. You grow from a child to an adult, have children, change jobs many times, learn many trades, travel to so many places, meet thousands of people, and experience so much. How can you be so impatient then when it takes Me a little longer than you expect to handle something on My to-do-list? Trust in My timing, for My timing is perfect. Just because I created the entire universe in only six days, everyone thinks I should always rush, rush, and rush. 9. Be Kind: Be kind to others, for I love them just as much as I love you. They may not dress like you, or talk like you, or live the same way you do, but I still love you all. Please try to get along, for My sake.. I created each of you different in some way. It would be too boring if you were all identical. Please, know I love each of your differences. 10. Love Yourself: As much as I love you, how can you not love yourself? I created you for one reason only -- to be loved, and to love in return. I am God of Love. Love Me. Love your neighbours. Also, love yourself. It makes My heart ache when I see you so angry with yourself when things go wrong. You are very precious to me. Do not ever forget... Touch someone with your LOVE Die Verbondsark het God se teenwoordigheid tussen Sy mense verteenwoordig. Toe die Filistyne dit gevat het, het hulle pes-swere gekry. Toe hulle dit in hulle tempel gesit het, het hulle god, Dagon, vooroor geval op die grond (1 Sam 5). 'n Mens peuter nie aan God se dinge nie. Selfs as jy nie bereid is om God te dien nie, moet jy Hom ten minste eerbiedig. Toe Israel die Filistyne verslaan het, het Dawid besluit om die Ark terug te bring na Jerusalem. Toe God die Ark ontwerp het, het Hy ringe aan die kante met drastokke daardeur laat sit, en gesê dat dit slegs op die skouers van spesiale priesters gedra moes word. Maar iemand anders het aan "'n beter plan" gedink, en hulle het dit op 'n wa gesit wat deur 'n os getrek is. Dis net daar waar als verkeerd geloop het. Toe die Ark van die wa af begin gly, het 'n bystander met goeie bedoelings besluit om dit te stut. Hy het gesterf omdat hy dit gedoen het! Hierdie gebeurtenis het 'n les vir mense wat God se teenwoordigheid wil verpak en bemark. Wie is bevoeg om God se teenwoordigheid te dra? Slegs priesters wat glo en wat gereinig is met die bloed van die Lam en met die Woord gewas is by die doopvont, wat gemeenskap met God het aan Sy tafel, wat Hom aanbid by die wierookaltaar, en wat wandel in die lig van die waarheid wat deur die kandelaar voorgestel word. As ons God se teenwoordigheid wil uitdra en Sy kerk wil bou, moet ons dit op Sy manier doen.
Sielekos: 1 Kron. 1-2 ; Luk 11:14-28; Ps 78:56-64; Spr. 20:7-10 Deel (2) Die Verbondsark het drie dinge vir die mense van Israel beteken. Dis ook die drie dinge wat jy in die lewe nodig het. 1) Oorwinning. Israel moes vreemd vir hul vyande gelyk het as hulle gaan oorlog maak het, want die priesters wat die Verbondsark gedra het, het voor die weermag uitgeloop. Hulle vyande het waarskynlik gelag as hulle dit gesien het en gesê: "Watse kis dra julle rond?" Nadat hulle egter verslaan en verneder is, het hulle besef dat hulle nie teen mense geveg het nie, maar teen God. As jou verhouding met die Here reg is, sal Hy voor jou uitgaan en jou gevegte vir jou veg. 2) Leiding. As die Israeliete leiding nodig gehad het, het God met hulle gepraat op die plek waar die Ark in die tabernakel gestaan het. Hulle het ontdek wat jy sal ontdek: as jy God se leiding vra en na Hom luister, kan jy nie verkeerd gaan nie. Sy leiding is onfeilbaar: Ek is die Here jou God... wat jou lei op die pad waarop jy moet gaan." (Jesaja 48:17). 3) Voorspoed. Voorspoed beteken eenvoudig om genoeg te hê om die wil van God te doen. Dis hoeveel God wil hê jy moet hê - niks minder nie en niks meer nie. Toe die Ark vir drie maande in die huis van 'n man met die naam Obed-Edom gestaan het, is alles wat hy gehad het, geseën en het dit vermeerder (2 Sam 6:10-12). Het jy meer oorwinning, leiding en voorspoed nodig? Bring tyd deur in God se teenwoordigheid en dra dit saam met jou waar jy ook al gaan. Sielekos: 1 Kron. 3:1-4:23; Luk 11:29-44; Ps 78:65-72; Spr. 20:11-14 Deeel (3) Die Verbondsark word omtrent 185 keer in die Bybel genoem, en dit moet dus belangrik wees. Elke aktiwiteit in die binne- en buitehof van die tabernakel het net een doel gedien: om jou in die Allerheiligste in te lei waar God teenwoordig was. Ou-Testamentiese simbole soos die Ark is illustrasies van Nuwe-Testamentiese realiteite. So is die Ark, wat die belangrikste meubelstuk in die tabernakel was, 'n illustrasie van die Christus wat ons liefhet en dien. Hy is die Koning en almagtig. Daar is niemand soos Hy nie. Net Hy is alle lof waardig. Paulus skryf: "Die Seun is die beeld van God, van God wat self nie gesien kan word nie. Die Seun is die Eerste, verhewe bo die hele skepping. God het deur Hom alles geskep wat in die hemel en op die aarde is: alles wat gesien kan word en alles wat nie gesien kan word nie, konings, heersers, maghebbers, gesagvoerders. Alles is deur Hom en vir Hom geskep. Voor alles was Hy al daar, en deur Hom bly alles in stand. Hy is die hoof van die liggaam, van die kerk. Hy is die oorsprong daarvan, Hy is die Eerste, die Een wat uit die dood opgestaan het, sodat Hy die eerste plek in die heelal inneem. God het besluit om met Sy volle wese in Hom te woon en om deur Hom alles met Homself te versoen..." (Kol 1:15-20 NV). As jou geloof op jouself gefokus is, sal jy nêrens kom met God nie. Maar as jou geloof op Christus gefokus is, is alles wat Christus het vir jou beskikbaar! Sielekos: 1 Kron. 4:24-5:26; Luk 11:45-54; Ps 119:1-8; Spr. 20:15-18 SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 121:1-2 ‘I lift up my eyes to the mountains - where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.’ 1. WE ALL NEED HELP • In some area or another we all need help. • Regardless if it was one of the great men and women of the Bible or the apostles of Jesus, or you and me today, we need God’s help. • We may think we can do it on our own, but sooner or later we will realize that we cannot do it on our own. • There is just something about help that lifts us from one dimension to another. • I remember years ago my grandfather decided to advance his four daughters R1000 of their inheritance. It was a considerable amount of money in those days. This help brought such joy and relief to my mother and to us as a family as a result. It was not earned or expected, but it just lifted the weight of life and brought relief. • When God steps in and helps us, it has the same effect. • Perhaps there is an area of your life today where you need divine intervention. • You just need God’s help in your situation. • Well, you can trust God for just this. 2. GOD'S HELP CAN COME FROM UNEXPECTED SOURCES • You just never know who God will use and what He will use to bring help and relief to your situation. • Isaiah 55:8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. • My ways are not your ways, says the Lord. • We should not prescribe to God how and where that help should come from. • Sometimes when we are in a situation, we want to make our problem someone else’s problem. • My employer must solve this, or my husband must solve this, or my parents must solve this, or my children must solve this. • My ways are not your ways, says the Lord. • In my own experience I have seen how God will use an unexpected source to come through for my situation. 3. WHEN GOD HELPS US HE HAS GOT OUR HEARTS IN MIND • Sometimes we have pre-conceived ideas about how God should help and what God should do. • A pre-conceived idea, according to the dictionary, is an opinion formed beforehand without adequate evidence. • We think we know what’s best for us. • Often people do not want to change, but they want the problem/s to go away. • I am reminded about a time when the Doctor told me my cholesterol was a bit high. I asked him how we could correct this and he told me something I didn’t really want to hear. He told me that I needed to change. I needed to change my lifestyle and start eating healthy. I also needed to change my lifestyle and do more exercise. Now I have never been very partial to exercise, unless it involved watching it, and preferably from the couch! I also have always loved the wrong food. If I have a choice between a fresh jam doughnut or fresh fruit and vegetables, the choice is easy – THE DOUGHNUT! So I wanted the quick-fix, a pill that will take the problem away without me having to change. • I also remember a story of a father and son that arrived at our church and advised me that they had walked from another town, several hundred kilometers away, and had now settled in our city. They asked for food as they said they had none and hadn’t eaten for days. I got them seated in our reception area and served them coffee and I quickly went to the grocery store and purchased two boxes of provision. Then I called them back into the office and happily advised them that we would be able to help and presented them with the two boxes. The father did not seem very delighted and he stood up and looked at the boxes and then at me, saying: ‘Do you expect me to carry that?’ That was when I realized that they had a preconceived hope that I would give them money and in fact did not really want food. • Even if things don’t work out according to our thinking, He remains able to turn things out for our good. 4. WHERE ARE YOU LOOKING FOR YOUR HELP? • We must be determined that God is our help and we will not look to other things. • The psalmist writes and says: ‘MY help is from the Lord!’ It was a settled matter for him. • But yet, often when we face troubles we can turn to the strangest things. • We must not look in the wrong places for help. • Years ago I went to visit a lady in our church. She and her family had faithfully served the Lord for 40 years. She was a godly lady. But I was so surprised when I got to her house as she had hung crystals around her house and felt that they would have a positive effect. • Don’t turn to other things; don’t look to the weird and the questionable. • We can end up turning to the wrong thing and that’s when things usually end up worse. 5. YOUR HELP COMES FROM THE ONE WHO MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH • Remember your God is great! • Your God is the one who made heaven and earth. • He is great and why would you look to anything less than Him? • He is able to do more than we could ask or think. • Ephesians 3:20 ‘Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.’ • Do you think if He created the universe, that your problem or situation is too great for Him? • Is anything too hard for God? • Jeremiah 32:27 ‘I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for Me?’ • The answer is NO; nothing is too difficult for Him. • So let’s look to Him with confidence, know that He is able to handle our concerns and challenges and He knows best and He can see things from the correct perspective. • Give it to Him today and let’s ask Him to intervene in your life and situation. • Declare it with me: ‘MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD!’ By: Andrew W Roebert |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
All
Archives
June 2015
|