A pastor had been on a long flight between church conferences. The first warning of the approaching problems came when the sign on the airplane flashed on: Fasten Your SeatBelts. Then, after a while, a calm voice said, "We shall not be serving the beverages at this time as we are expecting a little turbulence. Please be sure your seat belt is fastened." As the pastor looked around the aircraft, it became obvious that many of the passengers were becoming apprehensive. Later, the voice on the intercom said, "We are so sorry that we are unable to serve the meal at this time. The turbulence is still ahead of us." And then the storm broke... The ominous cracks of thunder could be heard even above the roar of the engines. Lightning! Lit up the darkening skies, and within moments that great plane was like a cork tossed around on a celestial ocean. One moment the airplane was lifted on terrific currents of air; the next, it dropped as it were about to crash. The pastor confessed that he shared the discomfort and fear of those around him. He said, "As I looked around the plane, I could see that nearly all the passengers were upset and alarmed. Some were praying. The future seemed ominous and many were wondering if they would make it through the storm. " Then, I suddenly saw a little girl. Apparently the storm meant nothing to her. She had tucked her feet beneath her as she sat on her seat; she was reading a book and every- thing within her small world was calm and orderly. "Sometimes she closed her eyes, then she would read again; then she would straighten her legs, but worry and fear were not in her world. When the plane was being buffeted by the terrible storm when it lurched this way and that, as it rose and fell with frightening Severity, when all the adults were scared half to death, that marvelous child was completely composed and unafraid." The minister could hardly believe his eyes. It was not surprising therefore, that when the plane finally reached its destination and all the passengers were hurrying to disembark, our pastor lingered to speak to the girl whom he had watched for such a long time. Having commented about the storm and the behavior of the plane, he asked why she had not been afraid. The child replied, "Cause my Daddy's the pilot, and he's taking me home." There are many kinds of storms that buffet us. Physical, mental, financial, domestic, and many other storms can easily and quickly darken our skies and throw our plane into apparently uncontrollable movement. We have all known such times, and let us be honest and confess, it is much easier to be at rest when our feet are on the ground than when we are being tossed about a darkened sky. Let us remember: Our Father is the Pilot. He is in control and taking us home. Don't worry! With thanks to Mary Ann For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity. "In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat." What would an X-ray—an MRI—of your soul reveal? Regrets over teenage relationships? Remorse over a poor choice? You become moody, cranky. You’re angry, irritable. Understandable, you have shame lodged in your soul. Interested in an extraction? Confess. Request a spiritual MRI. Psalm 139: 23-24 is just that: “Search me, O God and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there’s any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” We need a prayer of grace-based confession. God, I’ve done what you say is wrong. Would you wash away my guilt and make me clean again. No chant or candle needed. Just an honest prayer of confession. Try it! From GRACE We must beware of putting our faith in anything other than relying on God Himself and His Word. Mark 11:22 teaches us to have faith in God constantly. We therefore need to strive to have faith as it pleases God Heb 11:6. We as humans are not always faithful but God is faithful to us who believe .2 Tim 2:13.
God is strong and can help you not to fall. Judges 1:24
You and I are on a great climb. The wall is high, and the stakes are higher. You took your first step the day you confessed Christ as the Son of God. He gave you his harness—the Holy Spirit. In your hands he placed a rope—his Word. Your first steps were confident and strong, but with the journey came weariness, and with the height came fear. You lost your footing. You lost your focus. You lost your grip, and you fell. For a moment, which seemed like forever, you tumbled wildly. Out of control. Out of self-control. Disoriented. Dislodged. Falling. But then the rope tightened, and the tumble ceased. You hung in the harness and found it to be strong. You grasped the rope and found it to be true. And though you can't see your guide, you know him. You know he is strong. You know he is able to keep you from falling. A Gentle Thunder (Max Lucado) Wees versigtig vir mense wat nie waarde aan hulself kan heg nie, want hulle is nie in staat om jou te waardeer nie. Soek vir die wat jou laat groei, wat jou nie inhibeer nie, wat jou verstand stimuleer en jou geloof versterk. As jy saam met hulle is, sal jou beste eienskappe teruggekaats word na jou, en sal jy gevoed word deur hul woorde. Toe God jou gemaak het, het Hy teruggestaan en gesê: "Dit is baie goed." (Gen 1:31 NV). Hou op om na menings te luister wat die teenoorgestelde sê. Jy het soveel potensiaal dat daar "moontlikheid" oral oor jou geskryf staan. Deur God se genade kan jy enigiets wees wat Hy begeer. "...God [het] ons deur die Woord van die waarheid [Sy boodskap] tot die lewe gebring, sodat ons... eerstelinge kan wees van alles wat Hy geskep het." Jy sê: "Maar ek berou soveel dinge." As jy hulle bely en daaruit geleer het, vestig jou oë op die toekoms! God se liefde hang nie van jou prestasies af nie. Hy het jou nie gekies oor jou talente nie. "...Christus [het] vir ons gesterf toe ons nog sondaars was." (Rom 5:8 NV). Hy is die God van tweede kanse, en derdes ook. Paulus skryf: "Ek is veral ook daarvan oortuig dat God, wat die goeie werk in julle begin het, dit enduit sal voer..." (Fil. 1:6 NV). Die God wat jou tot hier gebring het, sal jou ook op die res van die reis vergesel - Hy gee om vir jou. Maak net seker dat jy toegewyd is aan Hom.
Sielskos: 2 Kor. 5-8; Luk 2:1-7; Ps 144:1-8; Spr. 16:1-3 Jeremiah 31:25
'I will fully satisfy the needs of those who are weary and fully refresh the souls of those who are faint.' - What is your greatest need today? - The Lord undertakes to fully satisfy your needs. - He also undertakes to fully refresh those who feel weak. - He loves you and wants the best for you. PRAYER: Lord, I pray that You will come and fully satisfy every need and fully refresh those who feel tired and weak. Amen. People with a sad past need to be able to believe in a bright future. Proverbs 29:18 says that where there is no vision people perish. It does not cost anything to believe. We should therefore believe for a lot and even if we get half of it it is better than believing for nothing and getting all of it.
Ask God for the vision you need to pursue and believe you have the ability and resources required to do it properly. Something good is going to happen if you do this. “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:24
Receiving, reading, researching, remembering, and reflecting on the Word of God are all useless if we fail to put them into practice. We must become doers of the word (James 1:22). I understand this is a hard step, because Satan fights it so intensely. He doesn't mind you going to Bible studies as long as you don’t do anything with what you learn. We fool ourselves when we assume that just because we have heard or read or studied a truth, we have internalized it. Actually, you can be so busy going to the next class or seminar or Bible conference that you have no time to implement what you've learned. You forget it on the way to your next study. Without implementation, all our Bible studies are worthless. Jesus said, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24 NIV). Jesus also pointed out that God’s blessing comes from obeying the truth, not just knowing it. He said, “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (John 13:17). I cannot overstate the value of being a part of a small Bible study discussion group. We always learn from others truths we would never learn on our own. Other people will help you see insights you would miss and help you apply God’s truth in a practical way. The best way to become a doer of the Word is to always write out an action step as a result of your reading or studying or reflecting on God’s Word. Develop the habit of writing down exactly what you intend to do. This action step should be personal (involving you), practical (something you can do), and provable (with a deadline to do it). Every application will involve either your relationship to God, your relationship to others, or your personal character. If you suffer for doing good, and you are patient, then God is pleased. 1 Peter 2:20 Is there any emotion that imprisons the soul more than the unwillingness to forgive? What do you do when people mistreat you or those you love? Does the fire of anger boil within you, with leaping flames consuming your emotions? Or do you reach somewhere, to some source of cool water and pull out a bucket of mercy—to free yourself? Don't get on the roller coaster of resentment and anger. You be the one who says, "Yes, he mistreated me, but I am going to be like Christ. I'll be the one who says, 'Forgive them, Father, they don't know what they're doing.'" Walking with the Savior (Max Lucado) |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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