KZN Emmaus Ministries

01/09/2026

Tuesday – 1 September 2026
Reading: Psalm 130:3
If You, Lord, should mark my transgressions, O Lord, who could stand?
Reflection:
When I think of all the things that I have done that are wrong, and all the things that I have said, and the times that I have hurt people, I hang my head in shame. And then I think of this verse today.
I know that when I go to the Lord and tell Him about the things that I have done wrong, He forgives me. If the Lord had to keep a record of all the things that I have done wrong, and write down my transgressions, I would never be able to stand. I would always hang my head in shame.
The good news is that when I go to the Lord and confess those things that I have done wrong, He freely forgives me. He takes the sin that I have confessed and He throws it into the sea of His forgetfulness, and He remembers it no more. I am free to be the person that I need to be. God does not keep a record of the wrong, He wipes the slate clean and I can start again with a clean slate and a new page. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Forgiveness is to turn away from those things and do not do them again. We need to learn our lessons, and walk away from those things that bring the Lord no honour and glory.
Will you today tell Him about the things that keep you awake at night? Will you tell Him about the things that you will never tell anyone else because they remember in detail too?
The freedom that comes when I ask for His love to wash me clean, is something that only God can give. Please come to Him today and tell Him, and allow Him to give you a new page to write on today.
Breath-prayer: Father thank you for never keeping a record of the things that I have done that bring you no honour. Thank You for setting me free. Help me Father to forgive those who have hurt me too. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Jen Botha
SD EMSA

31/08/2026

Monday – 31 August 2026
Reading: Ps 139: 1
O Lord, you have searched me and you know me
Reflection:
We all want to know that someone knows us well. We all want to know that we are loved and that we make a difference in the lives of others. When someone knows us well, we feel that we have made a difference and that we are special and important. Important enough for others to know us well. They know how we drink our coffee, what we like to eat, and more importantly, how we would react in certain situations.
When David writes this Psalm, he is acutely aware of just how well God knows him. He is so aware of the presence of the Lord, and that he is confident and assured of the fact that he is not a stranger to the Lord. God does know all things about us. When we take the time to develop a relationship with the Lord, He knows all about us. Every hair on our heads are numbered, and every detail of our lives are an open book to the Lord.
How did David get to that place? How can we get to that place?
We need to develop a relationship with God. In the same way, we take time and effort to develop a relationship with the people around us who get to know us well, we need to cultivate that relationship with the Lord. We take the time to get to know people, and they take the time to get to know us, and in the same way, we need to take the time to get to know the Lord. When we have developed and cultivated that relationship, we know what the Lord would have us do in situations. We develop our faith muscles, and we know what God expects of us in every situation.
I really want the Lord to search me and know me. I want that secure knowledge that there is someone who really knows the real me.
Breath-prayer: Thank you Lord for loving me so much that You want to know every detail of my life. This makes me realise just how much You love and care for me every day. In Jesus name, Amen
Jen Botha
SD EMSA

29/08/2026

28/08/2026

Friday – 28 August 2026
Reading: Isaiah 45: 6
That men may know from the rising to the setting sun, that there is no one besides Me, I am the Lord and there is no other.
Reflection:
This is such a definitive statement. There is no one else who can control the seasons, there is no one else who can keep this earth in its orbit, there is no one else who can hold us the way the Lord does. We try to control and do things, but in essence there is only One God, the One who loves us and cares for us and keeps us in the palm of His mighty hand.
We try, we invent, we research and we try to control, but in the long run, there is only one God and He is the One who takes care of each of us.
If you want to walk on the water, you’ve got to get out the boat. Peter did! If we want to get to the place where we want to serve the only God, then we have to do something. We have to get out of our comfort zone, and do something about it. There is no one who can do what our God can do.
There is no one else who can make the sun rise or set, and this is the God that we serve, love and worship. This reality makes me so secure. It makes me realise the magnitude of God and the incredible love that He has for me. He loves me so much that He sent His only Son to come to this earth to die for my sins. I have spoken about this during this week. God comes into my life so that I can have life and life in abundance. Life that is whole, peaceful and clean. He searches the deeper parts of my heart and there He comes to bring the healing and wholeness, the forgiveness and the peace that I so desperately need. That peace that surpasses all understanding is the peace that comes only from the Lord.
Breath-prayer: Lord, I come before your throne of grace today with so much gratitude and thanksgiving in my heart. Bless my family and friends today, and hold each of us in the palm of Your mighty Hand. In Jesus name, Amen
Jen Botha
SD EMSA

27/08/2026

Thursday – 27 August 2026
Reading: Matthew 8:8
'He answered, 'Lord, I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.'
Reflection:
None of us are worthy of having the Lord come to our house. We are all sinners and broken people. We have all done things that bring the Lord no honour and glory. And yet into these situations, the Lord wants to come and be with us. He does not mind the mess and the filth of our lives. He wants to come to our house and be with us. And into those situations He wants to speak to us. There is very little we can do to change situations. There is so little we can do to make things right. We need help.
The most wonderful thing that I know is that the Lord just has to speak one word to change any situation. One word from the Lord can bring direction and comfort to any situation that I may find myself in. There is nothing that the Lord is not in control of, I just need to allow Him to speak into my life.
I know that there are so many times when I just go on my own, and I don’t consult the Lord first. I do it my way, as the song made popular by Frank Sinatra would say. But there are times when I need to just ask the Lord to speak one word into the situation that I face, and He will heal that situation.
Ask the Lord today to speak into your life and your world. Ask Him to come in and be the driving force behind all you think of and dream about. Ask Him to come and speak peace into those situations that cause you to worry and fear. Ask Him to speak joy and peace into those relationships that are hurtful and painful and ask Him to speak healing and wholeness into relationships that are broken and need healing.
All we need to do is to ask.
Breath-prayer: Father, in prayer and supplication we bring all we are to you today and just ask that you be Lord of all that I do today. In Jesus name, Amen
Jen Botha
SD EMSA

26/08/2026

Wednesday – 26 August 2026
Reading: Psalm 139: 23 and 24
Search me O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my anxious thoughts, and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way. (New American Standard)
Reflection:
On Monday we spoke about God searching our hearts and knowing all about us. The Psalmist speaks about this again in this verse.
We all have anxious thoughts at some stage. We all worry about things around us. It may be our health, our family, our friends, our work situation or our financial situation. And then we worry about that. Worry is something that besets us all. We worry about all kinds of things, things that will not change just because we are worrying about them. We waste our emotional energy by worrying, and it just causes so much more pain and discomfort. Pain is something that happens to all of us at some time or the other. The pain of loss is so huge.
This is something we all understand. We understand the pain of losing a loved one, or losing our hope or our dignity or we feel as if the rug has been pulled out from underneath our feet. And then we feel alone, desolate and dejected.
But equally, there are things that we do to cause pain. We say things carelessly and then those words just cut through others. We cause so much heartache because we allow our tongues to run away with us. I spoke about this in a sermon recently. We need to watch and put a guard on our tongues. We need to allow the words we speak to be seasoned with love and care, not malice and hurt. We need to watch and guard our hearts and minds. A careless word spoken is like toothpaste. Once it is out of the tube you cannot put it back.
But, we are reminded that God is in the midst of all of this. He will never leave us or forsake us. He will not let us walk that road on our own. He is there. Closer than we could ever think or imagine. God wants to be with us in our anxious moments. He wants to speak words of love and kindness to us. He sends people along our way to comfort and support us. God knows the thoughts of your heart, and He knows your pain. God also forgives us when we turn to Him. He is ready to pick us up and steady our feet again. Please let Him come in and be the One who will be the comfort that you so dearly need when you are in a time of anxiousness and allow Him to be the One who controls all that you are and all that you say.
Breath-prayer: Thank you for knowing my name, Father. Thank you for counting the very hair on my head, Thank You for loving me and forgiving me when I am careless and thoughtless. Thank you for caring for me in all that I am and all that I think and all that I do. In Jesus name, Amen.
Jen Botha
SD EMSA

25/08/2026

Tuesday – 25 August 2026
Reading: Psalm 130:3
If You, Lord, should mark my transgressions, O Lord, who could stand?
Reflection:
When I think of all the things that I have done that are wrong, and all the things that I have said, and the times that I have hurt people, I hang my head in shame. And then I think of this verse today.
I know that when I go to the Lord and tell Him about the things that I have done wrong, He forgives me. If the Lord had to keep a record of all the things that I have done wrong, and write down my transgressions, I would never be able to stand. I would always hang my head in shame.
The good news is that when I go to the Lord and confess those things that I have done wrong, He freely forgives me. He takes the sin that I have confessed and He throws it into the sea of His forgetfulness, and He remembers it no more. I am free to be the person that I need to be. God does not keep a record of the wrong, He wipes the slate clean and I can start again with a clean slate and a new page.
Will you today tell Him about the things that keep you awake at night? Will you tell Him about the things that you will never tell anyone else because they remember in detail too?
The freedom that comes when I ask for His love to wash me clean, is something that only God can give. Please come to Him today and tell Him, and allow Him to give you a new page to write on today.
Breath-prayer: Father thank you for never keeping a record of the things that I have done that bring you no honour. Thank you Father that I do not have to beg for Your forgiveness, You freely forgive and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. In Jesus name Amen.
Jen Botha
SD EMSA

24/08/2026

Monday – 24 August 2026
Reading: Ps 139: 1
O Lord, you have searched me and you know me
Reflection:
We all want to know that someone knows us well. We all want to know that we are loved and that we make a difference in the lives of others. When someone knows us well, we feel that we have made a difference and that we are special and important. Important enough for others to know us well. They know how we drink our coffee, what we like to eat, and more importantly, how we would react in certain situations.
When David writes this Psalm, he is acutely aware of just how well God knows him. He is so aware of the presence of the Lord, and that he is confident and assured of the fact that he is not a stranger to the Lord. God does know all things about us. When we take the time to develop a relationship with the Lord, He knows all about us. Every hair on our heads is numbered, and every detail of our lives is an open book to the Lord.
How did David get to that place? How can we get to that place?
We need to develop a relationship with God. In the same way we take time and effort to develop a relationship with the people around us who get to know us well, we need to cultivate that relationship with the Lord. We take the time to get to know people, and they take the time to get to know us, and in the same way, we need to take the time to get to know the Lord. When we have developed and cultivated that relationship, we know what the Lord would have us do in situations. We develop our faith muscles, and we know what God expects of us in every situation.
I really want the Lord to search me and know me. I want that secure knowledge that there is Someone who really knows the real me.
Breath-prayer: Thank you Lord for loving me so much that You want to know every detail of my life. This makes me realise just how much You love and care for me every day. In Jesus name, Amen
Jen Botha
SD EMSA