Yvette's Whispers of Faith

A true story about stubbornness, grace, and the doors God keeps opening anyway There is a particular kind of foolishness that lives in all of us. The kind that wears the disguise of wisdom right up until the moment it doesn't. I know this because I have lived it, and I am not too proud to say so anymore. Although, once upon a time, I very much was. A few years ago, a manager went out of their way to arrange a good position for me. It was a gift, really someone seeing my worth and making room for me. But then another opportunity appeared on the horizon, closer to home, and with a salary that made the first offer seem modest by comparison. I told myself it was practical. Sensible. Smart. I took the new job. Within a month, I was let go. I had done my work exactly as I was asked. But favour, as anyone who has navigated an office knows, is not always about competence. The women there simply did not like me, and that was that. I walked out of those doors and straight into the silen...

Dear Father God, How do I begin to thank You for the gift of Your Word? It is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105) and oh, how I need that light. Without it, I stumble. Without it, my soul grows hollow and hungry, grasping at things that cannot satisfy. Your Word is the bread I cannot live without. The water my spirit craves in the dry and weary places. So, I come to You today with open hands and an open heart. Open my eyes, Lord. Not just to read the words on the page, but to see to truly comprehend the depths hidden there. The treasures buried beneath the surface, waiting for the one who seeks with their whole heart. Give me understanding greater than I have ever known. Make me teachable. Make me willing. Quiet the pride in me that thinks it already knows. Replace it with the hunger of a student who has so much yet to learn. I want Your instruction. I desire it. Help me to be diligent. Father, faithfully placing Your Word inside my soul each and every day. Not as...

Psalm 119:133 “Direct my steps by Your word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me.” Reflection When I first felt the stirring to write my devotional, Crushed but Fragrant, I did not fully understand the weight of those words. I thought perhaps it was simply a title, something meaningful, yet distant. But now… I see it differently. Now I understand that each day carries its own testing. From the moment I open my eyes, life begins to press in demands, decisions, weariness, and the quiet battles no one else sees. And in those moments, I realise just how much I need the Lord to guide my every step. So today, I choose not to walk alone. I take His Word as my lamp and my direction. I hold onto Psalm 119:133, asking Him to order my steps, to keep me steady, and to guard my heart from anything that seeks to take hold where it does not belong. I find myself longing for wisdom real wisdom, the kind that steadies the soul. And He reminds me in Psalm 19:7 that His Word is perfect, resto...

There is a holy rhythm to the close of day; one I have come to cherish like a well-worn prayer. The moment I cross the threshold of home, my feet carry me to the kitchen without thought, without deliberation. It is instinct. It is love made visible. I lose myself in the quiet ceremony of preparing the evening meal. The soft rhythm of chopping, the warmth rising from the stove, the setting of the table like an altar prepared with intention. I wash the dishes I have dirtied, restoring order, completing the circle. Only then do I permit myself to rest. I settle into the living room, the couch receiving me like an old friend. I reach for the remote and search for something with edges; murder, intrigue, the shadowed world of spies. I am drawn to suspense the way a moth is drawn to candlelight. And as I wait for the sound of my husband's key in the door, somewhere between one heartbeat and the next, my eyes grow heavy... and I drift. A stolen nap. A small mercy. His arrival stirs me ...

Based on Jeremiah 31:14 “My dearest soul,” the Lord seems to whisper, “I will fill you yes, abundantly so with My goodness.” There are moments in life when one feels rather like an empty teacup; useful, perhaps, but quite in need of filling. Yet here is the delightful truth: we are not called to live half-filled, worn thin, or merely managing. No indeed. We are invited into a life brimming over with the rich, undeserved grace of God. The Lord, in His tender kindness, is not content to leave hearts weary and spirits dull. He delights in restoring joy, proper, deep-rooted joy and bringing a sense of fulfilment that no earthly striving could ever accomplish. What a comfort to know that He specialises in restoration, even when we feel a touch beyond repair. And this promise? It is not reserved for a select few with perfect composure or unwavering strength. It is for all His children including you, dear heart. His goodness is not measured out sparingly. It arrives with generosity: in bl...

By Yvette van Niekerk I'll be honest with you, I am not what you would call a social media person. Not in the way the world seems to expect these days, where feeds are scrolled like scripture and notifications arrive like urgent telegrams. No, my relationship with social media is something quieter, something more like wandering through a garden at my own pace rather than rushing through a crowded marketplace. Let me take you on a little tour of my digital world. Facebook is where I go to simply be. Not to perform, not to debate, not to announce. Just to look and to appreciate. I find myself drawn to the most beautiful, unhurried corners of it: the crochet patterns that make my fingers itch with creative longing. The flower arrangements that remind me that there is still so much loveliness in this world if you know where to look. And then, of course, there are the faces of family, a photo here, a post there, small windows into lives I love. I don't comment on everything. I don...