Daaglikse Inspirasie: April 2013
Maria en haar man Jim het ‘n hond gehad met die naam van “Lucky”. Lucky, ‘n klein Jack Russel, was omtrent ‘n karakter gewees. Wanneer vriende vir Maria en Jim kom kuier vir ‘n naweek, moes hulle vroegtydig die besoekers waarsku om maar die tasse toe te hou want Lucky sal maklik iets uit die tas gaan gaps waarvan hy hou. Noodwendig vergeet van die gaste soms hiervan en dan raak iets uit die tasse weg.
Maria of Jim sal na Lucky se speelgoed boks gaan in die kelder en daar te midde van al sy ander “skatte” sal die vermiste item opgespoor word. Lucky het altyd sy “skatte” wat hy gevind het in sy speelgoed boks gaan bêre en hy was baie beskermend oor sy speelgoed boks – dit wat daar in was, bly daar.
Dit het gebeur dat Maria uitgevind het sy het bors kanker. Maria was oortuig dat sy beslis sou sterf van die siekte ..... en dat daar geen hoop op herstel was vir haar nie. Noodgedwonge het sy die operasie vir ‘n dubbele masektomie geskeduleer terwyl vrees haar hele wese oorheers.
Die aand voordat sy hospitaal toe sou gaan vir die operasie het sy dat Lucky styf teen haar kom nestel. ‘n Gedagte het deur haar geflits..... wat sou met Lucky gebeur? Alhoewel die drie jaar oue hond van Jim gehou het, was hy Maria se hond deur en deur. “Indien ek sou sterf, sal Lucky verlate wees.” Het Maria by haarself gedink. “Hy sou nie verstaan dat sy hom nie moedswilliglik verlaat het nie.” Die gedagte het haar meer hartseer gemaak as die gedagte aan haar eie dood.
Die operasie was baie moeiliker en aftakelend op haar gestel as wat die dokters vermoed het en Maria was vir twee weke in die hospitaal. Jim het getrou Lucky geneem vir sy aand wandelinkie, maar die hond was besig om te kwyn, hy was pieperig en het geen eetlus gehad of lus om enige iets te doen nie. Hy het net daar in sy slaap mandjie bly lê.
Uiteindelik het die dag aangebreek dat Maria kon huistoe gaan. Toe sy by die huis arriveer was sy so moeg dat sy nie die trappe kon op tot in hul slaapkamer nie. Jim het Maria gemaklik gemaak op die sitkamer bank dat sy eers daar so bietjie kon rus.
Lucky het daar eenkant gestaan en Maria dopgehou maar hy het nie nadergekom toe sy hom roep nie. Dit het Maria baie hartseer gemaak, maar die slaperigheid het gou oor haar die oorhand gekry en sy het ingedut.
Toe Maria wakker word kon sy vir ‘n oomblik nie verstaan wat fout is nie. Sy kon nie haar kop draai nie en haar hele liggaam het swaar en warm gevoel. Maar benoudheid het gou plek gemaak vir ‘n klein laggie toe sy besef wat die probleem is. Sy was oordek, letterlik soos ‘n kombers, met elke “skat” wat Lucky besit het!
Terwyl sy aan die slaap was, het die hartseer hondjie een draffie na die ander onderneem na sy speelgoed boks om vir sy geliefde ounooi al sy gunsteling dinge in sy klein honde lewetjie aan te dra. Hy het haar oordek met sy liefdes goed.
Maria het die gedagte van doodgaan opsy geskuif en in plaas daarvan het sy en Lucky weer begin lewe en elke dag weer begin stap, die volgende dag ‘n bietjie verder as die vorige.
Dit is nou reeds twaalf jaar en Maria is steeds kanker vry. Lucky? Hy gaps nog steeds skatte en gaan versteek hulle in sy speelgoed boks maar Maria bly sy grootste skat.
Posted by Gelofteboer at 10:03 AM No comments:
Ek dank U, O’ Vader, vir die kritiek wat daagliks oor my gaan
want U leer my daardeur om my nederig deur ander te laat
vermaan sodat ek in my hart U Goeie Weë meer duidelik kan
verstaan. O’ Vader, hier waar ek as sondaar voor U staan, leer
my ook om U Wet in elke opsig te kan verstaan en help my in
my weg waar ek oor die aarde gaan sodat ek U in geen opsig
mis sal verstaan en U daardeur miskien sal verontagsaam.
Sal U daarom stap vir stap U Wet weer opnuut met my deurgaan
sodat ek nie in aanbidding ‘n ander god of gesnede beeld voor
my aangesig sal laat staan en U daarom nie my nageslag in U
toorn met my straf sal slaan. Maar maak my aan U trou sodat
U Goeie Goedertierenheid vir ewig oor my kan gaan. Help my
ook dat ek U Grote Naam nie ydellik vir eie gewin oor my sondige
lippe sal laat gaan en U straf daardeur ver van my sal staan.
U is my Rus, U is my Sabbat, laat ek daarom U, Ewige Sabbat
heilig met geheel my klein bestaan en ek sal weet, U het ook 'n
rusdag vir my aardse liggaam beraam, waarin ook geen ander
mens of dier in hulle arbeid vir my hoef krom te staan. Maar leer
my ook dat die grote liefde nie onder hierdie wet hoef te vergaan,
maar dat ek vir my naaste in nood op die menslike Sabbatdag
mag naderstaan, want so dikwels is die kalf in die put en daarom
moet die liefdeswerk mildelik voortgaan.
My aardse vader het lankal reeds heengegaan en my gryse
moeder is ver van my vandaan, leer my daarom om al my
naastes te eer, sodat ek ook hierdie Liefdeswet volkome
kan verstaan. Maar nie sodat my aardse dae verleng mag
word, maar sodat ek na U in U Vaderhuis mag gaan. Deur
U Genade het ek nog niemand dood geslaan en in verbastering
en egbreek wil ek ook regtig nie naderstaan en as ek ander se
besittings sou begeer om daardeur te begin te steel, laat my
daaroor, myself morsdood skaam. Maar bowenal vra ek U om
dig teenaan my te staan en my te bewaar sodat geen valse
getuienis van my naaste oor my lippe sal gaan.
O’ Vader hier waar ek as sondaar voor U staan, leer my weer
en nog ‘n keer, dat ek met geheel my hart, siel en liggaam in
liefde vir U oor sal gaan en om my naaste lief te hê soos myself
dit moet ek asseblief ook duidelik verstaan. Want aan hierdie
gebod hang elke wet en ook die profeet en daarsonder sal elke
lewende siel verseker heeltemal vergaan.
Vrydag 5 April 2013
Posted by Gelofteboer at 12:48 PM No comments:
Cause ye to be heard in Jerusalem the voice of him that bringeth good tidings; p. 114
The mercy of the Lord be upon Israel for ever and ever.
The right hand of the Lord hath covered me;
The arm of the Lord hath saved us from the sword that passed through,
Noisome beasts ran upon them:
But from all these things the Lord delivered us. p. 115
The righteous was troubled on account of his errors,
For terrible is the overthrow of the sinner;
For not alike are the chastening of the righteous for sins done in ignorance,
And the overthrow of the sinners.
Secretly is the righteous chastened,
For He correcteth the righteous as a beloved son.
And his chastisement is as that of a first-born.
For the Lord spareth His pious ones,
For the life of the righteous shall be for ever;
But sinners shall be taken away into destruction,,
But upon the pious is the mercy of the Lord,
Faithful is the Lord to them that love Him in truth,
To them that walk in the righteousness of His commandments,
The pious of the Lord shall live by it for ever;
Their planting is rooted for ever;
For the portion and the inheritance of God is Israel.
But not so are the sinners and transgressors,
Who love the brief day spent in companionship with their sin;
Their delight is in fleeting corruption,
And they remember not God.
For the ways of men are known before Him at all times,
Therefore their inheritance is Sheol and darkness and destruction
But the pious of the Lord shall inherit life in gladness.
For the hope and refuge of the poor art Thou, O God.
For who, O God, is strong except to give thanks unto Thee in truth?
And wherein is a man powerful except in giving thanks to Thy name?
A new psalm with song in gladness of heart,
The first fruits of the lips from a pious and righteous heart-- p. 116
He that offereth these things shall never be shaken by evil;
When it goeth forth from the face of the Lord against sinners,
For the mark of God is upon the righteous that they may be saved.
Famine and sword and pestilence shall be far from the righteous,
For they shall flee away from the pious as men pursued in war;
But they shall pursue sinners and overtake them,
And they that do lawlessness shall not escape the judgement of God;
As by enemies experienced in war shall they be overtaken,
For the mark of destruction is upon their forehead.
And the inheritance of sinners is destruction and darkness,
Their inheritance shall not be found of their children,
For sins shall lay waste the houses of sinners.
And sinners shall perish for ever in the day of the Lord's judgement,
When God visiteth the earth with His judgement.
But they that fear the Lord shall find mercy therein,
When my soul slumbered being afar from the Lord, I had all but slipped down to the pit,
When I was far from God, my soul had been well-nigh poured out unto death,
I had been nigh unto the gates of Sheol with the sinner,
When my soul departed from the Lord God of Israel--
Had not the Lord helped me with His everlasting mercy.
He pricked me, as a horse is pricked, that I might serve Him,
My saviour and helper at all times saved me.
I will give thanks unto Thee, O God, for Thou hast helped me to my salvation;
And hast not counted me with sinners to my destruction.
Remove not Thy mercy from me, O God,
Rule me, O God, keeping me back from wicked sin,
And let not the beauty of a lawless woman beguile me,
Nor any one that is subject to unprofitable sin.
Establish the works of my hands before Thee,
Protect my tongue and my lips with words of truth;
Murmuring, and impatience in affliction, remove far from me
When, if I sin, Thou chastenest me that I may return unto Thee.
But with goodwill and cheerfulness support my soul;
When Thou strengthenest my soul, what is given to me will be sufficient for me.
For if Thou givest not strength,
Who can endure chastisement with poverty? p. 117
When a man is rebuked by means of his corruption,
Thy testing of him is in his flesh and in the affliction of poverty.
If the righteous endureth in all these trials, he shall receive mercy from the Lord.
O Lord, Thou art our King for ever and ever,
How long are the days of man's life upon the earth?
As are his days, so is the hope set upon him.
But we hope in God, our deliverer;
And the kingdom of our God is for ever over the nations in judgement.
Thou, O Lord, didst choose David to be king over Israel,
What Thou hadst not promised to them, they took away from us with violence.
They in no wise glorified Thy honourable name;
They set a worldly monarchy in place of that which was their excellency;
But Thou, O God, didst cast them down, and remove their seed from the earth,
God showed them no pity;
Faithful is the Lord in all His judgements
In the heat of His anger He sent them away even unto the west,
And He exposed the rulers of the land unsparingly to derision.
Being an alien the enemy acted proudly,
And all things whatsoever he did in Jerusalem,
As also the nations in the cities to their gods.
They wandered in deserts that their lives might be saved from harm, p. 118
Springs were stopped that sprang perennially out of the deeps, that ran down from lofty mountains.
From the chief of them to the least of them all were sinful;
The king was a transgressor, and the judge disobedient, and the people sinful.
And that he may purge Jerusalem from nations that trample her down to destruction.
Wisely, righteously he shall thrust out sinners from the inheritance,
With a rod of iron he shall break in pieces all their substance,
He shall destroy the godless nations with the word of his mouth;
And he shall gather together a holy people, whom he shall lead in righteousness,
And he shall not suffer unrighteousness to lodge any more in their midst,
And he shall divide them according to their tribes upon the land,
And neither sojourner nor alien shall sojourn with them any more.
He shall judge peoples and nations in the wisdom of his righteousness. Selah.
And he shall have the heathen nations to serve him under his yoke;
And he shall glorify the Lord in a place to be seen of all the earth;
And he shall purge Jerusalem, making it holy as of old:
So that nations shall come from the ends of the earth to see his glory,
Bringing as gifts her sons who had fainted.
And to see the glory of the Lord, wherewith God hath glorified her.
And he shall be a righteous king, taught of God, over them,
And there shall be no unrighteousness in his days in their midst,
For he shall not put his trust in horse and rider and bow,
Nor shall he gather confidence from a multitude for the day of battle. p. 119
The Lord Himself is his king, the hope of him that is mighty through his hope in God.
All nations shall be in fear before him,
For he will smite the earth with the word of his mouth for ever.
He will bless the people of the Lord with wisdom and gladness,
And he himself will be pure from sin, so that he may rule a great people.
For God will make him mighty by means of His holy spirit,
And the blessing of the Lord will be with him: he will be strong and stumble not;
His hope will be in the Lord: who then can prevail against him?
He will, be mighty in his works, and strong in the fear of God,
He will be shepherding the flock of the Lord faithfully and righteously,
He will lead them all aright,
This will be the majesty of the king of Israel whom God knoweth;
His words shall be more refined than costly gold, the choicest;
His words shall be like the words of the holy ones in the midst of sanctified peoples.
Blessed be they that shall be in those days,
May the Lord hasten His mercy upon Israel!
Lord, Thy mercy is over the works of Thy hands for ever;
Thine eyes look upon them, so that none of them suffers want;
Thine ears listen to the hopeful prayer of the poor.
Thy judgements are executed upon the whole earth in mercy;
And Thy love is toward the seed of Abraham, the children of Israel.
Thy chastisement is upon us as upon a first-born, only-begotten son,
To turn back the obedient soul from folly that is wrought in ignorance.
May God cleanse Israel against the day of mercy and blessing,
Against the day of choice when
Blessed shall they be that shall be in those days,
He bringeth back His anointed.
Under the rod of chastening of the Lord's anointed in the fear of his God,
That he may direct every man in the works of righteousness by the fear of God,
A good generation living in the fear of God in the days of mercy. Selah.
Great is our God and glorious, dwelling in the highest.
It is He who hath established in their courses the lights of heaven for determining seasons from year to year,
In the fear of God they pursue their path every day,
And they have erred not since the day He created them.
Unless God commanded them so to do by the command of His servants.