Louise Gevers 

“Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Revelation 1:17-18
 
On one of the hottest days in the year, we found ourselves babysitting an energetic Audie at her home. She had tired of “quiet” activities and, after finding her umbrella, wanted to go for a walk, reasoning that it wasn’t too hot to go out as her umbrella could “save her head from the sun”!
 
Before long we were enthusiastically exploring every inch of the neighbourhood, until her gaze fell on a wall ahead where the lengthening shadow of a telephone pole loomed like a distorted scarecrow. She shrank back, saying, “That’s scary!” Understanding why she’d found it creepy, we took great pains to explain it, showing her how the shadow couldn’t hurt her, and even changed it, using her umbrella, to demonstrate this.
 
Fear grips us all at some time, and needs to be recognised for what it is: something that has its roots in the unknown which needs to be challenged before it can grow out of proportion – like the intimidating, but powerless, shadow to a vulnerable child. Sometimes the Enemy uses a threat, whether real or perceived, to attack us and rob us of our peace when we should be calmly trusting God, or sleeping – if the fear has awoken us.
 
In any situation, we need to remember God is with us: we can call Him because He loves us and will willingly meet our need. The comforting words, “fear not” appear 365 times (https://believersportal.com/list-365-fear-not-bible-verses/) in the Bible and are spoken to encourage people throughout it to look trustingly to God in each challenging situation, from Abram, in Genesis, to John, in Revelation. When pursued by his enemies, David could write, “When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” (Psalm 56:3-4)
 
When an army had surrounded Israel, Elisha was able to encourage his fearful servant with, “Don’t be afraid,” …” Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And (he) prayed,” O Lord open his eyes so he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:16-17)
 
In today’s verse, Jesus encouraged John with, “Do not be afraid” when he “fell at his feet as though dead” when he saw the vision of Him in His glory. Jesus’ words put fear into perspective because they show that there is no power greater than Him. He has been there from the beginning and will live forever; He “hold(s) the keys of death and Hades”. In Matthew 10:28 He told the disciples: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” But He also assured them, “Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid…” (Matthew 10:30-31)
 
Jesus is the answer to all our fear. When fear threatens to paralyse our mind, let us call out to Him in faith that He may come in the power of the Spirit and give us comfort we need through His Word. He is there, so let us “cast all (our) anxiety on him because he cares for (us).” (1 Peter 5:7)
 
Prayer: Lord, thank you that “there is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…” (1 John 4:18) and that “(You) did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7) Amen

Louise Gevers 

“Hou op om bang te wees – Ek is die Eerste en die Laaste en die Lewende. Ek was dood, maar kyk, Ek leef vir ewig en ewig; ook hou Ek die sleutels van die dood, en van Hades. Openbaring 1:17b-18
 
Op een van die warmste dae van die jaar moes ons 'n energieke Audie by haar huis gaan oppas. Sy was gou moeg van die meer " rustige" aktiwiteite en nadat sy haar sambreel gevind het, wou sy gaan stap. Dit was volgens haar nie te warm nie want haar sambreel kon haar kop teen die son beskerm!
 
Kort voor lank was ons besig om baie entoesiasties die hele buurt te ontdek, totdat sy 'n muur raakgesien het waarteen die lang skaduwee van 'n telefoonpaal soos 'n verwronge voëlverskrikker opgedoem het. Sy het teruggedeins en gesê: "Dit maak my bang!" Omdat ons kon verstaan hoekom sy dit grillerig gevind het, het ons baie moeite gedoen om te verduidelik en vir haar te wys dat die skaduwee haar nie kan seermaak nie. Ons het selfs haar sambreel gebruik om die vorm van die skaduwee te verander.
 
Ons almal raak soms bang en dit is nodig dat ons dit erken vir wat dit is: iets wat sy wortels in die onbekende het en wat aangespreek moet word voordat dit buite proporsie raak – soos die intimiderende, maar kragtelose skaduwee vir 'n weerlose kindjie. Soms gebruik die Vyand 'n werklike bedreiging of een wat ons ons verbeel waar is, om ons aan te val en van ons vrede te beroof. Dit alles terwyl ons kalm op God moet vertrou.
 
In enige situasie moet ons onthou dat God by ons is: ons kan tot Hom bid omdat Hy ons liefhet en aan ons behoeftes sal voldoen. Die woord "bang" kom 234 keer in die 2020-vertaling voor en die frase "moenie bang wees nie" 88 keer. In sommige Engelse Bybelvertalings kom "fear not" 365 keer voor. (https://believersportal.com/list-365-fear-not-bible-verses/) Hierdie woorde word regdeur die Bybel, van Abram in Genesis tot Johannes in Openbaring, gebruik om mense aan te moedig om in elke uitdagende situasie op God te vertrou.
 
Toe Dawid deur sy vyande agtervolg is, skryf hy: Die dag wanneer ek bang is, vertrou ek op U. Op God – ek loof sy woord – op God vertrou ek. Ek sal nie bang wees nie; wat kan vlees en bloed aan my doen?" (Psalm 56:4-5)
 
Toe 'n leër Israel omring, bemoedig Elisa sy bang dienskneg wanneer hy sê: "Moenie bang wees nie, want hulle wat by ons is, is meer as dié wat by hulle is.” Elisa het toe gebid en gesê: “Here, maak tog sy oë oop, dat hy kan sien!” Daarop het die Here die dienaar se oë oopgemaak, en hy sien toe – sowaar, die berg rondom Elisa is vol perde, en strydwaens van vuur!" (2 Konings 6:16-17)
 
In vandag se vers, toe Johannes Jesus in al sy heerlikheid sien en hy "voor sy voete neergeval [het] soos 'n dooie", bemoedig Jesus hom deur te sê: “Hou op om bang te wees". Jesus se woorde plaas vrees in perspektief want dit wys dat daar geen groter krag as Hy is nie. Hy was daar van die begin en sal vir ewig leef. Hy hou "die sleutels van die dood, en van Hades" In Matteus 10:28 sê Jesus aan sy dissipels: "En moenie diegene vrees wat die liggaam kan doodmaak, maar die siel nie kan doodmaak nie. Vrees eerder Hom wat beide die siel en die liggaam in Gehenna kan laat vergaan." Maar Hy verseker hulle ook dat "selfs die hare op [hulle] kop is almal getel.  Moet dan nie bang wees nie … " (Matteus 10:30-31a)
 
Jesus is die antwoord op al ons vrese. Wanneer vrees dreig om ons gedagtes te verlam, moet ons Hom in geloof aanroep sodat Hy deur die krag van die Gees en sy Woord aan ons die troos wat ons nodig het, kan gee. Hy is by ons daarom moet ons "al [ons] bekommernis op Hom werp; want Hy gee om vir [ons]. (1 Petrus 5:7)
 

Gebed: Here, dankie dat "in die liefde is daar geen vrees nie. Inteendeel, volmaakte liefde dryf die vrees na buite" (1 Johannes 4:18) en "[U] ons tog nie 'n gees van vreesagtigheid gegee [het] nie, maar van krag en liefde en selfbeheersing." (2 Timoteus 1:7) Amen

Louise Gevers 

Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.  Psalm 84:5-7, GNT
 
One afternoon we fetched our granddaughter who was very excited because she was coming to be babysat at our house; yet, when we were hardly halfway there, to our surprise she asked: “Where’s Audie going?” As we had travelled further away from her home, Audie’s memory of her new destination had become hazier in her little mind as she discovered other amusements along the way.
 
Doesn’t this happen to us, too, at times?
 
We journey out into a new year enthusiastically, with the best intentions, to travel on new roads of discovery, unaware that fresh attractions, potholes, and other obstacles that can delay, will divert us if we let them. Like Pilgrim, of Pilgrim’s Progress, we may at times have to re-negotiate our way wisely, and skilfully keep focused on our destination.
 
The psalmist who wrote today’s verses had this problem of distraction. He longed so fervently to be in the house of the Lord at a time that he was denied this joy because his duty was to be with the king, that he envied all who were there; he even envied the birds that nested there because they were close to God when he couldn’t be. Seeing others who were free to go on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem didn’t immediately help him either.
 
Yet, as he contemplates the situation, he recognises that these people, “whose strength is in (God), who have set their hearts on pilgrimage” (Psalm 84:5) are blessed and joyful, unaffected by the difficult conditions en route. Because they’re so focused on God, their joy and dedication are palpable on their pilgrimage to honour and worship Him in Jerusalem.
 
He realises that instead of the dry valley exhausting and robbing them of their joy, it’s their presence there that brings God’s blessing on it, and refreshing to its aridness, which encourages them to trust in Him as their Provider even more. Nothing can dampen their zeal. They live to worship God and remain close to Him.
 
They have experienced that “The LORD is (their) protector and glorious king, blessing (them) with kindness and honour. He does not refuse any good thing to those who do what is right.”(Psalm 84:11, GNT) Their spirits are vibrant because they truly know God, and are purposeful in following Him. This insight helps the psalmist to view his own predicament with new insight and he returns to pray for the king, encouraged to persevere.
 
Does this picture help us? How dedicated are we to what we have been called to at the beginning of this New Year?
 
May God be our focus and strength.
 
Prayer: Lord, “How happy are the people who worship you with songs, who live in the light of your kindness! Because of you they rejoice all day long, and they praise you for your goodness.” (Psalm 89:15-16) Help me to joyfully refocus and renew my purpose in You this year. Amen
 

Louise Gevers 

Gelukkig is mense wie se krag in U lê! Die pelgrimstogte leef in hulle gedagtes: Trek hulle deur die Baka-vallei, maak hulle daarvan 'n landskap ryk aan fonteine; die vroeë reën maak dit selfs vol waterpoele. Hulle gaan van krag tot krag; elkeen verskyn voor God in Sion.
 
Een middag gaan haal ons ons baie opgewonde kleindogter om haar by ons huis op te pas terwyl haar ouers uit is. Ongeveer halfpad, vra sy tot ons verbasing: "Waarheen gaan Audie?" Hoe verder ons van haar huis af weggery het, hoe meer het Audie se begrip van haar nuwe bestemming vervaag aangesien ander dinge langs die pad haar aandag afgetrek het.
 
Gebeur dit nie soms met ons ook nie?
 
Ons begin ons reis aan die begin van 'n nuwe jaar entoesiasties en met die beste intensies, 'n nuwe ontdekkingsreis, onbewus van nuwe attraksies, slaggate en ander hindernisse wat ons kan vertraag en wat, as ons dit toelaat, ons in 'n ander rigting sal lei. Soos Christen, in Christen se reis na die ewigheid ("Pilgrim's Progress"), moet ons ook soms met wysheid ons pad herbeplan en behendig gefokus bly op ons bestemming.
 
Die psalmdigter wat vandag se psalm geskryf het, het ook hierdie probleem met afleidings ondervind. Hy smag so om in die tempel van die Here te wees in 'n tyd wat hierdie vreugde hom nie beskore is nie – dit was sy plig om by die koning te wees – dat hy almal beny wat daar kan wees, selfs die voëls wat hulle nessies daar maak want hulle is naby God en hy kan nie daar wees nie. Die feit dat ander 'n pelgrimstog na Jerusalem kon onderneem, het hom ook nie onmiddellik beter laat voel nie.
 
Tog, toe hy oor die situasie nadink, besef hy "dit gaan goed met mense wat hulle krag in [die Here] vind en graag na [sy] tempel toe gaan." (Psalm 84:6). Hulle is geseënd en vol blydskap en word nie deur die moeilike omstandighede onderweg geraak nie. Omdat hulle op die Here fokus, is hulle blydskap en toewyding voelbaar op hulle pelgrimstog na Jerusalem om Hom daar te eer en aanbid.
 
Die psalmdigter besef dat in stede dat die droeë laagte die pelgrims uitput en van hulle vreugde beroof, bring hulle teenwoordigheid daar God se seëninge, die vroeë reën maak dit vol waterpoele, wat hulle aanmoedig om selfs meer op Hom, as hulle Voorsiener, te vertrou. Niks kan hulle toewyding demp nie. Hulle leef om die Here te aanbid en naby Hom te bly.
 
Hulle ondervind dat "die Here God is [hulle] krag en [hulle] beskerming, die Here gee genade en eer, Hy weerhou die goeie nie van dié wat reg lewe nie." (Psalm 84:12, 1983-vertaling) Hulle gees is lewendig omdat hulle God werklik ken en Hom doelgerig volg. Hierdie insig help die psalmdigter om sy eie omstandighede met nuwe begrip te beskou. Hy begin om opnuut vir die koning te bid, hy is bemoedig om te volhard.
 
Help hierdie prentjie ons? Hoe toegewyd is ons om dit te doen waarvoor ons aan die begin van die nuwe jaar geroep is?
 
Mag ons op God fokus en Hy ons krag gee.
 

Gebed: Here, hoe "gelukkig is die volk wat uitroepe van vreugde ken, wat in die lig van u teenwoordigheid loop, … ! In u Naam juig hulle die hele dag, in u geregtigheid roem hulle." (Psalm 89:16-17) Help my om vanjaar met blydskap op U te fokus en my doel op aarde in U te hernu. Amen

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