Take a few minutes today to make two resolutions for the year to come. Write them down where you will read them often. Then, place your hand in JESUS' hand. He will help you all the way! Neem 'n paar oomblikke om twee voornemens te maak vir die jaar wat kom. Skryf hulle af waar jy hulle dikwels kan lees. Sit dan jou hand in JESUS s'n. Hy sal jou al die pad help!

God does not carry a whip in his hands I don’t know about you, but for a very long time in my life I was almost scared of God. When things went wrong in my life, the first thing that crossed my mind was: Is this God’s way of punishing me? I have so many sins. I do not pray enough. I fall asleep when I read the Bible. Even worse, Sundays in church, from boredom, I count the bricks in the wall behind the pulpit. (And this is not easy when ons loses count at number 504 and has to start all over…

HOW TO MAKE READING THE BIBLE LESS OVERWHELMING (This is SO beautiful - I just HAD to SHARE it with you!) Teen and Youth Devotion on Reading the Bible. - Do you ever feel confused when you read the Bible? You’re not alone. Reading the Bible can be confusing at times. Its a spiritual book and the truths contained in it take time to dig out. The good news when it comes to reading the Bible is that you’re not doing it alone. The Bible says the Holy Spirit will give special help to you and will…

God will never let you fall Have you ever heard (and seen!) a baby when his or her mother puts him or her down for a second, whilst she goes out and does something else in a different room? First there is this absolute amazement on the baby’s face. Then the bottom lip starts to quiver. With a great noise the baby puts his or her arms out to the door – through which his or her mother just went. And, still crying, crawls after her. “Separation anxiety” the psychologists call it. The fear that…

God’s telephone line is never engaged There is nothing that irritates me more than when I make a phone call and a corpse-like voice (usually female) tells me, “We are sorry, but at the moment all our lines are engaged ... you are caller number 54 ... please do not hang up ... your call is important to us ...” And then a millisecond later, the same story all over again, “All our lines are engaged ... Blah, blah, blah.” Prayer is not a phone call to heaven. If it were, the line would have been…

Take God’s promises seriously Imagine you have to rename The Holy Bible. Give it an original name. What would you call it? I don’t even have to think very hard. I know what my choice will be. Definitely “God’s promises.” To me the Bible is 66 books full of promises. For the next few days we will take a look at God’s promises. The Bible starts off in the early chapters with God’s promises: one to Noah (Gen 9) that he would give a rainbow as a sign of his promise. Now turn to Genesis 12:1-3…

Get Real With Your Prince "I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my trouble. When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn." - Psalms 142:2-3 Even though we have yet to meet our Prince face-to-face, He knows everything about us. Nothing is hidden from Him. He is waiting to have a very authentic and deep relationship with his bride-to-be. We have a beautiful example in the Psalms of what a real relationship is like with the Lord. Our beloved King David is called…

Embrace the responsibilities +++++++++++++++++++ It's easy to be resentful about your responsibilities and commitments, and to see them as burdens. It's much better to enthusiastically embrace the positive opportunities they offer. Fighting against yourself, and your own obligations, is never in your best interest. Take the high road, gracefully accepting and fulfilling those obligations. Every area of responsibility gives you the chance to make a positive difference in the world. Each…

Are you a true friend? Written by Heather Hart Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. - Luke 6:22 Have you ever been left out of something just because you were a Christian or it violated your beliefs? Maybe your mom or dad told you that you couldn't go somewhere, or maybe you made the decision on your own. Either way, being left out is never fun. But you know what, while God doesn't rejoice in people…

Accept God’s gifts Imagine it is your birthday party. Your friends arrive, each with a gift. You take the gifts with a few oohs and aahs about the pretty wrapping paper, turn them upside down, feel them ... and then give them back – unopened. Can you imagine their surprise? Totally baffled. I think that is how God must feel. Each time when he hands out gifts, there are people who say, “Mmm, beautiful ... but no, it is too special. I cannot keep it.” Paul says it is God’s gift that he wants…