“Our Love Must Be Real”

love live it
by Dona Hake
 
 
1 John 3:18-19 (ERV)
“My children, our love should not be only words and talk. 

 

No, our love must be real.

We must show our love by the things we do.

That’s how we know we belong to the way of truth.”

 
 
It is important that we know we are being honest with God, honest with ourselves,  and therefore we will be in a position to show God’s love.   We will walk away from selfishness, the very thing that inhibits us from giving our all for Him.   God’s love positions us to be totally real and honest with those around us.    The more we come to know God, His love and His ways, we will walk as the Lord walked.  This world is looking for those that are walking in the God kind of love.     God desires that we not just talk the talk, but rather walk the talk.
 
 
 
 
It is so easy to say what we want to do for Him but we need to know in our hearts that we will be willing to give feet to our words.  There will be times that God may call upon us to help people and it may  make us have to go one more mile than what we had intended. Many times His love will stretch us and that is a very good thing. It is in those times that His love will be shown and we will grow as we give of ourselves. I think it is a good thing for all of us to be pulled away from our comfort zone and put in a place we have to rely on Him to help us to do things for Him that we never thought we were capable of.  God’s love is so much bigger than we can imagine, and He desires to do great things through each one of us.
 
 

As we desire to walk in the ways of truth and show those around us His love, we will be amazed how God will move within us.  We will then be positioned to act from our hearts and exhibit His love in a real way.  How blessed it is to know that we can show His love in all that we do showing those around us that we belong to the way of truth.



“Jesus-Our Understanding”

jesus is understanding
by Dona Hake
 


Proverbs 8:14 (ESV)
“I have counsel and sound wisdom;
I have insight; I have strength.”

 
Consoling isn’t it…Jesus IS our understanding. When we seek to know more, and we ask Him to help us understand, He is faithful to help us. As we search His Word He will help us understand it and apply it to our lives.
 
 
In those times where things may seem to appear dark, cloudy, and difficult…know that He is well able to unfold to you what you need to know. He is able to bring to you the clarity that you need.
 
 
1 Corinthians 2:16 (AMP)
” For who has known or understood the mind
(the counsels and purposes)
of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and
give Him knowledge? But we have the mind
of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart.”
 
 
 
Praise Him today that as we draw upon His understanding we are walking in deeper realms holding the thoughts, feelings and purposes of His heart!
 
~~~~~♥~~~~~

 



“The Blessing of the Lord Is Upon Us”

blessing of the lord
by Dona Hake
 
 

I believe it is good for one’s soul to stop on a regular basis and just think about how blessed we are. Maybe things are not going perfectly at times but if you know the Lord your heart can rest in the hope that His hand is upon you and He has a plan for you today. You are blessed!

When I look around and see the work of His mighty hand I often wonder how one could not believe there is a God in Heaven. I am thankful that His hand of blessing is upon my life. It is such a comfort to know that His loving eyes are upon me at all times.

Psalm 139:1-5
Living Bible (TLB)
O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit or stand. When far away you know my every thought. You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am. You know what I am going to say before I even say it. You both precede and follow me and place your hand of blessing on my head.

While reading these verses my heart was especially blessed when I read “You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest.” Today as you go about your day I encourage you to be mindful of His plans for you as He works through your life. Also, be ready to stop and rest as He instructs you to do that He may refresh and renew your strength. Many times we can get so focused on the work that we forget that our spirit and in body need rest. He desires to continually empower us with His strength and wisdom that we would not get weary in doing His will. God bless you as you ponder His blessings in your life!

 
 


“Created For Worth”

potter
by Dona Hake
 
Everyone of us are still under the molding and workmanship of the Master’s hands. His hands are loving and they work with purpose. Some days we might not feel all that great on the outside and things may be a bit stormy on the inside but know this…God’s loving hand is at work in your life.

 

Isaiah 64:8 (the Voice translation)

“Still, Eternal One, You are our Father.

We are just clay, and You are the potter.

We are the product of Your creative action, shaped and formed into something of worth.”

Next time you feel tempted to question your own worth I encourage you to refer to this scripture. Next time you feel put down by others or you feel you do not measure up to the world’s “plastic” images of success, remember this…

YOU ARE the work of His hand! God bless you.

 


“He IS Enough”

grace is sufficient
by Dona Hake
 
 
Sometimes we can walk through things in this life that leave us feeling like we are weak and broken.  Whether your heart has been broken or you are walking through a tough time, and  you feel like you no longer have the strength to go on, He IS enough!  There may be pieces of your life that seem destroyed and broken and you do not know which piece to pick up first but He IS enough.
 
I am going to share a scripture where Paul was crying out to God in his weakness and his need for an answer.
 
2 Corinthians 12:8-9
Amplified Bible (AMP)
“Three times I called upon the Lord and besought [Him] about this and begged that it might depart from me;
 But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may [b]pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!”
 
In a nutshell Paul finally saw what God desired for him to see.  All Paul needed was to trust Him to be more than enough for His situation.  He understood that to hit rock bottom and be out of human strength was the place that God would totally empower him.  He also realized that God was all that He needed, and that in his weakness the power of Christ would rest upon him mightily.   
 
Maybe you are reading this and thinking all is well and you have no need to ponder this.  May I share with you that we can never get rock solid enough in this revelation.  This is what I desire to think about and get it rooted so deep in me…God’s grace is sufficient for me to live, and He IS enough.  Read this awesome definition I found of the word enough.
 
ENOUGH:-  in a quantity or degree that answers a purpose or satisfies a need or desire…
 

When we call upon God , He will always answer us with the empowering grace that we need for the situation we are in.   I think this is a powerful thought… your need or weakness is calling out, and as you call out to Him, He answers that need with  grace that is sufficient to deal with it.  Praise the Living God that is MORE than enough!!!


“True To Your Word”

true to your word
by Dona Hake
 
Jesus is true to His Word and when He says He will restore our soul, then indeed He will. Jesus told us that in this world there would be trouble. I am quite amazed when people try to live in an ideal place that pain and trouble should never cross their path. Even as we are under the tender, loving and faithful care of our Shepherd, there will be times in which our soul needs restored.
I love how The Message translation brings to light “He restores my soul.” 
 
 
Psalm 23:3 (The Message)
True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction.
 
 
There are times in life in which we have all experienced one thing hitting us right after the other. Many times you can become weary in what this life throws at you and you feel that there is no rest. Sometimes life can feel like ocean waves knocking you down one right after the other. You just know that if you are able to stand long enough you will be able catch your breath again. Sometimes life can make us feel this way.  Today let this scripture remind you that the restoring and refreshing touch from our Lord will help us catch our breath and invigorate our souls.
 
 
Let us take hold of the truth that He is able to lift us back up no matter how long we have been down. His tender touch is able to wipe away the tears from our hurt, pain and sorrow. He is able to renew to us the strength we have seemed to have lost as our soul has grown weary. No matter what we have walked through and whether anyone understands, it matters not. Jesus understands any and all things we have walked through and He will restore our souls as we ask Him to. If your heart is weary and aching from pain, just ask Him. He is faithful and loving and ever ready to touch those that look to Him for true restoration!   Remember, He is true to His Word and willing to accomplish it in your life.


“God’s Word Is Living”

gods word sharp

by Dona Hake

 

Yesterday  when I created the devotional I honestly was so tired I could not even get my thoughts together.  The evening before I was so exhausted.  I went to leave our German Shepherd, Aasha out in the backyard and lo and behold all her keen senses kicked in and she was on pursuit of something she should have left alone.  She dove head first into some bushes on our property and I heard her do a weird sound.  I was holding my breath hoping she did not catch a rabbit.  She ran toward me and sure enough she smelled like a skunk.  I mean she SMELLED like a skunk.  

 

My husband and I moved quickly and I created a solution and applied it and also used a skunk odor remover on her.  At the end of the day our puppy smelled okay but our house still has the smell of skunk.  It is  a constant reminder of the whole ordeal.  None of us slept real well so my thoughts were scattered as I tried to create yesterday’s devotional.  

 

We all will face those days in which there are demands on our “plate” and it seems as if the strength or inspiration that we need is not there.  In the midst of my being tired and lacking focus, God was faithful to minister to me in a fresh way.    I began to read this scripture from Psalm 37:7

 

“Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him…”

 

Did you ever read a scripture over and over and all of a sudden you read it on a different day as you face a different situation and God has  met your spirit with a fresh touch like you have never experienced.  This caused me to meditate on how God meets us each day with the “daily bread” that we need.  I realized that in my being tired and a bit weary that I needed to stop and just lean against Him and receive His strength.  He is our Shepherd and even in the midst of exhaustion and need, WE SHALL NOT WANT!  I began to ponder the scripture from  Hebrews 4:12 (ERV)

 

God’s word is alive and working. It is sharper than the sharpest sword and cuts all the way into us. It cuts deep to the place where the soul and the spirit are joined. God’s word cuts to the center of our joints and our bones. It judges the thoughts and feelings in our hearts.”

 

Today I encourage you to allow Him to meet you with the “fresh bread” of His Word as you read it.  His Word is fresh and alive! Whatever it is that you need He is well able to minister to you.   His Word is able to cut deep into our souls and help us judge our thoughts and feelings.   Today, even in the midst of exhaustion I was able to see my God in a deeper way.  I hope you can do the same!

 

 

~~~~~♥~~~~~

 



“Lean Patiently On Him”

Trust in the Lord Ministry Bulletin

by Dona Hake

 

Proverbs 3:5 (AMP)
“Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart

and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.”

 

Some days it can be tempting to just see things as you are perceiving them to be.  We can tend to view things from the “glasses” of our formed opinions and thoughts and we can fall short of seeing things as God sees them.  If we are leaning on our own understanding we are seeing things  as we have concluded them to be.  We need to remember that God is always seeing the bigger picture and He sees how all is working together for the good if we trust in Him.

 

Now if we are leaning on God and trusting in Him,  it is truly a wonderful thing.  Leaning upon God will bring rest to our souls.   Sometimes in the midst of life’s hard blows it can cause us to be weary and tired.  I was so blessed as I read the following scripture this morning.

 

Psalm 37:7
Amplified Bible

“Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him…”

 

Have you ever been so tired and you stopped to just lean against something, and once you felt strength to go again you then proceeded.   The psalmist was encouraging the reader to stop and lean on God and do it with patience.  Wow!!!  There’s that word *patience* again!…it seems like I am constantly reminding my little granddaughters of what this word means.  To be patient is to wait with a happy heart!   Today I encourage you that if you are needing rest and refreshment in your soul to STOP, BE STILL, AND PATIENTLY LEAN YOURSELF UPON HIM!  Wait patiently and as you do so, expect for Him to refresh you and cause new strength to rise up from within you.  God is good!

 

~~~~~♥~~~~~

 

 

 

 



“My Life In His Hands”

holding me

 

by Dona Hake

 

What a precious and comforting fact it is to know that if you belong to Jesus that your life is in His hands. I pray that this image will give you a visual of His mighty hand upholding you.  His  loving hand is there to lift you up when you are down, His hand lovingly guides us when we do not know where to go.  The same hand that guides us is there to stop us and keep us from making mistakes that would cause us pain.  Oh that we heed to His hand as we sense it moving in our life. Let us also be reminded of His loving hands when we are down and tempted to be frustrated and think we are going to give up.

 

Psalm 37:24 Amplified Bible

“Though he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down,

for the Lord grasps his hand in support and upholds him.”

 

There are a handful of Psalms where David used the term “cast down.” This is a term used for a sheep that has turned over on its back and cannot get up again by itself. I want to make emphasis on *it cannot get up again by itself.   There will be times in our lives in which we know that we cannot get back up by ourselves.   His mighty hand must intervene and there is no other way out.  

 

A “cast” sheep is a sad sight. It lays on its back, and as its feet are in the air, it struggles frantically to get back up again. Sometimes it will make little bleating cries for help and just lays there frustrated. If the shepherd does not arrive on time, the sheep will die. Since a sheep that is cast is in such a helpless state, it is also vulnerable to attack by predators.  I shared yesterday that the devil seeks ways to devour us.  He watches our weak spots and when we are  down he knows we are also vulnerable.

 

I think think this scripture and thought regarding a “cast” sheep can serve to help us realize how vital it is to call upon His Name when we are down.  We absolutely cannot give up even if we feel like it.  To give up is denying the power of all that has been invested in the wonderful Name of Jesus.  He is well able to stand you back up, support you, and cause you to walk again!

 

 



“Run the Race”

run the race

by Dona Hake

 

Hebrews 12:1-2
The Voice (VOICE)
“…let us drop every extra weight, every sin that clings to us and slackens our pace, and let us run with endurance the long race set before us.

We may feel alone, but we aren’t. We are surrounded by an army of witnesses. They have run the race of faith and finished well. It is now our turn.

Now stay focused on Jesus, who designed and perfected our faith. He endured the cross and ignored the shame of that death because He focused on the joy that was set before Him; and now He is seated beside God on the throne, a place of honor.

 

 

What does it take to run the race that God has set before us? This scripture in Hebrews makes it pretty plain. First, we must drop unnecessary weight or anything that is keeping us from moving forward. We all have things that are trying to weight us down and we as individuals need to recognize what it is. I can remember hearing ” 50% of a problem is solved just understanding what the problem is.” As we acknowledge what our weight is and humble ourselves to God and ask Him for help, He will surely help us. God loves to help us take off unnecessary “weight” and He has the perfect plan for you to lose that weight!

Secondly, we must stay focused. Anything that draws you away from keeping your eyes on a goal will be your hindrance. The devil understands our weaknesses and he knows how to distract us. He is crafty and understands how to throw us out of the game if we are not diligent to keep it right in our hearts and minds. He roams about like a roaring lion seeking ways to devour us. I love this quote I found relative to maintaining strong focus.

 

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal.”
Henry Ford

Obstacles can serve to obstruct or hinder your progress or you can use it to make you a stronger person. It is all how you handle it as you see it approaching you. Today I encourage you to run the race in the strength of the Lord. Take these two tips from Hebrews 12, and you will run strong in this race that the Lord has put before you. *Drop unnecessary weight and stay focused on the finish line!!!

 

 




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!