2026-08-20
Isaiah 6:8 NKJV
Do you remember the ten spies who doubted God’s ability to deliver on His promise and dissuaded the Israelites from entering the Promised Land? Their doubt was so offensive to God – He had already revealed His power to them through the exodus from Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea – that God executed judgment on the spot. The very next day, the Israelites did an about-face. They changed their minds, but it was too little, too late. One day’s delay cost them forty years! They missed out on the Promised Land because their reaction time was too slow.
Now that doesn’t mean you should live in fear of missing out. After all, God is the God of second chances (see Jonah 3:1). But please understand this: inaction is an action, and indecision is a decision. When you’re dealing with God, your response time is all important. Paul’s ministry began when he had a life-changing encounter with Christ on the Damascus road. Immediately he fell to his knees and cried: “Lord, what do You want me to do?” (Acts 9:6 NKJV).
In the book of Isaiah, when heaven opened and God said, “‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” immediately the prophet Isaiah said, “‘Here am I! Send me.’ And He said, ‘Go, and tell this people'” (Isaiah 6:8-9 NKJV).
You don’t want to get ahead of God, and you don’t want to lag behind Him. What you want to do is seize the opportunities He gives you as quickly, as decisively, and as boldly as you possibly can. Your reaction time matters.
Soul food: 2 Chr 32-34; Mark 7:14-23; Ps 119:105-112; Pro 21:28-31
Jesaja 6:8 NLV
Onthou jy die tien spioene wat God se vermoë om sy belofte na te kom betwyfel het en die Israeliete ontmoedig het om die Beloofde Land binne te gaan? Hul twyfel was so aanstootlik vir God – Hy het immers reeds sy mag aan hulle deur die uittog uit Egipte en die skeiding van die Rooi See geopenbaar – dat God dadelik sy oordeel oor hulle voltrek het. Die volgende dag het die Israeliete ‘n ommeswaai gemaak. Hulle het van plan verander, maar dit was te min, te laat. Een dag se vertraging het hulle veertig jaar gekos! Hulle het die Beloofde Land misgeloop omdat hul reaksietyd te stadig was.
Dit beteken nie dat jy in vrees moet leef om iets mis te loop nie. God is immers die God van tweede kanse (sien Jona 3:1). Jy moet egter die volgende verstaan: onaktiwiteit is ‘n aksie en besluiteloosheid is ‘n besluit. Wanneer jy met God te doen het, is jou reaksietyd van kardinale belang. Paulus se bediening het begin toe hy ‘n lewensveranderende ontmoeting met Christus op die Damaskuspad gehad het. Onmiddellik het hy op sy knieë geval en uitgeroep: ‘…Here, wat wil U hê moet ek doen?..’ (Handelinge 9:6 AFR53).
Toe die hemel oopgaan en God vra: “…Wie kan Ek met ‘n boodskap na my volk toe stuur? Wie sal vir ons gaan?..’ het die profeet Jesaja onmiddellik geantwoord: ‘…Here, ek sal gaan! Stuur my!’ Hy het gesê: ‘Ja, gaan. Sê vir die mense so…'” (Jesaja 6:8-9 NLV).
Jy wil nie God vooruitloop nie en jy wil nie agtergelaat word nie. Wat jy moet doen, is om die geleenthede wat Hy jou gee so vinnig, so beslis en so dapper as moontlik aan te gryp. Jou reaksietyd maak saak.
Sielskos: 2 Kro 32-34; Mark 7:14-23; Ps 119:105-112; Spr 21:28-31
2026-08-19
2 Corinthians 10:4 NKJV
Today’s problem is not necessarily tomorrow’s problem. Don’t incarcerate yourself by assuming it is. Resist self-labeling: “I’m just a worrier.” “Gossip is my weakness.” “My dad was a drinker; I guess I’ll carry on the tradition.” Stop that! These words create alliances with the devil. They grant him access to your spirit. It’s not God’s will that you live a defeated, unhappy life.
Turn a deaf ear to the old voices and make new choices. “The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; yes, I have a good inheritance” (Psalm 16:6 NKJV). Live out of your inheritance, not your circumstances. God has already promised you victory and provided you with weapons for the fight. “Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4 NKJV).
How did Joshua conquer Jericho? By using God’s strategy: “Take up the ark of the covenant and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord” (Joshua 6:6 NKJV). The ark of the covenant was the symbol of God’s presence. Joshua placed it in the middle of the procession. Every activity orbited around God.
The secret of victory is to keep God center stage in your life, using the weapons of worship, Scripture, and prayer. Employ every tool God offers: Scripture memorization and petition. Turn off the TV and open the Bible more. Worry less and pray more. You can conquer your hang-ups by drawing daily on the presence of God.
Soul food: 2 Chr 29-31; Mark 7:1-13; Ps 119:97-104; Pro 21:24-27
2 Korintiërs 10:4 NLV
Vandag se probleem is nie noodwendig môre se probleem nie. Weerstaan die versoeking om jouself te etiketteer: ‘Ek is nou maar net ‘n kommerkous.’ ‘My swakheid is nou maar een maal om te skinder.’ ‘My pa was ‘n drinker; ek sit maar net die tradisie voort.’ Hou op daarmee! Hierdie woorde skep bondgenootskappe met die duiwel. Dit gee hom toegang tot jou gees. Dit is nie God se wil dat jy ‘n verslane, ongelukkige lewe moet lei nie.
Draai ‘n dowe oor vir die ou stemme en maak nuwe keuses. “‘n Pragtige plek is vir my afgemeet. Wat ek geërf het, is vir my mooi!” (Psalm 16:6 NLV). Leef uit jou erfenis, nie uit jou omstandighede nie. God het jou reeds oorwinning belowe en jou van wapens vir die stryd voorsien. ‘Ons leef wel in ‘n menslike liggaam, maar ons voer die stryd nie met menslike middele nie. Die wapens van ons stryd is nie mensgemaak nie, maar die kragtige gevegstoerusting van God wat vestings kan vernietig… (2 Korintiërs 10:3-4 NLV).
Hoe het Josua Jerigo verower? Deur God se strategie te gebruik: ‘…Dra die ark van die verbond. Laat sewe priesters elkeen met ‘n ramshoring voor die ark van die Here loop’ (Josua 6:6 NLV). Die verbondsark was die simbool van God se teenwoordigheid. Josua het dit in die middel van die optog geplaas. Elke aktiwiteit het om God gewentel.
Die geheim van oorwinning is om God sentraal in jou lewe te hou deur die wapens van aanbidding – die Skrif en gebed – te gebruik. Gebruik elke instrument wat God bied: Memoriseer die Skrif en pleit by God. Skakel die TV af en maak die Bybel meer gereeld oop. Bekommer jou minder en bid meer. Jy kan jou probleme oorkom deur daagliks op die teenwoordigheid van God staat te maak.
Sielskos: 2 Kro 29-31; Mark 7:1-13; Ps 119:97-104; Spr 21:24-27
2026-08-18
Jeremiah 17:14 NKJV
Dr. A. B. Simpson, founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, was plagued with poor health. Two nervous breakdowns and a heart condition led to a physician telling him – at age thirty-eight – he wouldn’t live to be forty. The diagnosis was no surprise to Simpson. Preaching was agonizing for him; even climbing a slight elevation left him breathless.
In desperation, he went to his Bible to find out what Jesus had to say about disease, and he became convinced that Jesus wanted to heal him. Shortly after, he went for a walk in the country. Coming to a pine woods, he sat down on a log to rest and pray. He asked Christ to become his physical life until his life’s work was accomplished.
He later said, “Every fiber in me was tingling with the sense of God’s presence.” Days later, he climbed a 3,000-foot mountain. “When I reached the top,” he said, “the world of weakness and fear was lying at my feet. From that time on, I literally had a new heart.” He went on to preach 3,000 sermons in the next three years, sometimes holding twenty meetings a week. He became a prolific author whose books are still blessing the world. And he died – at the age of seventy-six.
In the Bible, Jeremiah prayed: “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed.” David said, “O Lord my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me… You brought my soul up from the grave” (Psalm 30:2-3 NKJV). Isaiah said, “You will restore me and make me live” (Isaiah 38:16 NKJV). So pray and believe God for healing.
Soul food: 2 Chr 25-28; Mark 6:45-56; Ps 119:89-96; Pro 21:20-23
