Posted on Aug 31, 2015 in Devotions |
by Dona Hake
I would like you to look at the art that I chose today. It is sheep out in a pasture and they are grazing in lush green grass. This picture makes me think of how our Good Shepherd watches over us, yet there is the devil who roams about seeking ways he can set us up to fall and devour us. He watches for our weaknesses and vulnerabilities. No, we do not live in fear of the tactics of the devil, but dear friend we must be wise and very diligent to make sure we are guarding our hearts at all times. We must be ever so careful to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are keeping our hearts guarded with our diligent input of God’s Word and prayer.
Proverbs 4:23 (AMP)
“Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and
above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.”
We see from this scripture that our heart is able to contain springs of life from which we can draw. God wants our hearts to be full of Him and His life giving presence. I can remember recently becoming preoccupied with something on my mind that was troubling me. I can remember how the Lord ministered to my heart so sweetly yet firmly that because I was preoccupied with something that my heart was unguarded. I began to think about how diligent we are to make sure our doors to our homes are locked. We have passwords for our logins on different sites we visit on our computers, and we are encouraged to make them so difficult in order that we are not hacked. We have become so knowledgeable in realms of taking care of our bodies that we be healthy, and we strictly try to follow the dos and don’ts. Those thoughts led me to examine my diligence of guarding my heart that the evil one does not try to rob from me. My heart was convicted about going greater extremes to see that my heart was guarded and not left vulnerable to anything that would rob my peace and joy.
In the book of Philippians Paul wrote how we can keep the peace of God guarded in our hearts. This was his advice…
Philippians 4:6-9 Easy-to-Read Version
“Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.
Brothers and sisters, continue to think about what is good and worthy of praise. Think about what is true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected. 9 And do what you learned and received from me—what I told you and what you saw me do.
And the God who gives peace will be with you.”
When we purpose to think on good things we are being proactive in guarding our hearts, and keeping them in the peace of God. I know for myself that when my heart is full and I mean FULL of God’s peace and faith, I face the problems of this life in His strength. Today I encourage you to watch over your heart and your thoughts. Make sure you are not walking about your day with a heart that is unguarded, for God desires to keep it with His loving peace.♥
Posted on Aug 30, 2015 in Devotions |
by Dona Hake
I love how our Loving God knows what we need before we understand that we even have a need or a problem. He knows the answer to every problem we face, and He understands our weaknesses as humans. As God created the heavens and the earth, His fingers worked it all like a wonderful tapestry. It all has reason and purpose, and know this…there is not one thing created without reason. Every star in heaven was placed by His hand, the seas obey their boundaries by His command, He formed and breathed life into the Man he formed. Oh what a Mighty God!
Today I want to share with you that before man was even created, the Word of God says that grace was here and for good reason. Remember this, God has a divine purpose for every thought He thinks and everything He does. Here is part of the scripture I want you to read and ponder…
“…that grace was given to us through Christ Jesus before time began.”
2 Timothy 1:9 ERV
Now let’s read the whole verse with the part you just read…
“God saved us and chose us to be his holy people, but not because of anything we ourselves did. God saved us and made us his people because that was what he wanted and it was because of his grace. That grace was given to us through Christ Jesus before time began.”
Before time began it was in the mind of God to have a holy people to call His own. He knew man would need His help so the provision of grace through Jesus Christ was already planned in God’s mind. He created us in His wisdom to do wonderful things while we live on this Earth yet we have abilities that have limitations. We may be strong but our strength has it’s limitations. Quite simply, God created us with one great need, and that need is for Him to be a part of every breath we take and every purpose we pursue. Oh that we stay aware that we must live this life by the grace of God!
I want to share a sweet definition of grace that I came across.
“Grace: the freely given,
unmerited favor of God;
the Spirit of God operating
in humans to regenerate
or strengthen them.”
Grace…none of us deserve it from God but He desires to infuse you with it! He desires this day to regenerate and strengthen you with it. God is so good!
Posted on Aug 29, 2015 in Devotions |
by Dona Hake
Isaiah 41:10 (The Voice) So don’t be afraid. I am here, with you; don’t be
dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, and help you. I am here with
My right hand to make right and to hold you up.
The King James Version says, “Fear not, do not look anxiously about you for I
AM your God…”
Fear is one of those things that everyone of us have experienced, and when when we encounter fear, it can grip our heart. The King James Version translates part of Isaiah 41:10 saying “do not look anxiously about you…” which gives implication of fear, panic or uneasiness in one’s heart and soul. It is good to know that our loving Heavenly Father is there for us in those times to come under us, and lift us up and hold us closely. He will sit us on the solid rock where we will not be moved and He is able to keep us.
I have shared this story before about my parrot JJ, and I will share it again for it fits great with this devotional. It is a great little story and analogy to help us see our God coming to our rescue when we are in trouble. My parrot was roaming about on the outside of her cage. I permit her to do this at times, and I watch her closely. She usually is very happy just to sit on top of her “little world” and watch me and my husband. One day she decided she was going to try to get on the pie safe which is about six inches from her cage. I happened to be watching her, and I was curious what she was going to do. As she went to carefully go from her cage to the piece of furniture she slipped on the finish of the wood and began to panic, squawk loudly, and flutter her wings really fast. She ended up on the floor, and she was so upset. I calmly walked over to her and spoke softly and put my hand under her so she could rest on me and feel safe again. She was so sweet as she looked at me with such a sense of safety and relief. After I felt she calmed down, I put her back on her cage.
This reminded me how sometimes we can get ourselves in trouble and we lose our”footing.” You know…those times when we get a little over confident and get into our own ability and from there we get in trouble. There are also those times that you are stepping out on faith and you really have yourself out on the “limb” and it can cause fear to grip your heart. It is very easy to
panic, get in anxiety, and be fearful.
Isn’t it good to know that our loving Heavenly Father is right there ready to hold out His mighty right hand to calm us, and His loving voice speaks to our heart and we feel safe again.
Psalm 91:4 (TheVoice) “Like a bird protecting its young, God will cover you with His feathers, will protect you under His great wings; His faithfulness will form a shield around you, a rock-solid wall to protect you.”
I pray that you will see Him today as the One that is always nearby you, and only an arm’s reach away to rescue you in your time of need or trouble. Only He can calm our hearts when we are in anxiety and fear. We serve a loving and caring God!
Posted on Aug 28, 2015 in Devotions |
by Dona Hake
Have you ever determined yourself to do something and then “bottomed out” and
given up? It is something that can happen to anyone of us. After the decision is made an obstacle or
opposition stands before you and you weaken, give up and feel guilty that you
did not stick it out.
Any decision you make whether it be to do something or stop doing something, it
must be coupled with determination and perseverance with the help
of the Holy Spirit.In this life there will always be obstacles in our paths. If we seek
His wisdom we can begin to see that many times obstacles can just be those “pauses” in which
we learn and grow, as we seek Him in the midst of it all. No matter how big
the obstacle, if you have make a decision to do something, hold fast to the
decision to persevere until you have accomplished your desire.
Winston Churchhill said it this way, “The nose of the bulldog is slanted
backwards so he can continue to breathe without letting go.” I love this because
many times it is just a matter of not letting go. Dig in, hold fast, and don’t let
go!!! Do what you have decided to do no matter how tough the fight. Draw
upon the strength and wisdom of the Lord for He is well able to help you
accomplish that thing you have determined yourself in.
1 Corinthians 15:58 (AMP)
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be firm (steadfast), immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord [always being superior, excelling, doing more than enough in the service of the Lord], knowing and being continually aware that your labor in the Lord is not futile [it is never wasted or to no purpose].”
~~~~~♥~~~~~
Posted on Aug 27, 2015 in Devotions |
by Dona Hake
Have you ever walked away from someone feeling inspired to be a better person? Maybe as you shared your heart you realized that this friend that took a little bit of time to listen was ministering to you just by being there for you. In a world in which our lives seems to be swirling around us with responsibilities, “to do” lists and daily demands, we can fall short in being observant of those in our lives that have need to be heard. I find it sad that there are people all around us that simply have no one to share their hurting heart with.
Today I want to share with you about being watchful over those around us. I can not help but think about how our loving Heavenly Father is so watchful over us. I am so thankful that He misses not one thing that is going on in my life, yet He is challenging us in His Word to also watch out for one another. Let us look at the book of Hebrews…
“And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities…”
Hebrews 10:24 AMP
This scripture is plainly exhorting us to give attention and continuous care over each other. To do this, we must be watchful and pay attention. God is not calling us to do thorough examinations of little faults and weaknesses….honestly an unbeliever can do this. Let us not be brought down to such a low level. Let us rise to God’s level of love, and look through His eyes at people in our path. Today I want you to know that there is someone out there that can use an encouraging word but they may not be showing it on the outside.
I cannot help but think how it can be human nature to masterfully cover up our feelings. Our pride will deceive us to think that people will think less of us if we tell them how we are really feeling. I thank God for the people in my life that I can truly give an honest answer, and know that they will purpose to build my heart up, and pray for me. May our hearts be challenged today to study people in our midst, and be quick to respond to what the Lord is showing us to do or say. He may lead us to share a word of wisdom. He may lead us to only listen. He may lead us to only pray. However He leads, this is how we can be watchful over one another.
So today, look around and observe those that God has put in your life. Seek ways to encourage them and bring out the best in them. Let us pay attention to one another looking for ways to encourage their heart to move forward in their hopes, dreams, and the will of God for their life!
Posted on Aug 26, 2015 in Devotions |
by Dona Hake
Psalm 42:8 (CEB)
“By day the Lord commands his faithful love;
by night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.”
This scripture reminds me that from the time I awaken till I lay my head down to sleep that I should simply praise His Name. As I ponder this I think about all that can happen in a day and to be quite honest sometimes we may encounter difficulties or difficult people that make it hard to keep praise to Him in our hearts. The distractions and difficulties can tend to pull us away from focusing on Him. The Lord desires that there is an offering of praise proceeding from our hearts no matter what is going on around us.
Psalm 113:3 (CEV)
” From dawn until sunset
the name of the Lord
deserves to be praised.”
I think the secret to this whole thing is that we ask Him for a greater understanding that He really is with us all the time, and He promises to never leave or forsake us. No matter what happened today or what you have to face tomorrow…NOTHING can keep you from offering praise to the Living God! So today, think about the great oceans and their depth…His love for you is deeper than the deepest sea!
“I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. ” Romans 8:39 (The Message)
Posted on Aug 25, 2015 in Devotions |
by Dona Hake
Over the past few days I have covered that our lives are a gift from Him, and He desires that we be a gift to those around us. I shared as well that we should be looking to Him that His beauty be upon us, and that we should stand strong and press into His will. Today we will look those times in which our soul needs restored. We all well know that there are times that we miss the mark, yet our Lord is there to take our hand, and lift us back up to our feet again. He understands our weaknesses, and He desires that we seek Him for restoration, and not permit the devil to torment us with guilt.
There is much torment in feeling guilty. It kind of feels like a prison because you are no longer free from the inside out. Memories and thoughts of the wrong you may have done seem to have voices, and they continue to haunt and remind you of what you think is irreparable. If you have received Jesus into your life, you can be cleansed by the blood of Jesus, and you can partake of His wonderful forgiveness. Let us treasure within us how wonderful it is that the Lord will forgive us when we mess up, and He will always cleanse our hearts. As we humble ourselves to Him admitting our wrongs and shortcomings, He will bring His mercies and forgiveness to you, and bring you back to that place of feeling clean again.
Let us look at David in the Psalms. His plea to God was for restoration of his heart in a time in which he majorly messed up and his heart was heavy with guilt and anguish.
Psalm 51:7, 8, 10
“Remove my sin and make me pure.”
Wash me until I am whiter than snow!
Let me hear sounds of joy and happiness again.
God, create a pure heart in me,
and make my spirit strong again.”
Today let us treasure the power of love and forgiveness, and look to the only One that can bring restoration to our souls. He is the only one who is able to cleanse. I love how verse eight says “Let me hear sounds of joy and happiness again.” This is what restoration is about. When we experience freedom from guilt we are able to experience the joy that was robbed by our sin and guilt. Only God is able to create within us a pure heart, pick us back up, and cause us to continue on in His will. Thank God for the power of forgivenesss!
Posted on Aug 24, 2015 in Devotions |
by Dona Hake
His mercies are new every morning ,
His grace is sufficient,
His joy is our strength,
His love keeps our hearts,
His patience promises us a heart of longsuffering,
Our youth is renewed as the eagles as we wait upon Him,
He promises to never leave us,
and in His presence is abounding joy.
From the windows of Heaven comes an abundance
so big that we cannot even begin to contain it.
Any sin, no matter how big or small is forgiven
when we take it to Him with a repentant heart.
These are facts about the living God that I am sharing with you to cause you to reflect on how great He is! Is there anything too hard for our God? He is great and greatly we should praise Him each and everyday! Do you feel at times that your life, and it’s problems are too hard for God? Maybe you feel there are times that you are such a mess that maybe He sits and scratches His head wondering what to do with you. Oh, there is nothing to hard for Him! When problems and issues get out of hand in our lives we can certainly feel overwhelmed by them, but let us return to what will build and encourage our faith and our hearts. No matter how difficult your life seems God is able. Paul spoke with confidence in Philippians.
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 NOT a procrastinator, 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.
Lord, we praise You and thank you that You are great and greatly to be praised! There is nothing that is too great for You, and today and every day we wish to be mindful of that! Help us to be confident in the fact that there is not one thing that will go unfinished in our life as we press in, and serve You with our whole heart. We thank You for that good work that You continue to perform in us!
Posted on Aug 23, 2015 in Devotions |
by Dona Hake
In Psalm 8 verse three, the Psalmist makes mention of how he considered and saw that the heavens were the work of God’s fingers. He then said “the moon and the stars, You ordained and established.” We marvel at God’s magnificent creation, yet He promises to do great things in and through us as we serve Him in our life. Yesterday we looked at the fact that our life is a gift from God, and also He desires that our life be a gift to those around us. He created us with wonderful things in His mind, and He promises to enable us to do all that He desires.
Acts 17:28 (CEV)
“…and he gives us the power to live, to move, and to be who we are.”
He enables us to live this life by His power. He helps us to be the person He desires us to be. Today I want to encourage your heart to just let Him do things through you today. I found one of the definitions for the word ~let~ to be interesting in light of the scripture I am going to share with you.
Let: to grant the occupancy or use of
Now let us read this scripture from the Psalms..
“…And ~let~ the beauty and delightfulness and favor of the Lord our God be upon us; confirm and establish the work of our hands—yes, the work of our hands, confirm and establish it.” Psalm 90:17 Amplified Version
Posted on Aug 22, 2015 in Devotions |
by Dona Hake
Your life is a gift from God and you are a gift to people around you. God saw a plan for your life before you were even born. When He created you within the womb of your mother, He saw purpose, He saw a future for you, and He has wonderful plans for you to fulfill.
Psalm 139:14 (GW)
“I will give thanks to you
because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made.
Your works are miraculous, and my soul is fully aware of this.”
Now I want to add to this thought that those that are in our life are also a gift. No…I did not say they are perfect, but God created them with a purpose as well. God has put family and friends in our life to love us, help us and walk along side of us during the good and the bad times. He has put people in our life to help us to do His will, and encourage our hearts.
I thank God for all my precious family members, and my friends, and especially my church family. I think the more you go on you realize that the real gifts in this life are not those that come in boxes with beautiful bows but those precious people that He has called along side of us to do His will, and help us when we need help!
Today I encourage you to stop and give thanks for the life and breath that He has given you. If you do not know you purpose, then simply ask Him. He is faithful to bring us answers as well as direction and instruction. Also, stop and think about all the special people that are in your life…now give thanks to God for them!
