Warrior-For-Christ

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]

The end result of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives is deep and lasting peace. Unlike worldly peace, which is usually defined as the absence of conflict, this peace is confident assurance in any circumstance; with Christ’s peace, we have no need to fear the present or the future. Sin, fear, uncertainty, doubt and numerous other forces are at war within us. The peace of God moves into our lives and restains these hostile forces and offer comfort in place of conflict.

Jesus says He will give us that peace if we are willing to accept it from Him. If your life is full of stress, allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with Christ’s peace.

In Philippians 4: 6-7 Paul says: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Imagine never being anxious about anything. It seems almost impossible – we all have our worries whether at work, at home or at school. Paul’s advice is to turn your worries into prayers. Do you want to worry less? Then pray more! Whenever you start to worry, stop and pray.

(NIV Life Application Study Bible, Tyndale House Publishers and Zondervan, 2005)

2 Korintiërs 12:8-9 “My genade is vir jou genoeg. My krag kom juis tot volle werking wanneer jy swak is.”

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power, is made perfect in weakness.’ – NIV Life Application Study Bible

But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me! – Amplified Bible

My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size – abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. – The Message

In sy boek Morning and Evening: Daily Readings, skryf Charles Haddon Spurgeon, een van my gunsteling predikers uit die 19de eeu, soos volg oor dié besondere Skrifgedeelte.

If none of God’s saints were poor and tried, we should not know half so well the consolations of divine grace. When we find the wanderer who has not where to lay his head, who yet can say,

“Still will I trust in the Lord;” when we see the pauper starving on bread and water, who still glories in Jesus; when we see the bereaved widow overwhelmed in affliction, and yet having faith in Christ, oh! what honour it reflects on the gospel. God’s grace is illustrated and magnified in the poverty and trials of believers. Saints bear up under every discouragement, believing that all things work together for their good, and that out of apparent evils a real blessing shall ultimately spring – that their God will either work a deliverance for them speedily, or most assuredly support them in the trouble, as long as he is pleased to keep them in it. This patience of the saints proves the power of divine grace. There is a lighthouse out at sea: it is a calm night – I cannot tell whether the edifice is firm; the tempest must rage about it, and then I shall know whether it will stand. So with the Spirit’s work: if it were not on many occasions surrounded with tempestuous waters, we should not know that it was true and strong; if the winds did not blow upon it, we should not know how firm and secure it was. The master-works of God are those men who stand in the midst of difficulties, stedfast, unmoveable,-

“Calm mid the bewildering cry, Confident of victory.”

He who would glorify his God must set his account upon meeting with many trials. No man

can be illustrious before the Lord unless his conflicts be many. If then, yours be a much-tried path, rejoice in it, because you will the better show forth the all-sufficient grace of God. As for his failing you, never dream of it-hate the thought. The God who has been sufficient until now, should be trusted to the end.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Morning and Evening: Daily Readings, Public Domain

2 Kronieke 7:13-15 As Ek die hemel gesluit hou sodat daar geen reën is nie, of as Ek die sprinkaan beveel om die land kaal te vreet, of as Ek pes onder My volk instuur, en My volk oor wie My Naam uitgeroep is, toon berou en bid en vra na My wil en draai terug van hulle bose weë af, sal Ek luister uit die hemel en hulle sonde vergewe en hulle land herstel. Ek sal hierdie plek nou onder sorg neem en ontvanklik wees vir elke gebed hiervandaan.

As jy vandag daar is waar die sprinkane besig is om jou lewe kaal te vreet of as jy ‘n droogte in jou lewe ervaar, is dit tyd dat jy ernstig ‘n voorraadopname doen van jou lewe.Dit gebeur so maklik dat ons wegdwaal  van God; dat ‘n mens afdwaal van Sy pad en dan skielik eendag besef dat jy jouself tussen die dorings en dissels bevind – dat jy uit “tune” uit is met God se wil. In 2 Kronieke 6 vra Salomo dat God tog genade moet hê met die volk  van Israel en tog voorsiening moet maak vir wanneer hulle sondig. Hierop antwoord God en stel Hy vier vereistes vir Sy vergiffenis.

Eerstens, dat ons in nederigheid ons sonde voor Hom moet belei. Dit is seker een van die moeilikste dinge om te doen, want baie keer lyk ons sondes so klein teen dié van ander mense en is dit so maklik om te probeer om die blaam daarvoor te probeer afskuif op iemand anders.

Tweedens, dat ons tot God sal bid en  Sy vergiffenis sal soek.

Derdens, dat ons na Sy wil sal soek vir ons lewens.

Laastens, dat ons sal wegdraai van ons sondige paaie en sal terugkeer na Sy weg.

Gebed: Here ek erken vandag dat ek soms toelaat dat daar dinge tussen my en U inkom; ek erken dat ek toegelaat het dat my verhouding met U afgekoel het; ek erken dat ek nie altyd meer so opgewonde oor U dinge is as wat ek eens was nie; ek erken dat ek soms toelaat dat my onsekerhede en my twyfel ‘n verwydering tussen ons veroorsaak; ek erken dat my besige skedule en gejaag my weghou van U dinge; ek erken dat ek soms toelaat het dat die duiwel twyfel in my hart saai; ek erken dat ek nie altyd U wil vir my lewe wil aanvaar nie; ek erken dat ek soms my eie begeertes en behoeftes bo U s’n en die van ander plaas; ek erken dat ek soms op my eie krag staatmaak om probleme op te los en my totale afhanklikheid van U misken; ek erken dat ek soms mismoedig raak as ek nie dadelik ‘n antwoord op my gebede kry nie; ek erken dat ek soms so gefokus is op my eie probleme dat ek nie die probleme van ander raak sien nie; ek erken dat ek soms so maklik oordeel; ek erken dat ek nie altyd ‘n Christus voorbeeld stel nie; ek erken dat ek so maklik ongeduldig raak as dinge nie gaan soos ek wil hê nie; ek erken dat ek nie altyd my môres in u hande los nie…

Here vergewe my – ek is só volkome afhanklik van U.