Die oorspronklike artikel is geskryf een maand ná die verpligte besetting van ons plaas deur die Zimbabwiese regering. Ons is drie maande gegee om van die plaas af te wees; hierdie was dus ‘n maand in daardie tyd in geskryf.

Ek het hierdie geskryf om mense te help verstaan watter diep geestelike stryd ‘n mens tydens so ‘n traumatiese tyd deurgaan. Ek vertrou dat hierdie ‘n bemoediging vir jou sal wees, waar jy ookal in jou persoonlike stryd mag wees. Woorde is onvoldoende om ons opregte waardering uit te druk aan al die menigte Christene regoor die wêreld wat vir ons die afgelope paar weke in gebed gedra het. Ons voel dat ons nie al die wonderlike liefde en goedheid wat aan ons getoon is, verdien nie.

Baie dankie aan julle almal.

The original article was written one month after the compulsory acquisition of our farm by the Zimbabwean government. We were given three months to move off the farm, so this was written one month into that time.

I wrote this to help people understand the deep spiritual battle that one goes through at such a traumatic time. I trust that it will be an encouragement to you, whatever your personal battle might be. Words seem inadequate to express our heartfelt gratitude to all the hundreds of thousands of Christians in many parts of the world who have been carrying us in prayer over the past few weeks. We feel so undeserving of all the wonderful love and kindness shown to us.

Thank you so very much.

Swakheid is nie juis die gewildste of mees gesogte eienskap nie en swakkelinge word gewoonlik bespot of op neergesien. Die lelike of nietige mense word nie in advertensies gebruik nie – wat beteken dat slegs ‘n klein minderheid die groot skerms haal. Die groter meerderheid van ons is net gemiddeld – vanuit die wêreld se oogpunt natuurlik.

Weakness is not hailed as the most popular, sought-after attribute, and weaklings are usually mocked or looked down upon. The ugly or puny ones are not normally used for advertising - which means that it is only a small minority who make it to the big screens. Most of us are really only mediocre - that is of course from the world's point of view. Paul, the apostle, writes often about his own weakness.

Vir my persoonlike geestelike lewe is een van die mees uitdagende en lewensveranderende Skrifgedeeltes seker Paulus se woorde van bemoediging aan die Hebreeuse Christene wat baie vervolging verduur het. Beskou die grootte van die uitdaging wat hierdie paar woorde voorhou: Heb 10:34 “Want julle het ook saam met my gevoel in my boeie, en julle het die berowing van julle goed met blydskap aanvaar, omdat julle geweet het dat julle in julself ’n beter en blywende besitting in die hemele het.”

One of the most challenging and life-changing Scriptures for me must be Paul’s words of encouragement to the Hebrew Christians who had endured much persecution. Consider the magnitude of the challenge which these few words present: Heb 10:34 “For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one.”

Hierdie artikel is uit die oorspronklike artikel wat ek op 11 Januarie 2004 geskryf het, aangepas. Dit was die begin van die finansiële ineenstorting van die Zimbabwiese dollar wat op die onregverdige plaas besettings gevolg het. Die Reserwe Bank se beleidsverklaring op 12 Desember 2003 het die rentekoerse op oortrokke rekeninge oornag van 45% na ʼn astronomiese 600% per jaar laat styg. Talle maatskappye het oornag bankrot gespeel en my maatskappy en boerdery het ook amper deurgeloop. Dit was net deur die genade en bonatuurlike ingryping van die Here deur ‘n woord van wysheid wat die Heilige Gees my in daardie tyd gegee het dat ons bankrotskap vrygespring het.

This article was adapted from the original article which I wrote on 11 January 2004. It was at the beginning of the financial collapse of the Zimbabwean dollar, which followed the iniquitous farm invasions. The Reserve Banks’ policy statement on 12 December 2003 had caused interest rates of overdrafts to rise overnight to an astronomical figure of 600%. Many companies went bankrupt overnight, and my company and farm also faced imminent bankruptcy. It was only by the grace of God that we were saved from bankruptcy through a supernatural intervention by God and wisdom which He gave me.

Psa 30:12 “U het my weeklag vir my verander in ’n koordans, U het my roukleed losgemaak en my met vreugde omgord.”

Hoe wonderlik is dit nie hoe God dinge vir ons kan omdraai nie.

Die vorige artikel wat ek geskryf het, het ek ook vroeg een Sondag oggend geskryf, en die titel was “Nog ‘n blik op Habakkuk”. In daardie artikel het ek oor die verskriklike droogte gepraat wat ons deurgemaak het, en ons behoefte om in geloof te leef en God te vertrou om, ten spyte van die droogte, in ons daaglikse behoeftes te voorsien. Later daardie dag het ons 15mm reën uit die goeie hand van God ontvang. Die volgende dag het ons 23mm gehad en die dag daarna 41mm. Die laaste reenbui het so skielik gekom dat die reën nie kans gekry het om in die grond in te trek nie, en die meeste daarvan het afgeloop en binne een dag die dam wat ek gebou het, byna volgemaak!

‘n Sikloon het ons oor die daaropvolgende twee weke getref en ons het ‘n gemiddeld van ongeveer 25mm reën per dag gehad. Die damme het oorgeloop en die grond was goed deurweek.

Psa 30:11 “Thou has turned for me my mourning into dancing: Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness.” (KJV) How wonderfully God is able to turn things for us. The last article I wrote was also early on a Sunday morning, called “Another look at Habakkuk”. In it, I spoke of the terrible drought that we had been experiencing, and our need live by faith and to trust God to supply our needs despite the drought. Well, later that very day we received 15mm of rain from the good hand of the Lord. The next day we had 23mm, and the next we had 41mm. The last downpour had come so suddenly that the rain did not have time to soak in, and most of it ended as run-off, and in one day almost filled the dam I had built! Over the next two weeks, a cyclone hit us, and we had an average of about 25mm of rain per day. The dams filled to spilling, and the ground was thoroughly soaked.

In 2002 as ‘n bemoediging aan boere gedurende die Zimbabwiese plaasbesettings geskryf

Mat 6:22 “Die lamp van die liggaam is die oog. As jou oog dan reg (enkelgesind) is, sal jou hele liggaam verlig wees. 6:23 “Maar as jou oog verkeerd is, sal jou hele liggaam donker wees. As dan die lig in jou donkerheid is, hoe groot is die donkerheid nie!

Written in 2002 as an encouragement to farmers during the Zimbabwe farm invasions Mat 6:22

“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.

6:23 “If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness.”

Terwyl ek gisteraand oor die mannekamp nadink en veral oor Sondag oggend se bediening van die Skrif, “Smaak en sien dat die Here goed is ...” (Psalm 34:9), herinner die Here my aan ‘n woord wat Hy my ongeveer 30 jaar gelede gegee het. Sedertdien het hierdie woord ‘n merkwaardige koninkryksingesteldheid vir my geword.

Last night while I was pondering about the men’s camp and especially about Sunday morning’s ministry of the Scripture, “Taste (experience for yourself, feel, perceive, undergo) and see that the Lord is good,” (Psalm 34:8), the Lord reminded me of a word that He had given me about 30 years ago; since then, this word has become a remarkable kingdom mindset for me.

Written 16th April 2002 at the height of Zimbabwean farm invasions

Dear Friends, My family and I went to Hwange National game park for a few days break. What a lovely, relaxed atmosphere - almost as if one is in a totally different world away from the problems. We need to take a break sometimes just so we can get focus again.

Apart from spending time with the family, game and bird walks, (I clocked up 93 bird species including two new ones I had never seen before) I used the time to read and meditate. I read through an autobiography of Gypsy Smith, a great evangelist who in his long lifetime ministered not only in England but also many trips to the USA, France, Australia and even South Africa in 1904.

It was inspiring to see what a simple man with simple faith in God could accomplish in his life’s work.

Micah 5:2 “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth will be from long ago, from the days of eternity...”

I thought to give a little meditation for this Christmas season - possibly something quite new to most.