Dona Hake, Author at The Abundant Life Center

“Praise, Seek, Trust, and Thank Him”

Posted on Nov 18, 2014 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

I love the Word of God and I love having encouraging and inspirational words displayed in my home. Presently I updated my decorative chalkboard to say “Count your blessings!♥” Every morning when I awaken and enter my kitchen, this is the first thing I see, and it immediately causes my mind to think on how blessed I am. A few weeks ago I purchased a new notebook/journal. On the front of it, it says:

In the happy moments

PRAISE GOD

In the difficult moments

SEEK GOD

In the quiet moments

TRUST GOD

In every moment

THANK GOD

I just loved this so much that it has taken it place where once again, I see it often. I would like to share some scripture with you relative to these words.

IN THE HAPPY MOMENTS let us give Him praise. Let us ever be mindful that all good things are from Him and when we are happy and rejoicing, let us praise His Name.

Psalm 9:2 (AMP)
“I will rejoice in You and be in high spirits; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High!”

IN THE DIFFICULT MOMENTS let us seek God. It is when we are walking through troubles that our hearts need to draw near to Him, not run away or seek refuge in worldly pleasure.

Psalm 27:5-8 (AMP)
“For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high upon a rock.
And now shall my head be lifted up above my enemies round about me; in His tent I will offer sacrifices and shouting of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; have mercy and be gracious to me and answer me!
You have said, SEEK My face [inquire for and require My presence as your vital need]. My heart says to You, Your face (Your presence), Lord, will I seek, inquire for, and require [of necessity and on the authority of Your Word].”

IN THE QUIET MOMENTS let us trust God. It is so awesome to know that no matter how busy things get or the noise of this world tries to trouble our hearts, our rest and quiet is in Him. It is all so common if one is troubled that their sleep can be hindered by the anxieties of their mind tormenting them. It is in the quietness that He gives that we can calmly trust in Him.

Psalm 4:8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You, Lord, alone make me dwell in safety and confident trust.

IN EVERY MOMENT let us thank God. Oh that we would remind ourselves to stay in His presence every moment we breathe. It is in His presence that there is fullness of joy.

Psalm 30:12 “To the end that my tongue and my heart and everything glorious within me may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.”

“Good People May Fall But…”

Posted on Nov 17, 2014 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

Proverbs 24:16 (ERV)

“Good people might fall again and again, but they always get up.”

There will be times that we are weak, weary, and there are times in which are choices that set us back. Praise God for those times that even when we are at our worse, He promises to lift us back up. As we reach for His strength in our time of weakness He promises to meet us where we are at, and stand us back up on our feet again. As we seek to serve Him humbly, He promises to help us.

This life brings obstacles and difficulties that can stand in our way in the good fight of faith, IF we permit them to. I am going to say it again, things can stand in our way IF we permit them to. Along with difficulties and trials, we can become worn down in our hearts and minds. Many times during trials we can be tempted to focus so much on the problem that our thoughts become saturated with them. Let us meditate on the truth that God has commanded us to be diligent to guard our hearts and minds with His Word. He well knows the fight that we have before us, and He is well able to equip us to fight it!

I want to encourage you today as you run the good race, and set out to serve Him. Be diligent to do all that He requires of you and do it with all of your heart. God is looking for a people that are willing to give their all, He is not looking that we do everything perfectly for He knows we are human and that is impossible. He is looking for the pure and diligent heart that seeks to obey Him.

“Find Your Strength In God”

Posted on Nov 16, 2014 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

Philippians 4:13 (CEB)

” I can endure all these things through

the power of the one who gives me strength.”

What a blessing it is to know that we have all that we need for anything that we face. Let us look at this verse and as you read it emphasize the first two words, “I can.” Many times when we are faced with adversity or we are feeling weak, the first words that we may be tempted to entertain in our minds are “I can’t do this.” Today I want to encourage you to seek daily to find your strength in God.

In preparing for this particular devotional my original focus on scripture was John 10:10:

John 10:10 (AMP)
“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill

and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy

life, and have it in abundance

(to the full, till it overflows).”

In this life we all face the thief, and he is the devil himself, He diligently seeks to steal and rob from you. He will try to kill your dreams, weaken your faith, and more than anything try to convince you that “you can’t” be an overcomer. He seems to sometimes have the mysterious ability to make the smallest of things look gigantic, yet we serve the one that can bring all problems down to size it only we keep our eyes on Him. Paul spoke of when he was his weakest is when he truly experienced

God’s strength. As we look to live in His strength we can know that no matter how things are going in the natural, He is with us, and He will ever strong Him self strong on your behalf.

“and You Will Be Given So Much…”

Posted on Nov 14, 2014 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

Today I want to share with each and every one of you that God has given you something, and He wants you to pass it on. Each of us are blessed in different ways and He desires to flow through us to those around us. I have heard people over the years exclaim that for some reason or another that they feel they have nothing to give. Sometimes people limit themselves to giving because they think of it being only monetarily. There is more to giving than just the giving of money. God can use us in so many ways to touch lives in our paths everyday. There are those that need your listening ear or a word of encouragement or wisdom. Those times that the Lord lays an individual on your heart, I encourage you to stop and pray, for your obedience could make a difference in their life in that moment in time.

I am going to share two quotes with you that are the words of Mother Teresa. I admire the life of this loving, gracious and humble woman of God. Read and take heed.

“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.”

and the other quote is

“God doesn’t look at how much we do, but with how much love we do it.”

As we are obedient to the voice of the Lord to give what we have, He will surely bless it. Along with obedience in our giving let us do it with a heart of love. The scripture I am want to share with you now is from Luke 6:38 (ERV)

“Give to others, and you will receive. You will be given much. It will be poured into your hands—more than you can hold. You will be given so much that it will spill into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you.”

Now I want to emphasize that your giving should never be for the sake of what you get back. When God gives back to you, it is solely for the purpose of your hands being filled to the full that you can continue to give out and be a blessing to those in need. I encourage you today to open your hands to those around and obediently give that which the Lord has so graciously blessed you with!

“The Place To Dwell”

Posted on Nov 14, 2014 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

God has provided for us His place of refuge. He knows exactly what we need to feel secure from the things of this life. All He asks is that we dwell there, and that we remain. It is one thing to live under His wonderful shadow of protection, peace and joy, but it is more important that we remain there. In other words, we cannot allow things to pull us out from that place that He has provided for us.Let us purpose to remain in the place of His peace, love, joy, protection, and all the wonderful things He has provided.

There will be things around us from day to day that will tempt us to walk out from His shelter. Many times people may choose anxiety over peace or bitterness over love, etc. This is only a few of the many choices we can make that can rob us from the 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.”

In our home, my husband and I have lived by a rule since the day we married. We will do whatever it takes to maintain peace in our home. We value the peace in our home and in our hearts. We never leave each other with things unresolved, and we purpose to continue doing this. This is also a truth we imparted to our sons. No one went to bed until we knew there was peace in our hearts. No matter how long it took, we talked until it is resolved.

“”When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath
(your exasperation, your fury or indignation)
last until the sun goes down.”
Ephesians 4:26

You see, God well knows our human nature, and that there will be times that we can heed to anger, but the warning here is to deal with it and resolve it. Do not go to sleep with anger in your heart for when you awaken it will be there, and you will surely carry it with you throughout a new day. This is not God’s plan for you! God wants us to live in a place of peace in our hearts as well as in our homes, and those around us.

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 He will be your helper, and all that you need to keep you there.

“Let Patience Have It’s Perfect Work”

Posted on Nov 13, 2014 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

How do you define patience? If you were to ask my oldest Granddaughter she would tell you that patience is waiting with a happy heart. I have been sharing this definition for about two years with them. Every so often one of the Granddaughters will bring up what patience means and it so precious.

I have shared this with you before but I love this little story because it ministers to my heart. One day in particular we were hitting a lot of traffic and it seemed like forever till we were reaching the donut shop for their donuts, and oh my….do they ever look forward to their donuts! I began to say, “Remember! we need to be patient!…and what does patience mean?” My Granddaughter said, “I know, I know Grandma, it’s waiting with a happy heart but sometimes I don’t do patience !” I have to be honest with you that when she said that I almost cracked up laughing. I love how children are just so bluntly honest at times. I just had to chuckle and I replied, “You know what sweetie? Some days I don’t do patience either.”

Let’s all be honest with ourselves…we all have those days that we do not do patience and it ends up causing us to be annoyed, upset, etc… In the book of James he wrote and exhorted us in the importance of allowing patience to have it’s perfect work. I used to wonder how James could write and tell us to “Count it all joy when you fall into various tests and trials…”

James 1:2-4 The Voice

“Don’t run from tests and hardships, brothers and sisters. As difficult as they are, you will ultimately find joy in them; if you embrace them, your faith will blossom under pressure and teach you true patience as you endure. And true patience brought on by endurance will equip you to complete the long journey and cross the finish line—mature, complete, and wanting nothing. “

This scripture reminds me to thank God that our faith can blossom even under the pressures that may seem unpleasant. He will be faithful to teach us true patience that we can cross the finish line! So today I encourage you to be patient in all things or may I say “Wait with a happy heart!”

~~~~~♥~~~~~

“All He Asks Is…”

Posted on Nov 12, 2014 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

He sees and totally understands our hearts even when others don’t always quite get it right. You know…those times when people read into things or do not perceive your intentions as you meant them to be. He sees your tears. Not the tears you wipe away but the ones that flow within your heart while you wear a smile on your face so everyone thinks it is okay.We need to just believe this and this in itself will cause you to move toward Him in your time of trouble. He sees you and He hears you.

Psalm 34:17 (NASB)
“The righteous cry, and the Lord hears
And delivers them out of all their troubles.”

I remember chatting with someone and this precious woman was sharing how an individual she knew was going through a hard time. This person was asking, “Where is God in all of this?” This woman exclaimed, “He’s right there beside you, wanting to help you!” I find it so sad and it somewhat upsets me when I hear people say such a thing. “Where is God?” when it is all going down bad, and yet when all is good they do not ever give it a thought to acknowledge God either. It really makes no sense at all.
I encourage you today to just believe. Plain and simple…just know that He is always there for you, if only you call upon Him. He loves you…He knows you better than anyone. All He asks is that you just believe!

“Don’t Let Go!!” Devotional for Tues. 11/11/14

Posted on Nov 11, 2014 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

Have you ever determined yourself to do something and then “bottomed out” and given up? I am sure we have all experienced this. After the decision is made an obstacle or opposition stands before you and you could be tempted to 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 must be coupled with determination and perseverance. In this life I guarantee you that there will always be obstacles in our paths. Obstacles can serve to discourage us or they can cause determination to rise up from our innermost being. 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 from. They can become strong stepping stops full of wisdom from life’s experience. The beauty of these stepping stones is that we can pass that wisdom on to those struggling around us.

So today I encourage you to hold fast. Even when you feel that so much is going on that you have no time for a breather, just hold on! 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. God bless you!

“Living By Truth” – Mon. 11/10/14

Posted on Nov 10, 2014 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

This morning I was having my breakfast and coffee while watching the news. My jaw dropped as the woman being interviewed was condoning and encouraging that it is okay when people tell little “white lies.” She exclaimed that some types of lies are just simply a polite way of dealing with people. I am not going to apologize to anyone for proclaiming that I feel any kind of lie, no matter how small or white is wrong. I can remember thinking as a teenager that is was okay to lie about certain things. I can remember as well how troubled it would make me feel inside. I did it because my friends did it and I gathered it was okay. May I add that I can remember the day that the Lord totally liberated me to His truth!

So what is a white lie? This is what the definition was: a minor or unimportant lie, esp one uttered in the interests of tact or politeness. In those times we do not know how to react to people it is best just to keep our mouths shut rather than be dishonest with them.

I have heard it said before that the thing about telling lies is that you better remember exactly how you told it or you will get caught. There is so much freedom in being truthful to others and most importantly being true to yourself. One of my most favorite quotes that I feel is an excellent one to live by was by William Shakespeare.

“This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow,
as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”

Today I encourage you to embrace truth in your heart. You know…God in heaven has promised to keep His Word and He never lies. He never changes and He is dependable. TRUTH is such a liberating way to live! Let us look to Him to teach us to walk in truth in every area of our life.

“The Lord will keep all His promises (is faithful/true in all His words.”
Psalm 145:13

“Shining For Jesus”

Posted on Nov 9, 2014 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

Today I am desiring to cause you to ponder that His light lives within you, and for that we should feel honored and thank Him. We live in a world in which there is darkness and confusion among those that do not know Him. How else will they know there is light if we do not allow Him to shine through us.

Matthew 5:14-16 ( Amplified )

^“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a peck measure, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.

Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.”

I think God is calling each and everyone of us as believers to shine and bloom where we are planted. Let me mention at this point also that He is going to use each one of us differently and uniquely. We should never compare how God chooses to use us to how He works through others. This is not a competition, it is command….we are lights and we are to shine! Today I encourage you to shine for Him through every word and deed you do. As He continues to mold and make you into His image He will be faithful to show Himself through you that others may see how awesome He is.