Dona Hake, Author at The Abundant Life Center

“Seeking and Pursuing Peace”

Posted on Feb 25, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

My oldest granddaughter was sitting beside me on her sofa staring into my eyes as I was doing my best explaining how God wants us to make sure we hold fast to peace. Children are so precious to share the Word with. They are like a fresh canvas or a little sponge ready to soak it all in. I love when the Lord begins to help me bring His Word to a small child, especially when I can tell they are struggling to understand something in Spirit.

As we sat quietly talking about His peace, I began to share how God wants us to hold on to it so tightly, and not let it go. I started to think about helium balloons flying away if not held on to tightly enough. I said to her, “You know if it was your birthday, and you had a bunch of pretty balloons, you would want to hold onto them wouldn’t you?” Of course she nodded her little head, her eyes sparkled, and she had the sweetest little grin on her face. I said then, “If you went outside, and you were careless not to hold them tightly, what would happen if you let them go?” Immediately I could see she took hold, and a degree of revelation of God’s peace went into her little heart. I proceeded to explain how God wants us to hold tightly to His peace as well. The same way we would not let our special balloons get away from us, we should not allow our peace to get away either.

Today I encourage you to hold fast to His peace, seek it, crave it, and determine yourself that you will not let it go!

Psalm 34:14b Amplified Bible
“… seek, inquire for, and crave peace and
pursue (go after) it!”

“He Loved Me Enough…”

Posted on Feb 24, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

Have you ever had a conversation with someone, and in the midst of it you feel as if they may not be totally paying attention and listening. This can be quite discouraging especially if you are sharing your heart or you are upset. Today let us meditate upon the fact that we serve a living and loving God that always listens, and hears our prayer as we go to Him with humble hearts.

I would like to share from Psalm 116. The psalmist begins the chapter by exclaiming, “I love the Lord, for He heard my voice…” He proceeded to say that he knew God’s ear was toward him and then he said, “I will call on Him as long as I live!”

You see this psalmist understood that death was staring him in the face and he had no where to turn. I am sure that what the writer went through was terrifying and he stops and reminds himself of who and what his God is all about. This is what Psalm 116:7-9 says…

“Return to your rest, my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you.
For you, Lord, have delivered me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.”

I believe this chapter in Psalms can serve to remind us that in trying circumstances we absolutely must call on the Lord for our help and we must purpose to remind ourselves of His love and care over us. Lord, we thank You that Your ear is ever open to listen to our heart’s cry no matter how big or small it may seem. We thank You for your faithfulness and lovingkindness toward us!

“For I Am Convinced…”

Posted on Feb 23, 2015 in Devotions |

Nothing Can Separate Romans 8-39 Bulletin Cover

by Dona Hake

NOTHING can separate us. He is NEVER distant, and He will NEVER leave or forsake us. We just need to believe this at all times. Whether things are going great or it seems like everything is going wrong…NOTHING can separate us from Him and His love when we know Him personally.

Romans 8:39 ERV
“….nothing in the whole created world—
will ever be able to separate us from the love God has shown
us in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Our lives are full of things. We purpose to set time aside to eat, sleep, work and play. Let us be ever so diligent to carve out moments during the day and dedicate them to sit in His presence and acknowledge Him. Talk with Him about how you feel and what you fear. Ask Him about everything that concerns you. He is bound to you by His love! Do not go by feelings and do not go by what you see. He is ALWAYS with you and nothing can separate you from Him. Praise Him because of His inseparable love for you!!

“Do You Know Your Purpose?”

Posted on Feb 22, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

I loved the quote I once heard regarding our purpose in life.

“If you have a WHY for your existence, you will have a WHAT and a WHERE as well.”

When we understand why we are here it will always bring purpose to our hearts. When we understand why we are doing what we are doing, we will be able to set goals for our future. Many a hearts are depressed and despondent today simply because they do not understand their purpose in this life.

I know I have shared this many times but it has deep meaning to me personally. When I was a teenager I can remember feeling so empty and life seemed so meaningless. About two years before I gave my heart to Jesus Christ, I can remember laying on my bed before falling asleep and asking God…”Is there more to life than this? If it is please help me understand it.” God was faithful to me in my seeking, and the answers became more clear. It was after I knew Him that my “WHAT do I do? and WHERE do I go from here?” was answered. He still faithfully answers my prayers to this day, and for that I am thankful.

Proverbs 19:21 (AMP)
“Many plans are in a man’s mind,
but it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand.”

We can all have our own plans but only the Lord’s purposes succeed, and be established. May I encourage you today that if you do not understand your purpose in this life to just simply ask Him.
He loves you where you are at, and He has a plan for your life!

“Your Word – Our Light”

Posted on Feb 21, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

I recently went to light a little flashlight to find the batteries were completely dead, therefore it could not give me the light that I needed. Aren’t you glad that when you need spiritual light that you can always depend upon God to give it to you! I thank God today that no matter what I face in this life, God’s light will never let me down. He is faithful and therefore every spoken Word in the scriptures will continue to shine before me to lead, and light my path.

There will be times in which we know we are trusting Him yet our way may seem unclear. Human nature desires a place called a “comfort zone”. We like to feel like we know what is ahead in order that we can plan for it. This is just not reality. Let us always be reminded that sometimes the “not seeing” is very much a part of the trusting. It is indeed part of releasing our faith as we believe without seeing. I love this quote I just came across.

“We don’t need to see the way
when we stay close to the One who does.”

Ephesians 1:16-18 (AMP)
“[For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him,
By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones)”

I hope this has encouraged your heart in the knowing that if you serve the living God, you serve a God that is able to flood the eyes of your heart with His glorious light. We need to be ever so diligent to hold His Word close to our hearts and meditate upon it with all diligence for it is the Light for every path we walk!

“A Word Fitly Spoken”

Posted on Feb 20, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

To be quite honest I have always thought the jigsaw puzzles with one thousand pieces would be more of a headache to do rather than therapeutic! I commend anyone that loves to sit and put such grand puzzles together. Actually my speed is the kind my oldest granddaughter has…you know, the ones with twenty four pieces. It is so interesting to observe even in the smaller puzzles that some pieces look like they absolutely have to fit yet they do not.

Our words are like pieces to a grand puzzle. Sometimes we can feel that the words we are desiring to express will fit so well, yet when we speak them, it all seems wrong. I can remember a time in particular with my Granddaughter that she thought for sure a particular puzzle piece just had to fit, and she began to force it. Interesting analogy isn’t it?….we can feel we are right, and we begin to force our opinions and words.

God desires that our words bless, encourage, and produce. Today I want to share with you about how important it is that our words are to be spoken and fitting for the moment. You see, even a right word spoken in a wrong attitude or wrong time just does not fit nor does it help the hearer. I was studying over many translations of this scripture , and I found them all to be so enlightening.

Proverbs 25:11 (CJB)
“Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word appropriately spoken.

Proverbs 25:11 (ERV)
” Saying the right thing at the right time …”

Proverbs 25:11 (GNT) “An idea well-expressed…”

Proverbs 25:11 (TLB) “Timely advice is as lovely…”

Proverbs 25:11 (VOICE) “A well-spoken word at just the right moment…”

Today let us be reminded that timing has it’s perfect place when it comes to words. Right timing which is God’s timing will prompt us when and how to speak. Silence also has it’s place, so do not feel you are doing wrong when you are feeling prompted to just be silent even in those times your heart is speaking that you have the answer. May our words bless and be as apples of gold in settings of silver!

“Maintaining a Heart of Joy”

Posted on Feb 19, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

After I posted this image it is somewhat making my heart giggle. I think the art is portraying that the heart is a flower yet it reminds me of a balloon filled with helium. I am thinking of those days in which my “balloon of joy” is not flying very high! I had one of those days yesterday. Oh my, one thing right after another seemed to be going wrong, and then throw into that some interesting challenges, and by the end of the day I was exhausted. I was tempted to think this thought a hand full of times…”I just wish I could do this day all over again.”

Now as I think back over my day, it was only my own fault that I was not recognizing my need to stay focused on the Lord and His presence for in His presence is FULLNESS of joy. I have been sharing for the past few days also of the importance of drawing upon His grace. How easy it is to permit the circumstances of this life to overshadow the truth that we know and need to be doing.

Psalm 16:11
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy;

at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Today, I encourage you to stay mindful to do that which you know in your heart and that which is right in His sight. They say “Hind sight is always 20/20 vision.” This is true for I look back on my yesterday, and could see I could have done better if I would have drawn upon Him more, and not focused on the challenges. Actually the more I thought upon all that went wrong, the more they seemed to grow bigger in my mind. Thank God that He speaks to us even when we miss the mark. God is so good, and His mercies are abundant!

“His Grace Abounds Toward Us”

Posted on Feb 18, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

2 Corinthians 9:8 (AMP)

“And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation].”

I have been loving and thoroughly enjoying our meditations upon God’s grace! Today will be my last day to share on grace and I would like us to meditate on the fact that our loving God is well able to make grace happen in our lives, and it is absolutely ours when we ask. Not only will He cause it to flow toward us but it will be in abundance. He has good reason for His abundant giving for He wants us to possess enough that we can do any good work for Him. In the book of James he speaks of faith without works is dead so let us release our faith to do the good works that our Lord is asking us to do.

Today I leave with you a very interesting quote I came across, and I found it to be appropriate for today.

“Grace is given not because we have done good works,

but in order that we may be able to do them.”

St. Augustine of Hippo

This quote reminds me once again that there is nothing we can do to earn His grace. It is a free gift with the purpose to help us, to aid us, and to strengthen us in the work for Him. Remind us Lord that You are always able to cause your grace to flow toward us in our time of need in order that we may have abundance for every good work for You.

“When Grace Comes Into the Soul”

Posted on Feb 17, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

Today we continue to look at God’s grace! The old hymn entitled “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” is so powerful and it’s words so beautifully speak of how the things on earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace. “

This blessed gift of grace is from God, and it is ours, and all we have to do is ask Him for it. Again I will remind you that it is free, and it will strengthen you to do His will and it will carry you when you feel you cannot go on any longer. Our hearts must strive to remain humble for God resists the proud in heart. This grace will regenerate you as this great strength proceeds from the Spirit of the living God.

Today I want to share about when we ask for His grace that it is by faith. As we release our faith for God’s grace in our time of weakness or need, we need to know in our hearts that God is faithful to grant it to us.

“The Lord God is a sun and shield:

the Lord will give grace and glory;

no good thing will He withhold

from them that walk uprightly.”

Psalm 84:11

Lord, we lift our hearts to You and humbly ask for your grace today. We are so blessed to serve a loving God that withholds no good thing as we purpose in our hearts to walk upright before You. Your Word says in Proverbs 4:18 that the path of those who live right is like the early morning light. It gets brighter and brighter until the full light of day. Thank you for blessing us with Your grace and Your glory as we keep the eyes of our hearts turned toward You.

“As We Praise Him For His Greatness…”

Posted on Feb 16, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

I am purposely and deliberately taking longer to share with you about God’s grace. I want you to be saturated with understanding how vital it is that we understand His grace. Today, I want to review the past four days of what I have shared.

We have looked at the question, “What is grace?”. We have learned the beautiful fact that it was here even before time began. Grace is freely given, none of us can work for it, nor do we deserve it. It is solely from the Spirit of God and it operates in us as it regenerates and strengthens our spirit. It is as we maintain a humble heart that we will always be vessels in which God’s grace can flow toward!

If one is proud they will not even consider their need for help from above. A proud person will not ask for grace from God. The proud in heart will always seek to do things their own way, and of course they will desire to take credit for all their accomplishments for these feeds the pride of anyone. I would like to share a scripture with you from 1 Peter 5:5. This is from the Amplified Bible…yes, it’s a bit wordy but read it slowly and allow it to minister to your heart. I promise you, it will!

1 Peter 5:5 Amplified Version
“Clothe (apron) yourselves, all of you, with humility [as the garb of a servant, so that its covering cannot possibly be stripped from you, with freedom from pride and arrogance] toward one another. For God sets Himself against the proud (the insolent, the overbearing, the disdainful, the presumptuous, the boastful)—[and He opposes, frustrates, and defeats them], but gives grace (favor, blessing) to the humble.”

Today I encourage you to “bundle up” in the garments of humility! It was 0 degrees this morning, and before I went out with my dog, I bundled up in layers. I dressed wisely for my own protection. I was trying to take a picture with my iPhone so I had to go without a glove on the hand I was holding the phone. I was not out even three minutes, and that hand began to burn from the freezing temperatures.

You see, you cannot play around with keeping yourself protected by using common sense and God given wisdom. So it is that we need to heed from all wisdom from above! Can we just think about how wise it is to “bundle up” in humility so that we can take a protective stand against any temptation that pride can bring? I do not know about you, but I want to be the vessel looking up at God’s greatness and be a recipient of His wonderful grace!