Page 2 - Good News April 2017 paper

O ns lees in 1 Konings18 hoe Elia die Baäl-profete Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will surely be
oorwin het. Daarna het hy 'n altaar vir die HERE gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears
gebou. In vers 30 lees ons die volgende: “Toe sê it, He will answer you. And though the Lord gives you
Elia vir die hele volk: Kom nader na my. En die hele the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet
volk het nadergekom na hom; en hy het die altaar your Teacher will not hide Himself anymore, but your
herstel wat afgebreek was.” eyes will constantly behold your Teacher. And your ears
Die altaar was 'n simbool van gebed. Die altaar is will hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way;
verwaarloos en moes herstel word. Daar was skynbaar walk in it', when you turn to the right hand, and when
vroeër 'n altaar op die berg Karmel; daarom het Elia dit you turn to the left” (Amplified Bible).
nou herstel. God wil hê dat ons voortdurend ons Leermeester
In ons persoonlike lewens is dit een van die moeilikste (“Teacher”) sal sien! Die Heilige Gees sal ons leer en lei
dinge om te doen: om ons gebedsaltaar te herstel nadat in die hele waarheid. Ons moet aan God se voete sit sodat
ons dit verwaarloos het. Daar is so baie dinge wat ons ons Sy stem kan hoor. Die gebedsaltaar moet herstel
aandag verg; so baie sake wat só belangrik skyn te wees! word. Dán val die vuur van God!
En dan is ons ook nie altyd lus om te bid nie! Ons lees en In Elia se tyd het die vuur geval in 'n tyd van nasionale
bid vir tien minute. Dan raak ons woorde op en kan ons afval. Toewyding aan God en voortdurende aanbidding
nie verder bid nie. Natuurlik sal die vyand ook altyd tot Hom was op 'n laagtepunt. God se vuur word egter nie hoogste is;
probeer om die herstel van die altaar in die wiele te ry! gereserveer net vir volmaakte omstandighede nie. Hy ¦ Wanneer ons krisis op sy
¦ Na 70 jaar van ballingskap wou die vyand keer dat stuur dit juis wanneer dit die nodigste is! grootste is!
die volk Israel na hulle land terugkeer. Daniël bou 'n ¦ Wanneer die nag op sy Buig net jou knieë en roep tot God!
altaar van gebed (Jer. 29). donkerste is; Mag Hy ons genade skenk om die
¦ Nehemia beskryf die bou van die muur en al die ¦ Wanneer ons nood op sy gebedsaltaar te herstel:
teëstand wat hulle van die vyand beleef het. ¦ In ons persoonlike lewens;
Tog behoort ons, ten spyte van alle weerstand van die ¦ In ons huis;
vyand, ons gebedsaltaar te herstel. In ons stryd sal ons ¦ In ons kerk;
agterkom dat daar EEN is wat help om ons taak ligter te ¦ In ons mooi land!
maak. En God beloon 'n herstelde altaar! In Spreuke 16:3
lees ons in die Amplified Bible: “Roll your works upon Dan sal Hy die vuur op ons altaar
the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will aansteek sodat Hy Homself as God
cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, in ons lewens kan proklameer. Dit
and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.” sal 'n blywende vuur wees, omdat dit
Ons moet gedurig soek na God se wil en leiding vir ons nie uit eie pogings ontstaan het nie,
lewens. Daarmee verklaar ons dat ons self té gering is om maar omdat Hy dit aangesteek het.
'n oplossing vir ons probleme en stryd te vind. In Jesaja Laat ons vir Hom 'n altaar bou!
30:19-21 lees ons: “O people who dwell in Zion at © Dr. J J Venter

ears ago, a farmer owned a out of bed, the farmer grabbed a
piece of land along the lantern and rushed next door to
YAtlantic seacoast. He con- the hired hand's sleeping quar-
stantly advertised for hired ters.
hands.
He shook the little man and yelled,
Most people were reluctant to 'Get up! A storm is coming! Tie
work on farms along the Atlantic. things down before they blow
They dreaded the awful storms away!'
that raged across the Atlantic,
wreaking havoc on the buildings The little man rolled over in bed
and crops. As the farmer and said firmly, 'No sir. I told you, I
interviewed applicants for the job, can sleep when the wind blows.'
he received a steady stream of
refusals. Enraged by the response, the
farmer was tempted to fire him on
Finally, a short, thin man, well the spot. Instead, he hurried
past middle age, approached the outside to prepare for the storm.
farmer.
To his amazement, he discovered
'Are you a good farm hand?' the that all of the hay-stacks had been
farmer asked him. covered with tarpaulins. The
'Well, I can sleep when the wind cows were in the barn, the you are prepared, spiritually, His hand to have peace in the
blows,' answered the little man. chickens were in the coops, and mentally, and physically, you middle of storms!
Although puzzled by this answer, the doors were barred. The have nothing to fear.
the farmer, desperate for help, shutters were tightly secured. "Therefore, every [one] who hears
hired him. Everything was tied down. Can you sleep when the wind these words of Mine and does
Nothing could blow away. blows through your life? The them, I will compare him to a wise
The little man worked well around hired hand in the story was able to man who built his house on the
the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, The farmer then understood what sleep because he had secured the solid rock; and the rain came
and the farmer felt satisfied with his hired hand meant, so he farm against the storm. We secure down, and the floods came, and
the man's work. returned to his bed to also sleep ourselves against the storms of the winds blew, and they beat
while the wind blew. life by grounding ourselves in the against that house, and it did not
Then one night the wind howled Word of God. We don't need to fall, for it had been founded on the
loudly in from offshore. Jumping MORAL OF THE STORY: When understand, we just need to hold solid rock" (Matt. 7:24-25).