Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. Luke 17:15
People who have a thankful heart are always praising God. You often hear them say, “God is good!” They know that God is the reason for every blessing they get. But there are those who look to God for blessings and when they get blessed, they just go on their merry way. Their hearts are captivated by the blessings instead of the One who has blessed them. Jesus had an encounter with both these types of people when He walked into a village one day. Then lepers cried out to Him, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (Luke 17:13). Now, when you call out to Jesus for mercy, He always hears you. On another occasion, when two blind men cried out to Him, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” He took the time to give them their miracles. (Matthew 9:27-30) So these 10 lepers cried out to Him for mercy. He stopped, looked at them and said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And “as they went, they were cleansed” (Luke 17:14). But only one came back and fell at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks. Notice they very words of Jesus that followed: “were there not 10 cleansed? But where are the nine?” (Luke 17:17) The other nine obviously knew that it was Jesus who had cleansed them. Yet, they did not bother to go back and thank Him. Let it be said of you when the blessings come, you remember to give God the praise, glory and honour, and acknowledge that He is the source of every blessing in your life. Did you know that when the man came back to thank Jesus, he received the additional blessing of becoming whole? Jesus said to him, “Arise, go thy way; thy faith has made thee whole.” (Luke 17:19, KJV). He was not just cleansed of leprosy, he got his missing fingers and toes back as well! When your heart is thankful towards God, you position yourself for even greater blessings. Even when you are old, I will be the same. Even when your hair has turned gray, I will take care of you. Isa 46:4
Growing old can be dangerous. The trail is treacherous and the pitfalls are many. One is wise to be prepared. You know it's coming. It's not like God kept the process a secret. It's not like you are blazing a trail as you grow older. It's not as if no one has ever done it before. Look around you. You have ample opportunity to prepare and ample case studies to consider. If growing old catches you by surprise, don't blame God. He gave you plenty of warning. He also gave you plenty of advice. Your last chapters can be your best. Your final song can be your greatest. It could be that all of your life has prepared you for a grand exit. God's oldest have always been among his choicest. He Still Moves Stones (Max Lucado) Voordat Jesus hierdie wêreld verlaat het, het Hy sy dissipels eenkant geneem om hulle voor te berei vir die probleme wat hulle sou hê sodra Hy weg is: 'Ek is die wingerdstok, julle die lote...sonder My kan julle niks doen nie...Ek het julle uitgekies...om... vrugte te dra, vrugte wat sal hou' (vv. 5 & 16 NV). Jesus leer ons hier twee belangrike dinge: 1) Jy vind slegs uit wie jy is in 'n verhouding met Christus. 'Sonder My kan julle niks doen nie.' As jy dit vergeet, probeer jy uiteindelik dinge te doen wat slegs God kan doen, soos om jou probleme op joU manier op te los of jouself deur slim planne voorop te stel. Jy word nie in enige van jou ondernemings geseën deur jou eie prestasie nie, maar jy word geseën as gevolg van jou verbintenis met Christus. Tensy jy dit verstaan, mors jy jou tyd om agter mense aan te handloop wat niks meer mag het as jy nie. Jou krag en sukses lê in Christus, die Wingerstok. Hou dus daaraan vas! 2) Voordat jy vrugte kry wat hou, verloor jy die vrugte wat tydelik is. 'Elke loot aan My wat nie vrugte dra nie, sny Hy af' (v. 2 NV). Jy kan dalk 'n goeie loot wees wat aan die wingerdstok vas is, en goeie vrugte dra, maar skielik begin God sekere dinge in jou lewe afsny. Dinge wat volgens jou altyd daar sou wees, word weggeneem; en nou voel dit asof jy agteruit boer. Dit verg geloof om te weet dat God sal toelaat dat jy verloor waarop jy trots is en waarop jy jou sekerheid gebou het, om jou iets beters te gee - vrugte wat hou, langdurige sukses. Daarom, hoe moeilik dit ookal mag wees, laat dit gaan. God het vir jou iets beter in gedagte.
Sielskos: Amos 5:18-9:15; Lukas 1:26-38; Ps 73:17-28; Spr 13:20 It was chilly in Manhattan but warm inside the Starbucks shop on 51st Street and Broadway, just a skip up from Times Square. Early November weather in New York City holds only the slightest hint of the bitter chill of late December and January, but it's enough to send the masses crowding indoors to vie for available space and warmth.
For a musician, it's the most lucrative Starbucks location in the world, I'm told, and consequently, the tips can be substantial if you play your tunes right. Apparently, we were striking all the right chords that night, because our basket was almost overflowing. It was a fun, low-pressure gig - I was playing keyboard and singing backup for my friend who also added rhythm with an arsenal of percussion instruments. We mostly did pop songs from the 40's to the '90s with a few original tunes thrown in. During our emotional rendition of the classic, "If You Don't Know Me by Now," I noticed a lady sitting in one of the lounge Chairs across from me. She was swaying to the beat and singing along. After the tune was over, she approached me. "I apologize for singing along on that song. Did it bother you?" she asked. "No," I replied. "We love it when the audience joins in. Would You like to sing up front on the next selection?" To my delight, she accepted my invitation. "You choose," I said. "What are you in the mood to sing?" "Well. ... Do you know any hymns?" Hymns? This woman didn't know who she was dealing with. I cut my teeth on hymns. Before I was even born, I was going to church. I gave our guest singer a knowing look. "Name one." "Oh, I don't know. There are so many good ones. You pick one." "Okay," I replied.. "How about 'His Eye is on the Sparrow'?" My new friend was silent, her eyes averted. Then she fixed her eyes on mine again and said, "Yeah. Let's do that one." She slowly nodded her head, put down her purse, straightened her jacket and faced the center of the shop. With my two-bar setup, she began to sing. Why should I be discouraged? Why should the shadows come? The audience of coffee drinkers was transfixed. Even the gurgling noises of the cappuccino machine ceased as the employees stopped what they were doing to listen. The song rose to its conclusion. I sing because I'm happy; I sing because I'm free. For His eye is on the sparrow And I know He watches me.. When the last note was sung, the applause crescendoed to a deafening roar that would have rivaled a sold-out crowd at Carnegie Hall. Embarrassed, the woman tried to shout over the din. "Oh, y'all go back to your coffee! I didn't come in here to do a concert! I just came in here to get somethin' to drink, just like you!" But the ovation continued. I embraced my new friend. "You, my dear, have made my whole year! That was beautiful!" "Well, it's funny that you picked that particular hymn," she said. "Why is that?" "Well . .." she hesitated again, "that was my daughter's favorite song." "Really!" I exclaimed. "Yes," she said, and then grabbed my hands. By this time, the applause had subsided and it was business as usual. "She was 16. She died of a brain tumor last week." I said the first thing that found its way through my stunned silence. "Are you going to be okay?" She smiled through tear-filled eyes and squeezed my hands. "I'm gonna be okay. I've just got to keep trusting the Lord and singing his songs, and everything's gonna be just fine." She picked up her bag, gave me her card, and then she was gone. Was it just a coincidence that we happened to be singing in that particular coffee shop on that particular November night? Coincidence that this wonderful lady just happened to walk into that particular shop? Coincidence that of all the hymns to choose from, I just happened to pick the very hymn that was the favorite of her daughter, who had died just the week before? Absolutely not. God has been arranging encounters in human history since the beginning of time, and it's no stretch for me to believe that He could reach into a coffee shop in midtown Manhattan and turn an ordinary gig into a revival. It was a great reminder that when we keep trusting Him and singing His songs, everything's gonna be okay. "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:29-31) John Thomas Oaks 2 Timothy 1v7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power and of love and of sound mind. Fear is not of God so have the courage to step out of it and by faith watch Gods miracles work over your life. Only God has the Authority over your life, no one or nothing can stand in your way of promotion or financial and spiritual breakthrough, in Jesus Name Amen
We can have good intentions & still be disobedient. Procrastination is very deceptive Proverbs 3:27-28 instructs us not to do it. Often we do not see putting off things as disobedience because we tend to obey God. Best intentions however do not produce results. We need to ask God to help us to take timely action.
2 Corinthians 1:9 But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God.
- Life does not always make sense. - We don't always know why certain things happen. - Even when things don't make sense, God is still in control. - As a result we can learn to rely on Him and not on ourselves. PRAYER: Lord, help me to realize that it is only as I rely on You that I can be confident. Amen. Jesus came to take up our grief, our sickness, our weakness etc we have no reason to feel down or to be disheartened. Dont reject His hand He also done it for you. Isaiah 53:4 Surely He has borne our griefs(sicknesses, weaknesses and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains[of punishment] yet we [ignoreantly] considered Him stricken, smitten and afficted by God [as if with leprosy] Matt 8:17
When you have nothing left but God, you have more than enough to start over again!! Jesus is all we need. In Him we have all the heavenly blessings Efesians 1:3 Mole mole mole! Haal jou vingels uit jou ole en se tog mole. Mag die voeltjies spesiaal vir jou n liedjie sing en almal wat jou weg betree net geluk en liefde in jou lewe bring. He n awesome dag.
“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded”(Hebrews 10:35, NIV)
Have you been praying and believing for something that seems like it’s taking a lot longer than you thought? Many times, people can miss God’s best simply because they give up before they see their “due season” come. Don’t let that be you! Be encouraged today, your answer is closer than you think. If it seems like things are getting more difficult, remember, when the intensity heats up, that means you are closer to your victory. It’s always darkest just before the dawn arrives. You serve a faithful God, and He’s working behind the scenes on your behalf. Don’t cast away your confidence today because your reward is coming. And just like a new mother forgets about her labor pain when she is finally holding her newborn, you’ll forget about your struggle when you are holding on to your promise. While you are waiting, keep an attitude of faith and expectancy. Wake up every morning and say out loud, “I’ve come too far to give up now. My due season is coming. I will reap my harvest.” Stay in faith and look for His hand of blessing because He has promised you victory, and it’s closer than you think! Father in heaven, today I stand believing that You are working behind the scenes on my behalf. Give me Your strength to continue believing until I see Your promises fulfilled in my life in Jesus’ name. Amen. |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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