Radio Pulpit

“Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness.” 2 Corinthians 9:10 NKJV

Be a sower

Three young men were each given three kernels of corn by a wise old sage. He told them to go out into the world and use the corn to bring themselves good fortune. The first young man put his three kernels of corn into a bowl of soup and ate them. The second thought, “I can do better than that,” and he planted his three kernels of corn. Within a few months, he had three stalks of corn. He took the ears of corn from the stalks, boiled them, and had enough corn to eat for three meals. The third man said to himself, “I can do better than that!” He also planted three kernels of corn. But when his three stalks of corn produced, he stripped one of the ears and replanted all of the seeds in it, gave the second ear of corn to a sweet maiden, and ate the third. His one full year’s worth of replanted corn kernels gave him 200 stalks of corn! And the kernels of these he continued to replant, setting aside only a bare minimum to eat. He eventually planted a hundred acres of corn. With his fortune, he not only won the hand of the sweet maiden, but he also purchased the land owned by the sweet maiden’s father. And he never hungered again. There’s an important scriptural principle here. To whom does God supply seed? Sowers. When does God multiply seed? When it is sown into good ground to accomplish good things. So be a sower.

“God wat saad voorsien aan die saaier en dan brood om te eet, sal ook aan julle saad gee en dit laat toeneem en die vrugte van julle goedhartigheid lieflik laat groei.” 2 Korintiërs 9:10 NLV

Wees ‘n saaier

Drie jong mans het elk drie mieliepitte van ‘n ou wysgeer ontvang. Hy het hulle beveel om die wêreld in te gaan en die mieliepitte te gebruik om vir hulself goeie geluk te bring. Die eerste jongman het sy drie mieliepitte in ‘n bak sop gesit en dit geëet. Die tweede jongman het gedink: ‘Ek kan beter doen as dit,’ en sy drie mieliepitte geplant. Binne ‘n paar maande het hy drie mielieplante gehad. Hy het die mieliekoppe van die plante afgehaal, dit gekook en genoeg mielies vir drie maaltye gehad. Die derde man het vir homself gesê: ‘Ek kan nog beter doen as dit!’ Hy het ook drie mieliepitte geplant. Toe sy drie mielieplante egter opkom, het hy een van die koppe gestroop en al die sade daarin herplant, die tweede mieliekop vir ‘n liewe meisie gegee en die derde het hy self geëet. Die herplante mieliepitte het hom 200 mielieplante gegee! Met die pitte daarvan het hy aanhou herplant en slegs ‘n absolute minimum opsy gesit om te eet. Hy het uiteindelik ’n honderd akkers mielies geplant. Met sy fortuin het hy nie net die hand van die lieflike meisie gewen nie, hy het ook die grond wat aan die lieflike meisie se vader behoort het, gekoop. Hy het nooit weer honger gehad nie. Daar is ‘n belangrike Skriftuurlike beginsel hieruit te leer. Aan wie voorsien God saad? Saaiers. Wanneer vermeerder God saad? Wanneer dit in goeie grond gesaai word om goeie dinge te bereik. Wees dus ‘n saaier.

“Our light affliction…is working for us.” 2 Corinthians 4:17 NKJV

God is putting the pieces together

Without God’s Word, most of our experiences in life make no sense whatsoever. With it, we can decipher our experiences. Few things are more comforting or more exhilarating than knowing that God is the One putting together the jigsaw puzzle of your life. It was a London cartographer, John Spilsbury, who is credited with commercializing jigsaw puzzles around 1760. During the Great Depression, they were popularized in America as a cheap form of entertainment. Puzzles come in all shapes and sizes, including the latest and greatest—3D spherical jigsaws. But the method of assembly has not changed. It requires the fitting together of oddly shaped, interlocking pieces. The key is the picture on top of the box. Without it, you’re lost. And that’s why many of us feel helpless and hopeless at times—because the pieces of our lives don’t seem to fit together, and we can’t see God’s vision for the whole. Few have suffered more than the apostle Paul, yet he wrote: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NKJV). Yes, bad things do happen to good people. But God has promised to recycle it, redeem it, and use it for our good and His glory.

“Ons swaarkry op die oomblik is gering en tydelik, maar dit bewerk vir ons ‘n heerlikheid…’ 2 Korintiërs 4:17 NLV

God sit die stukke bymekaar

Sonder God se Woord maak die meeste van ons ervarings in die lewe glad nie sin nie. Ons kan egter ons ervarings deur middel van die Woord ontsyfer. Min dinge is meer vertroostend of opwindend as om te weet dat God die Een is wat die legkaart van ons lewens aanmekaar sit. ‘n Londense kartograaf, John Spilsbury, het glo begin om legkaarte rondom 1760 te kommersialiseer. Tydens die Groot Depressie het hulle in Amerika as ‘n goedkoop vorm van vermaak gewild geword. Legkaarte kom in alle vorms en groottes voor, insluitend die nuutste en beste - 3D sferiese legkaarte. Die metode om dit te bou het egter nie verander. Dit vereis dat jy stukke wat vreemd gevorm is, in mekaar moet probeer pas. Die sleutel is die prentjie bo-op die boks. Daarsonder is jy verlore. Daarom voel baie van ons soms hulpeloos en hopeloos - omdat die stukke van ons lewens nie bymekaar pas nie en ons nie God se visie vir die geheel kan sien nie. Min mense het meer as die apostel Paulus gely, maar hy het geskryf: ‘Om hierdie rede gee ons nie moed op nie. Al is ons uiterlike mens besig om te vergaan, innerlik word ons van dag tot dag vernuwe. Ons swaarkry op die oomblik is gering en tydelik, maar dit bewerk vir ons ‘n heerlikheid wat alles verreweg oortref en vir altyd vas sal staan. Ons oog is nie op die sigbare dinge gerig nie, maar op die onsigbare, want die sigbare dinge is tydelik, maar die onsigbare vir altyd’ (2 Korintiërs 4:16-18 NLV). Ja, slegte dinge gebeur wel met goeie mense. God het egter belowe om dit te herwin, te verlos en vir ons beswil en sy heerlikheid te gebruik.

“Being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:10 NKJV

You’re called to do “good works”

Many people know how Helen Keller overcame the difficult physical challenge of being left without hearing, speech, and sight after contracting fever as a baby and how she eventually learned to communicate by learning Braille. Her life inspired millions of people. One of her ardent admirers was author Mark Twain. She was invited to visit every president at the White House from her childhood on. What many people don’t know, however, is how hard Helen worked as an adult. After graduating with honours from Radcliffe College, she worked to help others until her death at the age of eighty-eight. She authored numerous articles. She gave lectures for the American Foundation for the Blind and raised millions of dollars for them. On her eightieth birthday, she was given the Helen Keller International Award for those who give outstanding help to the blind. In the Bible, Paul prayed for the Colossian Christians: “That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him” (Colossians 1:10 NKJV). And he gave them two ways in which they could do this: “Being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (NKJV). Faith and works; spirituality and service; ministering to the Lord and meeting the needs of others. That’s how Helen Keller lived. You say, “But my goal is to please the Lord rather than people.” Here’s how you do that: “With goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men” (Ephesians 6:7 NKJV). Hymn writer Charles Meigs wrote: “Others, Lord, yes others, let this my motto be. Help me to live for others, that I may live like Thee.”

“…Julle sal produktief wees in elke goeie werk en God al hoe beter persoonlik leer ken.” Kolossense 1:10 NLV

Jy is geroep om goeie werke te doen

Baie mense ken die verhaal hoe Helen Keller die moeilike fisiese uitdaging oorkom het om sonder gehoor, spraak en sig gelaat te word nadat sy as baba koors opgedoen het, en hoe sy uiteindelik geleer het om deur braille te kommunikeer. Haar lewe het miljoene mense geïnspireer. Een van haar vurige bewonderaars was die skrywer Mark Twain. Wat baie mense egter nie weet nie, is hoe hard Helen as volwassene gewerk het. Nadat sy met lof haar graad by Radcliffe College voltooi het, het sy tot haar dood op die ouderdom van agt-en-tagtig gewerk om ander mense te help. Sy het talle artikels geskryf. Sy het lesings vir die Amerikaanse Stigting vir Blindes gegee en miljoene dollars daarvoor ingesamel. Om en by haar tagtigste verjaardag het sy die Lions Humanitêre Toekenning vir haar uitstaande diens aan blindes, ontvang. In die Bybel het Paulus vir die Christene in Kolossense gebid: ‘Dan sal julle leefstyl tot eer van die Here wees en Hy sal daarmee tevrede wees…’ (Kolossense 1:10 NLV). Hy het ook vir hulle twee maniere om dit te doen gegee: ‘Julle sal produktief wees in elke goeie werk en God al hoe beter persoonlik leer ken.’ Geloof en goeie werke; geestelikheid en diens; om die Here te dien en in die behoeftes van ander te voorsien. Dit is hoe Helen Keller geleef het. Jy sê: ‘Maar ek wil eerder die Here as mense behaag.’ Hier is hoe jy dit doen: ‘Doen julle werk entoesiasties, asof julle dit vir die Here doen en nie vir mense nie’ (Efesiërs 6:7 NV). Die gesangeskrywer Charles Meigs het geskryf: ‘Others, Lord, yes others, let this my motto be. Help me to live for others, that I may live like Thee.’

“Joshua…said…‘Sun, stand still…So the sun stood still.’” Joshua 10:12-13 NKJV

Pray boldly (4)

God said: “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV). You’re to call on God for great things as well as little things. Joshua’s army was battling the combined might of five hostile armies, and he was winning. But he was running out of time and needed more daylight. So he did something no one in recorded history has ever done before: “Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: ‘Sun, stand still.’…So the sun stood still…till the people had revenge upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the Lord heeded the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel” (Joshua 10:12-14 NKJV). Like Joshua, who was battling five kings, you may be battling discouragement, disease, despair, defeat, or death. Respond in prayer—honest, continual, and audacious prayer. You are a member of God’s family. You come to Him not as a stranger but as an heir. Confidently approach His throne (see Hebrews 4:16). Earnestly make your requests known (see Php 4:6), not because of what you’ve achieved but because of what Christ has done on your behalf. Because Christ shed His blood for you, you can confidently pour out your heart before God, knowing you’ll get results.

“…Josua… het… gebid: ‘Son, staan stil…’ Die son het stilgestaan…” Josua 10:12-13 NLV

Bid met vrymoedigheid (4)

God het gesê: ‘Vra My, en Ek sal jou ‘n antwoord gee. Ek sal jou van ongelooflike dinge vertel. Dit is nou nog vir jou ‘n geheim, en jy weet niks daarvan nie’ (Jeremia 33:3 NLV). Jy moet God in die groot dinge sowel as die klein dingetjies aanroep. Josua se leër het teen die gekombineerde mag van vyf vyandige leërs geveg en was besig om te wen. Die son was egter besig om onder te gaan en hy het meer daglig nodig gehad. Hy het dus iets gedoen wat niemand in die opgetekende geskiedenis al ooit tevore gedoen het nie: ‘Op die dag dat die Here vir Israel oorwinning gegee het oor die Amoriete, het Josua die Here om hulp gevra. Voor almal het hy by die Here gebid: ‘Son, staan stil…’ Die son het stilgestaan. Die maan het net daar bly hang totdat Israel sy vyande uitgewis het… Die son het halfpad in die lug vasgesteek. Hy was nie haastig om op sy gewone tyd onder te gaan nie. So ‘n dag was daar nog nooit voorheen en nooit daarna nie. Die Here het geluister na wat ‘n mens vir Hom vra! Die Here het aan Israel se kant geveg’ (Josua 10:12-14 NLV). Soos Josua, wat teen vyf konings geveg het, veg jy dalk teen ontmoediging, siekte, wanhoop, nederlaag of dood. Reageer in gebed - eerlike, voortdurende en vermetele gebed. Jy is ‘n lid van God se familie. Jy kom nie na Hom as ‘n vreemdeling nie, maar as ‘n erfgenaam. Nader sy troon met vertroue (sien Hebreërs 4:16). Maak jou versoeke ernstig bekend (sien Filippense 4:6). Omdat Christus sy bloed vir jou gestort het, kan jy met vertroue jou hart voor God uitstort, wetende dat jy resultate sal kry.

“If you believe, you will get anything you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:22 NCV

Pray boldly (3)

Max Lucado wrote about the power of prayer in the life of his friend Greg Pruett: “He is trained as an engineer, linguist, and Bible translator. But his most significant contribution might be in the area of ‘extreme prayer.’” In Greg’s book by that name, he related how he returned from Guinea, West Africa, to assume the role of president of Pioneer Bible Translators. It was 2008—the Great Recession. The ministry’s financial chart indicated a freefall toward insolvency. Greg had no experience in leading such an organization and no tangible place to cut expenses. Resources were few, and the donors were disappearing. Greg knew of only one response: prayer. “That’s when I began to learn not to pray about my strategies, but to make prayer the strategy.” In July, he wrote a half-page letter to his teammates worldwide, calling them to prayer. He urged them to stand before God’s throne with specific and bold requests. Greg described the result: “When I saw the end of the year report, I knew God had heard our prayers. My eyes welled up with tears…If a financial expert were to analyze this graph, they would put their finger on the month of July and say, ‘What did you do right here? Whatever it was, you need to do a lot more of that.’ I searched in vain for a tangible explanation. I wanted to find trends to explain how it worked, so we could do it again. I never could…I just knew God provided. All I had was God—and prayer.” Is that all you’ve got? That’s all you need!

“Alles wat julle in die gebed van God vra, sal julle ontvang, mits julle God daarmee vertrou.” Matteus 21:22 NLV

Bid met vrymoedigheid (3)

Max Lucado het oor die krag van gebed in die lewe van sy vriend, Greg Pruett, geskryf: ‘Hy is as ‘n ingenieur, taalkundige en Bybelvertaler opgelei. Sy belangrikste bydrae is egter dalk op die gebied van ‘extreme prayer.’ In Greg se boek met dieselfde naam, vertel hy hoe hy van Guinee in Wes-Afrika teruggekeer het om die pos van die president van Pioneer Bible Translators te aanvaar. Dit was in 2008 – tydens die Groot Resessie. Die bediening se finansies was beroerd, op pad na insolvensie. Greg het geen ervaring om so ‘n organisasie te lei gehad nie en kon geen tasbare plek vind om uitgawes te besnoei nie. Hulpbronne was min en die skenkers het verdwyn. Greg het net een reaksie daarop gehad: gebed. ‘Dit is toe dat ek begin leer het om nie oor my strategieë te bid nie, maar om gebed die strategie te maak.’ In Julie het hy ‘n brief aan sy vriende wêreldwyd geskryf en hulle tot gebed opgeroep. Hy het hulle aangespoor om voor God se troon met spesifieke en dapper versoeke te staan. Greg het die resultaat as volg beskryf: ‘Toe ek die jaareindverslag lees, het ek geweet dat God ons gebede verhoor het. My oë het vol trane geskiet. As ‘n finansiële kenner hierdie verslag sou ontleed, sou hulle hul vinger op die maand Julie plaas en vra: ‘Wat het jy hier gedoen? Wat dit ook al was, jy moet dit baie meer doen.’ Ek het tevergeefs na ‘n tasbare verduideliking gesoek. Ek wou ontleed presies wat ons gedoen het, sodat ons dit weer kon doen. Ek kon egter nooit. Al wat ek geweet het, is dat God voorsien het. Al wat ek gehad het, was God - en gebed.’ Is dit al wat jy het? Dis al wat jy nodig het!