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Showing posts with the label Jesus Christ

Trusting in God's Faithfulness: Embracing the Ups and Downs of Life's Journey

By Yvette van Niekerk Philippians 4:19 (AMPC) And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Life's journey can often resemble a roller-coaster ride, with exhilarating highs and sudden descents that leave our heads spinning. Have you ever experienced such fluctuations in your own life? It can be quite intriguing, sometimes lasting for a season or even longer. However, amidst these unpredictable twists and turns, I have come to realize that the Lord God remains in control of my life. He faithfully provides for me, abundantly supplying according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus. What does this mean? It means that even in times when it seems like I have no resources available, God graciously provides more than enough. I have been blessed to such an extent that God consistently meets my needs, surpassing what I could have ever imagined. It may have seemed impossible, but through His divine provision, ...

"Embrace the Promise: The Radiance of God's Light Will Illuminate Your Path."

By Yvette van Niekerk Job 22: 28 (ESV) You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways. As I reflect on the teachings of my faith and seek guidance from the Lord, I am filled with hope and confidence that His divine light will illuminate my path. Today, I want to affirm and trust that this year will mark a significant season of blessings in my life. I also have faith that the devotional book I have been working on will be published, as I believe it aligns with God's plan for me. I encourage you to consider what you believe God has in store for your life today. It is important not to allow the enemy to steal the blessings and opportunities that God has prepared for your future. Take a moment to pray and seek God's guidance on matters that are important to you, such as your health, wealth, or relationships. Present your desires before the Lord and witness the transformative power that can unfold throughout this year. Remember,...

The Great Escape

by Yvette van Niekerk 1 Corinthians 10: 13 “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” We all encounter various forms of temptation in our lives. The crucial question is how we can overcome or resist these temptations. I have a weakness for chocolates; it’s a constant temptation that I find hard to resist. Whenever I have extra cash, I invariably end up buying a chocolate bar, unable to simply walk past it. Similarly, in our spiritual journey, we often face numerous temptations that can divert us from our path of growth. When we start making progress in the right direction, it seems as if the devil is quick to devise distractions, attempting to shift our focus away from what truly matters. We get sidetracked, following an entirely different route. When you realize you’re heading down the wrong path, it...

Meditate … “Yvette, you will meditate on it [the Word] day and night.”

by Yvette van Niekerk Good morning, Today I want to speak to you about meditation. It’s something that has been weighing heavy on my heart these past few months. What is meditation? Meditation is when you read something – the Word of God. Then you start to take it into your heart in a very personal way. Now after taking it into your heart, apply it to your daily life. Apply God’s Word in my life, I am reading the Word and when it comes to the scripture about blessing and prosperity. I say “Amen, Hallelujah! I take that Word from God. He says that He will meet all my needs, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Read Philippians 4 verse 19. I am expecting Him to do that in my life. For a long time, I have been reading God’s Word, the Bible like any other book. But the last couple of days I have thought about it and decided to see what I can learn. I also am thinking it's Words from God, speaking to me each day. What is God saying to me? I am starting to realise that ...

Moments

by Yvette van Niekerk Good morning The past couple of days, moments are coming up in every conversation. We do remember moments in our lives. I started to think of defining moments in my own life. The day each one of my children was born. I think about the day I decided to divorce my husband. I think about the day I remarried. I think about moments of desperation and fear that gripped my heart to the extent that I was sure that I might have a heart attack. Something I have come to realise the little things we do in life prepares us for something greater. I think of the day I decided to start baking. To be honest I didn’t know much about baking but I thought to myself if so and so can bake then so can I. My first cake was very large, I was so proud of myself. I thought I did a great job. Only to discover the cake didn’t have a nice taste, it could have been baked bread. Tasteless, the icing sugar could have been spiced up. In general, the cake looks good for a novice but the cake m...

Granddaugthers daily prayer

December 12, 2022 Today I want to pray for my Granddaughters, Gizel, Anabelle and Briana. O Lord my God, Lord today I want to praise your for my beautiful granddaughters … You created them as unique individuals. I want to pray asking You to help them appreciate their uniqueness. Lord, my Lord build up their self-image so they may enjoy their individuality. Lord as they go through today help them stand firm for who they are, where they have come from and what they believe in. Lord please encourage them not only to have hopes and dreams but to also enjoy each day as it come. In the Holy Name of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

#self-centered me

by Yvette van Niekerk Matthew 23: 11 - 12 MSG "Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you'll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you're content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty." As a mother, wife and grandmother I think that I have no choice in the matter of serving my family. To tell you the truth serving others does not come naturally to me. Why? I feel that I am a self-centered kind of person. I like things to go my way. I do feel ashamed about my self-centered ways and I am really working hard not to be so self-centered at time. I wonder whether you struggle with being  #self-centered ? If you ask me, I believe we are selfish by nature. Looking at the two little kids I am looking after, I can tell you, the oldest is very  #self-centered . When reading my Bible, it is clear according to the Lord Jesus, life isnt all about me, and still everyting in this world revolves around "me"...

Condemnation - why do we allow it?

by Yvette van Niekerk Romans 8: 1 - 2 MSG "With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death." I struggled to comprehend God does not remember my sins. It seemed impossible for my finite mind to see and understand. It blows my mind to think, God who is an omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, being doesn't remember my sins. He is the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present God, who can rightly know, every single detail of every sin, that I committed. God's declaration, "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." Hebrew 8 verse 12. I want to encourage...

Do you need strength to face today?

by Yvette van Niekerk I read D.L. Moody said, "When a man has no strength if he leans on God, he becomes powerful." The Lord is trustworthy, and when we are facing insurmountable issues and problems, we should not turn to men, but lean on God, He is powerful. What does it mean to trust in God? He has a position of security, and we can trust Him because He reveals Himself as reliable. If you will take a moment with me and read Psalm 91 out loud, you will see the Lord God is a symbol of protection from attack. The best description I can give you is of an old Castle with the walls that surround it, people living behind these fortified walls of protection. It would have to be a smart and robust army that penetrates these sturdy walls, how we should view God, His robust, sturdy and will put His arms around us His children. Putting our trust in the Lord is the way we should go. He has never failed us, why now? Psalm 91 MSG "You who sit down in the High God's presen...

Here are Some ideas on how to study God's Word.

by Yvette van Niekerk Make an appointment with the Lord God. Decide which time of day suits you best and set this time aside to read God's Word. In the beginning, you might only do this twice a week, and as time goes by, you will pick up the pace. I need to spend time with God in the evenings and the morning is hectic on my side. Decide where in your home you are going to spend time with the Lord. I have picked out my bedroom, and it works for me. Everyone in the house is watching TV, and I have time alone. So what do I need? Well, of course, you need your Bible, a good Bible dictionary or concordance and then pen and paper. Then you are equipped and ready to start the process. It's a learning curve, and this might be not easy in the beginning, but it picks up, and then you are on your way. Confession. In this time, I confess whatever has been on my heart and worrying me lately. Now, I feel open and ready to speak to God and learn what He...

Are waiting for something expectantly?

by Yvette van Niekerk Sometimes we pray and would like to get the breakthrough immediately, and it's something you desperately want. How can it take so long for the Lord to respond? If only the Lord can give this to me now, I would be a champion. Then there's that problem that seems to linger it won't go away. I've been driving myself insane but no way, it stays there. Finally, I don't have a choice I have to live with it, and it's not going away. I have to accept it as part of my life and carry on. I realise God hears all my prayers, and some answered prayers take time because I may have to learn from the circumstance. I know God is working things out for me; it's like I am too impatient to wait. My daughter always tells me "and suddenly" things will change, you won't even expect it. So are you waiting for a prayer expectantly? A yes, but you need to be patient. I sometimes give up, it seems too hard, and there is no direction or ans...

Showing Confidence as a Granny

by Yvette van Niekerk Joshua 1: 9 (GNT) 9 "Remember that I have commanded you to be determined and confident! Do not be afraid or discouraged, for I, the LORD your God, am with you wherever you go." For many years I have allowed people to influence me, making me feel inadequate and not worthy. I didn't have confidence in my own life. I worried that I couldn't do much and felt very discouraged. I divorced when I was in my late thirties and remarried in my late forties. My husband allowed me to expand my horizons, and I began to feel confident. I am learning new things and exploring new avenues. I started focusing on my strengths, and I saw that when I baked a cake, I would rate myself as a 3 (under average), but as I progressed I realised, I am learning more about the art of baking I feel confident that I have now reached level 7 (better than average). I am aspiring to become a 10 (excellent) with baking cakes. God created me to excel at wha...

How to win a personal battle?

by Yvette van Niekerk Ephesians 4: 23 - 25 TLB "Now, your attitudes and thoughts must all be constantly changing for the better. Yes, you must be a new and different person, holy and good. Clothe yourself with this new nature. Stop lying to each other; tell the truth, for we are parts of each other, and when we lie to each other, we are hurting ourselves." I believe personal battles are connected to past hurts and thing or attitudes we want to change within ourselves. My husband said something interesting to me. He believes we all carry a little black box in the back of mind, heart or soul. It's locked away so no one, not even you can see it.  How to win a personal battle? It's going to be a very tough battle. I believe if it is hidden away, we don't actually want to expose it. The best way to deal with such a situation or circumstance is to call on the Holy Spirit. It's like poverty, and it smells musty - acidic, it burns your eyes when ...

How does prayer change your life?

by Yvette van Niekerk I believe when we pray that we are in communication with the Lord Jesus. We want to build our relationship with Him, and we need to speak to Him. Even when we don't know what we want to say we still just come into His presence and be still. There are so many formulas and so many prayer guidelines available to us, which can help us, but from my point of view, just being honest, and speaking to God from my heart. I believe God hears these prayers. We need to praise the Lord when we come into His presence. Giving Him praise, saying thank You, and blessing the Lord is good for our soul and helps us go into right standing with God. Then because we are fallible and have sins present in our hearts and lives, I believe we should be confessing our transgressions. Then we need to repent of our sins.   Reading the Word, we know that in Isaiah 59 verses two says "Your iniquities have separated you from your God, and your sins have hidden His face f...