Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Posted on Jul 17, 2018 in Devotions |

 
 
Devotional for Tuesday, July 17, 2018
“The Heart That Seeks Humility”
 
 
 
 
by Dona Hake
There is power in the heart that seeks to be humble. The humble heart will always be yielding to see that which is right in the eyes of God. This  humble heart that God is looking for does not seek to verbalize it’s opinion but rather it seeks what God has to say about every matter. Let us read how the Psalmist David in Psalm 131:1 prays to his God with a humble heart…
 

“O Eternal One, my heart is not occupied with proud thoughts; my eyes do not look down on others; I don’t even begin to get involved in matters too big, matters of faith, state, business, or the many things that defy my ability to understand them .”
Psalm 131:1 -the Voice translation

Oh that we would recognize the minute a proud thought takes occupancy within our hearts.  We must recognize the things that provoke us to think about things that we have no business thinking about. You know… the things that set our mind spinning, and therefore our opinions that proceed from those thoughts begin to come out of our mouth. Living our life prayerfully will keep us clear minded and our hearts guarded. As we seek Him for His guidance and provision, He promises to cover our life with all that we need. That includes the wisdom in guarding our thoughts, opinions, and it provides us power over thoughts that would serve to take us down. He will give us that peace that this world cannot touch, and that peace will lead our thoughts and guard our our tongues.
 

Sunday, July 15, 2018

Posted on Jul 15, 2018 in Devotions |

 
 
 
 
Devotional for Saturday,Sunday, July 15, 2018
“Living Your Life As An Offering”
 
by Dona Hake
 
 
 
“Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering…” Romans 12:1 The Message
 
“Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. “. Romans 12:2 The Message
 
Living for God… It is taking one day at a time dedicating our all to Him. No matter how big or small let us purpose to dedicate it all to our God. He wants us to humbly lay the smallest to the biggest detail of our life before Him for He knows us better than we could ever know or understand ourselves. He desires to touch and bless all that we hand over to Him. This is the act of worship He desires from us. It is then that we will be progressively changed by the power of the Holy Spirit and we will be living proof of His perfect will He has ordained for our lives.
 
 

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Posted on Jul 11, 2018 in Devotions |

 
 
 
 
Devotional for Wednesday, July 11, 2018
“The God of Light”
 
 
 
by Dona Hake
 
 
 “No one lights a lamp and then puts it in a cellar nor under a basket [hiding the light], but [instead it is put] on the lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light.  The eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is clear [spiritually perceptive, focused on God], your whole body also is full of light [benefiting from God’s precepts]. But when it is bad [spiritually blind], your body also is full of darkness [devoid of God’s word].  Be careful, therefore, that the light that is in you is not darkness.  So if your whole body is illuminated, with no dark part, it will be entirely bright [with light], as when the lamp gives you light with its bright rays.”
Luke 11:33-36 -Amplified version
 
Oh praise the Living God that we can be so honored that we carry this light within us for it is to show a world that is blinded by darkness that there is true light…that there really is a hope and purpose for one to live. That light also helps us as we purpose to walk the narrow path.
Oh that we would stay focused on our God that our body be full of His illuminating light for it is then that our life will bring Him glory for such a time as this!
 

Monday, July 9, 2018

Posted on Jul 9, 2018 in Devotions |

 
Devotional for Monday, July 9, 2018
“A Centered Hope”
 
by Dona Hake
 
 
“Blessed are those whose help comes from the God of Jacob,
whose hope is centered in the Eternal their God—
Who created the heavens, the earth, the seas,
and all that lives within them;
Who stays true and remains faithful forever…”
Psalm 146:5-6 -The Voice translation
 
 
David exhorted us in Psalm 31:21. He addressed all those whose hope is in the Lord their God, to be strong and live with great courage. Today let us purpose to live with centered hope, and enjoy the contentment and sweet joy that rules and reigns within us when we are  focused on that hope we have in our  living God.
 
 
 
 
“Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all
And sweetest in the gale is heard.”
Emily Dickinson

Saturday, July 7, 2018

Posted on Jul 6, 2018 in Devotions |

 
 
 
 
Devotional for Saturday, July 7, 2018
“But Then God Called Me…”
 
 
“But then God called me by His grace; and in love,
He chose me from my birth to be His.”  Galatians 1:15
  The Passion Translation
 
 
“I would not, if I could, exchange places with the disciples, even on the Mount of Transfiguration. The Christ with whom they lived was a Christ limited by time and space. Was He in Galilee? Then He could not be found in Jerusalem. Was He in Jerusalem? Then men sought Him in vain in Galilee. But today Christ is limited neither by time nor space, for He lives in the power of an endless life, and the Father has been pleased to reveal Him in my heart. He was with them sometimes; He is with me always. They knew Him then after the flesh, saw Him, touched Him, lived with Him in the closest contact. “Now know we Him so no more,” and yet I know Him in truth, for I know Him as God is pleased He should be known. Has He not given me the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him?”     Watchmen Nee
 
We are called and equipped by His wonderful grace to serve Him all the days of our life.  He lives within us, and He desires to express and reveal Himself in us  with no limits!  We carry within us a risen Lord that is able to do above and beyond all we dare ask or think!    He is our Wonderful Counselor, our Teacher, and He leads us faithfully into the truth we need for the moment we are in.    May we yearn to know Him as God desires that we know Him.   We are so blessed to live in such a time as this for we are all a part of the greater work!

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Posted on Jun 27, 2018 in Devotions |

 
Devotional for Wednesday, June 27, 2018
“But This Beautiful Treasure”
 
by Dona Hake
 
It was a Monday morning in North Wales, and we gathered in Arthur Burt’s dining room. I will never forget my trip to North Wales, as we got to sit under this man’s precious ministry and he shared precious and profound words of wisdom  to those who were willing to hear. This is what he shared that morning.
 
 
“The jewels and pearl are in a jewelry case. This black box holds the pearl. Do people look at the pearl and say, “Oh!!! what a nice box!” This box simply holds the pearl or jewel , and carries and displays its beauty. So we should be as earthen vessels carrying His glory, not seeking for ourselves to be seen.”   Arthur Burt
 
 
“But this beautiful treasure is contained in us— cracked pots made of earth and clay—so that the transcendent character of this power will be clearly seen as coming from God and not from us. We are cracked and chipped from our afflictions on all sides, but we are not crushed by them. We are bewildered at times, but we do not give in to despair. We are persecuted, but we have not been abandoned. We have been knocked down, but we are not destroyed. We always carry around in our bodies the reality of the brutal death and suffering of Jesus. As a result, His resurrection life rises and reveals its wondrous power in our bodies as well.”
2 Corinthians 4:7-10 – the Voice translation
 
Let us purpose to be those vessels cracked and broken as we humbly submit to our Lord’s hands. It is then that His life changing power will rise up within us, and be seen! That power will leak from us, and His great light and glorious power will affect the seeking hearts in our path.

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Posted on Jun 26, 2018 in Devotions |

 
 
Devotional for Tuesday, June 26, 2018
“Our Appointed Course”
 
 
by Dona Hake
 
 
 
 
“Making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], because the days are [filled with] evil. Therefore do not be foolish and thoughtless, but understand and firmly grasp what the will of the Lord is.
Ephesians 5:16-17 – Amplified version
 
 
“In God’s appointed course for you, it may be that today was to have been the greatest day of your life, yet you would let it slip as if it were any other day. The man who’s day is like his yesterday lacks a sense of God’s timings. No servant of the Lord should be content with present attainment, for to be satisfied with what is, is to be a loser of opportunities.“
Watchman Nee.
 
What a strong and wonderful exhortation to be extremely keen to the voice of our Lord, and to know that He has plans for each of us to do greater works.  He desires that we respect and value the time that He has given us.    May we grow in watching over our time as if it is a precious gem that is given to us for such a time as this.    I love when divine appointments and opportunities happen in my life, and I do not want to miss them for anything.  I am sure you too do not want to miss what God has in store for your day.   
 
This meditation also challenges my heart to be mindful to be  seeking His perfect timing each and every day.   If we are in pace with God we can know when a perfect opportunity is before us, and many times those opportunities may await us in a very thin slice of time…His perfect time.   As we purpose to follow our Lord ever so closely and listen to the words of His instruction for our path, even if a divine opportunity lies within a thin slice of time… that is one minute we will be sure not to miss.  Let us be a people that use our time with wisdom and diligence.
 
Our God is the God of precision and focus and He is able to do  above and beyond all that we dare ask or think as we yield our will, and our time to Him. God’s divine appointments pass swiftly so when the Lord moves, let us obediently move and flow by the direction of His hand.  Today I pray that  His hand of blessing and direction would be upon your appointed course that He has assigned to you!

Monday, June 25, 2018

Posted on Jun 25, 2018 in Devotions |

 

 

Devotional for Monday, June 25, 2018
“When Hurdles and Hindrances Bring Growth”
 
by Dona Hake
 
A few years ago I was blessed to be able to take painting lessons from an extremely talented woman. Her paintings amazed me, and I would sit in awe as she would  skillfully paint in front of us our class for teaching and illustrative purposes.  I can remember the times that she would show a different painting technique and she would sense my frustration as I was trying and not doing well.   She would come and stand behind me and embrace my hand showing me how to angle my brush, etc.   I loved this experience of learning  especially the art of learning to work through struggles when I felt I was not grasping the different techniques she was teaching. 
 
I can remember once I had almost completed a painting and I was so pleased with it but then I made a big mistake.  Well…in my eyes it was a big mistake, but in the teacher’s eyes it was an opportunity.  She would always encourage us that those so called “mistakes” were  opportunities to create.  She would tell us to have fun with it and see what comes of it.  I was amazed that many of my paintings had my “mistakes” hidden under what only the eye could see.   It was only me that knew that there was originally a mistake but it was turned around as a result of reaching into those creative abilities that God had helped me to learn.
 

This teacher’s teaching techniques taught me  a life lesson.  Many times we may be tempted to  trash whatever we are trying to do because of a mistake.  Sometimes we may quit because it is not perfect enough.   We need to see hindrances, hurdles, or mistakes as opportunities to excel and grow in new things.  It is in those times if we allow the Master Painter to work on the canvas of our heart that we may see some pretty amazing outcomes.  Along with those amazing outcomes we can walk away with knowledge and wisdom for future application in our life.  As we stay humble and willing, our Lord knows how to take our hurdles, hindrances, or mistakes, and help us to grow in that process.

Romans 8:28

“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God “

~~~~~♥~~~~~


Saturday, June 23, 2018

Posted on Jun 23, 2018 in Devotions |

 
 
Devotional for Saturday, June 23, 2018
“We Must Let Him Flow Freely”
by Dona Hake
 
 
 
 
“If God knocks the bottom (takes away blockages)
out of you, this makes you His channel.
We cannot contain God (keep Him shut up with in us),
we must let Him flow freely.“
Arthur Burt
 
We are all capable of permitting blockages to hinder the work of our Lord in us if we do not heed to Him when He speaks to us through His Word. We need to keep our eyes and ears open, and purpose to keep and hold fast to His Word that He may flow freely and accomplish great things through us.
 
 
 
“My son, pay attention to all the words I am telling you. Lean in closer so you may hear all I say. Keep them before you; meditate on them; set them safely in your heart. For those who discover them, they are life. They bring wholeness and healing to their bodies. Above all else, watch over your heart; diligently guard it because from a sincere and pure heart come the good and noble things of life.
Proverbs 4:20-23 – The Voice
 
 

“Lean in closer so you can hear all that I say…”. Oh how important it is that we be so attentive to the voice of our Lord. God has filled us for His purposes and He desires to keep His life flow moving in us. Just as He gave His all, He desires we give our all. We are here for such a time as this!

As we seek Him humbly for His work in us He will go after anything that causes hindrances and blockages. Let us permit the work of His hand in our hearts. Lean in closer to Him today and purpose to hear all that He has to say for He desires to live and move and have His being in!

 

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Posted on Jun 20, 2018 in Devotions |

 

 

DEVOTIONAL FOR Wednesday, June 20, 2018
“If You Live In the Past”
 

past

by Dona Hake
 

I can remember a few years ago Pastor Bill sharing these words of wisdom in his message…  “If you live in the past, you’ll have no current joy.”  I think one of the saddest things is seeing people live in the pain of their  past yet they have so much to be thankful for in the present moment.    If you live in the past, even when there are good things going on around you, you may be hindered from even noticing them.   The past has the ability to rob you of the good things that are in your life RIGHT NOW!   We need to stop and purposely think of each and every good thing that God has blessed us with.  If you allow your mind to dwell on the memories of the past you will miss the joy of the moment.  

 

Philippians 3:13 (TLB)

“No, dear brothers, I am still not all I should be, but I am bringing

all my energies to bear on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead…”
 

I want to encourage you today that if you are tempted to look over your shoulder into your past to stop!  Stop and look at who you are today and how far God has brought you.  Stop and think about every blessing you possess whether it be spiritual blessings, family, friends or material things.  

 

Let us not allow the wonderful joys in our present be robbed from us because we feel we are unable to go forward.  Know this, God can heal you from the pain and scars of your past.  He can give you hope for a future, and He can bring joy unspeakable into your heart and peace that passes all understanding that will permeate your mind.  Permit the Lord  to give you the strength to continue to move forward as you live in the present moment!


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