9 / 132
Ds koos kirsten
woord
Uit die
m
et of sonder die Here. Hoe wil jy deur die lewe
gaan? Sonder die Here loop dinge maar erg skeef,
soos ons in Josua 7 en 8 lees. Israel het Jerigo
ingeneem en wou nou vir Ai ook inneem, maar het
die eerste aanval verloor.
Agan het van die bangoed van Jerigo vir homself gevat en die hele
volk het die gevolge daarvan gedra. Sy sonde is ontbloot, hy is
saam met sy gesin verbrand en ‘n groot hoop klippe is op hulle
gegooi. Die klippe getuig van ‘n lewe sonder die Here: ‘n Lewe van
mislukking wat tragies eindig.
Met die tweede poging het die Here Ai aan Israel oorgegee. Hulle
het die stad ingeneem en verwoes en dit verbrand. Die koning van
Ai is lewendig gevang en later die dag gehang. Sy lyk is by die
stadspoort gegooi en met ‘n groot hoop klippe toegegooi: Nog ‘n
hoop klippe wat getuig van ‘n lewe sonder God. ‘n Tragiese lewe
van mislukking, want hy kon nie sy stad en mense red nie. Hy wou
nie net sonder God nie, maar ook teen God optree en daarom het sy
lewe so tragies geëindig.
Na hierdie oorwinning het Josua ‘n altaar vir die Here gebou. Hy
het ongekapte klippe gebruik. Nog ‘n hoop klippe, maar hierdie
keer is dit klippe wat getuig van ‘n lewe met God, in die
teenwoordigheid van God: ‘n Lewe van oorwinning. Toe Josua
die brand- en dankoffer gebring het, het die volk weerskante van
die altaar op die berge Gerisim en Ebal gestaan. Só het hulle gewys
dat die Here in die middel, in die sentrum van die volk se lewe is. Hy
was weer God mét hulle. Dié God wat aan hulle die oorwinning gee
en hulle seën.
Jesus het na die wêreld gekom om God met ons, God in ons
midde, te wees. Hy het gekom om die sonde te oorwin en aan ons
‘n lewe van oorwinning en seën te gee. Sonder Hom is ons soos
Agan en die koning van Ai. Sonder Hom stuur ons lewens af op
mislukking en tragedie.
God het ook die Heilige Gees aan ons gegee om nou nie meer net
God met ons te wees nie, maar ook God in ons. Die Heilige Gees
in ons lei ons om nou ‘n lewe naby, in die teenwoordigheid van
God, te lei. Onder sy leiding kan ons nou ‘n lewe van oorwinning
en seën hê. Plaas dan jou hand in die hand van God en leef in die
geloof naby aan Hom.
7
September 2018
The real
South Africa
– not the new South Africa
I
f I recall correctly it was during a strategic session with the
Agri SA team that Mr Chris Klopper explained the concept
of moving from the old South Africa to the new South Africa.
The new South Africa is not really where we want to be, as in
the new South Africa corruption, discrimination, poverty and poor
service delivery reign.
He painted a picture of the real South Africa that exists in our
minds. I immediately grasped this vision because it related to my
personal mission in life, which is built on the premise that agricul-
ture is the only true way to heal our country. This is the reason for
many hours spent on rebuilding relations and using agriculture to
give our people back their dignity.
All of us will agree that the 1994 election, and all the events sur
rounding it, was the moment when we moved from the old to the
new South Africa. For me the Bela-Bela Land Summit on 23 and
24 August this year was the moment when we moved from the
new South Africa to the real South Africa. People found each other
in the 63 stories that were shared.
This is where the impossible became possible. The same impossible
that Nelson Mandela dreamed of: ‘It always seems impossible until
it’s done…’
The foundation for these newly established relations was not
found in the BEE act, but quoted from a chapter and verse out of the
Bible. All these stories did not start a week ago, but started ten years
ago – or even longer back. You can ask yourself why we only hear
all these stories of hope now? I firmly believe that it is the Lord’s
perfect timing. Only He knows.
What I know about the Lord’s timing is that it is always on time;
never too soon or too late. I saw hope in peoples’ eyes. I saw a
picture of the real South Africa and what it can look like as described
by Klopper a few years ago.
Behind the scenes a lot of work had been done and we as leaders
had to take immense strain in the run-up to this historic moment, so
we all can move to the real South Africa. But man, is it worth it!
Jannie de Villiers,
CEO, Grain SA
Bela-Bela Land Summit