Do you recite your woes more naturally than you do heaven’s strength? No wonder life’s tough. You’re assuming God isn’t in this crisis.
Isabel spent her first three and a half years in a Nicaraguan orphanage. As with all orphans, her odds of adoption diminished with time. And then the door slammed on her finger! Why would God permit this innocent girl to feel even more pain? Might He be calling the attention of Ryan Schnoke sitting in the playroom nearby? He and his wife had been trying to adopt a child for months! Ryan walked over, picked her up, and comforted her. Several months later, Ryan and Christina were close to giving up, and Ryan remembered Isabel. Little Isabel is now growing up in a happy, healthy home. A finger in the door? God doesn’t manufacture pain, but He certainly puts it to use! Your crisis? You’ll get through this!
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Jesaja 53:1 NLV
'n Oliestorting besoedel die Golf van Mexiko. Dit vernietig die seelewe en die bestaan van miljoene mense. Ons kyk dag na dag daarna terwyl dit op die televisie uitgesaai word soos dit gebeur. 'n Aardbewing tref Haïti, 200 000 mense sterf en die wêreld se armste mense word honger en haweloos gelaat. 'n Amerikaans-gebore terroris vlieg terug vanaf 'n Al-Qaeda-opleidingskamp met 'n bom in sy onderklere en probeer die vliegtuig en die grootste deel van Detroit vernietig. Ons word dag en nag met hierdie soort verslae gebombardeer. Kommentators in die media probeer so veel hul kan uit elke oomblik kry, en skep sensasie uit elke geleentheid omdat dit hul kyksyfers opstoot, advertensies verkoop en geld maak. Vrees verhoog verkope! Party verslaggewers het beroemd geraak. Dis 'n groot bedryf. Ons is die mees voorspoedige generasie ooit, maar ook die bangste een. In die verlede moes jy jou dosis angs tydens die aandnuusuitsending ontvang, maar vandag ontvang jy dit aanhoudend op jou BlackBerry en iPad. Nou kan jy nie meer jou kop in die sand druk nie. As jy egter nie versigtig kies waarna jy luister nie, kan jy jou gemoedsrus heeltemal verloor. God weet dit, en Sy Woord vra dus: "Wie het ons boodskap geglo? Aan wie het die Here Sy reddende mag openbaar?" Die Here se reddende mag verwys na Sy mag om ons te verlos en Sy voorsiening vir elke gebeurtenis in ons lewens. Wie se boodskap gaan jy glo? Sielekos: Eks 39-40; Joh 5:1-15; Ps 41; Spr 27:7-9 "I sought for a man among them who would build up a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one." (Ezekiel 22:30)
Whenever God has a job to do and a gap to be filled, he always starts by choosing and calling an individual. While men use methods, God's methods are men and women. To start a nation to use as his special witness on earth, God chose and called Abraham to be the father of ancient Israel. When God wanted to lead this young nation out of slavery in Egypt, he chose and called Moses. And so it was with Joseph, Samuel, Esther, David, John the Baptist, Mary, Peter, Paul and scores of other lesser known individuals. God today is still urgently looking for people who are willing to stand in the gap to help save lost souls from a lost and hopeless eternity and to do his work here on earth. The kind of people God is looking for, chooses, and calls are F - A - T people. That is: Faithful... Available... Teachable... F - Faithful You don't have to be a Peter, Paul or a John the Baptist for God to use. Think of the twelve disciples. What a motley crew - rugged fishermen, a despised tax gatherer and the like - they were. God uses other ordinary people like them too, people who daily trust their life and way to God and, with his help, seek to serve and obey him faithfully in all the circumstances of life. A - Available Years ago I told God that I was too afraid to be a witness for him and that I was quitting. "However, God," I prayed, "if you want to use me to share the gospel with others, I'm available, but you'll have to do it through me because I'm too scared." The result? Today God is using our small organizations to reach thousands around the world with the gospel and Christian message every day. This is because I made - and make myself available every day - for God to use. He will in some way do the same for you if you daily make yourself available to him to use. T - Teachable One reason God used the disciples was, not only because they were faithful and available, but also because they were teachable. Naturally they spent three years with the Master Teacher par Excellence and had a lot to learn about the Christian way, especially because it was brand new to them and everyone else in their day. We also need to be teachable and learn God's ways more clearly by studying and knowing what his Word, the Bible, teaches and applying the principles found therein in our everyday living. So, if you want God to use you to be a part of what he is doing in your world today, I urge you to pray and tell God you are available and renew that prayer and commitment every day. Suggested prayer: "Dear God, I'm available again today. Help me to be faithful and teachable to learn your ways more clearly, and please use me to be as Jesus in some way to every life I touch today. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' Name. Amen." Dick Innes "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling." Proverbs 16:18
England, had gathered in one place to celebrate one of the pinnacle accomplishments of man. About 2,200 people had the privilege of a first-hand view, among them some of the wealthiest people in the world. It seemed the whole world was marveling at this awesome accomplishment: eleven stories high, 900 feet long, 46,000 tons. Yet just five days later, at 2:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912, it was all gone -- disappeared -- a massive wreckage at the bottom of the sea. The name Titanic was always preceded with the word "unsinkable." On board, many joked, "Even God couldn't sink the Titanic," but it will forever serve as the twentieth century example of the foolishness of pride. God's word says, "Pride goes before a fall, and a haughty spirit before stumbling." Prideful Titanics sink into destruction, but a good life that is humble before God and man has a better chance to withstand the storms of life. EPHESIANS 1:6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
At the Jordan river, Jesus heard His Father say to Him, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22) Later, in the wilderness, Jesus heard the devil say to Him, “If You are the Son of God…” (Luke 4:3) Notice that the devil not only questioned Jesus’ sonship, but he also dropped the word “beloved” when he said to Jesus, “If You are the Son of God…” You see, the devil cannot remind you that you are God’s beloved because when you know this truth, whatever he wants to bring against you will not succeed! Many girls are giving away their virginity because they need to feel wanted and loved. And young boys join gangs to feel accepted because they have been rejected and made to feel worthless by others. But when you know that you are God’s beloved, no temptation can succeed against you, not even the “giants” who may taunt you. Consider David who slew Goliath. “David” in Hebrew means “beloved”. It takes a David to knock down a giant. In other words, it takes someone who knows that he is God’s beloved to win the fights of life! You are God’s beloved not because of what you do. Christ did everything. He is God’s Beloved. But God put you in Christ. That is why you are “accepted in the Beloved”. And what God said to Jesus, He says to you today: “You are My beloved son. In you, I am well pleased.” So if the devil tells you, “Hey, you call yourself ‘God’s beloved’ after what you just did?” have the assurance that it is not based on whatyou have done, but what Christ has done. And you are still God’s beloved because you are in Christ! When you say that, I believe the devil screams in frustration because he has no power over you when you are conscious that you are God’s beloved. There is truly a place of safety when you know that you are His beloved. My friend, we are not being proud when we call ourselves God’s beloved. How can we boast when we know that it is God’s grace that has made us accepted in the Beloved! “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7, NLT)
God desires to take care of whatever may be concerning you today. He invites you to give your worries and cares to Him simply because He loves you! How do you give Him your cares? First of all, understand that cares show up in your mind. When negative, self-defeating thoughts of worry come, you have to recognize them as cares and replace them with the Word of God. For example, if you are concerned about a need today, say out loud, “My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory.” If you have fear about something, say out loud, “God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.” If you have sickness in your body, declare, “By His stripes I am healed.” As you meditate on the truth and focus your heart and mind on the Father, those cares and concerns will disappear. Then, thank Him for giving you peace and joy. Thank Him for working in your life. As you keep an attitude of faith and expectancy, give Him your worries and cares and get ready for the blessing He has for your future! Father in heaven, I come to You today casting my cares on You. I choose to believe Your Word and trust that You are working behind the scenes on my behalf. I give You all the praise and glory in Jesus’ name. Amen. Dink saam oor die volgende vraag: Waar vind jy God se wil die duidelikste — in die hawe, of in die storm? Laat ek verduidelik — met die hawe bedoel ek die bekende godsdienstige terrein, daar tussen mede-gelowiges, of daar waar jy jou stiltetyd hou. Of daardie weeklikse byeenkomste in selgroepe en Bybelstudies. Die storm verteenwoordig weer die alledaagse wêreld met al sy onvoorspelbaarhede, gevare, nie-gelowiges en uitdagings. Hoor nou weer die vraag:
Waar vind jy God se wil die duidelikste — in die hawe, of in die storm? Kom ek maak die vraag makliker/moeiliker. Dink gou aan Jesus se aardse optrede. Nou: Waar het Hy die meeste van sy tyd deurgebring: in godsdienstige hawens, of in gevaarlike storms? Was Jesus meer tussen godsdienstiges, of meermale tussen twyfelaars, sondaars, uitgeworpenes, vreemdelinge, nie-Jode, verloorders...? Ek dink jy weet reeds die antwoord — natuurlik was Jesus meer kere tussen nie-godsdienstiges! Hoekom? Omdat Hy juis vir sulke mense gekom het, soos wat Hyself in Markus 1 sê. Wel, as dit waar is dat Jesus meer in die storms as in "veilige hawens" was, waar moet ons dan die meeste van die tyd dan wees? Mmm, in die storm natuurlik! Nou hoekom soek ons eerder God se wil in geestelike hawens? Hoekom meet ons selfs ander mense se geestelike betrokkenheid aan hulle besoeke aan geestelike hawens? Hoekom spandeer ons baie meer tyd sittende in hawens as dienend en helpend op die oop see? Hoekom soek ons God se wil meermale in hawe-aktiwiteite, eerder as daar waar Jesus meeste van die tyd is? Is God se wil nie duideliker hoorbaar, sienbaar en voelbaar wanneer ons tussen armes, eensames, verlorenes leef nie? Wie weet, miskien is dit juis die rede hoekom so baie gelowiges nooit God se wil vir hul lewens vind nie — hulle is te min kere op die regte plek — in die storm! Ek bid Ek meld aan vir storm-diens, Here Bewaar my daar in Jesus se Naam Amen Psalm 134:1-3 Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord. The Lord that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion. (Psalm 134)
Years ago when I was attending seminary, I worked the night shift on occasion. It paid a little more money than the day shift, but I was a bit lonely. If you've ever had to work the night shift, you will appreciate Psalm 134. God never slumbers or sleeps. Therefore, we can serve and praise Him any time of day. The psalmist says there were priests who prayed and praised God in His temple at night. There was a constant repetition of praise and prayer from the temple. We can bless the Lord in the night seasons. It's not easy when we are going through the nighttime experiences of life to lift our hands and bless the Lord. But He does give us songs in the night. Paul and Silas were able to lift their hearts in praise to God while in the Philippian jail (Acts 16). They were on the night shift. They knew that God was awake, so they blessed Him, and He sent deliverance. We can get some strange blessings in the night seasons, for God speaks to us in different ways. Others may not see your praise at night, but God sees and hears. Whether you are in the sunshine or in the darkness, whether you are serving on the day shift or the night shift, remember that you are serving the Lord. Because He never slumbers or sleeps, He hears your prayer and praise at all times, and He will bless you. I saw one of those bumper frames for your license plate. It said, "Happiness is being a grandparent." Oh, that's the truth! I mean, I remember when I was a little kid. Happiness was having a grandparent with you, especially my grandmother. Because it always meant surprises; it meant going out to eat, and it almost always meant money! That's what grandparents are for, of course, to spoil kids. Any time I knew that I would be seeing Grandma I was excited to see what surprises she would bring. If we're that way about grandma, we should really be looking forward to what Father has for us today; that's Father with a capital F.
As you know, life is divided into 24-hour chunks. We have this sort of death and resurrection thing that takes place every day. You know, we sort of die about 10:00, 11:00, or 12:00 o'clock at night, and sort of start all over again the next morning. It's like beginning again the next day. So, life isn't this big old blob - life. It just really comes down to these 24-hour things doesn't it: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, etc.? There's a very interesting look in the Bible at a day in the life of a child of God, because that's really what it amounts to...have a good day. That's how you live the life of a Christian, you have a good day. Go back to the book of Psalms, and here's what a day in the life looks like at beginning and end; sunrise and sunset in the life of a child of God. Our word for today from the Word of God, Psalm 5:3: "In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation." Okay, that's one end of the day. Let's go to the other end of the day. The sun has gone down now. Psalm 4:8 (same page in my Bible) says this; "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." Now, it's interesting as you read this morning beginning with the Lord, beginning this 24-hour period of time. It talks about the many moods of praying. There's not just one mood of praying; it's sort of like Baskin Robbins. There are a lot of flavors you can pray in. It says, "Give ear to my words, O Lord." Okay, that's just kind of making a statement. Then it says, "Consider my sighing." This is the kind of praying when you're totally depleted; you don't even know what to say. "O Lord, I can hardly get this out." And then it says, "Listen to my cry..." my cry for help. This is desperation. And then he says, "I lay my requests before the Lord" every morning laying out the concerns of my heart. By the way, did you do that this morning? Do you do that every morning? Talk to Him and say, "Lord, here's what I'm afraid of today; here's what I'm hoping for today; here's what I'm dreaming about; here's what I'm crying about; here are the people I love; here are the needs I'm anticipating." You empty your hands. Now, how can you tell if you've really prayed or if you just went through the motions? Notice that it says, "I lay my request before the Lord and wait in expectation." Hey, that's like Grandma's visit; waiting in expectation for her surprises. You know you've really prayed when you get off your knees expectantly and you go through your day looking for the fingerprints of God on that day. It may not be like I thought it would be, but there will be His surprises. Expectation is the byproduct of faith. So, are you uh... expecting? You say, "No, I'm a man. How could I be expecting?" No, I mean expecting good things from God. Expecting God's touch on what you've turned over to Him. No wonder at night we can lie down and sleep in peace. You allow time each morning to turn over the specifics of that day to Jesus, and then you live in an air of expectancy. My grandmother seldom disappointed me, and your Heavenly Father never will. |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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