2026-07-25
Galasiërs 6:9 NLV
Die Heilige Gees gee ons wysheid bo ons kennis, mag bo ons krag, en gawes bo ons vermoëns. Met sy hulp word ons beter as ons beste poging en beter as ons beste gedagte. Ons word die beste weergawe van onsself. Natuurlik neem dit ‘n leeftyd. Daarom het Paulus geskryf: ‘Moet dus nie moeg word om goed te doen nie, want as ons nie tou opgooi nie sal ons op die regte tyd oes.’
Dit is moeilik om ‘n boer voor te stel wat ‘n landery vol koring plant en dan verbaas is dat dit nie mielies oplewer nie. Hoekom? Omdat jy maai wat jy saai. Tog lyk sommige van ons geskok wanneer die saad van sonde hul oes oplewer. Wat plant jy dus? Liefde of haat? Vreugde of ondankbaarheid? Geduld of ongeduld? Selfbeheersing of selfbevrediging? Die wet van saai en maai kan jou breek of jou maak – mits jy aanhou om die regte saad te saai. Wil jy ‘n oorvloedige oes hê? Dan het jy meer van die Heilige Gees nodig.
Die Heilige Gees kan jou egter nie vul as jy vol van jouself is nie. Die voorvereiste om dus meer van die Heilige Gees te hê, is om eerlik, nederig en honger vir sy leiding te wees. Galasiërs 5:22-23 gee ‘n lys van die nege vrugte wat die Heilige Gees in ons lewe voortbring. As jy meer van die Heilige Gees wil hê, beteken dit dat jy letterlik meer liefde, meer vreugde, meer vrede, meer geduld, meer vriendelikheid, meer goedheid, meer getrouheid, meer sagmoedigheid en meer selfbeheersing wil hê (sien Galasiërs 5:22-23). Die goeie nuus is dat jy soveel van die Heilige Gees kan hê as wat jy wil.
Sielskos: Esra 6-8; Matt 28:11-20; Ps 42:6-11; Spr 19:15-17
Galatians 6:9 NIV
The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom beyond our knowledge, power beyond our strength, and gifting beyond our ability. With His help, we become better than our best effort and better than our best thought. We become the best version of ourselves possible. Of course, this takes a lifetime. Hence, Paul wrote: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
It’s hard to imagine a farmer planting a crop of beans and then being surprised that it didn’t produce corn. Why? Because you reap what you sow. Yet some of us seem shocked when the seeds of sin yield their crop. So, what are you planting? Love or hate? Joy or ingratitude? Patience or impatience? Self-control or self-indulgence? You cannot break the law of sowing and reaping, but it can break you or make you – if you keep sowing the right seeds. Want a bumper crop? Then you need more of the Holy Spirit.
But the Holy Spirit can’t fill you if you’re full of yourself. So, a prerequisite to having more of the Holy Spirit is being honest, being humble, and being hungry. Galatians 5:22-23 lists the nine fruits the Holy Spirit produces in our lives. So, if you want more of the Holy Spirit, it means you literally want more love, more joy, more peace, more forbearance, more kindness, more goodness, more faithfulness, more gentleness, and more self-control (see Galatians 5:22-23 NIV). The good news is, you can have as much of the Holy Spirit as you want.
Soul food: Ezra 6-8; Matt 28:11-20; Ps 42:6-11; Pro 19:15-17
2026-07-24
Johannes 14:26 NLV
Jesus het gesê: ‘…wanneer die Raadgewer, die Heilige Gees, kom… sal Hy julle in alle opsigte onderrig en julle ook herinner aan alles wat Ek vir julle gesê het.’ Wanneer jy ‘n belangrike besluit moet neem, het jy ‘…geestelike wysheid en insig…’ (Efesiërs 1:17 NLV), nodig. Wanneer jy in ‘n moeilike situasie is en onseker is oor wat om te sê: ‘…Sê maar net wat God in daardie uur vir julle sal gee om te sê. Julle sal wel die woorde uitspreek, maar eintlik is dit die Heilige Gees wat deur julle praat’ (Markus 13:11 NLV).
Wanneer jy dit moeilik vind om liefde te betoon? ‘Maar as die Gees ons lewe beheer, is die gevolg: liefde…’ (Galasiërs 5:22 NLV). Dieselfde geld vir elke vrug van die Gees. Moet jy ‘n verslawing oorkom? ‘Maar as die Gees ons lewe beheer, is die gevolg… selfbeheersing…’ (verse 22-23 NLV). Selfbeheersing is eintlik ‘n oksimoron, want dit kom nie van jouself af nie. Dis die Gees wat dit voorsien, dus is dit eintlik Geesbeheersing. Jy het meer van die Heilige Gees nodig.
Die Gees van God wil jou nie net vul nie; Hy wil jou ook uitdaag en jou kapasiteit vergroot. As jy voel of jou lewe vandag in chaos en wanorde is, is die Gees van God – net soos Hy aan die begin van die skepping was toe Hy lig uit die duisternis, orde uit chaos en skoonheid uit niks voortgebring het (sien Genesis 1:1-3), steeds daar. Maak nie saak watter vraag jy het nie, die Heilige Gees is die antwoord. Maak nie saak watter probleem jy in die gesig staar nie, die Heilige Gees is die oplossing. Jy het soveel as moontlik van Hom nodig, dus moet jy soveel as moontlik van jouself aan Hom oorgee.
Sielskos: Esra 3-5; Matt 28:1-10; Ps 42:1-5; Spr 19:12-14
John 14:26 NKJV
Jesus said: “The Helper, the Holy Spirit… will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” When you need to make a critical decision, you need “the spirit of wisdom and revelation” (Ephesians 1:17 NKJV). When you’re in a difficult situation and unsure of what to say: “Just say whatever is given to you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit” (Mark 13:11 NIV).
When you find it hard to show love? “The fruit of the Spirit is love” (Galatians 5:22 NIV). The same is true with every fruit of the Spirit. Do you need to overcome an addiction? “The fruit of the Spirit is… self-control” (v. 22-23 AMPC). Of course, that’s an oxymoron because it doesn’t come from you. It’s the Spirit who manufactures it, so it’s really Spirit-control. What you need more of is the Holy Spirit.
And for the record, the Spirit of God doesn’t just want to fill you; He also wants to stretch you and increase your capacity. If you feel like your life is in chaos today, the Spirit of God is hovering – just as He did at the dawn of creation when He brought light out of darkness, order out of chaos, and beauty out of nothingness (see Genesis 1:1-3). No matter what question you have, the Holy Spirit is the answer. No matter what problem you face, the Holy Spirit is the solution. You need as much of Him as you can get, so you need to yield as much of yourself to Him as you can.
Soul food: Ezra 3-5; Matt 28:1-10; Ps 42:1-5; Pro 19:12-14
2026-07-23
Joshua 1:9 NLT
When God told Joshua, “Be strong and courageous,” the word be really means become. It’s not like a computer in which you enter a password and “hey, presto!” you’re courageous. Courage is a quality you grow into. Like filling bigger shoes, the more you walk in them, the more comfortable they become. Joshua had already been to the Promised Land. He knew there were seven nations to be conquered. He was well aware of the problems he’d have to face. So, God said:
(1) “Do not be afraid of those nations, for the Lord… is among you, and he is a great and awesome God” (Deuteronomy 7:21 NLT). The job you’re about to take on may look more like a battlefield than a bed of roses, but God will be with you. He will give you solutions for the problems and strength for the battles.
(2) “The Lord your God will drive those nations out ahead of you” (Deuteronomy 7:22 NLT). God will go ahead of you and arrange everything. He will help you make the right connections and provide you with the needed resources.
(3) “The Lord… will drive those nations out… little by little. You will not clear them away all at once” (v. 22 NLT). God works in us one area at a time. Life’s not one big battle; it’s a series of small daily struggles required to defeat the enemies that stand in your way.
Twenty-three chapters later, God was still telling Israel to be courageous. Courage is like oxygen; you can’t survive without it. It’s not the absence of fear; it’s the conquest of it. Courage means doing it afraid until you conquer your fear.
Soul food: Ezra 1-2; Matt 27:57-66; Ps 1; Pro 19: 9-11
