2026-05-19
Luke 5:2 TLB
Why would fishermen wash nets that hadn’t been used? The answer is they were quitting because of an overnight problem. “We have fished all night and caught nothing” (see v. 5). Their expectations had been destroyed. They believed that the way things were was the way they’d be. They were beaten! That’s when Jesus showed up. He came to where they were; He walked right into the middle of their disappointment with a solution.
First, He asked them for their boat and used it to preach to the crowd and heal the multitudes. Child of God, turn everything over to Him – all you have, all you are, and all you’ll ever be – and let Him use you for His highest purposes. Next, He gave them a word that only faith could receive: “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a draught” (Luke 5:4 KJV).
Can you see now why He has to wait until you’ve done everything you know to do? Only then are you ready to listen; even though His Word doesn’t seem to make sense, you’re ready to obey without question. Are you discouraged today? Is it your ministry, your marriage, your job, or your health? You may be washing your nets, but it’s not over. Who told you God wasn’t going to bless you again? Who told you He wasn’t going to bring victory out of your ashes?
It’s not over until He says it’s over. If He can fill empty nets for those discouraged disciples, then you don’t have a problem He can’t take care of.
Soul food: Judg 1-3; Matt 11:20-30; Ps 88:9b-18; Prov 13:4-6
2026-05-18
Josua 1:9 NLV
Dit is onmoontlik om suksesvol te leef sonder om risiko’s te neem. Leo Buscaglia het geskryf: ‘Om te lag is om die risiko te loop om dwaas voor te kom. Om te huil is om die risiko te loop om sentimenteel voor te kom. Om lief te hê is om die risiko te loop om nie liefde terug te ontvang nie. Om te lewe is om die risiko te loop om te sterf. Om te hoop is om die risiko te loop om wanhoop te ervaar en om te probeer is om die risiko te neem om te misluk. Risiko’s moet egter geneem word, want die grootste gevaar in die lewe is om niks te waag nie. Slegs die persoon wat waag, is werklik vry.’
Franklin Roosevelt het ‘n groot deel van sy lewe teen siekte geveg en was aan ‘n rolstoel gekluister. Hy het gesê: ‘Dit is gesonde verstand om ‘n manier te kry en dit uit te probeer. As dit misluk, erken dit openlik en probeer ‘n ander manier. Maar bowenal, probeer net.’
In sy boek, The Pursuit of Excellence, gee Ted W. Engstrom hierdie raad oor die belangrikheid om te probeer: ‘Vanaf vandag kan jy begin om jou gawes te geniet, te gebruik en te ontwikkel. As jy nog altyd wou skryf, skryf dan iets – ‘n kort artikel, ‘n gedig, ‘n verslag van jou vakansie. Skryf dit asof dit gepubliseer gaan word. As jy ‘n fotograaf is, maak jou beste foto’s bymekaar en skryf vir ‘n kompetisie in. As jy dink dat jy ‘n goeie tennisspeler is, neem dan aan ‘n paar toernooie deel en kyk hoe jy vaar. Jy wen dalk nie die prys nie, maar dink net hoeveel jy sal leer en ervaar deur net te probeer. Die grootste mislukking is om nie te probeer nie!’
Sielskos: Rut 1-4; Matt 11:1-19; Ps 88:1-9a; Spr 13:1-3
Joshua 1:9 NKJV
It’s impossible to live successfully without taking risks. Leo Buscaglia wrote: “To laugh is to risk appearing the fool. To weep is to risk appearing sentimental. To reach out to another is to risk involvement… To place your ideas, your dreams, before the crowd is to risk being called naïve. To love is to risk not being loved in return. To live is to risk dying. To hope is to risk despair, and to try is to risk failure. But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing… Only the person who risks is truly free.”
Franklin Roosevelt spent much of his life battling illness and was confined to a wheelchair. Yet he became one of America’s greatest presidents. He said: “It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.”
In The Pursuit of Excellence, Ted W. Engstrom gives this advice about the importance of trying: “Starting today, you can begin to enjoy using and developing your gifts… If you’ve always wanted to write, then write something, a short article, a poem, an account of your vacation. Write it as if you were going to be published; then submit it somewhere. If you’re a photographer, gather your best pictures together and submit them as entries in a contest. If you think you’re a fair tennis player or golfer, enter some tournaments and see how you do. You may not win the top prize but think how much you’ll learn and experience just by trying. The worst failure… is failure to try!”
Soul food: Ruth 1-4; Matt 11:1-19; Ps 88:1-9a; Prov 13:1-3
2026-05-17
1 Peter 5:6 NIV
God will not tolerate pride from anyone. If self-exalted ones refuse to humble themselves, they leave God no other choice than to do it for them. One day, pride got the better of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon: “As he looked out across the city, he said, ‘Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor” (Daniel 4:30 NLT). That was raw, unvarnished, arrogant pride.
A year earlier, Daniel had told the king through the interpretation of his dream that he should change his ways. But he had ignored Daniel’s warning. Now God said enough was enough and interrupted his proud moment: “While these words were still in his mouth, a voice called down from heaven, ‘O King Nebuchadnezzar, this message is for you! You are no longer the ruler of this kingdom'” (Daniel 4:31 NLT). During the next seven years, Nebuchadnezzar lost his sanity and was reduced to the status of an animal in the forests. That’s how low pride brought him!
Someone once said, “A man wrapped up in himself makes a pretty small package.” Only when Nebuchadnezzar humbled himself did God have mercy on him and give him back his sanity and his reign. That’s when he declared God’s sovereignty over all kings and kingdoms: “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honour the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud” (Daniel 4:37 NLT). So be humble!
Soul food: Est 4:9-5:3; Matt 11:28; Heb 4:14-16
1 Petrus 5:6 NLV
God sal nie trots van enigiemand duld nie. As selfverhewe mense weier om hulself te verootmoedig, laat hulle God geen ander keuse as om dit vir hulle te doen nie. Eendag het trots die oorhand oor Nebukadnesar, die koning van Babel, gekry: “…hy [het] op die dak van sy koninklike paleis in Babel rondgeloop. Hy spog toe by homself: ‘Ek het hierdie grote Babel met my eie mag as my koninklike tuiste opgebou om ‘n teken te wees van my grootheid'” (Daniël 4:30 NLV). Dit was rou, onverbloemde, arrogante trots.
‘n Jaar tevore het Daniël die koning se droom vir hom uitgelê en gesê dat hy sy weë moet verander. Die koning het egter Daniël se waarskuwing geïgnoreer. God het op daardie oomblik gesê genoeg is genoeg en sy trotse oomblik onderbreek: “Terwyl die koning nog besig was om so te praat, het ‘n stem van bo uit die lug gekom: ‘Koning Nebukadnesar, hier is ‘n aankondiging vir jou: Jou koningskap word van jou af weggevat!'” (Daniël 4:31 NLV). Gedurende die volgende sewe jaar het Nebukadnesar sy verstand verloor en is hy tot die status van ‘n dier in die bos gereduseer. Dit is hoe laag trots hom laat val het!
Iemand het eenkeer gesê: “‘n Man wat te ingenome met homself is, is maar vervelige geselskap.” Eers toe Nebukadnesar homself verootmoedig het, het God hom genade bewys en hom sy verstand en sy heerskappy teruggegee. Dit is toe dat hy God se soewereiniteit oor alle konings en koninkryke verklaar het: ‘As gevolg hiervan loof en verheerlik en vereer ek, Nebukadnesar, die Koning van die hemel. Alles wat Hy doen, is waar. Wat Hy doen is reg. Almal wat hoogmoedig is kan Hy verneder’ (Daniël 4:37 NLV). Wees dus nederig!
Sielskos: Est 4:9-5:3; Matt 11:28; Heb 4:14-16
