2026-01-29
Hebrews 13:16 NKJV
Peter describes the life of Jesus in these words: “Who went about doing good” (Acts 10:38 NKJV). So, becoming more Christlike means looking for opportunities to do good.
An anonymous author wrote: “When people are unreasonable, illogical, self-centred, and arrogant, love them anyway. When people insist that your goodness contains selfish motives, do good anyway. If you are successful, you will win both false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway. If you are honest, some will seek to twist your words against you. Be honest anyway. If you do good today, some may forget it by tomorrow. Do good anyway. If you show yourself to be a big person with big ideas, don’t be surprised if you are opposed by small people with small minds. Think big anyway. What you have spent years building, some may seek to destroy overnight. Build anyway.”
President Theodore Roosevelt said: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man [or woman] who points out… where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man [or woman] who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes up short again and again… who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself [or herself] in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst… at least fails while daring greatly, so that his [or her] place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
So, look for opportunities to do good.
Soul food: Num 8-10; Luke 6:37-49; Ps 107:10-16; Prov 3:19-20
2026-01-28
Job 6:25 AFR53
Hier is twee stories uit die geskiedenis wat illustreer hoe die krag van jou woorde ander kan beïnvloed: 1) Eendag het ‘n altaarseun die priester by ‘n mis in die plattelandse kerk in sy klein dorpie bedien. Die seun, senuweeagtig in sy nuwe rol, het per ongeluk die wynkruik laat val. Die priester het hom hard op die wang geslaan. Toe, met ‘n growwe stem wat die gemeente duidelik kon hoor, geskree: ‘Verlaat die altaar en moenie terugkom nie!’ Daardie seun het Marshall Tito geword, die kommunistiese diktator wat Joego-Slawië dekades lank met wreedheid regeer het.
2) Eendag het ‘n ander seun in ‘n groot stadskatedraal ‘n biskop by ‘n Sondagmis bedien. Hy het ook per ongeluk die wynkruik laat val. Die biskop het na hom gedraai, maar eerder as om in woede te reageer, het hy saggies met ‘n warm vonkel in sy oë gefluister: ‘Jy gaan eendag ‘n goeie priester wees.’ En hy was. Daardie seun het uiteindelik Aartsbiskop Fulton Sheen geword, wie se weeklikse televisie-preke deur miljoene mense regoor Amerika gekyk is.
Jou woorde het die krag om op te bou of af te breek, te verlig of te verwar, vrede te bring of verdeeldheid te veroorsaak. Die ou gesegde: ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,’ is eenvoudig nie waar nie. Jou woorde kan seermaak. Hulle kan egter ook selfbeeld bou, vriendskap skep, hoop gee en seën en genesing bring: ‘Mooi woorde is soos heuning; dit is goed vir die gees en bevorderlik vir sy lewe’ (Spreuke 16:24 NLV). Bid dus soos Dawid: ‘Mag die woorde van my mond en die gedagtes van my hart vir U aanneemlik wees, Here, my rots en my Verlosser’ (Psalm 19:15 NLV).
Sielskos: Num 7; Luk 6:27-36; Ps 107:1-9; Spr 3:13-18
Job 6:25 NKJV
Here are two stories from history that illustrate how the power of your words can affect others: (1) One day an altar boy was serving the priest at a mass at the country church in his small village. The boy, nervous in his new role, accidentally dropped the cruet of wine. The priest struck him sharply on the cheek. Then in a gruff voice the congregation could hear, he shouted, “Leave the altar and don’t come back!” That boy became Marshall Tito, the Communist dictator who ruled Yugoslavia with cruelty for decades.
(2) One day in a large city cathedral another boy was serving a bishop at Sunday mass. He also accidentally dropped the cruet of wine. The bishop turned to him, but rather than responding in anger, he gently whispered with a warm twinkle in his eyes, “Someday you will be a great priest.” And he was. That boy grew up to become Archbishop Fulton Sheen, whose weekly televised sermons were heard by millions across America each week.
Your words have the power to build up or tear down, enlighten or confuse, bring peace or cause division. The childhood phrase, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me,” simply isn’t true. Your words can hurt. They can wound – sometimes deeply. But they can also build self-esteem, create friendship, give hope, render blessing, and bring healing: “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24 NAS). So, pray like David: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord” (Psalm 19:14 NKJV).
Soul food: Num 7; Luke 6:27-36; Ps 107:1-9; Prov 3:13-18
2026-01-27
Psalm 33:1 NKJV
Of 150 psalms recorded in the Bible, the dominant recurring theme is “praise the Lord!” The book is like a memo from psalmists that says, “Today be sure to praise the Lord.” In Psalm 34, David writes: “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together” (Psalm 34:1-3 NKJV).
In Psalm 113:1-3, the psalmist writes: “Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praised.” In Psalm 118:24, the psalmist says, “This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”
In Psalm 119:164, the psalmist says, “Seven times a day do I praise thee.” We have coffee and tea breaks; they had praise breaks. Finally we arrive at Psalm 150, the last psalm. In verse 6, the last verse of the last psalm, we are reminded again, “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.” That means as long as you are alive and breathing, you’re to praise the Lord. So whatever else you do, or fail to do today, be sure to praise the Lord.
Soul food: Num 4:34-6:27; Luke 6:17-26; Ps 104:24-35; Prov 3:11-12
Psalm 33:1 NLV
Van die 150 psalms wat in die Bybel opgeteken is, is die dominante herhalende tema: ‘Loof die Here!’ Die boek is soos ‘n memo van die Psalmdigter wat sê: ‘Vandag moet julle die Here vir seker loof.’ Dawid skryf in Psalm 34: ‘Ek sal te alle tye die Here loof. Sy lof sal altyd op my lippe wees. Ek sal net in die Here roem. Die nederiges sal dit hoor en bly wees. Kom verheerlik die Here saam met my; laat ons sy Naam prys’ (Psalm 34:2-4 NLV).
In Psalm 113:1-3 (NLV), skryf die Psalmdigter: ‘Prys die Here! Ja, prys Hom, dienaars van die Here. Prys die Naam van die Here! Geseënd is die Naam van die Here, nou en vir altyd. Van waar die son opkom tot waar dit ondergaan, moet die Naam van die Here geprys word.’ In Psalm 118:24 (NLV) sê die Psalmdigter: ‘Dit is die dag wat die Here gemaak het. Laat ons daaroor juig en bly wees.’
Die Psalmdigter sê in Psalm 119:164 (NLV): ‘Ek loof U sewe keer per dag…’ Uiteindelik kom ons by Psalm 150 uit, die laaste psalm in die Bybel. In vers 6, die laaste vers van die laaste psalm, word ons weer eens daaraan herinner: ‘Laat alles wat lewe, die Here loof! Loof die Here!’ (Psalm 150:6 NLV). Dit beteken dat solank as wat jy lewe en asemhaal, moet jy die Here loof. Wat jy dus ook al vandag doen, of nalaat om te doen, maak seker dat jy die Here loof.
Sielskos: Num 4:34-6:27; Luk 6:17-26; Ps 104:24-35; Spr 3:11-12
