Friday, April 12, 2019

 
 
 
Devotional for Friday, April 12, 2019
 
“Let Our Praise Never Cease!”
 
Psalm 145 November 4
by Dona Hake

 

Psalm 145:1-3

“I will lift my praise above everything to You, my God and King!
I will continually bless Your name forever and always.
My praise will never cease—
I will praise You every day;
I will lift up Your name forever.
The Eternal is great and deserves endless praise;
His greatness knows no limit, recognizes no boundary.
No one can measure or comprehend His magnificence.”

 
 It is so easy to take things and people for granted. We must be purpose that we live with hearts that are full of thanks  to our loving God, and the loved ones and friends in our life.  Today I am encouraging you to think about how wonderful and good the Lord has been to you. Day in and day out He faithfully meets us as we open our eyes each morning. He is always there for us throughout our day. Even when we fall and mess up, again He is faithful. As the psalmist writes in verse three, “God is much greater than anyone can understand!”
 
I have pondered this word ~eternity~, and it never ceases to leave me speechless and in awe. This is just one of the many wondrous things about God that are far above and beyond our comprehension. Have you pondered today how great His love is toward you?  Is it not the most wonderful thing to know that He loved you enough to send His Son to die for you? Have you stopped and thanked Him today for His forgiveness and paused to try to figure out the depth of His compassion that forgiveness brings to you? I marvel as I think about how He not only forgives us but He totally washes us clean and restores our souls.
 

Let us think about more of His divine attributes…His grace and mercy recognizes no boundaries and they are new each morning as we face new challenges. No, we will never be able to totally comprehend His greatness, but we can always continue to offer thanks and worship to Him for all that He is to us! Give thanks to the Lord for there is no measure of His magnificence!

 
 


Thursday, April 11, 2019

 
 
“Devotional for Thursday, April 11, 2019
 
 
“Living By the Truth of the Living God”
 
 
living by truth
by Dona Hake
 
 

We live in a day and age in which living by the truth is not important.   This is so sad to me.  Just watch the news on any given day, and you will find there are those that do not base their opinions or decisions on any truth whatsoever.  It seems that some feel they can create their own standards, and by them they live.     This becomes what they see as truth on a matter.

 

I can remember hearing a woman  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 personally feel this is absolutely wrong, and I stand firm that proclaiming that any kind of lie, no matter how small or white IT IS absolutely 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 assumed it was okay. May I add that I can remember the day that the Lord totally liberated me to His truth, and I was able to live with a clear conscience!

 

So what is a white lie? This is what the definition of it is… “a minor or unimportant lie, especially one uttered in the interests of tact or politeness. “   Let us as believers be careful to guard our hearts and mouths that we do not proclaim lies to avoid dealing in God’s truth in a matter. 

 

I have heard it said before that the thing about telling lies is that you better remember exactly how you told it or some day 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.
 

 

 


Wednesday, April 10, 2019

 
 
 
 
Devotional for Wednesday, April 10, 2019
“The Undivided Heart”
 
 
Oh how our days can be so  full of things to do and places to go.   Our family, our jobs, our church, and places to be, and the list goes on. I think it can be quite the challenge at times to stay focused and know that you are doing exactly what the Lord desires you be doing.
 
I can remember many years ago a woman sharing the Word of God and I will never forget her words to this day. She said something like, “You must be careful of over committing yourself because even doing good things can be the wrong thing.” I would like to explain a bit further as to what she was implying. I am sure you have heard it said that sometimes you just have to learn how to say “no.”   Many times out of the goodness of our hearts we can want to please everyone and before we know it, we feel scattered in our focus.  Our life can be full of ~doing~ that does not serve purpose nor is it under the Lord’s instruction.   Sadly, some things may be being done out of obligation.  Over commitment in our life will surely get us into trouble sooner or later.   It is usually our spiritual condition that may weaken because our time with Him begins to suffer.
 
If we are not discerning there  can be things that  capture our heart, and the evil one will seek to lure us into justifying those things that are really robbing us from serving God. Each of us needs to know that all we are putting our hands and time to is approved by our Lord. Today I just want to encourage you give your heart to Him wholeheartedly and in an undivided way. 
Psalm 86:11 (MSG)
“Train me, God, to walk straight;
then I’ll follow your true path.
Put me together, one heart and mind;
then, undivided, I’ll worship in joyful fear.”
 
Teach us Lord to walk and live in Your truth; direct and unite our hearts to fear and honor Your Name as we live wholeheartedly for You.    May the God we serve bless and prosper you this day!
 


Friday, April 5, 2019

 
 
 
 
Devotional for Friday, April 5, 2019
“Clothe Yourself In Him”
clothe yourself
by Dona Hake
 
 

When we gave our life to Christ, all things became new including our “spiritual” wardrobe!    The Lord desires that we are thinking about clothing ourselves in the many good things He desires.  As you awaken in the morning ask Him to clothe you with these good things so you can be an instrument for Him.

 

Colossians 3:12 (CJB)
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people,

holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves

with feelings of compassion and with kindness,

humility, gentleness and patience.”

 

May we humbly ask Him to use us in special ways that His love and goodness would be made manifest through us.  As we make a conscious effort to clothe ourselves in the fruits of who He is we are pleasing Him and we will truly be blessed.   Paul was exhorting Christians here in this scripture to clothe themselves in the beauty of the Lord.   As we look at compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience one may be able to identify being stronger in one over another.  For instance, it is so easy to be nice to those that are treating us right, but difficult people can cause us to really get off track with our love walk.   Remember…. God’s way is always the higher way, and as we react out of His love and purpose to remain clothed in  His Spirit we will be blessed.   I encourage you to clothe yourself in Him daily, and ask Him to continue to grow and strengthen you in the fullness of all that He is!

 

 



Wednesday, April 3, 2019

 
 
 
 
Devotional for Wednesday, April 3, 2019
“Are You Fully Charged Today?”

given us all we need

 

by Dona Hake
 
 
 

 

Our Lord spoke many times in His teachings using parables to bring truths to His hearers.  A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.   Many times we can experience trials or experiences in our life, and after we walk through them we may find a spiritual teaching in them.    I love when I can share wisdom that I have gained even from the most difficult situations.

 

I can remember once  someone asking me at the last minute to capture some images for them. I  grabbed my camera and threw it over my shoulder and out the door I went.  As I was driving down the road it dawned on me that more than likely my battery was low. Sure enough when I checked it’s level of charge, it was blinking and it was indeed low. I turned around and went back and grabbed one of my back up batteries. Thank God for back up!   Normally when I did  client sessions I had all my batteries full and extra of everything else…especially when I shot weddings. My point in this story is that I was caught off guard.  Yes, this is an earthly story with a spiritual truth that I learned from.

 
Life can bring us situations that just catch us off guard, and they blindside us.  Sometimes we may have no time to do anything about them. As far as the experience I just shared with you, the truth of the matter was that I had noticed for a while that my battery was blinking low but I just ignored it and the thought was….just charge it later. Well, “later” did not happen and had I not realized it I would not have been able to get the shots this individual wanted me to get. You see, those lithium batteries are well capable of shooting for hours on end IF they are fully charged. There was not a thing wrong with the battery. The thing that went wrong was that I failed to be attentive to it’s warning and do what needed to be done. I failed to maintain such a small but most vital part of my camera.
 
 
 
 
We too are like ”spiritual batteries” that need charged and watched over. We need our time with God and the infusion of His strength and His guidance each day. We cannot try to thrive on what was yesterday’s faith. We cannot fool ourselves and think we are going to get away with ignoring the warning signals that come with being weary and worn down. We must keep ourselves full that we can do all that He has for us to do. I leave you with this scripture that is a wonderful one to reflect upon.
 

 

2 Peter 1:3
The Voice translation
“His divine power has given us everything we need to experience life and to reflect God’s true nature through the knowledge of the One who called us by His glory and virtue.”

 



Tuesday, April 2, 2019

 
 
Devotional for Tuesday, April 2, 2019
“He Gives Sound Judgement”
 

Praying Child Christian Stock Photo

by Dona Hake

 

Psalm 111:10

“To obey the Lord is the fundamental

principle for wise living;
all who carry out his precepts

acquire good moral insight…”

 
 
In Proverbs 3:5-6 the Word admonishes us to trust in Him and lean NOT on our own understanding.  
 
Proverbs 3:5-6 Amplified Bible
 
“Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord
with all your heart
And do not rely on your own insight
or understanding.
In all your ways know and acknowledge
and recognize Him,
And He will make your paths straight and smooth
[removing obstacles that block your way].”
 
Many times we can find ourselves struggling in our faith because of the voices in our minds, and the knowledge we have attained.   Sometimes knowledge will cause us to reason away God’s awesome plans for us.   You see… we can easily be deceived by the so called comfort that comes when we feel we have every thing figured out. 
 
We live in an age where knowledge and information are so easy to get our hands on.  Any information that we need is at our finger tips as we google in our questions and problems on our phones or computers.  Quite honestly, I have found the more I know about things sometimes it can actually hinder my faith.  The tendency to trust in what man says above what God says about a particular thing can keep us from totally trusting in the God of all provision.
 

 Leaning on God for all that we need is so vital.  Sometimes we want so badly to understand things that we are walking through, and there are times we put too much focus on figuring things out.  I have found that simply obeying Him and knowing that I can trust Him to be in charge of my life keeps it simple enough for me.  We must remind ourselves that our peace cannot come from merely understanding something inside and out.    It is in the realm of faith that much is happening by the hand of our Lord and it is beyond our understanding.

 

As we entrust our lives into the loving care of the Lord, HE WILL  in His timing give us understanding and direction, and we will learn and grow from situations that we walk through.   We just need to trust and obey.  Praise God for He is good all the time…ALL THE TIME God IS good!



Saturday, March 30, 2019

 
 
 
 
Devotional for Saturday, March 30, 2019
“When You Need Answers”
 

wisdom look for me

by Dona Hake

 

Sometimes in life we need answers and we need help finding them.   Sometimes we will find that some answers are easier and obvious but what about the answer you need for a very confusing time or complex problem?  When we need answers we  need to position ourselves to be seeking and trusting God for the exact answer we need.

 

Sometimes it seems that some answers take a little more digging and seeking  but the Lord our Shepherd will lead us and guide us into all truth in all that concerns us. He will help us find the exact answers that we need, and He promises to lead us into the right places!   The Lord has hidden wonderful things in His Word for us, and He desires that we diligently seek out that which we need. 

 

Proverbs 8:17-18  ERV)

I love those who love me,
and those who look for me will find me.
With me there are riches and honor.
I have lasting wealth to give to you.”
 
 

 

Today I encourage you to look for His wisdom in the small things as well as the big.   He loves when you seek out what He has for you.

 

Proverbs 8:11
“Wisdom is better than pearls, and

nothing you desire compares with her.”

 

 

Proverbs 3:18


“Wisdom is like a life-giving tree to those who hold on to her; she is a blessing to those who keep her close.”

 



Wednesday, March 27, 2019

 
 
 
 
 
Devotional for Wednesday, March 27, 2019
“By His Divine Power We Live”

 

given us all things

by Dona Hake
 
The evil of this world continues to gain momentum and we must remain strong that we can rise above it’s pulling and tugging at our hearts.  It is only by the power of God that any of us can remain strong for He has promised to give us ALL things that we need that pertain to this life and living godly.  When God says ALL He means ALL.    He will cause us to lack in no good thing as we ask Him.  The Lord is our Shepherd, WE SHALL NOT WANT for any good thing that comes from Him!
 

2 Peter 1:3-4 (PHILLIPS)

“He has by his own action given us everything that is necessary for living the truly good life, in allowing us to know the one who has called us to him, through his own glorious goodness. It is through him that God’s greatest and most precious promises have become available to us men, making it possible for you to escape the inevitable disintegration that lust produces in the world and to share in God’s essential nature.”

 

We no longer need to strive to live a life pleasing unto to Him but rather draw upon Him as we come to know Him more intimately.  It is as this becomes so real to us that the scripture in Philippians 4:13 will explode with power within us!

 

Philippians 4:13 (AMP)

“I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].”

 

To God be the glory!!!!

 



Tuesday, March 26, 2019

 
 
 
Devotional for Tuesday, March 26, 2019
“Jesus Our Light”
 
 
 
 
When things seem dark and dim, we can rejoice in our hearts that HE IS the Light. When you do not seem to understand the whole picture, praise God that we can ask Him for light on the matter, for HE IS Light.
 
I remember very well those dark days when my life seemed to be empty and without hope.  Before I came to know the Lord I thought it was normal for the questions that came from deep within me to go unanswered.   My normal was to live the best I knew how, because I did not know the God of all light.   Oh how I remember  that day that I surrendered my all.    I can remember feeling the weight of the world drop off of me. It seemed like all of the sudden I just saw everything differently. Jesus the Light came into my heart and from that day forward He has illuminated my every path!
 
Psalm 36:9 (CEV)
 
“The life-giving fountain belongs to you,
and your light gives light to each of us.”
 
I am so thankful that His light abides within me. Today let us think about how our life, words and actions show forth the Light which has been shed into our hearts.  Let us continually praise Him for His life giving light!  We are those vessels that carry His light to a world that needs hope and answers.
 
1 John 1:5 (The Message)
“This, in essence, is the message we heard from Christ
and are passing on to you: God is light, pure light;
there’s not a trace of darkness in Him.”


Friday, March 22, 2019

 
 
 
Devotional for Friday, March 22, 2019
“When All Things Work Together”
 

all things work for good

by Dona Hake
 

 

 

Romans 8:28 (VOICE)
“We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to

work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept

His invitation to live according to His plan.”
 
 
As we believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ He invites us to live according to His plan for our lives. This is where the abundant life will always be! When we lay down our own ways and thoughts about things, that is when God is able to work and walk with us through the  good and the  bad times of this life. We will all eventually hit those rough spots in the road… but remember, Jesus said that in this world we will have troubles, and He promised to walk through every valley with us.  I have found so many times that in the dark valleys is when I have learned so much, but along with that statement I believe that wisdom comes in the hard times as we purpose to keep our hearts quiet, at peace and humble before our Lord.
 
It is sad to observe that people do not cry out to God until they are in trouble.   When things are going well they go back to living their life in their own ability.  Looking to Him should not just be when we are in trouble but we need to be looking to Him when everything is going perfectly well.
 
It is as we have a consistent, burning love within our hearts for Him that we will see how He will beautifully weave a tapestry of many wonderful things in our lives even in the midst of turmoil and trial. May we strive to remain in His presence and abide in His love. This is where we will always find our joy and strength.

 

“A joyful heart is the inevitable result

of a heart burning with love.”

Mother Teresa 




6 Responses to “Devotional”

  1. Lisa Viands says:

    This is a good way of teaching the kids to forgive each other(Matt. 5:7). I like the power of this gentle scripture and lesson… Thanks!!

  2. Selena Neely says:

    Ralph &I are really enjoying your devotional together.

  3. Selena Neely says:

    Oh, what a wonderful reminder! I want to break the magnifing glass of worry and trust God for each step I take.

  4. Dona Hake says:

    It is interesting Selena how the more we worry the bigger and more magnified things get in our minds. Oh how important it is to trust our God for the smallest of things! Thank you for sharing!