It was filled with laughter.

October 4

It was filled with laughter. Psalm 126:2 (AMPC) 2 "Then were our mouths filled with laughter and our tongues with singing. Then they said among the nations, and The Lord has done great things for them." I don't know many people who can show appreciation and thankfulness on receiving gifts. Some will just smile and nod saying thank you and the others really appreciate their gifts. One of the things I cannot hide is my surprise and appreciation. My mom loves watching me when she gives me gifts. She tells me it's like watching a little child receive gifts. On receiving the gift, I would beam, my face lights up and I laugh, I really cannot help myself. On opening my gift, I will show my appreciation and my eyes, my lips and my whole coming to life. I love gifts even if they are small. I show my appreciation and love being spoilt. When the Lord sends me something unexpectedly, I do the same, I say, "Thank You Lord" loud and laugh and sing and dance. Do you do the same? God enjoys giving us gifts; we must be open to receive them. Prayer O Lord, You know that I do appreciate the gifts You send me. I remind myself of the gift over the weekend; it was unexpected, and so at the right time. I want to ask to bless my daughter with a gift to me and bless You, Lord, for spoiling me through her. I love You in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

The Lord answered.

by Yvette van Niekerk

October 3 The Lord answered. 1 Samuel 30:8 (AMPC) 8 "And David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them? The Lord answered him, Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail to recover all." Picture this while you are down on your knees and in humble prayer, and everything seems to tumble around you. Tears are running down your cheeks, and you have no other resources available to you. You are sitting on the floor with your Bible in hand. You are reminded of something you're read in 1 Samuel. You are paging through the Book of 1 Samuel, and your eye catches verse 8. A sudden realization comes over you, God just answered you. The feeling of dread and fear depart from you as you focus and meditate on the words "pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail to recover all." God is so good and faithful to the extent of answered prayer. We hear His voice through the Word of God, or a friend will be talking, and they will lift us. Prayer Heavenly Father, please Lord God, we always need Your direction in our lives. We need to have answered prayers. Lord, thank You that You work in mysterious ways and always answer us. In Jesus name, Amen.

Find strength in the Lord.

by Yvette van Niekerk

October 2 Find strength in the Lord. 1 Samuel 30:6 (NIVUK) 6 "David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God. King David faced death, and his men were angry with him for their wives and children had been abducted. They were talking about stoning King David. King David must have felt wretched, but he went to the Lord, his strength was in the Lord. Picture your struggling work, and your manager has been carrying on like a lunatic. Threats of dismissal are hanging around your head. Who do you call? The time to come in prayer before the Lord, looking to the Lord to help you and strengthen you. Because you and I have a personal relationship with the Lord, we can draw on His wisdom, insight, and knowledge and sort out the problem we are facing. Prayer Lord God, in humbleness we come to You this morning. You know our circumstances and what we are facing right now. Lord, please will You bless us with Your supernatural favour today and give us the necessary strength to carry on. In the Name of Jesus, Amen

Wisdom bestows well-being

by Yvette van Niekerk October 1 Wisdom bestows well-being.

Proverbs 3:21-22 (NIVUK) 21 "My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion; 22 they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck." Pearls of wisdom are in the Book of Proverbs, and as I read these verses, I am so enthusiastic and looking forward to growing spiritually. We are encouraged to stay focused on wisdom and understanding and not letting it out of our sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion. Our lives will be worth living, and it can see as an ornament of grace around our necks. Don't stop now go and read Probers 3 and see from verses 26 to 31 the benefits of wisdom. The Lord will be at your side and keep your foot from being snared. We also are reminded to do good to our neighbours and to live in peace with them. Keeping our lives safe from harm and blessing our lives. Godly lives are what we all as Christians are striving for, and with these keys of wisdom, we can enrich our lives. Prayer O Lord God we so want to live our lives according to Your word, we focus on wisdom and understanding today, helping us preserve sound judgment and discretion. Lord in the name of Jesus Christ help, each one of us today to grow spiritually. Amen

Be Kind!

by Yvette van Niekerk September 30 Be Kind! Galatians 6:10 (TLB) 10 "That's why whenever we can we should always be kind to everyone, and especially to our Christian brothers."

I am one of those people who carry my heart on my sleeve, and if someone hurts or offends me, I show it. When I am hurt, I will either get revenge and get them back or avoid them. This process has been part of my life for a very long time; until my husband said to me to drop it. Life is complicated enough and stops being so childish. I was furious when he said that because I was dealing with the people in my way. The funny thing is the Holy Spirit works through many people, even your husband. I was reading this book and the person reminded me to pray about it, give the problem to God and leaves it with God. I still have some fits, I am still human, but I also was reminded that I would give an account one day to God about my bad behaviour. Let me encourage you to pray about the situation and Be Kind to everyone. It takes practice, but in time you will be able to be kind even to those who hurt you. Prayer Lord, as I read Your word today, please help me in letting go and trusting You. Lord, please teach us to be kind to everyone, and especially to our Christian brothers. In the Holy Name of Jesus, Amen

1st Part of all your income.

by Yvette van Niekerk September 29 1st Part of all your income.

Proverbs 3:9-10(TLB) 9-10 "Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of all your income, and he will fill your barns with wheat and barley and overflow your wine vats with the finest wines." Tithing is something I have been practising for a couple of months, and to be honest, and I am blessed so wonderfully. When our resources run out, we have money come in, and we carry on. I have also been able to help my ageing mom. I do want to take a couple of minutes and ask you to give your first Part of all your income and see how God opens heaven for you too. I have found trusting in God all things work together for the good of my own family. I am excited and looking forward to a great future because God is good, and He is in control over my life. You too can experience God's goodness in tithing. Test God and see how He changes your life. Blessed be the name of the Lord, in obedience, I will tithe and trust in You Lord God. Prayer Abba Father I honour You with the first Part of all my income, I believe You can do so much more in my life. I thank You for the job I have enabled me to give You my tithes and to see how you provide going forward. In the Holy Name of Jesus, Amen

Persevere

by Yvette van Niekerk September 28

Persevere Hebrews 10:36(TLB) 36 "You need to keep on patiently doing God's will if you want him to do for you all that he has promised." Is there something you are waiting patiently for from God? We all have some needs and desires that we are trusting God will fulfil. For me, it is a permanent job, with benefits and a steady income. What are you waiting for patiently? We need healing in our bodies. We need the relief of our financial strains—restoration in our relationships with family and friends and God. The key to success is written "you need to keep on patiently doing God's will," being obedient and persevering. Patience isn't one of my strong suits, but for my success to come my way, I need to preserve patience and obedience. I need to stay focused on God's word even when I feel down and out. I have to keep Gods name alive within myself. We need to block out all negative thoughts that will break down our confidence in God and focus on God's promises for our lives. "God promises that He has plans to prosper us and give us a future." Prayer Lord as we learn to wait patiently on Your promises in our lives, help us preserve going forward. Guiding and helping us stay focused on Your Word, in Jesus Name, Amen

We are transformed.

by Yvette van Niekerk September 27

We are Transformed. Romans 12:2 (ASV) 2 "And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Looking at myself I am always working on changing my appearance, a little night cream and you know cutting down on my intake of sweets and chocolates. Shedding some weight now and then, but when it comes to transforming my mind. I have to stay focused and study God's word. I have to read the word of God continually, guarding my mind and heart. The metamorphosis takes place the minute a caterpillar creates its cocoon, and after a couple of days, the envelope cracks open. The translucent wings are exposed and fill out with blood, and then the body emerges next and finally, the butterfly is holding onto the cocoon. As Christians, we need to also go through a metamorphosis, and we need to soak ourselves in the Word of God. Every day, consuming as much as we can, praying to ask for a transformation in our own spiritual lives. Prayer Lord God, please help me also become transformed and become more like the Lord Jesus, so that I may experience and prove what; is the right and acceptable and perfect will of God. In Jesus Name, Amen

God merely laughs!

by Yvette van Niekerk

September 26 God merely laughs! Psalm 2:4 (TLB) 4 "But God in heaven merely laughs! He is amused by all their puny plans." Picture this God, the creator of heaven and earth sitting on His throne looking down on the planet laughing at our puny plans. God knows the plans He has for each one of us, plans to prosper us and not to bring us harm. Here we see God laughing because the projects we are making are puny. Seriously, we think we can sort our lives out, and we believe we have all the answers. The question is, do we know the scope of the plans that God has for each one of us? We do, God said that He has a future planned for us, plans to prosper us and not to bring us harm. The other side of the coin is also evident in Psalms 37 we are reminded that the wicked would fade away in the scorching sun, like grass. Do not be envious of the wicked their days are numbered and they will be no more. You and I are encouraged to take delight in the Lord, and our days will be safe, and the land we live in will be secure. Prayer Lord, I know You are laughing at our puny plans, thank You for Your loving kindness towards each one of us. Thank You that we can delight ourselves in You, thank You for making a future for us to prosper each one of us. In Jesus Name, Amen

You are marvellous!

by Yvette van Niekerk September 25

You are marvellous! Psalm 139:14 (TLB) 14 "Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvellous—and how well I know it." Isn't it wonderful to realize that we have been made wonderfully complex! The Lord had made each one of us individually different yet, we have beauty, we have talents and we have so much going for each of us. When looking in the mirror, the reflection staring back at you must remind you that God loved you before you were born. He has created someone amazing and beautiful. We are marvellous. My children address their daughters as gorgeous; this gives my grandchildren such confidence. If you are a woman and feeling a little down today, let me remind you 'you are beautiful, you are lovely, and you are gorgeous. God loves you. God valued you so much that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for you. As you go through your day, remind yourself of your worth and know that you are someone God loves, you are marvellous! Prayer Lord God thank You for making me so wonderfully complex! Lord, it amazes me that Your craft is so marvellous and Lord how well I know it. Praise Your Holy Name in Jesus Name, Amen

"He can hear you when you call!"

by Yvette van Niekerk September 24

"He can hear you when you call!" Isaiah 59:1 (TLB) 1 "Listen now! The Lord isn't too weak to save you. And he isn't getting deaf! He can hear you when you call!" When I read this passage, I believe something was happening to me while I was still struggling to find my feet. I work for someone that was a perfectionist, and this manager of mine used to have me in tears every day. I used to cry all the time, my ex-husband was making my life difficult, and this man was even worse. One day I could not take it anymore, and I cried out to the Lord and asked Him, please help me. The pressure was getting to me; my hair was falling out, and I had become thin and miserable. As I sat in my car, reading God's word, I was praying for some relief. I went back to my office and in the bathroom, washing my face and back to my desk. Just as I sat down, I received a call, and someone was inviting me to come for an interview. Impressive, God heard my prayers, and I got the job. Prayer Heavenly Father, thank You that You aren't too weak to save me. Thank You that You aren't getting deaf and thank You that You hear when I call on You, in Jesus Holy Name. Amen