You are my shelter.

October 8 You are my shelter.

Psalm 73:28 (NKJV) 28 "But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all Your works." Picture this: you phone your mom, and she is crying on the other side of the line. The feeling of helplessness falls onto you. As you try and console her, you pray you to hope prayers will be heard. Finally, after speaking to my mom, I humbly pray to ask the Lord my God to please intervene for her and my stepdad. Just before I knock off, I receive a call concerning my work and the way I have done the job. It sounds like I am just not capable of doing a good job, and the manager on the other side feels that I should have gone the extra mile. I feel taken aback and hurt because I felt that I have been doing more than a good job. As I walk out of the office, one of my colleagues tell me the manager escalated the matter, but that I should not worry I was to the right. Praise God! Prayer Lord, God, I want to pray and give you all the honour and praise. Lord, You are my shelter. You, Lord, have come through for my mom and me. Lord, thank You for Your hand over my life as well as over my family and friend's lives. We are nothing without You. Praise Your Holy Name, in Jesus Name. Amen

"You don't have to fight this battle."

October 7

"You don't have to fight this battle." 2 Chronicles 20:1 (NKJV) 17 "You will not need" to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem! "Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you." Companies retrench people when they feel you are redundant. It's hard when you lose your work it can be trying. I remember when my husband came home, telling me they retrenched him. I felt our lives would fall apart. The Lord God is always watching, and He never let any harm come our way. Yes, my husband didn't have a steady job, but at least he received a contract to work for five years. God said that God would never leave us or forsake us. He provided an income for the next five years. We hoped for a permanent job, and we wanted all the benefits. My husband still has a job, and we are living in our house. God supplies according to our needs. We do not have to fear. Prayer Heavenly Father, we can only say thank You, Lord. You are always watching out for us. We have in enough, and You keep us safe in Your hand. Your mercies are new every day. Thank You, Lord, in Jesus Name Amen.

You are not forsaken.

October 5

You are not forsaken. Deuteronomy 31:8 (Revised Edition) (NABRE) 8 "It is the Lord who goes before you; he will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you. So do not fear or be dismayed." On a personal note, I am grateful for these words of encouragement. The Lord says that He goes before us. We are encouraged that He will be with us and will never fail or forsake us. We should not fear nor be dismayed. As I grow older, I feel uncertain and worried about my future, but I must be honest and tell you on a personal note, God has not forsaken me. There are days when I feel uncertain, but in those moments, I turn my heart to the Lord God, calling out "Please don't forsake me, Lord." I believe God hears me. He will be with me and will never forsake or leave me. I know life can be full of uncertainty, but there is someone that I can turn. I want to encourage you today that God can comfort us wherever we find ourselves in this world. Prayer Lord God I take refuge in You, and I realize that You will be with me and that You will never leave me nor forsake me, I will not fear today and I will not be dismayed. I love You, Lord, in Jesus Name, Amen.

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