2025-07-22
John 4:34 NIV
No one had more energy than Jesus. He got up early, stayed up late, and sometimes pulled all-nighters. Where did He get all that energy from? The answer is found in a fascinating dialogue. “His disciples urged him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’ But He said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you know nothing about.’ Then His disciples said to each other, ‘Could someone have brought him food?’ ‘My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work'” (vv. 31-34 NIV).
When you see the word “food,” you think energy because that’s what food is. And Jesus makes an insightful point here: God’s will is energizing. So, how do you keep yourself energized? By staying in the will of God. Engaging in God-ordained passions and pursuing God-sized dreams is how we produce energy. Nothing energizes us more. Don’t just repent of doing what is wrong; replace it with what is right.
Paul writes: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be firm (steadfast), immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord [always being superior, excelling, doing more than enough in the service of the Lord], knowing and being continually aware that your labour in the Lord is not futile [it is never wasted or to no purpose]” (1 Corinthians 15:58 AMPC). If sin is a waste of energy, which it is, then discovering and fulfilling your God-given assignment in life is the most energizing thing that you can do.
Soul food: Deut 1-2; Matt 11:20-30; Ps 42:6-11; Pro 16:17-19
Johannes 4:34 NLV
Niemand het meer energie as Jesus gehad nie. Hy het vroeg opgestaan, laat gaan slaap en soms deurnag wakker gebly. Waar het Hy al daardie energie vandaan gekry? Die antwoord word in ‘n fassinerende dialoog gevind: “Intussen het sy dissipels Hom gesmeek en gesê: ‘Rabbi, eet tog net iets.’ Maar Hy het gereageer: ‘Ek het kos om te eet waarvan julle nie eers weet nie.’ Die dissipels sê toe onder mekaar: ‘Het iemand anders dalk vir Hom iets gebring om te eet?’ Jesus antwoord hulle: ‘My kos is om die wil te doen van Hom wat My gestuur het, en om sy werk klaar te maak'” (verse 31-34 NLV).
Wanneer jy die woord ‘kos’ sien, dink jy aan energie, want dit is wat kos is. Jesus beklemtoon ‘n insiggewende punt: God se wil gee energie. Hoe hou jy jouself dus energiek? Deur in die wil van God te bly. Ons kry energie deur by God-gegewe passies betrokke te raak en God-grootte drome na te jaag. Niks gee ons meer energie nie. Moenie net berou hê wanneer jy iets verkeerd doen nie; vervang dit met dit wat reg is.
Paulus skryf: ‘Dus, my geliefde broers en susters, staan baie vas, onbeweeglik. Gee altyd julle allerbeste vir die Here se werk, want julle weet voor die Here is alles wat julle doen die moeite werd’ (1 Korintiërs 15:58 NLV). As sonde ‘n vermorsing van energie is, wat dit wel is, sal wanneer jy jou God-gegewe opdrag ontdek en dit vervul jou die meeste energie in jou lewe gee.
Sielskos: Deut 1-2; Matt 11:20-30; Ps 42:6-11; Spr 16:17-19
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
