22/07/2026
πΎ To every farmer in our country β this is for you.
This afternoon, on the way from Johannesburg to Heidelberg, a song took my breath away. "Nogtans" (Nevertheless). And suddenly I was a child again, on dusty roads between "Karoobossies", where my school friends' hands had learned early to know the earth. Years later, through my ministry, I stepped even deeper into that world β and I learned: every plate of food on our tables carries a farmer's fingerprint. Every sunrise that bathes a field in gold is the fruit of someone's sacrifice that few of us ever see.
But behind the golden fields and dry and dusty earth also lie scars. Rising costs that press harder every season. Droughts that crack the ground like broken promises. And a darkness that too many farmers know too closely β violence, loss, farms that will never be the same again.
And yet... nevertheless.
Nevertheless, they rise every morning before the sun. Nevertheless, they sow faith in dry ground and wait patiently for rain they cannot control. Nevertheless, in the midst of storms that would bring others to their knees in defeat, they remain kneeling β not just before the ground, but before the One who sends the rain and blesses the harvest.
Because, as the song so beautifully tells: even if the fig tree bears no fruit, even if the stalls are empty β nevertheless we will rejoice in the Lord... my God and my Saviour!
To every farmer who got up again this morning despite everything: thank you. You are the quiet hands behind our abundance, the faith behind our daily bread. May the Lord bless your land, protect your homes, and may your hearts keep remembering β as the song says β that He is nevertheless faithful.
Although this is an Afrikaans song, enjoy it, and let us rejoice in our Lord together. ππ±
Nogtans | Hab 3:17-18 | Straatlig StoriesSelfs al lyk alles droog...