“From the Abundance of One’s Heart”

Abundance of the Heart
 
 
 

 

by Dona Hake

 
 
The Lord desires that we diligently care for our hearts, minds and tongues. It is up to us what we make good deposits of His Word into our hearts and minds. If you are a person that takes it seriously to guard your heart than you well understand the battle that it can be. Daily we are bombarded with things that serve to pull us away. Thoughts can seemingly come out of nowhere, and if our hearts are not rock solid with His Word, we will not know how to properly discern right from wrong.  How sad it is when words proceed from the mouth of the unguarded heart. 
 
 
 
 
 

I would like to focus on the importance of the guarded heart in the area of how one sees himself as the Lord does.    The Lord desires that we draw upon His grace and ability to do His great work in us.    If we do not, we will focus on our inability and our weaknesses.   This is an area where everyone of us can become weak and fall prey too.    For instance, if we make mistakes we can be tempted to not forgive ourselves, and we keep thinking about our mistake.  Ultimately if left unchecked it can cause one to fear stepping out because of the fear of failure.  As we meditate upon negative thoughts about ourselves that negative will grow bigger and bigger in our mind. The strength of any negative will be an arrow that the devil will use against us. One of his main tools will be our own tongues. You may begin to speak things about yourself, and you put yourself down. Eventually the more you hear those words from your own mouth, you will begin to believe them.

 

 
 
 
 
Proverbs 4:24(ERV)
“Don’t bend the truth or say things that you know are not right. “
 
 
 
 
 
 
We well know it is wrong to bend the truth, and say things that are not right,  but let it be established in our hearts that we apply this truth to how we think and speak about ourselves.   As we stay full of His Word and remind ourselves of who He says we are, we will not fall prey to lies about ourselves.  We will stand strong in knowing who we are in Christ Jesus.   I encourage you today to guard your heart with ALL diligence for from it truly flows the issues of this life.   May the abundance of our hearts be a life flow that proceeds from our time with Him, and  the nourishment of His Word.


“It Is Well”

It is Well
by Dona Hake

Mark 4:35-40

“It was evening of that same day. Jesus said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” After sending the people away, they took Jesus with them in a boat. It was the same boat He used when He taught them. Other little boats went along with them. A bad wind storm came up. The waves were coming over the side of the boat. It was filling up with water. Jesus was in the back part of the boat sleeping on a pillow. They woke Him up, crying out, “Teacher, do You not care that we are about to die?” He got up and spoke sharp words to the wind. He said to the sea, “Be quiet! Be still.” At once the wind stopped blowing. There were no more waves. He said to His followers, “Why are you so full of fear? Do you not have faith?”

 

This is one of those stories that make me wish I would have been there just to see the raging waters be calmed at the command of Jesus’ voice. These words from this portion of scripture have created faith in my heart many times when things around me seemed to be out of control. To know that He can bring peace to the raging waters of my life causes me to know that “it is well with my soul.”

 

The important thing to remember is that God is able to bring peace to a situation yet that does not necessarily mean the problem has gone away. When God’s peace prevails within us, our hearts will be still and we will be calmed. Oh yes, maybe the circumstances may be roaring, but our hearts can say, “It is well in my soul.”  It is in those times that you are able to hear His whisper as He directs you into the next step. Let us remember that in the midst of a problem or crisis that it is vital we hold fast to our faith and have our ears towards the Lord that He may reveal the wisdom that we need.

 

I love how Francious deFenelon’s quote makes this story from the book of Mark even more real.

 

“A word from the Lord stilled the raging sea

and a glance from Him to you, and from

you to Him, will do the same for you.”

~~~~~♥~~~~~



“He Who Refreshes Others…”

refreshed

 
 
 
by Dona Hake

 

Isaiah 58:11 (ERV)

“The Lord will always lead you and satisfy your needs in dry lands.

He will give strength to your bones.

You will be like a garden that has plenty of water, like a spring that never goes dry.”

 
 

As we draw upon the living water from above each and everyday let us be mindful to share that water that gives life with those around us. Let us be thankful that the water He gives is the only water that will quench one’s spiritual thirst. I love how this scripture in Isaiah says that we will be “like a garden that has plenty of water, a spring that never goes dry.” No matter how much we draw upon it, those waters will continue to flow from within us! The only requirement is that we continue to seek Him and draw upon that river of life that proceeds from Him.

 
 

This type of abundance is not just for our survival and enjoyment alone but it is there for us to minister to those in need around us. God desires to see us active in doing good for others from a heart of faith and love.  It is as we sow from the abundance in us that we too will be refreshed.  I recently had the most wonderful experience of working and serving the body of Christ during a conference our church hosted.   Even though my body was tired by the end of the week, my spirit and soul were being refreshed in the giving of my all.    What a wonderful and blessed feeling it is to give our all for God!

 
 
 
I praise God today that we serve a God of plenty.   Our God knows exactly how to satisfy each and every need that arises in our “dry land.”   Many times in the natural it may look like there is no supply, but praise God, He is able to meet our needs in ways we can never imagine.   Look to Him to bring great strength to your bones, and replenish the well of your soul making it  plenteous, and never going dry!


“We Can Put No Price of Wisdom”

wisdom is a treasure
 
by Dona Hake
 
 
Today let us meditate on the treasure and riches of God’s wisdom. Wisdom is one of His priceless treasures available to us, and all we have to do is ask Him for His wisdom when we are lacking in it. Wisdom is found only on one path, and that is the path of  those who have a desire for God, and they long for Him  to direct their hearts. Let us value it and be ever so thankful that He said in His Word that it is there for us.   I love this portion of scripture in Job that so beautifully speaks of the value of God’s wisdom, and how it can be compared to no other thing on this earth.
 
 
 

Job 28:13-18

” No human perceives wisdom’s true value,

nor has she been found in the land of the living.

The deep says, “She is not to be seen within me.”

“Nor within me,” says the voice of the raging sea.

No gold can be given in trade for wisdom,

nor a sum of silver weighed out as her price.

She cannot be bought with all the gold of Ophir,

neither with onyx nor sapphire.

The shimmer of gold and brightness of glass cannot compare,

and no refined gold jewelry is worth her in trade.

Perish the mention of coral and crystal;

even more than pearls is the value of wisdom.”
 
 
 
We thank you Father that Your wisdom is above and beyond the wisdom of this world.   We praise you that you have stored treasures of wisdom up for us, and all we have to do is ask for Your wisdom.  Remind us by Your Holy Spirit that Your thoughts and ways are higher than our ways.   May we desire with all of our hearts to draw upon the blessing of Your wisdom that flows from heavenly places.
 
 
 
James 3:17 (AMP)

“But the wisdom from above is first of all pure (undefiled); then it is peace-loving, courteous (considerate, gentle). [It is willing to] yield to reason, full of compassion and good fruits; it is wholehearted and straightforward, impartial and unfeigned (free from doubts, wavering, and insincerity).”

 


“Without Him…”

without God I can do nothing

John 15:5

The Voice (VOICE)

“I am the vine, and you are the branches.

If you abide in Me and I in you, you will bear great fruit.

Without Me, you will accomplish nothing.”

 

This is such a wonderful scripture to keep fresh in our hearts. Without Him we can do nothing and yet with Him ALL things are possible! All means all, and that little word with three letters contains big possibilities. Whether we are trying to do things for Him or the things that involve our daily accomplishments, it would do us good to know that we are pulling ALL of our strength and wisdom from His resources.

 

I can remember once putting some fresh batteries into something I wanted to use. I checked and checked to make sure all the batteries were in the right position and secure. It made no sense to me that there was no power. My husband opened it and examined it and sure enough one of the three batteries was in the wrong direction. Sometimes that is how it is for us.   We can feel that we are so sure that we are doing everything exactly right, yet one missing thing can keep it all from working. We can seem to have all that we need, yet one thing is out of place and there will be no power. When we are connected to God, He assures us that all things are possible as we stay hooked up to His divine ways and purposes! God bless you.



“Remember!…God Never Forgets”

god does not forget

 
 
by Dona Hake
 
 
 
 
Have you ever been forgotten? Maybe there has been a time that you are walking through some rough circumstances and you just wished someone would have inquired how you were doing. I think we can all honestly say that we have walked through such times. I have heard people speak at times when they are going through a very rough time and their words are revealing that they even wonder if God sees what they are walking through.
 

I think it would be wise for us to remind ourselves ALL the time how much God loves us, and He is concerned about the smallest of details in our lives. As we keep this fresh in our minds we will be strong in this truth as we walk through difficult times.

 
 

Luke 12:6-8 (NLT)

“What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins?

Yet God does not forget a single one of them.

And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.

So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.”

 
 

I watch sparrows from my window everyday and to be quite honest they can be aggressive little things. Sometimes they are pushy with the other birds. and they seem to want to take it all. They almost seem to be perfect little analogies that just maybe they are afraid of where their next meal is coming from. When we get into fear of our future or we feel we are facing things alone, we too can act irrationally, pushy and try to work through things in our own ability. God has His eye on the sparrow, and He does not forget one of them. Out of all the parts of our body the writer speaks of the hairs on our head. When is the last time you tried to count the hairs on your head? I would say that God is really keeping track of me if He has my hairs counted!

 
 

Let us be reminded that God knows and sees every detail of our life. He sees your concerns and worries and as you look to Him, He will take care of you. I just want you to remember that many times our prayers are answered differently than our expectations. All is good in the hands of God!   Remember, our God forgets nothing, and notices everything about you.

 

Psalm 138:8 (KJV)

“The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy,

 O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.”

 


“His Peace In Abundance”

peace keeps you from stumbling
 
by Dona Hake
 

Psalm 119:165 (HCSB)

“Abundant peace belongs to those

who love Your instruction;

nothing makes them stumble.”

 
God’s peace amazes me!   I love those times in which His peace seems to be so great within me, and it seems that nothing around me can rob me of it.   Then there are those times in which I know that I am not partaking of His peace the way He wills that I would.   You see God wants us to understand and walk in the truth that His peace belongs to us.  Now we are looking at the fact that His peace belongs to us but He wants us to know that if we love His Word that His peace is abundant toward us.   What is so awesome as well is that there is protection for our soul in His wonderful peace.
 
 
God’s peace within us promises to guard us from stumbling.   One translation says that “nothing will offend them.”   Did you ever notice how if you are agitated, feeling a bit empty and someone does something offensive it is almost immediately makes you snap back and get offended. How precious are those times where you feel saturated in His peace because you are saturated in His Word, and you feel unmovable. It is when we are in that place of His refuge that we will simply be unmovable. Paul spoke of the peace that passes all understanding. That peace will keep and guard our mind and that peace will also surpass our understanding. It is His peace that will make us scratch our heads in wonder how we got through something, and did not move off of the Rock that keeps us standing.
 
 
Lord, we ask you this day that we stay aware of Your presence, and that we stay saturated in Your abundant peace.   It is then that we can enjoy the blessing that there is nothing that can trip us up and make us stumble.  We thank you for this wonderful blessing that only comes from You!
 


“The Lord My Light!”

light in the midst of darkness
by Dona Hake

So much has changed in the world of photography, and it continues to develop and improve in the world of digital shooting. I can remember being adamant in not wanting anything to do with a digital camera. I knew nothing but film, and working in a film lab for almost ten years made it even harder for me to make the transition into the world of digital photography.   As I worked in the lab, I saw what happened to a roll of film from the time it came into the plant till it left the plant totally processed, and made into prints for our customers.

Of all the many jobs I did within the film processing plant my favorite was printing black and white film.   There was such a beauty in seeing the wonderful contrasts within each image.   Each negative had to be carefully read and studied, and I had to determine how much light to apply to the negative for the perfect print.   Light, dark, whites, grays, blacks…it all had to be perfect to create the perfect black and white image.  After printing I would take my huge roll of paper to the darkroom for processing. The paper passed from one chemical to the next, and little by little as it passed from one chemical to the next, the image became clear.   I always loved standing in the darkroom under the special lights  anticipating if I made proper judgments or not. Honestly, I am glad I had this darkroom experience because it has helped me tremendously in the realm and art of photography.

 

In this age of digital, you no longer have to wait for the darkroom experience to show you if you have made proper judgments in the realm of light.   The blessing of digital  is that you know immediately if all your settings were perfect. If you are not pleased…instantly you can hit delete and start over. You did not waste any film…you just start over.

 

I embrace the opinion that photography is all about understanding light, and how much or how little you need.   One thing for sure…in my opinion it  has to be perfect.   So let us take these things relative to photography and use them as an analogy in the realm of our spiritual walk.     As we walk daily with Him, our FOCUS needs to be on Him and Him alone.  (Oh how important it is to have perfect focus when you are shooting an image.)    Upon each situation we face, whether it be a problem that needs solved or you just need simple wisdom, the Lord has the perfect solution and direction for you.   He knows the PERFECT LIGHT we need to bring us the proper understanding to any situation. Thank God if we mess up, we can start over with His help and reach for His perfect light that will illuminate our hearts. God is the God of ultimate light that can illuminate anything we need in our world.

Psalm 18:28

“For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.”

God, you are the God of perfect light, and you are the God that helps us stay focused each and everyday.   When things seem dim or our vision is blurry, we thank you that Your light is well able to lead and guide us!   We thank you for that!



“Our Magnificent God!”

broken hearted

by Dona Hake

 
 
 
Yesterday I shared with you how our Lord desires to whisper sweet things to our hearts.   He desires that you look up and expect to hear His plans for you!   Let us meditate today on how the Lord knows and understands the depths of our hearts.   He cares about every tiny detail, and because of that He desires we refuse to carry care about our life.   He knows when we are hurting and He desires to heal and restore our broken hearts.   After all He counts the stars and knows them all by name.   How much more He knows every detail of your frame, and what is going on inside of you!!
 

Psalm 147:3-5 (TLB)

“He heals the brokenhearted, binding up their wounds. He counts the stars and calls them all by name. How great he is! His power is absolute! His understanding is unlimited.”

 

I love these verses and I love thinking about how God knows all the specifics about everything. He knows everything about everything that He created. He created you and the stars and there is no limit to what He knows! This is a powerful thought isn’t it? 

 
 
 
Today, I encourage you to think about the magnificence of the God that we serve.   With one sweep of His hand He placed the stars in the sky, and named each one of them.   That same hand formed you in your mother’s womb, and He knew you before you acknowledged Him as your Lord and Savior.   Seek Him today to be a carrier of all that He is to all those around you!


“Can You Hear Him Whisper?”

 
 
whispers
 
 
by Dona Hake
 
I find my heart troubled when I observe how our lives seem to be way too busy at times.   I especially see it in the summer time.   It seems like people have to be running here and there, and quite honestly we need to be careful that our main focus does not become the pleasures of this life, especially in the season of Summer.  The Lord has blessed us with so much to enjoy, and he desires we relax and take breaks, yet let us beware that our love for relaxation and fun does not come before our love for taking time with Him and serving Him with our whole heart.
 
 
 
 
 
 I can remember awakening to a day full of things that had to be done, and I was  feeling extremely overwhelmed.  There were things that needed accomplished that seemed no way possible within my means of time and ability.  I stood in the front yard with my dog, and looked up and was praying about my day.  I felt a “whisper” from within that seemed to quiet me, and bring fresh perspective to my day.  Those sweet words were, ”Sometimes it’s not as big as it looks.”  You know, those sweet words the Lord whispered to me have quieted my heart, and the anxious thoughts of my mind was eagerly dismissed.   I continue to learn and grow in this area.   One of my very favorite word signs in my home says one word, but that one word has calmed me so many times and brought fresh perspective to my heart.   That word is…
 
 
 
 
SIMPLIFY
 
 
 
 
Many times our lives become complicated and cluttered simply by our own lack of seeking Him before we make our plans for our day.   I encourage you to sit each morning and look up, and expect to hear His sweet voice to wisely lead and guide you in your day!   …and remember…keep things simple!
 
 
 
“Let us be silent that we may hear the whisper of God.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson
 



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!