2026-07-18
Joshua 5:13 NKJV
In late January 1956, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. received a threatening telephone call at his house. It was not the first foreboding message he’d received. But on this night, as his children and his wife lay sleeping, the weight of the Civil Rights Movement was too heavy. He decided that the risk was too great. He began to map out an exit strategy. At midnight he bowed over the kitchen table and began to pray, “I am afraid. The people are looking to me for leadership, and if I stand before them without strength and courage, they too will falter. I am at the end of my powers. I have nothing left. I’ve come to the point where I can’t face it alone.”
King described what happened next. “I experienced the presence of the Divine as I have never experienced Him before. It seemed as though I could hear the quiet assurance of an inner voice saying: ‘Stand up for righteousness, stand up for truth; and God will be at your side forever.'” When facing a daunting challenge, Dr. King shifted his focus and turned to God.
The Bible says: “When Joshua was by Jericho… he lifted his eyes… and behold, a Man stood opposite him.” After Joshua lifted his eyes from Jericho, a divine messenger stood before him with the solution to his problem. As long as your eyes are only on your problem, you won’t see your problem solver. You must look up. “I will lift up my eyes to the hills – from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord” (Psalm 121:1-2 NKJV).
Soul food: 1 Tim 1-3; Matt 27:11-26; Ps 140; Pro 18:21-22
2026-07-17
Josua 6:2 NLV
Jerigo se mure was enorm. Hulle het veertig voet bo die grond die stad soos ‘n wapenuitrusting omhul. Hulle was ondeurdringbaar. Josua het nie Jerigo se mure afgebreek nie – God het. God sal dit vir jou ook doen. Jou Jerigo is jou vrees, woede, bitterheid of vooroordeel. Dit is ook jou onsekerheid oor die toekoms; jou skuldgevoelens oor die verlede en jou negatiwiteit, angs en geneigdheid om te kritiseer, oor te analiseer of te kompartementaliseer. Jou Jerigo is enige omstandigheid, houding of denkwyse wat jou van vreugde, vrede of rus weerhou.
Jerigo versper jou pad, dus moet sy mure val! ‘…oor drie dae trek julle deur die Jordaan en gaan julle die land in besit neem wat die Here julle God julle as besitting gee’ (Josua 1:11 AFR83). Die werkwoord wat as ‘in besit neem’ vertaal word, beteken ‘om vorige huurders uit te dryf en in hul plek te besit.’
Satan sal egter nie sonder ‘n geveg vertrek nie. Hy sal weerstand bied. Hy sal terugstoot. Hy sal egter nie wen nie. Hoekom nie? Omdat God reeds verklaar het dat jy die oorwinnaar is. “Die Here het vir Josua gesê: ‘Ek gee jou beheer oor Jerigo, sy koning en sy soldate.'” God het nie gesê: ‘Josua, neem die stad in,’ nie. God het gesê: ‘Josua, ontvang die stad wat Ek ingeneem het.’ Dieselfde kan van jou en jou uitdaging gesê word.
Jy vra: ‘Wat staan my dus te doen?’ 1) Ontvang jou oorwinning deur geloof, net soos jy jou verlossing ontvang het. 2) Spreek oorwinning uit. Maak seker dat jou woorde met God se woorde ooreenstem. 3) Wandel in jou oorwinning, een dag op ‘n slag.
Sielskos: Nah 1-3; Matt 27:1-10; Ps 133; Spr 18:17-20
Joshua 6:2 NKJV
Here’s what you need to know about the walls of Jericho: They were immense. They wrapped around the city like a suit of armour, forty feet above the ground. They were impenetrable. Here is what you need to know about Joshua: He didn’t bring the walls down – God did. And God will do that for you too. Your Jericho is your fear, anger, bitterness, or prejudice. It’s also your insecurity about the future; your guilt about the past; and your negativity, anxiety, and proclivity to criticize, over-analyse, or compartmentalize. Your Jericho is any circumstance, attitude, or mindset that keeps you from joy, peace, or rest.
Jericho blocks your way, so its walls must fall! “Go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess” (Joshua 1:11 NKJV). The verb translated as “possess” means “to occupy by driving out previous tenants and possessing in their place.”
But Satan won’t leave without a fight. He will resist. He will push back. But he will not win. Why? Because God has already declared that you are the victor. “The Lord said to Joshua: ‘See! I have given Jericho into your hand.'” God did not say, “Joshua, take the city.” God said, “Joshua, receive the city I have taken.” The same can be said about you and your challenge.
You say, “If God has done it for me, what do I have to do?” (1) Receive your victory by faith, just as you received your salvation. (2) Speak victory. Be sure your words line up with God’s words. (3) Walk out your victory, one day at a time.
Soul food: Nah 1-3; Matt 27:1-10; Ps 133; Pro 18:17-20
2026-07-16
Psalm 119:103 NKJV
In ancient Jewish culture, formal education began at six years of age. Jewish boys enrolled in the local synagogue school called bet sefer, which means “house of the book.” By the time they graduated four years later, they had memorized the entire Torah – every jot and tittle of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy was engraved on their cerebral cortex via memorization. There goes our excuse for not being able to remember, right?
According to tradition, the rabbi would cover the students’ writing slates with honey on the first day of class. Then the rabbi would instruct his class to lick the honey off their slates while reciting Psalm 119:103: “How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (NKJV). That was the first and perhaps most important lesson in their entire education. The rabbi wanted his students to fall in love with the Word of God. He wanted them to taste and see that the Word is good (see Psalm 34:8).
Jeremiah thought so: “Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart” (Jeremiah 15:16 NKJV). David said: “The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130 NKJV). Solomon said: “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6 NKJV).
When you acquire a taste for God’s Word, the Holy Spirit, who is the author of the Word, will do two things for you. First, He will reveal it to you. Second, He will remind you of it.
Soul food: Eph 4:17-6:24; Matt 26:57-75; Ps 123; Pro 18:13-16
Psalm 119:103 NLV
In die antieke Joodse kultuur het formele onderwys op sesjarige ouderdom begin. Joodse seuns het by die plaaslike sinagogeskool genaamd bet sefer ingeskryf, wat ‘huis van die boek’ beteken. Teen die tyd dat hulle vier jaar later hul skoolloopbaan voltooi het, het hulle die hele Tora gememoriseer – elke punt en komma van Genesis, Eksodus, Levitikus, Numeri en Deuteronomium is deur memorisering en herhaling op hul serebrale korteks gegraveer. Daar gaan ons verskoning dat ons sukkel om dinge te onthou!
Volgens tradisie sou die rabbi die studente se leie waarop hulle skryf, die eerste dag van die klas met heuning bedek. Dan sou die rabbi sy klas opdrag gee om die heuning van hul leie af te lek terwyl hulle Psalm 119:103 (NLV) voordra: ‘Hoe aangenaam is u woorde vir my; dis soeter as heuning in my mond.’ Dit was die eerste en miskien belangrikste les in hul hele opvoeding. Die rabbi wou hê sy studente moes op die Woord van God verlief raak. Hy wou hê hulle moes proe en sien dat die Woord goed is (sien Psalm 34:9).
Jeremia het ook so gedink: ‘Ek het u woorde verslind toe hulle gekom het, hulle was vir my ‘n vreugde; ek was bly daaroor dat u Naam oor my uitgeroep is, Here, almagtige God’ (Jeremia 15:16 AFR83). Dawid het gesê: ‘Begrip van u woord bring lig; dit gee insig aan die eenvoudige’ (Psalm 119:130 NLV). Salomo het gesê: ‘Dit is tog die Here wat wysheid gee. Sy woorde gee kennis en insig’ (Spreuke 2:6 NLV).
Wanneer jy ‘n smaak vir God se Woord ontwikkel, sal die Heilige Gees, wat die outeur van die Woord is, twee dinge vir jou doen. Eerstens sal Hy dit aan jou openbaar. Tweedens sal Hy jou daaraan herinner.
Sielskos: Ef 4:17-6:24; Matt 26:57-75; Ps 123; Spr 18:13-16
