2026-01-06
1 Peter 3:18 NKJV
A saleswoman passed a particular corner each day on her way to work. For more than a week, she observed a little girl trying to sell a flop-eared puppy. The saleswoman finally said to the little girl, “Honey, if you want to sell this dog, I suggest you clean him up, brush his coat, raise your price, and make people think they’re getting something of value.” At noon, the saleswoman noticed the little girl had taken her advice. The puppy was groomed and sitting under a big sign that read, “TREMENDOUS Puppy for Sale – $5,000.00.”
The saleswoman smiled and gulped, determined to tell the little girl later that she may have overpriced the puppy. To her surprise, on the way home she saw the puppy was gone! Flabbergasted, the woman sought out the little girl to ask if she had really sold the dog for $5,000.00. The little girl said, “I sure did, and I want to thank you for all your help.” The saleswoman spluttered, “How in the world did you do it?” She said, “It was easy. I just took two $2,500.00 cats in exchange!” Seriously, two thousand years ago the greatest exchange of all time took place.
On a cross outside Jerusalem, Jesus Christ gave His life in exchange for ours, “the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.” At the cross God took all your sin and placed it upon Christ. And when you place your trust in Christ, God takes all of His righteousness and wraps you up in it. That’s the great exchange!
Soul food: Lev 8-10; Luke 1:39-56; Ps 42:1-5; Prov 1:20-23
1 Petrus 3:18 NLV
‘n Verkoopsdame het elke dag op pad werk toe verby ‘n spesifieke hoek geloop. Vir meer as ‘n week het sy ‘n dogtertjie dopgehou wat probeer het om ‘n klein hondjie op daardie hoek te verkoop. Die verkoopsdame het uiteindelik vir die dogtertjie gesê: ‘Liefie, as jy hierdie hond wil verkoop, stel ek voor jy bad hom, borsel sy pels en verhoog jou prys sodat mense dink hulle koop iets van waarde.’ Teen twaalfuur het die verkoopsdame opgemerk dat die dogtertjie haar raad gevolg het. Die hondjie was versorg en het onder ‘n groot plakkaat gesit wat lees: ‘UITSTEKENDE Hondjie te Koop – R5,000.’
Die verkoopsdame het geglimlag en onderneem om die dogtertjie later te vertel dat die prys vir die hondjie dalk te duur was. Tot haar verbasing het sy op pad huis toe gesien dat die hondjie weg was! Verstom het die vrou die dogtertjie opgesoek om te vra of sy die hond regtig vir R5,000 verkoop het. Die dogtertjie het gesê: ‘Ek het beslis en ek wil jou bedank vir al jou hulp.’ Die verkoopsdame het verstom gevra: ‘Hoe in die wêreld het jy dit reggekry?’ Sy het geantwoord: ‘Dit was maklik. Ek het net twee katte van R2,500 elk in ruil vir die hondjie geneem!’ Tweeduisend jaar gelede het die grootste ruiltransaksie van alle tye plaasgevind.
Aan ‘n kruis buite Jerusalem het Jesus Christus sy lewe in ruil vir ons s’n gegee: ‘…Hy het vir sondaars gesterf om julle by God te laat tuiskom…’ Aan die kruis het God al jou sonde geneem en dit op Christus geplaas. Wanneer jy jou vertroue in Christus plaas, neem God al sy geregtigheid en draai jou daarin toe. Dis die groot ruiltransaksie!
Sielskos: Lev 8-10; Luk 1:39-56; Ps 42:1-5; Spr 1:20-23
2026-01-05
Jeremiah 29:11 TLB
Sports psychologists have identified six recurring traits that are common to Olympic gold medalist athletes. These traits of a champion apply to both men and women, but they are also dominant factors in the lives of those who succeed in nonathletic vocations as well. Let’s look carefully at each trait and see what we can learn.
(1) Self-analysis. The successful athlete knows their strengths and weaknesses, and engages in a critical appraisal that is honest but never negative.
(2) Self-competition. A winner knows that he or she can only control their own performance, so they compete against their own best effort and not that of others.
(3) Focus. The champion is always “in the present,” concentrating on the task at hand.
(4) Confidence. Successful athletes control anxiety by setting tough but reasonable goals. As these goals are reached, their confidence increases.
(5) Toughness. This is a mental trait that involves accepting risk and trying to win, rather than trying not to lose. A winner sees change as opportunity, and accepts responsibility for their own destiny.
(6) Having a game plan. Even the best athletes know that talent is not enough; they must have a game plan.
And here is the good news: You can develop these six traits. You say, “Where can I get a game plan for my life?” From the God who loves you and says in His Word, “For I know the plans I have for you… plans for good… to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen” (vv. 11-12 TLB).
Soul food: Lev 5-7; Luke 1:26-38; Ps 10:12-18; Prov 1:17-19
Jeremia 29:11 NLV
Sportsielkundiges het ses eienskappe wat algemeen in atlete wat goue medaljes op die Olimpiese Spele wen, geïdentifiseer. Hierdie eienskappe van ‘n kampioen is op beide mans en vrouens van toepassing en is ook dominante faktore in die lewens van diegene wat in nie-atletiese beroepe uitblink. Kom ons kyk na elke eienskap en wat ons daaruit kan leer.
1) Selfanalise. Die suksesvolle atleet ken hul sterk- en swakpunte en doen ‘n kritiese beoordeling daarvan wat eerlik, maar nooit negatief is nie.
2) Selfkompetisie. ‘n Wenner weet dat hy of sy slegs hul eie prestasie kan beheer, daarom ding hulle teen hul eie beste poging en nie dié van ander nie, mee.
3) Fokus. Die kampioen konsentreer altyd bewustelik op die taak wat voorlê.
4) Selfvertroue. Suksesvolle atlete beheer hul angs deur moeilike maar redelike doelwitte te stel. Namate hierdie doelwitte bereik word, neem hul selfvertroue toe.
5) Taaiheid. Dit is ‘n geestelike eienskap wat risiko aanvaar en altyd probeer wen. ‘n Wenner sien verandering as ‘n geleentheid en aanvaar verantwoordelikheid vir hul eie lot.
6) ‘n Wedstrydplan. Selfs die beste atlete weet dat talent nie genoeg is nie; hulle moet ook ‘n wedstrydplan hê.
Hier is die goeie nuus: Jy kan hierdie ses eienskappe ontwikkel. Jy vra: ‘Waar kan ek ‘n wedstrydplan vir my lewe kry?’ Van die God wat vir jou lief is en in sy Woord sê: ‘Ek weet wat Ek vir julle beplan het… voorspoed vir julle, nie teëspoed nie. Ek wil hê dat julle hoop vir die toekoms moet hê. Julle sal na My roep en kom bid. Ek sal na julle luister’ (verse 11-12 NLV).
Sielskos: Lev 5-7; Luk 1:26-38; Ps 10:12-18; Spr 1:17-19
2026-01-04
2 Timothy 3:16 NCV
Perhaps you wonder, ‘Is the Bible really inspired by God? Is it true, trustworthy, and infallible?’ The answer is yes, and here are three reasons why:
1) It is remarkable in composition. It was composed over sixteen centuries by forty different authors, including soldiers, shepherds, farmers, and fishermen. Begun by Moses in Arabia and finished by John the Revelator on Patmos – it was penned by kings in palaces, shepherds in tents, and captives in prisons. Would it be possible for forty writers, largely unknown to each other, writing in three different languages in several different countries, separated in time by as much as 1,600 years, to produce a book of singular theme? This would be impossible unless behind them there was one mind and one designer. (See 2 Peter 1:21.)
2) It is remarkable in durability. It is the single most published book in history. Translated into at least 1,200 languages by an army of translators, it has outlived all its opponents. Bibles have been burned by governments and banished by courtrooms, but God’s Word endures. The death knell has been sounded a hundred times, but God’s Word continues (see Isaiah 40:8).
3) It is remarkable in prophecy. Its pages contain more than 300 fulfilled prophecies about the life of Christ, yet they were all written at least 400 years before He was born. What are the odds? Imagine if something similar occurred today. If we found a book written in the year 1900 that prophesied two world wars, a depression, an atomic bomb, and the assassinations of a president and a civil rights leader, wouldn’t we trust it? Yes. So you can believe these words: ‘All Scripture is inspired by God.’
Soul food: Gal 5:22-23; 1 Cor 13; Eph 3:14-21; John 15:9-17
