Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man: and Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever. Jos. 4:4-7
If only we’d stayed in Egypt! Change is not piece of cake. It’s not something that comes easily to us. Even the Israelites on their exodus from Egypt had second thoughts. Uprooting a nation from the place they’d stayed in for generations was no easy task. At least in Egypt they knew what to expect even if it meant enduring immense hardship and slavery. Change makes us uncertain On their journey through the desert the Israelites often lost their perspective. Time and again they were overwhelmed by the problems they encountered the hankered after the fleshpots of Egypt forgetting about the promise of freedom in a land of the proverbial milk and honey. Change is inevitable No-one can escape change but when you feel you can’t cope with change, share your concerns with God. The Hebrews certainly did! They expressed their complaints in no uncertain terms! God hears them and deals with their most pressing needs by sending them manna and quails to eat. In the same way God is with you in every change and upheaval in your life leading you to the Promised Land. Beacons on the way We have all come through changes in our lives and have the battle scars to prove it. Like Joshua, honour these victories in your life by erecting beacons as a reminder of the hardships you’ve endured and to remind future generations that with God’s help you’ve overcome change and entered the “promised land”. Prayer for today Lord, change brings uncertainty in our lives. Yet we know that change is inevitable. Thank you for being there every step of the way until I can say: with God’s help I made it through. Amen Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don't have enough to eat. 16 What good is there in your saying to them, “God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!” — if you don't give them the necessities of life? So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead. James 2:15-16 (GNT)
Serve the kingdom among the poor Just a stone's throw from my neighbourhood there are people living like ants in shanties leaning into the wind. And if by chance you pass by there, the laundry waves at you and the sheets of corrugated iron beckon you to take a closer look at the children playing in dirty streets while moms are cooking food on open fires and dads plod home through the smog. At night I cannot sleep. It's dark outside and the wind is blowing fiercely. It’s raining and I see the shabby little houses fighting for survival. I cannot get then out of my thoughts knowing there are too many people sleeping in one room, knowing that oil lamps and candles fall over setting houses on fire, knowing there are sounds in the night that scare children. But I wish I didn’t know as I lie between my clean white sheets with a solid roof over my head. Where is God's helping hand? If I could just once put reach out to someone in need to show that I am aware of them even if I can’t do much to relieve their plight. I know there are many helping hands of those who voluntarily help to build houses or who live simpler lives in solidarity with the poor and needy. What about me? Or you? Prayer for today God, in your house are many mansions but in my own heart I cannot even find room for one person in need. Forgive me and give me a loving heart and willing hands to help where you want me to. Ek het die opdrag ontvang om die uitverkorenes van God te lei tot die geloof en tot kennis van die waarheid, dié waarheid wat lei tot die diens van God en wat hoop gee op die ewige lewe. God wat sy woord hou, het die ewige lewe lank gelede aan ons belowe. Nou het Hy op die bestemde tyd sy woord bekend gemaak deur die prediking wat as opdrag aan my toevertrou is deur God ons Verlosser. Titus 1:1b-3
Hoop teen alle hoop in Om vas te hou aan die hoop op ʼn beter wêreld wanneer hoop se “laaste spore in wanhoop my ontgaan” het, lyk na ʼn hopelose taak. Wanneer dit duidelik word dat die mens alles verbrou het en op moedverloor se vlakte sit, wil dit lyk asof hoop die duiwel se laaste lag in plaas van ʼn geskenk van God is. Tog lees ons in die Woord die hoop beskaam nie. Hoe moet ons dan hoop? Hoop is nooit passief nie. Hoop is handeling in die geloof op ʼn belofte wat sal waar word, miskien nie in jou leeftyd nie maar wanneer die tyd ryp geword het. Hoop is weerstand Dit is ʼn aktiewe weerstand teen hopeloosheid en uitsigloosheid. Dit beteken nie om gelate te aanvaar dat daar geen einde aan ellende is nie maar om aktief mee te werk om ʼn menswaardige lewe vir almal na te streef, selfs al is die hoop skraal. Hoop is ʼn waagstuk Almal het gedink Abram soek vir moeilikheid toe hy sonder huisgode en buite die beskerming van die plaaslike gode die wildernis in trek. Maar om hoop te laat vaar is om mee te doen aan wanhoop. Dit is om jou deelname aan die herskepping van die aarde prys te gee en gelate te sê: Dis hoe dit is. Ek sien geen uitkoms nie. Ek sien geen moontlikheid op verandering nie. Hoop is ʼn aktiewe deelname aan die wêreld Ons deelname aan die wêreld gee uitdrukking aan dit waarop ons hoop. As dit geregtigheid en ʼn kans op lewe vir almal is, is dit waarvoor ons ons beywer. Om te hoop op verligting van armoede en ellende beteken om jou moue op te rol en alles in jou vermoë te doen om daardie hoop waar te maak. Om hoop waar te maak is om ʼn appelboom te plant soos Martin Luther, selfs as jy geweet het jy sou die volgende dag sterf. God het ʼn plan vir ons hopeloosheid: Hy sê in Jeremia: Ek weet wat ek vir julle beplan, sê die Here: voorspoed en nie teenspoed nie; Ek wil vir julle ʼn toekoms gee, ʼn verwagting! Jeremia 29:11. Gebed: Here, om te sit en wag vir dinge om te gebeur, is die grootste daad van wanhoop wat ʼn mens kan pleeg. Help my aktief te wees terwyl ek wag. The time has come, and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the gospel. Mark 1:15
The Kingdom is immanent The world we live in is not a place where we easily find peace. We lie awake at night with a feeling of distress while deep in our hearts we dream of a place where we can lead a quiet, untroubled life. Often, it is God who in the depth and darkness of the night brings to you a different perspective on life which reminds you that the kingdom of heaven is near you, above you, next to you, and around you and not just a far off destination with an uncertain date of departure. What does it mean to me? If you can understand and accept that God is here and now, you can believe and accept that God's love and support is actively present in your life. In order to build an awareness of the kingdom of heaven within you, you need to become more aware of God's presence which changes your outlook on life. In the midst of chaos around you, you become aware of the greater harmony of life that you sometimes lose sight of. My calling in the kingdom If the kingdom of heaven is near or already present, it is the duty of Christians be actively involved in making God's kingdom visible. So, instead of just staring at the horizon of eternity, take note of the signs of God's kingdom in our time and it delight therein. Prayer for the day Father, thank you that your kingdom is present among us giving us a foretaste of heaven when you will be present in everything and in all things. He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death —
His death on the cross. For this reason God raised him to the highest place above and gave him the name that is greater than any other name. And so, in honour of the name of Jesus all beings in heaven, on earth, and in the world below will fall on their knees, and all will openly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:8-11 (GNT) With Passover still fresh in our hearts and ears, it is good got meditate on the meaning it has for us. Easter represents the crossroads of our history – life before Christ and life after Christ’s death on the cross. On the cross we experience the true meaning of evil and what lengths love goes to conquer evil. Love conquers at the very moment that evil succeeds in killing Christ. At the death of the Creator it was as if all creation shuddered. The earth trembled and darkness descended on earth. Then all came to a still point while heaven and earth waited in suspense for the outcome of the cosmic events of the crucifixion. Between Good Friday and Easter Sunday creation is suspended between heaven and hell. For Christians it is a day of meditation on which we focus on the suffering and death of Christ. “He is risen, yes, he is truly risen!” On Easter Sunday heaven and earth breathe a cosmic sigh of relief when it becomes clear that Christ has completed his journey from death into life. And for no other reason than to breathe new life into our veins. His victory over death makes it possible for you and me to rise up and live again. Let your Easter greeting reverberate as a loud and clear message to all: “He is risen! Yes, he is truly risen!” I know because I was dead and became alive again. He freed me from my own tomb of sin. Hallelujah!” Prayer for today” Lord, keep the memory of the passion of Christ alive in my heart so that I may rise up and live. Amen. In Hom is die volle wese van God beliggaam, en in verbondenheid met Hom deel julle in sy volheid. Kolossense 2:9-10a
Soms is dit asof Christus so in doeke toegedraai is in ons eie gedagtes, dat ons die volle impak van sy bestaan miskyk. Besef ons werklik dat Christus gelyk is aan die Vader wat Hom in die Seun uitgestort het? Is ons bewus daarvan dat Christus met alles wat Hy is, in ons woon? As ons dit nie uit eie ervaring weet nie, dan bevestig die Woord dat ons deur Christus toebedeel is met elke geestelike gawe. Hy het sy eie Seun nie gespaar nie, maar Hom oorgelewer om ons almal te red. Sal Hy ons dan nie al die ander dinge saam met Hom uit genade skenk nie? Romeine 8:32 God se onbaatsugtige gawe van sy eie Seun, omvat ʼn “rykdom van wysheid en kennis” (Kolossense 2:3), “elke geestelike gawe” (Efesiërs 1:3) en die “volle natuur van God” (Kolossense 1:19). As ons dit weet, is daar geen nodigheid vir ons om ons geloof gedurig in stand te probeer hou met ʼn smag na tekens en wonderwerke om God se gawes aan ons te bevestig nie. Wanneer ons so bejag is op daardie dinge, trek ons God se versekering dat ons reeds in besit is van die gawes wat Hy deur Christus aan ons geskenk het in twyfel. Dis nie die gawes wat ons nodig het nie; dis Christus. Deur Christus ontvang ons die gawes en deur Hom kry ons die ewige lewe. Om Christus te ontvang maak die verskil tussen godsdiens bloot ter wille van godsdiens en ʼn deurleefde geloof. Kom ons verwyder die “geskenkpapier” vanjaar om Christus en leer ken Hom vir wie Hy werklik is: die Seun van God met al die eienskappe van God juis omdat Hy God is. Gebed: Here, wat ʼn wonderlike waarheid dat ons deur u Seun die saad van die ewige lewe in ons eie harte dra. Gee dat ons hierdie waarheid met blydskap sal aanvaar. Amen |
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