2025-07-21
Hebrews 11:34 NIV
The so-called “secret” to success is really no secret at all! It’s simply getting back up when life has knocked you down and taking with you into the future the lessons you have learned. In talking about heroes such as Samson and David, the Bible goes on to say, “Whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies” (v. 34 NIV). Notice these people weren’t always strong, but they became strong. They didn’t win every battle, but they went on to win the ones that mattered.
In 1928, a thirty-three-year-old man named Paul Galvin found himself staring at failure… again. By this point, he had failed twice in industry, his competitors having forced him to fold up his latest venture in the storage-battery business. Convinced, however, that he still had a remarkable idea, Galvin attended the auction of his own business. And with the $750 he had managed to raise, he bought back the battery eliminator portion of the inventory. With it, he built a new company, one in which he succeeded, one from which he eventually retired, and one which became a household word: Motorola. You have probably heard of it.
Business innovator Roger von Oech said: “Remember the two benefits of failure. First, if you do fail, you learn what doesn’t work; and second, the failure gives you the opportunity to try a new approach… Most people think of success and failure as opposites, but they both are products of the same process.” Failure is delay, not defeat. We all make mistakes, especially those who act. It’s only when you become unwilling to risk failure that you stop learning, you stop growing, and you stop succeeding.
Soul food: Acts 27-28; Matt 11:10-19; Ps 42:1-5; Pro 16:16
Hebreërs 11:34 NLV
Die sogenaamde ‘geheim’ tot sukses is inderwaarheid geen geheim nie! Dis eenvoudig om weer op te staan nadat die lewe jou platgeslaan het en om die lesse wat jy geleer het, saam met jou die toekoms in te neem. Ons lees in die Bybel van helde soos Simson en Dawid. ‘Hulle het krag in hulle swakheid ontvang, was magtig in die oorlog en het vreemde leërs op die vlug laat slaan’ (vers 34 NLV). Let op dat hierdie mense nie altyd sterk was nie, maar dat hulle sterk geword het. Hulle het nie elke stryd gewen nie, maar wel die oorloë wat saak gemaak het.
In 1928 het ‘n drie-en-dertigjarige man met die naam Paul Galvin alweer mislukking in die gesig gestaar. Op hierdie stadium het hy twee keer in die industrie misluk en sy mededingers het hom gedwing om sy jongste onderneming te sluit. Hy was egter oortuig dat hy steeds ‘n merkwaardige idee gehad het. Galvin het die veiling van sy eie besigheid bygewoon en met die $750 wat hy bymekaar kon skraap, die battery-uitskakelingsgedeelte van die voorraad teruggekoop. Daarmee het hy ‘n nuwe maatskappy gebou, een waarin hy geslaag het, een waaruit hy uiteindelik afgetree het en een wat ‘n huishoudelike naam geword het: Motorola.
Roger von Oech het gesê: ‘Onthou die twee voordele van mislukking. Eerstens, as jy wel misluk, leer jy wat nie werk nie; en tweedens kry jy die geleentheid om ‘n nuwe benadering te probeer. Die meeste mense dink aan sukses en mislukking as teenoorgesteldes, maar hulle is albei produkte van dieselfde proses.’ Mislukking is vertraging, nie nederlaag nie. Ons maak almal foute, veral diegene wat optree en risiko’s neem. Dit is eers wanneer jy onwillig raak om te waag en om te misluk wat jy ophou leer, ophou groei, en ophou om sukses te behaal.
Sielskos: Hand 27-28; Matt 11:10-19; Ps 42:1-5; Spr 16:16
2025-07-20
John 15:5 NKJV
Because God’s Spirit lives within you doesn’t guarantee His power is at work in your life. God’s power is available, but you must plug into it. Jesus associates our spiritual life with a vine and its branches: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (v. 5 NKJV). In this comparison, the branch is completely dependent on the main vine; it cannot yield fruit on its own. Growing fruit is an internal job.
If someone tied apples onto the branches of a dead tree and said, “Look at this fruit tree,” what would you say? You would probably say, “You tied those things on.” That’s similar to when a Christian says, “I’m going to tie on a bunch of fruit in my life – a little patience now, a little goodness later, a little self-control at another time. I will do it by myself.” Impossible! It’s the fruit of the Spirit, not the efforts of the flesh.
Jesus said, “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit.” How can you tell you’re abiding (or residing) in Christ? Consider your prayer life. Your prayers reveal your dependence on God. What do you pray about? Whatever you pray about is what you’re relying on God for. The Bible says, “Never stop praying” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT). Pray about your decisions, needs, temptations, interests, plans, schedule, problems, purchases; specifically, pray about everything! Doing this is what it means to “abide” – being aware that God is always with you, practicing His presence.
Soul food: 1 Sam 5:1-6:16; Rev 11:15-19
Johannes 15:5 NLV
Net omdat God se Gees in jou leef, waarborg dit nie dat sy krag in jou lewe werksaam is nie. God se krag is beskikbaar, maar jy moet daarby inskakel. Jesus vergelyk ons geestelike lewe met ‘n druiwestok en sy lote: ‘Ek is die druiwestok, julle is die lote. Wie aan My verbonde bly en Ek aan hulle, dra baie vrugte, want sonder My kan julle niks doen nie’ (vers 5 NLV). In hierdie vergelyking is die loot heeltemal afhanklik van die druiwestok; dit kan nie vrugte op sy eie voortbring nie.
As iemand appels aan die takke van ‘n dooie boom sou vasmaak en sê: ‘Kyk na hierdie vrugteboom,’ hoe sou jy reageer? Jy sal heel waarskynlik sê: ‘Jy het daai vrugte aan die boom vasgemaak.’ Dis soortgelyk aan wanneer ‘n Christen sê: ‘Ek gaan ‘n klomp vrugte in my lewe vasmaak – ‘n bietjie geduld nou, ‘n bietjie barmhartigheid later, ‘n bietjie selfbeheersing op ‘n ander tyd. Ek sal dit self doen.’ Dis onmoontlik! Dis die vrug van die Gees, nie die inspanning van die vlees nie.
Jesus het gesê: ‘…Wie aan My verbonde bly en Ek aan hulle, dra baie vrugte…’ Hoe kan jy vasstel of jy aan Christus verbonde is? Dink aan jou gebedslewe. Jou gebede openbaar jou afhanklikheid van God. Waarvoor bid jy? Dit waarvoor jy bid is dit waarvoor jy van God afhanklik is. Die Bybel sê: ‘Moenie ophou bid nie’ (1 Tessalonisense 5:17 NLV). Bid oor jou besluite, behoeftes, versoekings, belange, planne, skedule, probleme, aankope; bid oor alles! Deur dit te doen bly jy ‘verbonde’ – deur bewus te wees dat God en sy teenwoordigheid altyd by jou is.
Sielskos: 1 Sam 5:1-6:16; Op 11:15-19
2025-07-19
Ecclesiastes 5:4 NIV
When the pressures in your life begin to mount, the first thing you will be tempted to drop is your time alone with God, praying and reading His Word. And what’s more, Satan knows if he can keep you from it, he has won the battle, and he will get no opposition from you. So, how can you overcome this problem?
(1) By making a covenant with God. Think about it: Why do we make marriage vows? So we will think twice about breaking them! It’s the same in your devotional life: “When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it.”
(2) By scheduling it. Block out time to meet with God each day, just like you would for a doctor’s appointment or a business lunch. Can you think of a more important appointment? Surely not!
(3) By being prepared for the devil’s excuses. Adopt the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared! Dr. Robert G. Lee used to say, “If you wake up in the morning and don’t meet the devil face on, it means you’re headed in the same direction!”
(4) By leaving your Bible open the night before to the verses you intend to read the next morning. When you wake up, it will remind you that the most important thing you have to do today is meet with God.
What if you miss a day? Don’t worry – and don’t go on a guilt trip. If you miss a meal, you don’t give up eating, right? It just means you eat a little more at the next one and move on from there.
Soul food: Acts 24-26; Matt 11:1-9; Ps 1; Pro 16:10-15
