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Lean not on unto thine own understanding

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by Calven CelliersThis has been a crazy week to say the least. And as the events that beset our country unfolded, I stood dumb founded, not to mention deeply saddened and at times angry, at peoples appetite for destruction, corruption, greed and ability to be stirred to mass hysteria.Many of the citizens in our country have blindly followed others this week, with little thought where all of this will end and the long-term suffering this week’s actions will cause. Before we let others lead us, it’s helpful to know what direction they’re going in and where we’ll eventually land up. I once heard a story about a woman driving through a terrible snowstorm. She was completely lost and struggling under the hazardous weather conditions. She was understandably relieved when she happened upon a snowplow. She decided to follow the truck and kept as close to the machine as she possibly could while it removed snow from the road in front of her vehicle. After some time, however, the snowplow stopped and the driver got out and walked over to her car, asking her, "Lady, where are you going?" Upon hearing her answer, the truck driver replied, "Well, you’ll never get there following me! I’m plowing a parking lot!"Far too many people in the world are following people who themselves have no idea where they’re heading. All too often people are only interested in being in the popular crowd, or jumping on the next big craze, and one day they wake up, like the lady in this story, and realize they've been going in circles for far too long.In Proverbs 3, wise King Solomon instructs us to let the Lord lead us into a balanced life and proper decisions, saying “5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3: 5 & 6KJV)So many of the things that cause us the most difficulty and heartache in life, the source of so much of our anxiety, fear, doubt, and anger with others and with God, is the result of leaning on our own understanding. Our limited understanding can easily lead us astray. Scripture tells us that “25There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” (Proverbs 16:25NIV) When we choose to direct our lives according to what seems right to us, we often reap disaster as this week’s events in South Africa have proven. Every person must make a decision whether to live his or her life according to personal preference or according to the unchanging Word of God. It’s one thing to acknowledge God. Many people admit there is a God and even believe that God is good. It’s another thing to submit to God’s authority, obey His commands, and make Him the Lord of one’s life.To ‘lean not on your own understanding’ is really just another way of saying we need to live by faith.“Faith is the most misunderstood word…

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Food for the Journey: Study

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The following blog post is an extract taken from our Food for the Journey booklet which covers seven disciplines for Christian living. If you would like to download a digital copy of the booklet and work through the daily devotions please click here: FOOD FOR THE JOURNEYDISCIPLINE 5THE DISCIPLINE OF STUDYKNOWLEDGEKnowledge is information + understanding = application.For the Hebrews in the O.T., knowledge was not an accumulation of facts or concepts. For them reality was what happens and knowledge meant understanding what was happening. Knowledge of God meant not thoughts and ideas about God, but recognizing and obeying the One who acted purposefully in understanding what He’s doing and then co-operating with Him. It is no different for us. The Lord speaks strongly through the prophets in the O.T. warning against lack of knowledge – lack of knowledge of the Lord and His ways – which leads us from Him and gets us into trouble. The apostle Paul in the letter to the Ephesians said: “I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,” ch1.v17. Paul as an apostle understood the importance to our journey of an increasing knowledge of the Lord.How do we acquire the knowledge? As in every aspect of our journey with the Lord the Holy Spirit is indispensable for our understanding of the Scriptures and a true interpretation of what we have read and need to apply. Before any Bible Study there should be prayer asking the Spirit to help us understand what we are studying and how it applies to us and what we need to think, do, or feel about it.A Bible dictionary, commentary and concordance are useful tools to Bible Study. Certain Bibles have commentaries and concordances in them and are worth the extra cost.The Biblical concept of knowledge therefore means the combination of information, understanding and application. We can’t claim to “know something” until these three have come together for us.Growing in knowledge through understanding and application, will develop in us a keen listening ear, discernment (wrong from right, what is of God and what is not) wisdom (not our own opinions – but strong biblical understanding,) it will assist in responsible, faithful decision-making, will correct and instruct us, maintain in us a consistent understanding of the Lord. So as you can see it is a vital discipline!It must never be just an academic exercise or superficial study. This discipline will always to talking to our hearts and looking for our response. At the same time we will find we are energized and refreshed as we discover new things, new ways of looking at the Lord, new ability to live as a faithful Christian, hope and encouragement as we meet ourselves in some of the characters of the Bible and their struggles, failures, joys, situations and longings.In your quiet times, as you work through this discipline, you will be gaining experience in how to…

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Our Calling and Mission

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Guest Blogby Herman GroenewaldI have been reading one of my favourite passages that reminds me again of a calling I received in 1992 in reading Isaiah 61.We see an Israel at the time under the shadow of Death, the sound of mourning, the ashes, and a spirit of heaviness. Considered as a “worm” by the nations, they had to come to believe in themselves. They needed freedom from these fears. For this the “The Servant of the Lord" has his redemptive work spelled out. Reflecting on it and looking back at Isaiah 49 & 61 there is such a clear message for all of us. [Read Isaiah 49 and 61 here]We are all called to servanthood as set out in Isaiah 49 when scripture points to Israel. These passages in Isaiah are very insightful prophecies.At the centre of history is THE MESSAIAH, God’s chosen instrument through whom redemption will come, not just for Israel but for all nations.All are called to hear the calling as we read the Word. And so many of us have answered the call. Not only to hear but to take the message to others. 49:6b.” I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach …”God is the one who formed the nation Israel which is called to be God’s servant. The Messiah is formed from the womb and named before birth.  (Isa 7:14). Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.And so, the vocation of the servant is also given in the passages.It follows on in Isaiah 61 (The song of the Servant) where we are shown and told about His role and calling. The fact that Jesus quoted this passage for the announcement of His public ministry (Luke 4:17–19) confirms the connection between Isaiah’s prophecy and Christ’s fulfilment.I believe that these opening verses of the Song of the Servant give us a model for vision, mission, and of leadership for all generations. This also applies to us as His followers, to follow in His footsteps.If we were to write a task description from this it can be analysed into a model for others to follow:His Mandate: • “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me”His Motivation: • “The LORD has anointed Me:His Method: • “to preach”His Message: • “good tidings”His Market: • “the poor… broken-hearted … captives … those who are bound”His Measure: • “preach good tidings to the poor … heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound”His Mood: • “to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD and the day of vengeance of our God”No leader, spiritual or secular, has ever accepted and announced such a detailed and demanding task. A task calls for accountability, and we can see that Jesus fulfils the tasks. And so, we also will be held accountable to our own task.It is one…

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Pray for Our Nation

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by Graham MolIt's almost too much to take in, almost surreal. As I sit here at my computer looking at the images and videos of the violent protests and looting, as I see the destruction. It feels like I am in a different nation, even on a different planet. I am grateful that we have not experienced the looting in our area... yet. I could stop reading the news articles, stop looking at the photos and videos, but even then I see the WhatsApp's and social media posts of friends, family and the community. There is no getting away from what is happening and I don't think we should bury our heads in the sand anyway. If you are able to, I encourage you to look at the photos, watch the videos, watch and weep, look and pray. Allow the reality of the situation to motivate you to plead before God for our nation. We cannot, we must not be apathetic. Yes there are the humorous posts and jokes - humour is often how we as people try to deal with things that are shocking, painful and unpleasant. But let us not settle for mere coping mechanisms. Let our hearts break over the suffering, over the violence and anger, over the hardening of people's hearts."I am broken by the brokenness of my dear people," (Jeremiah 8:21 CSB)Let us bring our tears before the Lord. Let us weep as Jesus wept. Let us mourn for He will comfort us (Matthew 5:4). We need to feel, we need to struggle with what we see so that it will not be forgotten. There is much pain and brokenness in our nation. Times like these are a stark reminder of that fact. Let us therefore not brush past, trying to forget and move on with our lives.Rather let this change us. Let this make us pray all the more and allow those prayers to shape us into agents of righteousness. May we be motivated to be the light of the world we are called to be. We may not have the power to stop the riots. We may not have the resources to alleviate the desperate poverty. But we can make a difference, and more than we think because we have the Lord "who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us," (Ephesians 3:20).Let us take a stand for we know that the enemy is not flesh and blood. It's not the people that we see looting and breaking and burning. No, our fight is "against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms," (Ephesians 6:12). We fight against the evil that has gripped men's hearts, we fight against the greed and selfishness. We fight against the lies."Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power," (Ephesians 6:10 CSB).Weep but don't tremble. Mourn but do…

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