Ben Fourie
… and when some Midianite traders came by, the brothers pulled Joseph out of the well and sold him for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. Genesis 37:28, GNT
Jesus answered, "If only you knew what God gives and who it is that is asking you for a drink, you would ask him, and he would give you life-giving water." John 4:10, GNT
The Bible is full of stories about God’s involvement and intervention in people’s lives. The two scriptures that I have chosen for today are very interesting. In the story of Joseph and his brothers, it is not so much about the individual but more about God’s involvement with his people long before they became a nation. God started planning their destiny by making the Midianites buy Joseph from his brothers as a slave and take him to Egypt. God had great plans for this family to become the core of the nation of Israel while they were in Egypt.
Joseph was destined to become Pharaoh’s right-hand man. He was commissioned by Pharaoh to start gathering enough wheat for the worldwide famine that the latter dreamt about. The famine forced Jacob and his family to go and buy wheat in Egypt and eventually, they all moved there. On their way to Egypt God told Jacob: "I am God, the God of your father," he said. "Do not be afraid to go to Egypt; I will make your descendants a great nation there." (Genesis 46:3)
In this Old Testament story, we see God’s involvement with people on a large scale. In the verse from the Gospel of John, we see God’s involvement with an individual. If we look at the history of the Samaritans and Jews, these two groups didn’t see eye to eye at all. In spite of this animosity, God chose a Samaritan woman to demonstrate his involvement with all people through his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus, a Jew, intervened in the life of this woman to give her the life-giving water that we all need.
We should never doubt that God can intervene in all that happens to us, big or small. He will always be there.
Prayer: We praise you, our God, for being involved in our lives every moment of each day. Please help us to also become involved in the lives of others. Amen.
Ben Fourie
en toe daar van die Midianitiese handelaars verbykom, het die broers vir Josef uit die put uit opgetrek en vir twintig stukke silwer aan die Ismaeliete verkoop en dié het hom Egipte toe gevat. Genesis 37:28, 1983-vertaling
Jesus het haar geantwoord: "As jy geweet het wat God gee, en wie dit is wat vir jou sê: 'Gee My 'n bietjie water om te drink,' sou jy Hom gevra het, en Hy sou vir jou lewende water gegee het." Johannes 4:10, 1983-vertaling
Daar is talle verhale in die Bybel van God se betrokkenheid by mense en alles wat met hulle gebeur. Die twee wat ek hier gekies het, is vir my van die interessantste in die Bybel.
In die verhaal van Josef gaan dit nie net oor hom as individu nie, maar oor God se vooruit betrokkenheid by die volk Israel wat op daardie tydstip nog nie as volk bestaan het nie. God beskik dit so dat die Midianiete vir Josef by sy broers as slaaf koop en hom daarvandaan Egipte toe vat, want God het groot planne met hierdie familie wat die begin van sy volk Israel sou wees.
Josef was bestem om die regterhand van die farao te word en koring op te gaar wat later nodig sou wees toe die groot hongersnood oor die wêreld gekom het. Die hongersnood dwing vir Jakob se seuns om in Egipte koring te gaan koop en daarna verhuis hulle almal na Egipte. God sê op die pad vir Jakob: “Ek is God, die God van jou vader. Moenie bang wees om na Egipte toe te gaan nie, want Ek sal jou daar 'n groot nasie maak.” (Genesis 46:3).
Waar ons in die Ou Testament sien dat God betrokke is by mense van sy verbondsvolk, kry ons hier in die Nuwe Testament 'n blik op God se betrokkenheid by 'n individu. As ons die geskiedenis van die Jode en Samaritane nagaan, was daar min liefde tussen die twee groepe. Tog raak God hier deur sy Seun Jesus, wat 'n Jood is, ten nouste betrokke by die Samaritaanse vrou by die put. Jesus raak betrokke by haar omdat Hy ook vir haar, ongeag wie sy is, van sy lewende water wil gee.
Ons hoef nooit te twyfel dat God betrokke is by wat met ons gebeur nie, of dit groot of klein dingetjies is, Hy is altyd daar.
Gebed: Ons loof en prys U vir u betrokkenheid in ons lewens elke oomblik van elke dag. Help ons om ook by ons medemens betrokke te raak. Amen
Ben Fourie
"The LORD is your mighty defender, perfect and just in all his ways; Your God is faithful and true; he does what is right and fair. Deuteronomy 32:4, GNT
But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing. 1 John 1:9, GNT
I grew up in a home where fairness was highly esteemed. My parents never allowed any injustice and I am still thankful for what they taught me in this regard. In many places in the Bible we read that God expects us to be just in every sense. In Proverbs 21:3 we read: “Do what is right and fair; that pleases the LORD more than bringing him sacrifices.” These are very important words, as sacrifices were an indispensable part of religion in the Old Testament.
Unfortunately, we can never be completely impartial as humans. Our nature is always inclined toward what is best for ourselves. Without really even being aware that we are doing wrong, we can sometimes be very unjust towards our partners, children, employees or even a fellow driver at a stop sign.
But God is always completely just as we can see in Deuteronomy. In the song that Moses dedicated to God shortly before he died, he said: “The LORD is your mighty defender, perfect and just in all his ways.” God, our mighty defender, is seen as faithful and true. All of these characteristics show just how impartial he is.
God is like that; he keeps his promises and does what is right, as John tells us. In the well-known verse, John 3:16, God promised: “… so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.” This is the promise that John relies on when he says that if we confess our sins, God will not go back on his promise. He will be faithful in what he promised and because he is absolutely just, it is true for everyone who believes, irrespective of our status, wealth or position in society.
Prayer: Thank you, our Father, that you are always, and in all circumstances, a just God. Amen.
Ben Fourie
Hy is die Rots, sy werk is volmaak, alles wat Hy doen, is regverdig. Hy is die getroue God, sonder onreg, Hy is regverdig en betroubaar. Deuteronomium 32:4, 1983-vertaling
Maar as ons ons sondes bely – Hy is getrou en regverdig, Hy vergewe ons ons sondes en reinig ons van alle ongeregtigheid. 1 Johannes 1:9, 1983-vertaling
Ek het in 'n huis grootgeword waar regverdigheid op alle vlakke as baie belangrik beskou is. My ouers het geen onregverdigheid toegelaat nie en daarvoor is ek hulle vandag nog baie dankbaar. In die Bybel lees ons telkens dat God dit van ons verwag om regverdig te wees, soos Spreuke 21:3 vir ons sê: “Die Here verkies dat 'n mens doen wat regverdig en reg is eerder as dat jy offers bring.” Groot woorde, want in die tyd wat Spreuke geskryf is, was offers 'n onontbeerlike deel van mense se godsdiens.
Tog kan ons op menslike vlak nooit heeltemal regverdig wees nie, daarvoor sorg die menslike natuur. Sonder om dit noodwendig so te beplan, tree ons dikwels baie onregverdig op teenoor ons lewensmaat, kind, werknemer of selfs die ander motoris by die stopteken.
God daarenteen is volkome regverdig. In Deuteronomium 32 is 'n pragtige lied wat Moses kort voor sy dood aan God opgedra het. In ons aangehaalde vers word van God gesê dat Hy 'n Rots is, dat sy werk volmaak is en dit word afgerond deur die woorde: “alles wat Hy doen is regverdig”. Rots, volmaak, regverdig, getrou en sonder onreg. Dit is hoe God is, daarom is Hy absoluut getrou aan sy beloftes aan ons.
In die bekende Johannes 3:16 beloof God aan ons: “... sodat dié wat in Hom glo, nie verlore sal gaan nie maar die ewige lewe sal hê.” Op grond van dié belofte kan Johannes in ons teks uit sy eerste brief ook sê dat as ons ons sondes bely, God nooit op sy belofte om ons te vergewe sal teruggaan nie. Getrou doen Hy wat Hy belowe het en omdat Hy volkome regverdig is, geld dit onpartydig vir elkeen wat glo, ongeag wat ons status, rykdom of plek in die samelewing is.
Gebed: Baie dankie liewe Vader dat U ten alle tye absoluut regverdig is. Amen
Ruanne van Zyl
Wees veral versigtig met wat in jou hart omgaan, want dit bepaal jou hele lewe. Spreuke 4:23, 1983-vertaling
Die hart waarvan hierdie vers praat, is nie net emosies nie, maar die sentrum van ons gedagtes, begeertes en motiewe. Alles wat ons doen, begin hier. Daarom sê God ons moet dit “veral versigtig” bewaak.
Ons harte word daagliks beïnvloed deur wat ons sien, hoor en oor dink. Negatiewe woorde, vergelyking met ander, vrees en bitterheid kan stil-stil wortelskiet. As ons dit nie aanspreek nie, begin dit ons houding en optrede beheer. 'n Onbewaakte hart lei tot 'n onrustige lewe.
Om jou hart te bewaak, beteken nie om koud of afgesluit te wees nie. Dit beteken om doelbewus te kies wat jy toelaat om jou binneste te vorm. Dit vra dat ons gereeld ons gedagtes aan God se waarheid toets. Wanneer leuens soos “ek is nie goed genoeg nie” of “niks sal verander nie” opkom, moet ons dit vervang met wat God sê.
'n Gesonde hart bring lewe. Dit lei tot geduld, liefde en wysheid in moeilike situasies. Wanneer ons hart vol vrede is, reageer ons anders op druk en konflik. Die kwaliteit van ons lewe word dus direk beïnvloed deur die toestand van ons binneste wêreld.
God is nie net geïnteresseerd in ons dade nie, maar in wat dit dryf. Wanneer ons Hom toelaat om ons harte te reinig en te vernuwe, verander Hy ons van binne na buite.
Gebed: Here, wys my wat in my hart nie van U af kom nie. Help my om my gedagtes te vul met u waarheid en my hart te bewaak sodat my lewe U eer. Amen.