Eight People Eight Life Lessons Quotes

“Our identity is in Christ, not in our work, our accomplishments or our own good works. Our provision is from God alone, not our jobs or our money. Our authority is in Christ alone, not our own power or strength, apart from Jesus Christ, we do not have any authority, identity or provision. He is our all and our everything.”
― Paddick Van Zyl

“The testing of Abraham’s faith was not for God to see if Abraham would obey since God knows everything from A to Z. It was for Abraham to find out if his faith in God will stand the test. How far was he willing to obey God? How strong was his faith in God really? God knows us. He knows what is in our hearts, we cannot fool Him”
― Paddick Van Zyl

“When we submit to God, when we call upon His Name and give Him the glory as we trust Him, we can rest assured that God will give us the victory. When we obey God’s instructions, we will succeed. Obedience is key to success.”
― Paddick Van Zyl

“There are many lessons and truths we may learn from the life of Stephen. The two most important ones probably are, in my estimation, the power of the gospel of Christ (being not ashamed to preach Jesus) and forgiveness, not just the forgiveness that God offers us but the forgiveness that Stephen was able to offer to his accusers and murderers and to even pray for them as he breathed his last. Jesus did the same. It is only when we are able to truly forgive that we are set free. That we are healed. That we are restored and made whole.”
― Paddick Van Zyl

“Job’s wife went with her husband from a comfortable and well-supplied lifestyle to being homeless, bankrupt, and childless. She became a caregiver, as she had been to her entire family while they were alive and for her ill husband, who according to Scripture, was in so much physical pain that he wished for death (Job 2:12-13, Job 3). Perhaps the words that his wife uttered, was merely her way of ending the pain for her husband whom she had to witness suffering day after day. It only mentions Job’s three friends that came to comfort him. Job’s wife probably did not have a support network of other women to help and assist her. If she did, while they were affluent, these fair weather friends would probably not have wanted to get involved now. The saying: ‘Sympathy says “sorry” and runs away; empathy says “I understand” and stays’, rings so true. She probably subdued her own sorrow and pain and first took care of her husband’s pain. Yet, she, together with her husband, trusted in the goodness of God. And God blessed them.”
― Paddick Van Zyl

“When we read about the events that occurred in the lives of those individuals that God raised up as leaders, we see a pattern emerging – that of character testing. Think of Joseph, King David, Daniel, Joshua, Elijah, Elisha, the disciples. They all had to go through some character training. At times in our life, we will be faced with and find ourselves in situations that we think we are unable to handle or situations that we have no natural talent for. We will be out of our depth. These situations are designed by God as character forming or character shaping events. They are essential to our growth and us accomplishing the will and plan of God for our lives.”
― Paddick Van Zyl

“There may be times of pain and regret and deep hurt in our lives. Often it takes a painful situation to motivate us back to where God wants us to be or intended us to be. Until some people will get up and remove the thorn from under their foot, that is causing utter discomfort, they will not change. No, God does not cause the pain or hurt or sickness or tragedy, but He may use it (allow it) to bring us to a place where we are focused on Him, where He has our attention and where He can minister to us by His Spirit, in our inner being.”
― Paddick Van Zyl

“This is the essence – allow God to change you. Present your body, your spirit, your soul, your all to Him to transform you. Not the world. Not other people. Let God do the transforming miracle in your life and see what happens.”
― Paddick Van Zyl

“God’s plan for us is good, not evil. Well-being and not disaster. He hears us and listens to us when we call out to Him.”
― Paddick Van Zyl