“Rejecting Compromise”

Posted on Dec 16, 2015 in Devotions |

Psalm 119:1-5 TLB

Happy are all who perfectly follow the laws of God.
Happy are all who search for God and always do his will,
rejecting compromise with evil and walking only in his paths.
You have given us your laws to obey—
oh, how I want to follow them consistently.

The other morning I was feeling to turn to Psalms 119 and read, and I found the TLB translation of these scriptures to touch my heart. These scriptures speak to my heart that I will be happy and joyful as I purpose to follow Him and walk in His ways. I will also be fulfilled as I search for Him in the midst of my day. I love the next part…~rejecting compromise with evil and walking only in his paths.~ There will be times that the devil will try to tempt us to compromise God’s Word and replace it with his evil ways. We must refuse to do so, we must take a stand to never grant the devil an in to our life for it will grieve the Lord, and rob us of the joy we have when we are walking uncompromisingly with the Lord.

The portion of scripture is summed up with the fact that we were given His Word to obey, and we should desire to follow every one of His commands consistently. Lord, we ask You this day that You would teach us and give us discerning hearts that we may recognize when the evil one is trying to get us to compromise the truth of Your Holy Word. We desire to walk wholly in Your Word that our life would bless You and glorify You in all that we do and say! In Jesus Name, amen.

“To Be Content”

Posted on Dec 15, 2015 in Devotions |

but godliness with contentment is great gain

by Dona Hake

One of my fondest memories of my Grandmother is when she would take my sister and I to the York Fair. What a treasured memory I have of her. I can remember how she would put us on the Merry-go-round and stand and watch us. Each time we would pass her, we would wave and there would be joy all over her face as she would wave back at us. There was one thing though that I could remember , and that was the faster the Merry-go-round went I could no longer seem to find her in the crowd of so many faces watching. Till the end of the ride, I was always a bit dizzy and disoriented and I was always glad when it finally slowed up, and even though it was fun, I was glad to get off.

Sometimes I think life can be like a Merry-go-round. Sometimes things just get going so fast that we forget to slow down and get our bearings and footing back. God desires for us to enjoy our lives and the many blessings yet He does not want us to get so caught up in them that we forget to look for Him and to Him in the midst of our day. Let us not make ourselves so busy that things swirl so fast that we can no longer find Him in the whirlwind that we have created with our own busyness. We have so many things to be thankful for, and many are the materialistic blessings we enjoy yet He does not want them to hold our attention to the point that our focus is off of Him.

1 Timothy 6:6-7 (VOICE)
“…because godliness, along with contentment, does put us ahead but not in the ways some imagine. You see we came into this world with nothing, and nothing is going with us on the way out!”

Today I encourage you to desire a heart that is contented with Him. He is all that we need as take this journey here in life. Thank Him everyday for His wonderful and bountiful provisions in your life. Let us learn how to live our lives enjoying the blessings but not loving the blessings more than Him.

“Nothing Is Too Hard For Him”

Posted on Dec 14, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

Oh the beauty of our Lord’s wisdom that He has for us! He is so awesome, and so are all of His ways! His wisdom enables us to use knowledge rightly and direct every path that we pursue. It keeps us from moving forward when it is time to stand still yet it prompts us to step out when the time is right. God’s wisdom is amazing. Have you ever felt overwhelmed because you did not understand what to do in the midst of a problem? I am sure we can all agree that we have felt like that at some time or other in our lives. Praise God, that we serve Him who understands everything, and there is not one thing that we ever face that is too hard for Him. All we have to do is turn to Him and ask Him for the wisdom and understanding that we are in need of.

“If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 Amplified Version

Proverbs 3:19 (TLB)

“The Lord’s wisdom founded the earth;

his understanding established all the universe and space.”

If He was able to establish all that we see on this beautiful earth, surely He can make our feet firm and our direction sure! Why would we go anywhere but God for the wisdom we need? All we need to do is ask Him for exactly what we need, and He has promised He would answer us with His wisdom.

Jeremiah 32:17 NIV
“Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens

and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm.

Nothing is too hard for you.”

Father, today we look to You and praise You that You are the God that made this beautiful earth with Your great power and wisdom! We ask You today to lead and guide us upon every step

that we take. Keep us mindful to look to You for wisdom and understanding in those times we may

be facing confusion or lacking understanding in situations. Your wisdom is great and nothing is too hard for You, and we praise You for that! In Jesus Name, amen.

“All We Have To Do Is Believe”

Posted on Dec 13, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

“The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want…” Psalm 23:1 I would venture to say that it is one of the most favorite Psalms of many. While He promises tender loving care and provision, we still need to believe that He is willing and able to do what He says. May we look to Him with hearts that believe that He is who He says He is. Many times our circumstances in life can test our faith yet God is calling us to believe upon Him no matter what we face in this life. I would like to share a quote from one of my favorite authors Francious DeFenelon. His writings have always challenged my heart, and I love the depth of revelation that he shares in his writings.

“Faith discerns God behind all the circumstances that try to hide Him.
Faith also holds you in a state of uncertainty.”

Many times we can find our hearts in unbelief simply because our eyes are too focused on our circumstances. The more we look at our circumstance the more real and powerful that circumstance seems. But we must ask the Lord what He is seeing in the midst of our circumstance. Behind the circumstance God is seeing an opportunity for His hand to graciously move in our lives. Also, our human nature sometimes hates to be in a place of uncertainty. We want to get through the trial and get it over with. Many times even in the midst of a trial, God is looking to work a new thing in our heart by His love and tender instruction. May I remind you of what I had shared yesterday about how God desires that patience have it’s perfect work in us in the midst of a trial. The God that asks us to live by faith is so ready to perform that which He said He would do, and all we need to do is release our faith and believe!

Hebrews 11:1-2 (VOICE)

“Faith is the assurance of things you have hoped for,

the absolute conviction that there are realities you’ve never seen.”

“How Well Do You Behave While Waiting?”

Posted on Dec 12, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

The other day I found a quote that inspired me to share about patience. Really…can any of us ever develop too much patience? Maybe there are areas that you are more patient than others but I want to encourage your heart in the fact that the development of patience is needed, and it is a much needed thing in our walk with the Lord. Here is the quote!

“Patience is not about how long you wait,

it is about how well you behave while you are waiting.”

Now as you read and meditate upon this quote, I want to share a scripture with you to also ponder.

James 1:2-6

Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition

“My brethren, count it all joy, when you shall fall into divers temptations;

Knowing that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

And patience hath a perfect work; that you may be perfect and entire, failing in nothing.

But if any of you want wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men abundantly, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, which is moved and carried about by the wind.”

The other day I had shared how being double minded can hinder us, and today we see how double-mindedness can hinder our patience . Many times when we are in the midst of a test, we have to wait. Waiting requires us to be patient. So how we behave during our waiting can determine if we endure or not. I encourage you to ponder this quote along with this scripture and search your heart relative to the fruit of patience in your life. I know for myself there are many areas that my patience needs to grow deeper in the Lord.

Lord, we thank you for the fruit of patience, and we desire to grow in it. We ask that You reveal to us areas of weakness in the fruit of patience in our hearts that we may be perfect and entire as we purpose to walk in faith. In Jesus Name, Amen!

2 Thessalonians 3:5
“May the Lord bring you into an ever deeper understanding

of the love of God and of the patience that comes from Christ.”

“Living Your Life In Purpose”

Posted on Dec 9, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

Yesterday I had shared with you about guarding your time and using it wisely for our days are short, and every minute needs to be used with wisdom. I had shared from Ephesians yesterday and I want to share this scripture again.

Ephesians 5:15-17

Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

“Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people),

Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil.

Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is.”

Paul was exhorting in this portion of scripture that one needs to watch their walk in the Lord carefully. He proceeds to say we should live purposefully, worthily and accurately. As we seek God for His wisdom we will do all that we do in word or in deed as onto Him, and it will be pleasing. Our walk before Him will be in purpose, worth, and accuracy. When I look at the translation here using the word ~accuracy~ it makes me think of the importance of knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are doing exactly what the Lord wants you to do. Verse 17 states that we should firmly grasp what the will of the Lord is. One of the definitions that I found for the word ~grasp~ is to seize upon and hold firmly. The enemy to us taking hold of the will of God in our life is being indecisive and double minded. May we be ever so cautious and watchful over our faith being hindered by falling into being double minded.

James 1:5-8 Amplified Bible, Classic Editiona

^”If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.

Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind.

For truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anything [he asks for] from the Lord,

[For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides].

Lord, we ask You this day to help us take hold of Your will like never before. We know that it is Your heart that we live to totally please You as we walk upright before You, and we ask that You help us to do so. We thank You for the wisdom that You have promised to give to us that we may lay hold of Your will and seize the opportunities that You have for us. Again, we are reminded to watch over our time and use it wisely, and we thank You for Your guidance in that as well.

“Your Time Is A Gift”

Posted on Dec 9, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

As we awaken each day we all probably have our routines to prepare to start our day. As we set out to do whatever, we are all given the same amount of time, and we must use it wisely. This time of the year it seems like there is not enough time in the day to do all that needs to be done. Time is so precious and we must guard it. The Word of God speaks to our hearts regarding this matter. I have chosen this translation from the Amplified for I feel it speaks wonderfully regarding what we do with our time, our days, and possible opportunities presented to us.

Ephesians 5:15-17 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
“Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people),

Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil.
Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is.”

As we commit our lives to the Lord, and seek Him first in all that we do, we will find His loving hand in every area of our life. His Word proclaims that He will perfect ALL that concerns us so we need to be able to understand the time in which we live as individuals. I encourage you to seek Him today for His plan for you. Today is a new day, it is like no other, and He wants to use you like never before! Do you know exactly how He desires you to use Your time today? I am speaking about time apart from your job or other commitments. Many times it is our free time that is wasted and not used properly, and I believe the Lord desires that we watch over that very carefully. Time is a gift.

I shared about time being a gift, and now I want to talk about the timing of things. There may be specific things that you know the Lord is desiring to do in you during your time here on earth, and they may not been totally fulfilled. Remember…even as you walk in His paths you are still a work in progress. Have you ever been tempted to be impatient with God’s timing as He works in and around you? I think it is vital that we remind ourselves that God’s ways and thoughts are higher than our ways and thoughts. If ever there are times you find yourself impatient with His timing or how and when He is bringing things to pass, you will surely be tempted to do things in your own ability. It is in those times that we do not understand how to walk the way that He is leading us that we look up and cry out for His wisdom on the matter. The first chapter of James says that if we lack wisdom, we need to just ask Him for it, and then be patient in order that God’s perfect work be done in us.

Lord, we thank You that every day you give us is a blessing and the time within that day is a gift from You. We ask that You help us us it wisely. Help us to make the very most of it, not overlooking one opportunity in which we can glorify You. We thank You for Your help as You help us to live purposely and accurately as we pursue to do You will! We also ask that You help us to continue to understand and recognize Your perfect timing in our lives, for we know that Your timing is perfect timing! In Jesus Name, Amen!

“He’s Given Us All That We Need”

Posted on Dec 7, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

Have you ever prepared to travel and you want to make sure that you are packing everything you need. In the past whenever I have traveled I have so many “to do” lists and “things I need to pack” lists as well. I want to flow as efficiently as possible in my time away from home. I am the kind of person that likes to be ready for anything so I probably over pack because of that. Needless to say, it is good to feel that you are properly equipped for your time away from home.

As a believer in the Lord Jesus, we must stay reminded that heaven is what really matters, and the Lord desires that we set our minds and hearts on things that are above. May we remember that we are as pilgrims on a journey here on earth, and we are passing through for this is not our home. As we spend time on this earth serving the Lord we are on a a blessed journey. He has promised to equip us for all that He has for us to do while we are here. I love the image I shared today because it ministered to my heart relative to God giving us all that I need. First of all, His Word will keep us full of the knowledge of His will. Any door that we need to walk through whether difficult or not, we can be assured that He has the exact key. He also provides us with His perfect timing and we need to know we are in His timing. Many times in our journey here on earth we can encounter those things that would tempt our hearts to fear, and not trust Him. In Psalm 23 David proclaimed that even though he walked through the valley of the shadow of death, he would fear no evil for he knew the Lord was with him. Fear can have a crippling affect on our hearts and minds, and it can cause us to get off the perfect path He has assigned for us as believers.

2 Timothy 1:7 (AMP)
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and

cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love

and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.”

Let us be reminded today to stay focused on all that He has given us through His love for this very special journey on earth. We can live this life with our spirits full of power, love, and calm well balance minds! It is Him that can help us to remain disciplined and self controlled for the God given work He has for us.

“The God of No Limitations”

Posted on Dec 7, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

God is great and all His works are to be greatly praised. From the time that He created the Heavens and Earth to this very day, He continues to show Himself mighty and His wonders never cease. Today we will meditate upon how our God is boundless. He is infinite, vast and all that He can do is unlimited. His ways and thoughts are higher than our ways, and it will always exceed our comprehension. Whenever I think about God surpassing my comprehension I always think of this scripture. In Philippians 4:7 Paul said “And God’s peace, which ·is so great we cannot understand it [transcends/surpasses all comprehension], will ·keep [guard] your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Many times a situation could be so overwhelming to us, and anxiety could be trying to take over our souls, yet as we look to Him we begin to be permeated with His peace. I find that so awesome especially when you are in the midst of a troubling situation, and in the natural not one thing has changed for the positive at that point, yet His peace overwhelms us. Now that is God showing us that He is the God that is not limited by anything!

When I think of how great our God is, I realize that our understanding is limited because He is God and everything about Him is beyond the bounds of human comprehension!! Today, I just want to share a few scriptures with you to think upon relative to this word ~boundless~.

Psalm 147:5
“Great is our Lord and of great power; His understanding is inexhaustible and boundless.”

~~~~~

Ephesians 6:10
“In conclusion, be strong in the Lord

[be empowered through your union with Him];

draw your strength from Him [that strength

which His boundless might provides].“

~~~~~

1 Peter 1:3
“Praised (honored, blessed) be the God and Father

of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)!

By His boundless mercy we have been born

again to an ever-living hope through the resurrection

of Jesus Christ from the dead…”

Father God we thank You that You are the One of boundless understanding, You exhibit boundless love, boundless might, boundless peace, and boundless mercy! Lord, there are so many ways that you show us that You are limited in NOT one thing! Help us to grow in our understanding that You are the God that desires to work in and through us in boundless ways that we can touch the world around us.

“Loving In Word and In Deed”

Posted on Dec 6, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

Today I would like to share about how God desires that we show love to those around us in word and in deed. Think about times in your life that without the help of others you would not have made it through a particular hardship. Never underestimate the times that you have felt prompted to pray for someone and you had no idea of what they were walking through. Simple obedience in such a matter could mean a major victory in an individual’s life.

God desires to use us to be a strength to those around us. I find this scripture interesting as well as applicable to the thought I am bringing to you today.

Proverbs 20:12

“It was the Lord who gave us eyes for seeing and ears for hearing.”

Very simply put here in the Proverbs, and it is basically saying that God desires us to use that which He has given us. He wants to use our eyes to show us what He is seeing and He wants to use our ears to cause us to hear the hearts of people around us. Let us ask the Lord to help us to see and hear the cry of people around us. I have had times where I might see a complete stranger and I see pain in their eyes and I walk away and just whisper a prayer for them. I more than likely will never see nor speak to them ever again yet I believe the Lord uses us to possibly change situations through such simple prayers. Again, see people’s hearts with God’s eyes and you will not miss such opportunities to show love in word, deed or in praying.

Keep your ears and eyes open to those around you. Never take the position that you have to know all the facts before you can pray. If you see or hear pain or need…just pray. No fancy words…just pray. God wants to use us to reach down and strengthen those that need our help.

Lord, we ask You this day to use us as vessels that see as You see and hear as You hear. We ask that You touch people around us as we are obedient to You. We thank You for divine opportunities to be a blessing to those in need for we know there are so many around us that need help. In Jesus Name, Amen!