2026-03-06
James 2:10 NKJV
Paul writes, “By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8 NKJV). Why did Paul say we are saved through grace alone? Because trying to obtain salvation by keeping the law sets you up for failure. “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.”
You say, “That’s an impossible standard!” You’re right! The law is like an X-ray machine; it can reveal what’s under the surface and identify the problem, but it can’t fix it. The law is also like a mirror. It can tell you that you need to apply makeup, or shave, or comb your hair, but it can’t do these things for you. In other words, the law can show you your problem but can’t solve it.
But what the law could not do, Christ did on the cross (See Romans 8:3). When Jesus said, “It is finished” (John 19:30 KJV), all your sins from the cradle to the grave were atoned for. And when you put your trust in Him, you are saved for time and eternity. Some people acknowledge that you are made right with God by grace, through putting your trust in Christ. But, they believe you maintain your salvation by keeping the works of the law.
The problem is, even on your best day, you cannot live up to all the demands of a perfect God. The hymnist wrote, “Trusting as the moments fly, trusting as the days go by; trusting Him whate’er befall, trusting Jesus, that is all!”
Soul food: 2 Ki 7-9; Luke 14:1-14; Ps 136:13-26; Prov 6:32-35
Jakobus 2:10 NLV
Paulus skryf: ‘Dit is mos dié onverdiende goedheid wat julle gered het toe julle tot geloof gekom het. En julle geloof kom nie uit julleself nie, maar is ‘n gawe van God’ (Efesiërs 2:8 NLV). Hoekom sê Paulus ons is slegs deur genade gered? Omdat jy gaan misluk as jy verlossing probeer verkry deur die wet te onderhou. ‘Julle weet mos: iemand wat al die gebooie onderhou behalwe één, is net so skuldig as iemand wat ál die gebooie oortree.’
Jy sê: ‘Dis ‘n onmoontlike standaard om aan te voldoen!’ Jy is reg! Die wet is soos ‘n X-strale-masjien; dit kan dit wat onder die oppervlak is openbaar en die probleem identifiseer, maar dit kan dit nie regmaak nie. Die wet is ook soos ‘n spieël. Dit kan vir jou wys of jy grimering nodig het, of moet skeer, of jou hare moet kam, maar dit kan dit nie vir jou doen nie. Met ander woorde, die wet kan vir jou wys wat jou probleem is, maar dit kan dit nie oplos nie.
Wat die wet egter nie kon doen nie, het Christus aan die kruis gedoen (sien Romeine 8:3). Toe Jesus gesê het: ‘…Dit is nou afgehandel!…’ (Johannes 19:30 NLV), is al jou sondes – van die wieg af tot die graf – versoen. Wanneer jy jou vertroue in Hom plaas, word jy vir tyd en ewigheid gered. Sommige mense erken dat jy deur genade vrygespreek word deur jou vertroue in Christus te plaas. Hulle glo egter dat jy jou verlossing behou deur die werke van die wet te onderhou.
Die probleem is dat jy selfs op jou beste dag nie aan al die eise van ‘n perfekte God kan voldoen nie. Soos een gesang lui: ‘Trusting as the moments fly, trusting as the days go by; trusting Him whate’er befall, trusting Jesus, that is all!’
Sielskos: 2 Kon 7-9; Luk 14:1-14; Ps 136:13-26; Spr 6:32-35
2026-03-05
1 Samuel 17:54 NLV
Elke keer wat Dawid Goliat se wapens in sy tent sien hang het, was dit ‘n heilige herinnering aan God se getrouheid teenoor hom en aan God se krag. Die woord onthou word amper 250 keer in die Skrif genoem. Daar is ‘n rede daarvoor. Ons is geneig om dit wat ons behoort te vergeet, te onthou en dit wat ons moet onthou, te vergeet. Dis hoekom God ons altyd aansê om altare te bou of gedenkstene op te rig.
Jakob het ‘n altaar by Bet-El gebou, waar God aan hom ‘n lewensveranderende droom gegee het (sien Genesis 28:18-22). Die Israeliete het twaalf klippe uit die Jordaanrivier geneem om ‘n altaar in Gilgal te bou, wat hulle sou herinner aan hoe God die water van die Jordaanrivier op ‘n wonderbaarlike wyse vir hulle geskei het (sien Josua 4:20-24). Samuel het ‘n oorwinningsaltaar by Mispa genaamd ‘Eben-Haeser’ gebou, nadat God sy gebede verhoor het en die Filistyne met ‘n bonatuurlike krag verslaan het (sien 1 Samuel 7:12).
Sonder heilige herinneringe, vergeet ons die geestelike lesse wat ons op die pad geleer het. Die Bybel teken die gewig van Goliat se wapenuitrusting aan: sy borsharnas het 57 kilogram geweeg en sy spies het 7 kilogram geweeg. Elke keer wat Dawid sy tent afgeslaan en êrens ander weer opgeslaan het, het Goliat se wapenuitrusting saamgegaan. Hoekom? Omdat dit ‘n daaglikse herinnering van God se getrouheid teenoor Dawid was. Dit het ook gedien om Dawid se selfvertroue te bou. Wat ook al die toekoms vir Dawid ingehou het, hy het geweet dat hy dit met God se hulp kon hanteer.
Daar is twee lesse hieruit te leer: Eerstens, as God dit vir Dawid gedoen het, sal Hy dit vir jou ook doen. Tweedens, as God dit vantevore gedoen het, kan Hy dit weer doen.
Sielskos: 2 Kon 4:18-6:33; Luk 13:18-35; Ps 136:1-12; Spr 6:30-31
1 Samuel 17:54 NKJV
Each time David saw Goliath’s armor hanging in his tent, it was a sacred reminder of God’s faithfulness to him and of God’s power that was available to him. The word remember recurs almost 250 times in Scripture. And there is a reason why. We tend to remember what we should forget and forget what we should remember. That’s why God is always telling us to build altars or make memorials.
Jacob built an altar at Bethel, where God gave him a life-changing dream (See Genesis 28:18-22). The Israelites took twelve stones from the river Jordan and used them to build a miracle altar in Gilgal, reminding them of how God miraculously parted the waters for them (See Joshua 4:20-24). Samuel built a victory altar at Mizpah called “Ebenezer” after God answered his prayer and marshaled the forces of nature to supernaturally defeat the Philistines (See 1 Samuel 7:12).
Without sacred reminders, we could forget the spiritual lessons we have learned along the way. The Bible records the literal weight of Goliath’s armor: 125 pounds, 15 ounces. Every time David took down his tent and pitched it somewhere else, the armor went with him. Why? Because it doubled as a daily reminder of God’s faithfulness to him. It was also a great confidence builder. Whatever the future held, David knew that with God’s help he could handle it.
There are two lessons here: First, if God did it for David, He will do it for you. Second, if God did it before, He can do it again.
Soul food: 2 Ki 4:18-6:33; Luke 13:18-35; Ps 136:1-12;Prov 6:30-31
2026-03-04
1 Samuel 17:38 NKJV
The Bible says: “Saul clothed David with his armor… and David said to Saul, ‘I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.’ So David took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook… and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine'” (vv. 38-40 NKJV).
David had to make a choice; one that would determine his destiny. He could go into battle as Saul – wearing Saul’s armor, flaunting Saul’s sword, clutching Saul’s shield. Or he could engage in battle as David – a shepherd with a slingshot. David chose not to wear Saul’s armor or wield Saul’s sword for one excellent reason; he wasn’t Saul. David decided to be himself – the David God called, anointed, and equipped for the task.
There comes a time in all our lives when we need to be brave enough to remove Saul’s armor. And it takes the most uncommon form of courage, the courage to be yourself. We all begin as originals, but too many of us finish up as imitators of someone else. Instead of honouring our uniqueness, and the uniqueness of others, we are too frequently intimidated by it. We abandon our uniqueness because we want to fit in.
In one of his best-known essays, “Self-Reliance,” Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that… imitation is suicide. He must take himself for better, for worse.” That is what David did, and God gave him great victory. And that is what God wants you to do.
Soul food: 2 Ki 1:1-4:17; Luke 13:1-17; Ps 77; Prov 6:29
