We Love God!

God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)

When we are tempted and seek to know and love God, and like Moses long to see His glory, and out of that occupation of our minds have no further love for that previous temptation, we have experienced something of the reality of the very highest form of freedom from sin. It is one thing to love sin and to force ourselves to quit it; it is another thing to hate sin because love for God is so gripping that the sin no longer appeals. The latter is repentance; the former is reform. It is repentance that God requires. Repentance is “a change of mind.” To love and yet quit it is not the same as hating it and quitting it. Your supposed victory over a sin may be simple displacement. You may love one sin so much (such as your pride) that you will curtail another more embarrassing sin which you also love. This may look spiritual, but there is nothing of God in it. Natural men do it every day.
Jim Elliff

The right way to receive correction based upon Scripture is to be humble. The humble person welcomes every chance the Holy Spirit might be using to burn off the rough edges and forever make him more like his blessed Savior. The humble person doesn’t respond harshly, regardless of the criticism or the messenger, but is concerned with the content and takes everything with a grain of salt, considering it, praying about it and diligently seeks to determine where the correction, to whatever degree, is appropriate. God is given time to work in his heart. Energy and contemplation is placed on, “What is the Lord saying to me” and “how can I learn from these comments” as compared to, “How am I going to defend myself against this attack.” It is about not flying off the handle when corrected, but exercising self-control. Don’t we know that “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (Jas. 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:5). You see, when we run away from even the slightest hint of criticism, we forfeit the very means by which the Lord wants to use to make us more godly.
Randy Smith

Bible – Afrikaans – Hooglied van Salomo Chapter 1:1-17.

Index: Afrikaans

 

Hooglied van Salomo 1

[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]

1:1 Die hooglied van Salomo.

1:2 Laat hy my kus met kusse van sy mond; want u liefde is kosteliker as wyn.

1:3 U salf is aangenaam van geur, u naam is soos salf wat uitgegiet is; daarom het die jonkvroue u lief.

1:4 Trek my agter u aan, laat ons gou maak! Die koning het my in sy binnekamers gebring. Ons wil juig en ons in u verheug, ons wil u liefde prys meer as wyn. Met reg het hulle u lief.

1:5 Ek is bruin gebrand maar lieflik, o dogters van Jerusalem, soos die tente van Kedar, soos die gordyne van Salomo.

1:6 Moenie na my kyk omdat ek so bruinerig is, omdat die son my verbrand het nie: die seuns van my moeder was toornig op my; hulle het my aangestel as oppasser van die wingerde; my eie wingerd het ek nie opgepas nie.

1:7 Vertel my tog, my sielsbeminde, waar laat u wei, waar laat u smiddags die vee lê en rus? Want waarom sou ek wees soos een wat haar met ‘n sluier toedraai by die kuddes van u metgeselle?

1:8 As u dit self nie weet nie, mooiste onder die vroue, gaan dan uit op die spore van die skape en laat u bokkies wei by die hutte van die herders.

1:9 Met die perde voor ‘n wa van Farao vergelyk ek u, my vriendin!

1:10 Lieflik is u wange tussen die kettinkies, u hals in die snoere.

1:11 Ons sal vir u goue kettinkies maak met silwerknoppe.

1:12 So lank as die koning aan sy tafel was, het my nardus sy geur gegee.

1:13 My beminde is vir my ‘n bossie mirre wat tussen my borste rus.

1:14 My beminde is vir my ‘n tros henna-blomme in die wingerde van Éngedi.

1:15 Hoe mooi is u tog, my vriendin! Hoe mooi is u tog, u oë is soos duiwe!

1:16 Hoe mooi is u tog, my beminde, ja lieflik; ook is ons bed in die groenigheid.

1:17 Die balke van ons huise is seders, ons paneelwerk sipresse.