Matama 9 - KBTP & KJV

Have I not commanded you Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

As we step into a brand-new year, it’s easy to get caught up in the “New Year, New Me” vibe. Social media is buzzing with resolutions, glow-ups, and vision boards. But let’s pause for a second, what if a fresh start isn’t just about what we do but about what God is doing in us?

1. A Promise of Renewal

The Bible is full of stories where God hits the reset button. Think about Noah. After the flood, God gave humanity a second chance. The rainbow became a symbol of His promise to never give up on us. Genesis 9:13 says, “I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” This covenant reminds us that no matter how overwhelming life gets, God is always faithful to renew His relationship with us. He’s not just a God of second chances but of endless chances, each wrapped in His love and grace.

2. Grace for the Israelites

The Israelites messed up countless times, yet God’s grace led them into the Promised Land. His faithfulness shows us that no mistake is too big for a fresh start. Deuteronomy 31:8 reminds us, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Even in seasons of wandering and waiting, God was their guide and protector. This narrative is a powerful reminder that God’s presence remains constant, even when we lose our way.

3. Becoming a New Creation

Through Jesus, we’re not just given a clean slate, we’re made new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 declares, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” This verse is a reminder that God’s transformation starts within. Being a new creation doesn’t mean life gets easier; it means we’re empowered by the Holy Spirit to live differently. It’s about leaving behind the labels and lies that once defined us and stepping boldly into the identity God has given us.

4. Letting Go of the Past

Sometimes life feels messy, and it’s hard to move forward. But God’s Word encourages us to release what’s behind. Isaiah 43:18-19 says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” God’s plans for us are always forward-focused. Letting go doesn’t mean pretending the pain or mistakes never happened. It means trusting God to use even our brokenness for His glory and to lead us into something better.

5. Daily Renewal Through Mercy

God’s mercies aren’t just for the start of the year, they’re new every single morning. Lamentations 3:22-23 proclaims, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” This means every day is a fresh start. No matter how badly yesterday went, today is a chance to start over with God’s compassion as our foundation. His love is unshakable, and His faithfulness is unending.

6. Bold Steps of Faith

A fresh start often requires bold moves, like stepping out in faith. Joshua 1:9 encourages us, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Trust that God’s got your back as you move forward. Taking bold steps can feel scary, but it’s often where we grow the most. It’s in these moments of uncertainty that we discover the depth of God’s strength and provision.

7. Trusting in His Plans

As we embrace a new year, we can find peace in knowing that God’s plans are always for our good. Jeremiah 29:11assures us, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” This promise doesn’t mean life will be problem-free, but it does mean that God’s purposes are perfect. Even when things don’t make sense, we can trust that He is working all things together for our good.

How to Make It Practical

Pray About It: Ask God to show you what areas of your life need a reset. Be honest with Him; He can handle it.
Find Your Squad: Surround yourself with people who point you toward Jesus. Life hits different when you’ve got a community that lifts you up.
Set God-Centered Goals: Instead of just focusing on fitness or finances, think about how you can grow spiritually this year. Maybe it’s reading your Bible daily or serving others.

A Fresh Start for Everyone

Whether you’re stepping into this year with excitement or dragging last year’s baggage behind you, remember this: God specializes in fresh starts. He’s not limited by our failures or fears. His love is bigger, His grace is stronger, and His plans are better than anything we could imagine.

So, as you kick off this year, don’t just strive for change, invite God into your journey. He’s ready to write a new chapter in your story. Are you?

Kusahwa kwe Iziraela

(Kufuluka 32:1-35)

1 “Ihwa iwe Iziraela, unowotjuluka Jorodani mu zhuba lino, kungina unotolela njudzi idzedzi hwulu kakale dzakasima kukupinda, mizi mikulu yakabakiligwa makuma malefu kunoti ku makole, 2 bathu bakulukulu kakale balefu, bakololo be Baanakimu baunoziba kakale bawakahwa kuyi nge kwabo, ‘Ndiyani ungama mbeli kwe bakololo ba Anaki?’ 3 Ndizo wali ziba muna lino zhuba kuti iye wakakutungamila se moto unoja, ndi Yahwe Ndzimu uwo, banowobalobesa bakabatshambila pasi mbeli kuko. Ndizo unowobatata ukathama kuti balobe belibilidza Yahwe sekwa bakakugadzabgwe.

4 “Shule kwa Yahwe Ndzimu uwo babadusila kutjena mbeli kuko usitongo zwidwa mu moyo uwo ukati, ‘Yahwe bandizhisa mu shango iyeyi nge ndulamo yangu kuti ndiithuwe,’ ngono dumbu Yahwe banodusa njudzi idzedzi mbeli kuko ngekwe mbipo yadzo. 5 Ate ili ndulamo iyo kene kutambunuka kwe moyo uwo kunothama kuti unothuwa shango yabo, koga mbipo ye njudzi idzedzi ndiyo yathama kuti Yahwe Ndzimu uwo badziduse mbeli kuko kuti bathumbidze dama la Yahwe labakatuna kuna bobatategulu babo, kuna Abhurahama ne kuna Isaki ne kuna Jakubo.”

6 “Ziba ngwenu kuti Yahwe Ndzimu uwo abatokupa shango iyeyi mbuya ngekwe ndulamo iyo ngoti imwi mu bathu bakawoma misholo. 7 Kumbula kakale usitongo kangang'wa sekwa wakatanga Yahwe Ndzimu uwo ukawugwadzisa moyo mu tjilambanyika, kudwa mu zhuba lawakabhuda mu shango ye Egipiti kuswikila uzha mu bugalo igogu wakabe upandukila Yahwe. 8 Neku Horebu wakatanga Yahwe kwabagwadza moyo ngono Yahwe bakagwadza moyo kwazo nge kuko kwakabe kwasala kuti bakulobese. 9 Ndakati ndatatha dombo kunoamutjila zwileiti zwe mabgwe, zwileiti zwe tjidumano Yahwe tjabakathama nawe, ndakagala pezhugwi kwe dombo mazhuba ali makumi manna (40) ne masiku ali makumi manna (40) ndisingaje zojiwa kene kung'wa vula. 10 Ngono Yahwe bakandipa zwileiti zwe mabgwe zwibili zwakakwagwa nge tjinyala tje Ndzimu, muali kwakabe kuna matama wose akalebgwa ndi Yahwe kumuli bali pezhugwi kwe dombo kudwa pakati kwe moto mu zhuba le nshangano. 11 Ngono kubupelo gwe mazhuba ali makumi manna (40) ne masiku ali makumi manna (40) Yahwe bakandipa zwileiti izwezwi zwe mabgwe zwibili, zwileiti zwe tjidumano. 12 Ipapo Yahwe bakabe beti kundili, ‘Milika deluka ulibilidza, ngoti bathu babo bawakadusa mu Egipiti bathama mbipo, bapambuka belibilidza, babhuda mu zila yandakabalonga muili, bakazwithamila ifano tjakabumbiwa.’

13 “Kakale Yahwe bakandidwa bakati, ‘Ndakabona bathu ibaba ngono bona, bana mitshibha, 14 letja ndibalobese ndibukushe zina labo pasi kwe kudzimu, ngono iwe ndowothama ndiwe ludzi bukulu gwakasima kubapinda.’ 15 Ndizo ndakashanduka adeluka dombo, dombo lakabe lithuta moto, ndakabe ndakasenga nge maboko angu mabili zwileiti zwibili zwe mabgwe zwe tjidumano. 16 Ngono alinga, ngono bonani makabe matjinyila Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu, makabe mazwithamigwa nkong'wana wakabumbiwa, mapambuka mulibilidza mu zila Yahwe yabakabe bamulonga muili. 17 Ndizo ndakatola zwileiti izwezo zwibili zwakabe zwili mu maboko angu mabili azwilashila pasi azwipkhwanya mbeli kwenyu makalinga. 18 Ipapo awila pasi mbeli kwa Yahwe se kutanga, mazhuba ali makumi manna (40) ne masiki ali makumi manna (40), andizotongoja zojiwa kene kuli kung'wa vula, kuyikhwa nge tjibi tjenyu tjamakathama, muthama tjakabipa mu mesho a Yahwe kubagwadzisa moyo. 19 Ngoti ndakabe nditja kugwadza moyo kwa Yahwe kukulu kwabakabe bamugwadzila moyo ndiko kwabakabe bazwimisila kumulobesa. Ngono Yahwe bakandihwa ne mu tjibaka itjetjo. 20 Ngono Yahwe bakabe bagwadzila moyo Aroni kwazo ngono bakazwimisila kunlobesa, ngono ndakatembezelela Aroni bo mu tjibaka itjetjije. 21 Ipapo atola kuthu ikoku kwe tjibi, nkong'wana wamakabe mathama aupisa nge moto, aupkhwanya aukwiya ukasala ili bgwisa gwakanathika se hwuluba ngono adila hwuluba yawo mu lukobana gwakabe guwunga gudeluka mu dombo.”

22 “Ku Tabera nayikobo neku Masa neku Kiberotihathava makatanga Yahwe mukabagwadzisa moyo. 23 Ngono kwakati Yahwe bemutuma kudwa mu Kadeshibhareneya beti, ‘Yendani munotola shango yandakamupa muithuwe,’ ipapo makapandukila nlayo wa Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu mukasibagale moyo kene kuli kuhwa hwi labo. 24 Makabe bapandukili ba Yahwe kudwila mu zhuba landakamuziba.”

25 “Ndizo ndakawila pasi mbeli kwa Yahwe mazhuba iyawo ali makumi manna (40) ne masiku ali makumi manna (40) ngekuti Yahwe bakabe bati banowomulobesa. 26 Ngono ndakatembezela Yahwe nditi, ‘She Yahwe, musilobese bathu benyu ibo thaka yenyu, ibo bamakadzutunula nge bukulu gwenyu, ibo bamakadusa mu Egipiti nge luboko gwakasima. 27 Kumbulani balanda benyu, bo Abhurahama na Isaki na Jakubo, musilinge bukomba gwe bathu ibaba kene mbipo yabo kene tjibi tjabo, 28 shango yamakatidusa muili idwa iti, “Ndingekuti Yahwe bakabe basingatubule kubayisa ku shango yabakabe babagadzabgwe nenge kuti bakabe bebabenga bakabadusa kubabulayila mu tjilambanyika.” 29 Kana bathu benyu bali thaka yenyu ibo bamakadusa nge simba lenyu gulu nenge luboko gwenyu gwakatambunuka.’

1 Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven, 2 A people great and tall, the children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say , Who can stand before the children of Anak! 3 Understand therefore this day, that the LORD thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee. 4 Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee. 5 Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 6 Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.

7 ¶ Remember, and forget not, how thou provokedst the LORD thy God to wrath in the wilderness: from the day that thou didst depart out of the land of Egypt, until ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against the LORD. 8 Also in Horeb ye provoked the LORD to wrath, so that the LORD was angry with you to have destroyed you. 9 When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the LORD made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water: 10 And the LORD delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the LORD spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly. 11 And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the LORD gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant. 12 And the LORD said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image. 13 Furthermore the LORD spake unto me, saying, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: 14 Let me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under heaven: and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they. 15 So I turned and came down from the mount, and the mount burned with fire: and the two tables of the covenant were in my two hands. 16 And I looked, and, behold, ye had sinned against the LORD your God, and had made you a molten calf: ye had turned aside quickly out of the way which the LORD had commanded you. 17 And I took the two tables, and cast them out of my two hands, and brake them before your eyes. 18 And I fell down before the LORD, as at the first, forty days and forty nights: I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because of all your sins which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. 19 For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure, wherewith the LORD was wroth against you to destroy you. But the LORD hearkened unto me at that time also. 20 And the LORD was very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him: and I prayed for Aaron also the same time. 21 And I took your sin, the calf which ye had made, and burnt it with fire, and stamped it, and ground it very small, even until it was as small as dust: and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the mount. 22 And at Taberah, and at Massah, and at Kibroth-hattaavah, ye provoked the LORD to wrath. 23 Likewise when the LORD sent you from Kadesh-barnea, saying, Go up and possess the land which I have given you; then ye rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God, and ye believed him not, nor hearkened to his voice. 24 Ye have been rebellious against the LORD from the day that I knew you. 25 Thus I fell down before the LORD forty days and forty nights, as I fell down at the first; because the LORD had said he would destroy you. 26 I prayed therefore unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, destroy not thy people and thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed through thy greatness, which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 27 Remember thy servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; look not unto the stubbornness of this people, nor to their wickedness, nor to their sin: 28 Lest the land whence thou broughtest us out say, Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land which he promised them, and because he hated them, he hath brought them out to slay them in the wilderness. 29 Yet they are thy people and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest out by thy mighty power and by thy stretched out arm.