2026-10-11
2 Korintiërs 9:7 NLV
God kan op die kantlyn sit en kyk hoe jy finansieel sukkel, of as jou finansiële vennoot aktief betrokke raak. Dit hang alles af van watter soort rentmeester jy is. Jou finansies is nog ‘n area van die lewe waar jy ‘n interaktiewe verhouding met jou hemelse Vader kan begin bou. As jy egter wil hê dat God by jou finansies betrokke moet wees, moet jy jou finansies vir God se belange aanwend. ‘Nee, maak eers die koningsheerskappy van God en dit wat voor Hom reg is, julle heel eerste prioriteit; dan sal God vir julle al hierdie ander dinge as ‘n bonus byvoeg’ (Matteus 6:33 NLV).
Dit beteken dat jy moet gee. Jy kan begin met dit wat Hy jou reeds gegee het. Dit kan ‘n persentasie van jou volgende maand se salaris of ‘n deel van jou netto waarde wees. Jy moet volg waarheen die stem van vrygewigheid jou ook al lei. Dit gaan egter nie daaroor om te gee net sodat jy kan kry nie. Dit gaan daaroor om die vrese wat die gees van vrygewigheid binne-in jou belemmer, te neutraliseer. Dit gaan daaroor om die opwinding te ontdek om aan God se plan deel te neem en die sekuriteit te ervaar wat uit die wete dat jou voorsiener die Een is wat alles besit, voortspruit.
‘God wat saad voorsien aan die saaier en dan brood om te eet, sal ook aan julle saad gee en dit laat toeneem en die vrugte van julle goedhartigheid lieflik laat groei. In elke opsig sal julle ryk gemaak word om ook by elke geleentheid vrygewig te kan wees…’ (2 Korintiërs 9:10-11 NLV). Sodra jy die volmaakte voorsiening van ‘n liefdevolle hemelse Vader begin ervaar, sal jou vrese begin verdwyn.
Sielskos: Joh 14:26; Hand 2:1-21; Rom 8:26
2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV
God can be sitting on the sidelines watching you struggle financially or actively involved as your financial partner. It all depends on what kind of steward you are. Your finances are yet another area of life where you can begin to experience an interactive relationship with your heavenly Father. But if you want God involved in your finances, you need to put your finances to work for God’s interests. ‘Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well’ (Matthew 6:33 NIV).
That means you need to give. And you can start with what He’s already given you. That might mean a percentage of your next month’s salary or a part of your net worth. Wherever the voice of generosity leads you, you need to follow it. Again, this isn’t about giving to get. It’s about neutralising the fears that have been hindering the spirit of generosity inside you. It’s about discovering the thrill of taking part in God’s plan and experiencing the security that comes from knowing that your provider is the One who owns all provisions. When you sow, God shows up in amazing ways.
‘God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous’ (2 Corinthians 9:10-11 NLT). Once you experience the perfect provision of a loving heavenly Father, your fears will begin to evaporate.
Soul food: John 14:26; Acts 2:1-21; Rom 8:26
2026-10-10
James 2:9 NLT
James wrote to the church: ‘Suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewellery, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor” – well, doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives? If you favour some people over others, you are committing a sin’ (vv. 2-4, 9 NLT).
The early church grew rapidly because prejudice had no place there. Although the Jews and Samaritans despised each other, Jesus made a place for Nicodemus, a Jewish leader, and the Gentile woman at the well who’d been married five times. The early church made room for Onesimus, the former slave, at the same table as Philemon, his wealthy former master. The gospel gives everyone, everywhere, a place of dignity at Christ’s table.
The sin of discrimination stands on two legs: prejudice and presumption. And they should have no place in your life. The ancient prophet Habakkuk climbed up in his watchtower in order to ‘watch to see what [God] will say unto me’ (Habakkuk 2:1 KJV). Too much of our Christian experience is taken up with us saying something to God, and spending too little time listening to what God is saying to us. He definitely has something to say to us about discrimination. So ask Him to help you to view people through His loving eyes. You just might see a few people differently than you have in the past.
Soul food: Exo 16-18; John 3:9-21; Ps 110; Pro 26:13-16
Jakobus 2:9 NLV
Jakobus het vir die kerk geskryf: ‘Gestel daar kom iemand in julle samekoms in met duur juwele en baie mooi klere aan, en daar kom terselfdertyd ook iemand in wat brandarm is en verslete klere aanhet. As julle dan ‘n ophef maak van die persoon met die deftige klere, en julle sê vir hom: ‘U moet asseblief hier gemaklik kom sit,’ maar vir die arm man sê julle: ‘Jy kan maar daar anderkant gaan sit,’ of: ‘Kom sit hier op die vloer,’ sal julle nie toegee dat julle diskrimineer en mense op grond van verkeerde bewegings beoordeel nie?… as julle teen mense diskrimineer, doen julle sonde…’ (verse 2-4; 9 NLV).
Die vroeë kerk het vinnig gegroei omdat daar geen plek vir vooroordeel was nie. Alhoewel die Jode en Samaritane mekaar verag het, het Jesus ‘n plek vir Nikodemus, ‘n Joodse leier, en vir die nie-Joodse vrou by die put wat vyf keer getroud was, gemaak. Die vroeë kerk het plek vir Onesimus, die voormalige slaaf, aan dieselfde tafel as Filemon, sy welgestelde voormalige meester, gemaak. Die evangelie gee almal, oral, ‘n plek van waardigheid aan Christus se tafel.
Diskriminasie behoort geen plek in jou lewe te hê nie. Die profeet Habakuk het in sy uitkyktoring geklim om te ‘…wag om te sien wat die Here vir my gaan sê…’ (Habakuk 2:1 NLV). Te veel van ons Christelike ervaring gaan daaroor om iets vir God te sê en te min tyd word bestee om te luister na wat God vir ons sê. Hy het beslis iets vir ons oor diskriminasie te sê. Vra Hom dus om jou te help om mense deur sy liefdevolle oë te beskou. Jy mag dalk net ‘n paar mense anders as in die verlede sien.
Sielskos: Eks 16-18; Joh 3:9-21; Ps 110; Spr 26:13-16
2026-10-09
Deuteronomy 23:5 NKJV
Paul told the Corinthians, ‘Therefore we do not lose heart…For our light affliction…is working for us’ (2 Corinthians 4:16-17 NKJV). Jim Stovall proved this to be true. At age seventeen, his doctor told him he was losing his sight, and nothing could be done to reverse it. Rather than drop out of life, he pursued a college degree and also studied privately with a very successful entrepreneur. His goal was to be in business for himself, even if blind, so that he might manage his own career and life.
Even though he had prepared himself for blindness, when the day came that he could no longer see, he felt devastated. In his book, You Don’t Have to Be Blind to See, he said, ‘All I wanted to do was sit in my living room and listen to music.’ But then Jim dug deep down in his faith and, as he said, ‘God opened my inner eyes to a new idea.’
He entered a highly unusual field for a blind person – television! He founded the Narrative Television Network to aid visually impaired people. NTN adds more ‘descriptive narration’ to soundtracks so that listeners might visualise a programme or film and enjoy it more fully. NTN broadcasts to over 20 million households, and amazingly, some 60 per cent of the audience can see. For his work, Jim received television’s highest honour, the Emmy Award, after only one season on the air! So the word for today is this: God can make your problem ‘work for you’ and ‘turn a curse into a blessing’.
Soul food: Exo 13-15; John 3:1-8; Ps 23; Pro 26:10-12
