Benescke Janse van Rensburg
God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 1 John 1b, NIV
Along the rocky coast of Scotland lies a small fishing village where a lighthouse has guided ships safely into the harbour for many years.
One day, a fierce storm struck the village. The wind howled, enormous waves crashed against the rocks, and the power supply to the entire village was knocked out. Everything was plunged into darkness. Even the lighthouse went dark.
An 82-year-old man named Tom, who had worked as a lighthouse keeper for many years, immediately realised the danger that the fishing boats still out at sea were facing. Without the lighthouse beam to guide them, they could easily crash into the rocks.
Tom grabbed a powerful flashlight and hurried through the storm to the lighthouse. He climbed the stairs, positioned himself where the light could be seen, and directed its beam out across the dark sea.
According to the story, Tom stood there for 18 hours, shining his light across the water, hoping to guide the fishermen home safely. Crew members from at least two boats reportedly said afterwards that they might have crashed into the rocks had they not seen his light.
Tom's story reminds me of the words of 1 John 1:5. Moreover, John 8:12 declares: "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ "
Sometimes we feel like those fishing boats caught in the storm. The waves crash around us, the darkness makes it difficult to see what lies ahead, and we wonder whether we will ever reach safe ground again. But this is the good news: God is not a faint little flashlight flickering somewhere in the distance. He is our eternal light, and his light can never be extinguished.
Today, instead of focusing on the size of the waves or the darkness surrounding you, fix your eyes on the one who is greater than every storm. And remember, just as Tom used his flashlight to help others find their way home, God can use you to shine his light into someone else's darkness. Sometimes a kind word, a simple act of love or a moment of encouragement is all it takes to remind someone that they are not alone.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for being the light in my life, even in my darkest moments. Help me to keep my eyes fixed on you and trust you to guide me through every storm. Use me today to shine your light into the lives of those around me. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Benescke Janse van Rensburg
God is lig, en daar is geen duisternis in Hom nie. 1 Johannes 1:5b, 1983-vertaling
Aan die rotsagtige kus van Skotland lê ’n klein vissersdorpie met ’n vuurtoring wat reeds vir jare lank ’n belangrike rol speel om skepe veilig na die hawe te lei.
Op ’n dag het ’n geweldige storm die dorpie getref. Saam met die sterk winde en reusegolwe wat teen die rotse breek, het die storm die kragtoevoer na die dorp onderbreek. Alles was in duisternis gehul – selfs die vuurtoring se lig.
Tom, die 82-jarige oudvuurtoringwagter, het onmiddellik besef dat sonder die vuurtoring se lig, bote op die rotse kon loop in die storm. Om die probleem op te los het hy ’n helder flitslig gegryp, homself na die vuurtoring gehaas waar hy teen die trappe uitgeklim het. Bó het hy die flitslig aan sy lyf vasgemaak en vir die volgende 18 ure lank sy lig oor die donker see geskyn. Ten minste twee visserbote het later vertel dat as dit nie vir Tom se flitslig was nie, hulle waarskynlik teen die rotse sou gevaar het.
Tom se verhaal herinner my aan die woorde in 1 Johannes 1:5: “God is lig, en daar is geen duisternis in Hom nie.” Ook in Johannes 8:12 sê Jesus: “Ek is die lig vir die wêreld. Wie My volg, sal nooit in die duisternis lewe nie, maar sal die lig hê wat lewe gee.”
Soms voel ons lewens stormagtig – soos hierdie storm in Skotland. Die winde woed en die golwe slaan teen ons terwyl ons onseker is hoe ons die uitdagings gaan oorkom. Hier is die goeie nuus: God is nie ’n flou flitsliggie wat iewers in die verte skyn nie. Hy is ons ewige Lig wat nooit uitgedoof kan word nie. Hy is die Een wat ons vertroos, bemagtig, versterk en met wysheid vul wanneer ons dit die nodigste het.
Mag ons vandag ons oë op Hom hou. En mag ons, net soos Tom met sy flitslig, bereid wees om God se lig te laat skyn vir die mense om ons wat vandag dalk in die donker rondtas.
Gebed: Vader God, baie dankie vir u lig in my lewe. Gebruik my vandag om ook lig vir die mense rondom my te wees. Ek vra dit in die Naam van Jesus Christus. Amen.
Benescke Janse van Rensburg
Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. Psalm 55:22,NIV
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7, NIV
Have you ever heard of scream therapy? It’s when a group of people gather and, on the count of three, scream at the top of their lungs. The idea is that screaming helps release built-up frustration caused by difficult people and/or stressful situations.
Scream therapy has gained popularity on social media, with people taking part worldwide.
But here’s the thing: you can scream your heart out and perhaps experience temporary relief. But what happens when the frustration and worries return? You can’t exactly go through life screaming your way out of every difficult situation.
This is where the words of Psalm 55:22 and 1 Peter 5:7 speak so powerfully to us: Surrender your burdens to God. Only he can give you true peace, even when the storms of life are still raging.
Listen again to the promise in Psalm 55:22: “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you.”
We need to trust God enough not only to tell him about our worries and frustrations, but also to place them confidently in his hands. And when we're tempted to pick them up again, we need to remind ourselves that he is more than capable of carrying what we cannot.
That is what true faith looks like: trusting God with what is beyond our control.
Let's put it into practice today.
Prayer: Father God, thank you for knowing every frustration and worry I carry. Help me to stop trying to carry every burden and solve every problem on my own. Teach me to surrender my worries to you and trust you with what I cannot control. Fill my heart with your peace, even when my circumstances haven't changed. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Benescke Janse van Rensburg
Laat jou sorge aan die Here oor, Hy sal vir jou sorg. Psalm 55:23a, 1983-vertaling
Werp al julle bekommernisse op Hom, want Hy sorg vir julle. 1 Petrus 5:7, 1983-vertaling
Het jy al ooit van skreeterapie gehoor? Dít is wanneer ’n groep mense bymekaarkom en op die tel van drie kliphard skree. Daar word geglo dat die skree jou help om van jou opgeboude frustrasie ontslae te raak. Skreeterapie is deesdae so gewild op sosiale media dat mense van Londen tot in Amerika daaraan deelneem.
Die waarheid is egter dit: Jy kan jou hart uitskree en vir ’n oomblik verlig voel, maar wat gebeur as die frustrasie en bekommernisse terugkeer? Jy kan tog nie heeldag skree-skree deur die lewe gaan nie.
Dit is juis hier waar Psalm 55:23 en 1 Petrus 5:7 kragtig tot ons spreek: Gee jou situasie aan God oor. Net Hy kan ware vrede gee – selfs wanneer die storm in jou lewe nog woed.
Ons moenie net ons frustrasie met God bespreek nie. Ons het nodig om dit by Hom te los en Hom vir ’n uitkoms en wysheid te vertrou. Dít is ware geloof.
So volgende keer wanneer jy voel jy wil skree, kom ons maak seker ons gee ons sorge vir God. Hy wil vir ons sorg.
Gebed: Vader God, baie dankie dat U my frustrasies en bekommernisse ken. Help my om nie langer alles op my eie te probeer dra en oplos nie, maar om dit met vertroue in u hande te los. Ek vra dit in die Naam van Jesus Christus. Amen.
Ruanne van Zyl
Wees veral versigtig met wat in jou hart omgaan, want dit bepaal jou hele lewe. Spreuke 4:23, 1983-vertaling
Die hart waarvan hierdie vers praat, is nie net emosies nie, maar die sentrum van ons gedagtes, begeertes en motiewe. Alles wat ons doen, begin hier. Daarom sê God ons moet dit “veral versigtig” bewaak.
Ons harte word daagliks beïnvloed deur wat ons sien, hoor en oor dink. Negatiewe woorde, vergelyking met ander, vrees en bitterheid kan stil-stil wortelskiet. As ons dit nie aanspreek nie, begin dit ons houding en optrede beheer. 'n Onbewaakte hart lei tot 'n onrustige lewe.
Om jou hart te bewaak, beteken nie om koud of afgesluit te wees nie. Dit beteken om doelbewus te kies wat jy toelaat om jou binneste te vorm. Dit vra dat ons gereeld ons gedagtes aan God se waarheid toets. Wanneer leuens soos “ek is nie goed genoeg nie” of “niks sal verander nie” opkom, moet ons dit vervang met wat God sê.
'n Gesonde hart bring lewe. Dit lei tot geduld, liefde en wysheid in moeilike situasies. Wanneer ons hart vol vrede is, reageer ons anders op druk en konflik. Die kwaliteit van ons lewe word dus direk beïnvloed deur die toestand van ons binneste wêreld.
God is nie net geïnteresseerd in ons dade nie, maar in wat dit dryf. Wanneer ons Hom toelaat om ons harte te reinig en te vernuwe, verander Hy ons van binne na buite.
Gebed: Here, wys my wat in my hart nie van U af kom nie. Help my om my gedagtes te vul met u waarheid en my hart te bewaak sodat my lewe U eer. Amen.