Dona Hake, Author at The Abundant Life Center

“Hate What God Hates”

Posted on Feb 10, 2016 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

I was with my four year old Granddaughter yesterday. I was across the room and she said, “Grandma, what does it mean to hate?” I replied at first, “What did you ask?” Again she said, “Hate…what does that mean?” Honestly it is moments like these that are so precious that I wish I could freeze that moment in time. It was so precious to see her face and innocent eyes looking at me as she was trying to understand a word and what it meant. In that split second so many responses began to run through my mind but I knew I needed to scale this answer down to where her understanding of spiritual things are. I began to share with her that we never hate people that do bad but rather hate their actions and sin. I also shared with her that we need to understand that we are to hate the devil for he always does evil things to try to lie and hurt us.

Today I am feeling to share with you that God indeed desires that there are things that we need to hate passionately. He wants us to know Him so well that we know exactly what He detests and abhors. He desires that we hate what He hates and love what He loves. To hate something is to dislike intensely or passionately or to feel extreme aversion for or extreme hostility toward a particular thing.

Psalm 97:10-11-Amplified

“You who love the Lord, hate evil;He protects the souls of His godly ones believers,He rescues them from the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown like seed for the righteous and illuminates their path,And irrepressible joy is spread for the upright in heart who delight in His favor and protection.”

The more we are in fellowship with God by prayer and the reading of His Word, the more we will immediately identify what the Lord hates. We must keep our hearts guarded and never hate people that do evil acts. We love the person yet hate the evil deed. The Lord is able to help us do this. This scripture tells us that His light is sown like a seed for us, and it WILL illuminate our path. That Light will correctly define for us the things that we need to reject that are evil and poisonous to our souls. Today let us love like God yet hate those things that He hates. God desires that we live uncompromisingly as we serve Him in faith and in truth. that He will be glorified in our life.

Proverbs 8:13 The Living Bible

“If anyone respects and fears God, he will hate evil. For wisdom hates pride, arrogance, corruption, and deceit of every kind.”

“He Leads Us In the Smallest of Things”

Posted on Feb 9, 2016 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

Yesterday I shared with you how precious it is to have a heart that is free from the noise of this world. Our hearts must be a place of stillness and quiet that we may hear from our Loving Lord when He desires to speak to us. I mention so often that He is concerned about the smallest of things. Many times people only go to the Lord with things that they are unable to figure out but they save the big things for prayer. I love when the Lord shows up and shows Himself as my provider even in those things that I thought would not be worthy of a prayer.

I can remember a few years ago getting in my car and traveling to an area of town that I was not real familiar with. I needed to go to a particular store to pick up a gift card and honestly I could not figure out how to get to this store. I drove around in circles till I reached a point of frustration and I was ready to forget about it. Then I heard His voice quietly speak to my spirit, “Have you asked me for help yet?” I thought to myself how we can so easily go about our business and forget that He wants to help with all kinds of things. I admitted to Him that I did not ask Him for help and I prayed a simple “Help!!!” prayer, nothing fancy because I had to make a decision because I was in some busy traffic and I needed to proceed. I pulled into a grocery store and I felt to ask a shopper for directions .

I pulled up and there was a woman to my right and another to my left loading their car with groceries. I originally went to ask the one woman and I felt I was supposed to ask the other one instead. You see…I now know that God was directing me to the exact person I was to ask help from. It was just amazing what this woman did. She said, “Pull your car over, wait till I get my groceries loaded in the car and you can follow me and I will lead you right to the store.” She explained that it was

complicated and so many have trouble finding this store. She led me right to the entrance. I purposed to tell her that she was an answer to prayer and she seemed blessed that I shared that with her.

I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God’s hand was upon me that day, and He led me to the perfect person for help. I could of missed this blessing by not listening to His still small voice speaking to me about something I perceived to be too trivial to pray about. Lesson learned! I hope this blessed you and I hope you are reminded to include Him in the smallest of details in your day today as you take time to quiet your heart and listen to Him.

“The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me…” Psalm 138:8

“In the Silence of the Heart”

Posted on Feb 8, 2016 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

Today I would like for us to meditate upon the importance of our hearts being a place of stillness, peace, calm, and silence. I particularly want us to look at the word ~silence~. Silence is the absence of any sound or noise, it is a place of stillness.

Many times when we think of noise we may think about the noises that go on in our house. Maybe you have small children that get loud at times or you have a particular appliance that gets on your nerves because it is so loud. You may go to work where there are loud noises and it hurts your ears. Sometimes you may be in your car and out of nowhere an ambulance or police car’s siren can alarm you because it is so loud. You may think at times that you just want to get to a place where there is total peace and quiet. Noise is so much a part of the world in which we live, but what about the noise that goes on in our minds and hearts because we have not been diligent to keep our thoughts, troubles and opinions in their proper place. It is sad to say that many people live with constant “noise” between their ears and in their heart, and it just becomes a normal thing and they accept it to be something they have to live with. Here is a beautiful quote by Mother Teresa for you to ponder….

“God

speaks in the silence of the heart.

Listening is the
beginning of prayer.”

Our heart is the place that our Lord dwells and I believe it should be a place of stillness and silence. The Word tells us to guard our hearts with all diligence for from it flows the issues of life. May our hearts and minds be a guarded place. May we learn to arrest those thoughts that come from out of nowhere to rob you of your peace. Ask yourself if that thought is worthy of remaining in your mind and robbing you of the precious peace you desire. Today I encourage you to yearn for your heart to be a place of silence and refuge. May it be a place so quiet that you can hear your Lord speak to you in prayer. Silence in the heart is truly the sweetest silence to know!

“But What Does God See?”

Posted on Feb 7, 2016 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

1 Samuel 16:7(ERV)
“… God doesn’t look at what people see. People judge by what is on the
outside, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7 (VOICE)
“… for the Eternal One does not pay attention to what humans value.
Humans only care about the external appearance, but the Eternal considers
the inner character.”

Today I want you to consider seeing yourself and others as God sees. Many times we can be guilty of judging a person or situation by the outward appearance. We stop at that and this is so very wrong. The old saying, “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.” is so very true. Many times we do not give people a chance simply because we are not looking closely and deeply into their heart.

I believe as we pray diligently and ask God for His wisdom into every matter He will begin to open our eyes and impart His sight to us. I find it so sad that many times we fall short of being merciful and forgiving because we are just being wise in our own eyes in our judgments of people and situations. Let us be cautious in this matter as we encounter people. Let us seek to see as God sees.
I pray today that you will look to Him and let His eyesight become yours. I believe as we do this we will begin to see ourselves grow in God’s mercy and His forgiveness like never before.

“Being Confident In Him”

Posted on Feb 6, 2016 in Uncategorized |

by Dona Hake

If you can I would like you to read the following aloud so your spirit can be built up and refreshed by these words…

Every morning Lord, Your mercies are fresh and new to me.

Your grace is sufficient for I can not live life apart from Your ability.

Your joy brings me strength as I seek to walk in Your presence.

I thank You Lord that Your love keeps my heart, and Your patience

promises to help me to be longsuffering with all those around me. I

thank You Lord that my youth is renewed like the eagles as I wait upon

You each day. From the windows of Heaven comes an abundance so

big that I open my hands and they are filled to the full and Your

blessings overflow around me. Lord, I thank You for Your

forgiveness cleanses my heart in my time of need. It teaches me how

to rise above offense and forgive in those times when I am called upon

to do so. There is not one thing I face today that is too big for

You God for Your Name is great and You are greatly to be praised!

This is just a few of the many wonderful things that I bring you to meditate and confess this morning for we serve our living God, and He desires that we remind ourselves of who He is and what He is able to do. He wants you to set your mind on things above and not on the things of this earth. Is there anything too hard for our God? Do you feel at times that your life, and it’s problems are too hard for God? Let us be confident today that we were fearfully and wonderfully made and no matter how young or old we are…He has a work for us to do today.

Philippians 1:6 (JUB)

“…being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun

a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

God is not a God that starts things and leaves them unfinished.He is the one with diligent and mighty hands that are well able to continue the great work He began in you. All we have to do is keep our hearts and eyes on Him, and trust Him with all of our being!

“Choose His Instruction”

Posted on Feb 5, 2016 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

“Lord, I do not know what to do in this situation?” “What is my next step?” Many times our hearts cry out with these words for we may be facing difficult decisions. I don’t know about you but I value embracing that I know God is directing my decisions. I want to know that His wisdom and guidance are before Me for it is then that I can walk free from the anxieties that uncertainty can bring.

Today I want to encourage your heart in simply meditating upon the truths and power of the written Word. We must believe with all of our heart that our Lord is desiring to grant us the provision that we need no matter how big or small the need may be. Every answer or direction is there for us. It is as we keep ourselves full of His Word and spend time in prayer with Him that our choices and decisions will be guided by Him. Within the Word of God is a wealth of testimonies of those that have gone before us. Their lives can encourage us to be strong when fear,weakness and uncertainty are trying to overtake our hearts. The Psalms are full of words to encourage our heart every time we read them. Many of the Psalms were written by those that may have been depressed, weary or their lives were endangered yet they chose to call out to the Living God, petition Him for answers, and praise His holy Name! Allow these testimonies to lead your heart to praise the living God in your time of questions and great need. The Proverbs are so beautiful and profound and they can serve to bring wisdom to our heart as we may be facing a time of decision making.

Proverbs 8:10-11 (NIV)
“Choose my instruction instead of silver,
knowledge rather than choice gold,
for wisdom is more precious than rubies,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.”

In this scripture God is showing us that even the jewels that we could ever possess that are incredibly expensive do not measure in value to His instruction, His wisdom and knowledge. Think about it…NOTHING we could ever desire no matter how wonderful can compare to the worth of His great knowledge and instruction.

Lord, help us to continue to grow in valuing Your written Word. We thank You that You desire to give us answers to our every question and prayer. Help us to be discerning over our time that you have blessed us with that we may be diligent to keep our time with You and the reading of Your Word, for it is there that You will meet us and keep us in all our ways.

“Always Be Thankful”

Posted on Feb 4, 2016 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

I have shared with you many times that I am part of a wonderful photography group where over 22,000 people are members from all over the world. I feel blessed to be a part of such a great group of people that daily share their part of the world in images. The other day our prompt for the day was ~home~. Wonderful and beautiful images were being shared as each participant shared their interpretation of the prompt. But one stopped me, and touched my heart like no other. Her image was unreal and very sad. The image was her home from two years ago. It showed not only her home but her car completely destroyed. It looked to either be some kind of very bad fire or possibly an explosion. Many asked her what happened but she never did tell. Obviously it must had been too painful to elaborate on. All she wrote was

“My home 2 years ago. It makes you realize home

is where family is, not the building.”

There is an idiom “A picture is worth a thousand words” which refers to the notion that a complex idea can be conveyed with just a single still image. This is so very true. I could not stop thinking how horrible of a thing she went through. The more I thought about it my heart rested on the importance of being thankful for what really matters. The image and her words told me that she realized to a deeper degree what family really was and what it was not.

Today I encourage your heart to remain thankful for the smallest of things. Many times we can get tempted to think that certain things are way more important than what they really are. God desires that we be thankful and value the things that really matter in this life. Thank God today for all that the Lord has done for you and for those that He has put in your life to walk along side of you. These are the blessings that can never be replaced and we need to be ever so thankful for them. I leave you with this wonderful scripture…

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ERV)
“Always be full of joy.
Never stop praying.
Whatever happens, always be thankful.

This is how God wants you to live in Christ Jesus.”

“The Dwelling Place of Our Lord”

Posted on Feb 2, 2016 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

Psalm 91:1 AMP

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty [whose power no enemy can withstand].”

Psalm 91:1 CEB

“Living in the Most High’s shelter, camping in the Almighty’s shade,”

In Psalm 91:1 the Psalmist points us to the place in which our Lord desires for us to dwell. Our Lord knows our hearts, our fears, and our weaknesses. He understands our need for Him and the security His presence brings to our hearts. He longs that we remain in this dwelling place and make it the place where we can rest secure.

Let us look further into what it means to dwell in a particular place. The word dwell means to live or continue in a given condition or state.

God has provided for us this dwelling place that is His place of refuge for us. He knows exactly what we need to feel secure from the things of this life. He desires that we dwell there, and that we remain.

There will be things around us from day to day that will tempt us to pull away from that dwelling place. Sometimes it may be mere distractions that tempt our hearts to not stay focused on heavenly things. Many times we choose anxiety over peace or bitterness over love, etc. This is only a few of the many choices we can make that can keep us from abiding in the hiding place and shelter He has provided. Remember, His shelter is our refuge. Next time you are tempted to get upset, instead of dwelling on the one who upset you or the circumstance, choose rather to run to Him for help, and refuge from the problem.

Psalm 91:1 (GW)
“Whoever lives under the shelter of the Most High
will remain in the shadow of the Almighty.”

Today I just want to encourage you to value the wonderful blessing of Him providing a place for you to dwell. Do not allow the negative things of this life to pull you from that place of love, peace, and protection that He has so abundantly blessed you with. For every problem we have, He has a solution. All we need to do is remain in His presence, look to Him, and enjoy the security of living under the shadow of the Most High!

“Being Passionate About God’s Word”

Posted on Feb 1, 2016 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

When one is passionate they exhibit a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for something. I want to share with you a portion of Psalm 119 in which the psalmist expresses his passion about the Word.

Psalm 119:130-142 The Voice

“When Your words are unveiled, light shines forth;
they bring understanding to the simple.
My desire for Your commands
left me waiting, open-mouthed and panting.
Acknowledge me and show me Your grace
as is Your habit toward all those who love Your name.
Guide my steps in the ways of Your word,
and do not let any sin control me.
Rescue me from the torment of my human oppressors
so that I may live according Your decrees.
Let Your face shine upon Your servant,
and help me to learn what You require.
My eyes shed rivers of tears

whenever people fail to keep Your teaching.

You are good and just, O Eternal One,
and Your rulings are right.
You have set out Your decrees in justice,
and they can be trusted.
I AM OVERWHELMED BY MY PASSION

because my enemies have forgotten Your words.”

Do you have such a passion in your heart today for God’s Word? Have you ever thought how you would live without it? I remember the movie about the precious saint Corrie Ten Boom entitled “The Hiding Place.” Oh what a love for the Lord and His Word she and her sister had. When they were going into the concentration camp they decided they would try to take in their little Bible. They prayed that they would be able to get it passed the guards without it being noticed. The Lord was faithful to provide a miraculous way to protect their Bible It was amazing to see them pray before they hid it under her coat, and the beautiful little Bible made its way past the darkness and evil of that place. You see, she and her sister were passionate about a loving God and His Word. They well understood that all they needed would come from His love and provision.

God desires that we be so passionate and loving about His Word. Let us look to His Word with longing in our heart for it is the Bread of life…the Bread that truly sustains and strengthens us to do His will.

Lord we thank You for Your precious Word that You have given us. We thank You for sustaining us with Your Word. It is by Your Word that we receive all the wisdom and direction that we need. We ask that You would open the eyes of our understanding that we can receive the light of Your Word in every area of our lives. Help us Lord to learn from Your Word all that You require of us. In Jesus Name, amen!

“Living In the Integrity of Our God”

Posted on Jan 31, 2016 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

Today we will meditate upon how our integrity which comes from following the Lord will guide us. First I would love for you to read this short quote as we think about our Lord guiding us in the ways and path of integrity.

“God shall be my hope, My stay, my guide and lantern to my feet.”
William Shakespeare

If God is our hope, He is always ahead of us. Our eyes are fixed on Him with great confidence and expectation. When we see Him as our stay, He is always all that we need in the present. He shall be the loving Anchor of our soul, and we shall not be moved. When He is our guide, He is the ultimate compass that moves in the greatest of accuracy. As He is our lantern to our feet we will be moving in His divine direction with great illumination all around us.

As we practice living, breathing and moving by the Spirit of the Living God, we will be a people of great honor and integrity. From the depths of our being there will be a passionate desire to please Him and do the right thing. Oh the beauty of walking in the integrity of our God!

Proverbs 11:3
New Life Version
“The honor of good people will lead them…”

We thank you Lord that Your integrity shall guide us, and that integrity will also draw people to You! We praise You for being our Hope, our Stay, and the Lantern to our feet that we may exhibit integrity in our lives.