Saturday, February 23, 2020

 
 
 
February 21, 2020 
 
 “God Is THe Strength Of Our Heart”
 
 
 
 
 
 
It was such a joy to share with you over the past three days about our Lord’s strength that He desires to bless us with!
 
 
On Wednesday we meditated upon our weakness and His strength. If we fall to the lie of thinking that we can do anything in our own ability, we will surely walk into a trap that will snare us. We must be quick to humbles ourselves and call upon Him in our weakness that He can strengthen and breathe courage deep within us.
 
 
Thursday, we covered how God hides us in our time of trouble. I love this and it is so precious to my heart. Oh how important it is that we dwell in that secret place that He has provided for us as believers. I encourage you again to keep an intentional awareness of walking with Him throughout your day. He is there in our times of trouble, and He is also concerned about the smallest things in our lives.
 
 
 
On Friday we looked at the truth that we can do all things because He strengthens us. We do not have to struggle trying to figure out how to get through things because there is a way because He has promised a way of strength for us to walk in.
 
 
Today I leave you with this scripture for you to meditate upon regarding His strength that you my friend have been blessed with! May we all continue to learn to rest and truly trust Him for all that we need in this life.

The Eternal is the source of my strength and the shield that guards me. When I learn to rest and truly trust Him, He sends His help. This is why my heart is singing! I open my mouth to praise Him, and thankfulness rises as song. The Eternal gives life and power to all His chosen ones; to His anointed He is a sturdy fortress.” Psalm 28:7-8 The Voice Translation


Friday, February 21, 2020

 
 
 
 
February 21, 2020
“Because He Strengthens Me”

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].”
 
Because He is able to strengthen us, we can do all things in Christ who empowers us! Today let us continue on pondering the word ~strength~ . He is the God that can strengthen us to do anything when it is in accordance to His will.


I want to share this quote as we ponder drawing upon the strength of God…
Whether you think you can
or
whether
you think you can’t,
you’re right.”
Henry Ford

So let us ask ourselves what is it we think we can do… Now ask…is it in His will and plan for our life? Now ponder the things He has told you to do but you felt you could not… It is those things that we must hand to our Lord, be an obedient vessel and take hold of His strength and courage to do that which He desires us to do.
It is a must that our thinking and desires be totally aligned with God’s Word. We must believe that we can do all things that God has specifically spoken to us, and that which is in His Word!

Today I encourage you to allow Him to infuse you with His great strength. For those few things that you feel He is calling to you to do but you feel you cannot…release your faith and believe. He will walk with you in a path of clear direction and courage and most importantly His strength. May we always look to Him for all that we ever need to walk in His perfect will.


Thursday, February 20, 2020

 
 
Thursday, February 20,2020
 
“Strength In The Secret Place”
 
 
 
by Dona Hake
 
 
 
Our Lord desires to hide us in our day of trouble, and time of weakness. But I encourage you today to ponder that God desires to hide us even when all is well. How easy at times it is for us to forget our need for Him in every little detail of our life when all is going well.
 
Oh the beauty of being able to dwell in the secret place of the Almighty God, and be continually strengthened by Him AT ALL TIMES. It is vital that we purpose to stay in His presence, for in His presence is fullness of joy, and the joy of the Lord is our strength.
 
 
As we continue to ponder His strength I encourage you today to be intentional relative to the dwelling place of your heart and your mind. May we keep an awareness of Him walking with us throughout our day.  He desires that you stay in the secret place He has provided just for you. It is as we do this our hearts will be strengthened by Him continually, our minds will be focused on Him and we will go forth in His secret strength!
 
 
“You’re as real to me as bedrock beneath my feet,
like a castle on a cliff, my forever firm fortress,
my mountain of hiding, my pathway of escape,
my tower of rescue where none can reach me.
My secret strength and shield around me,
you are salvation’s ray of brightness shining on
the hillside, always the champion of my cause.
 
All I need to do is to call to you,
singing to you,
the praiseworthy God. When I do,
I’m safe and sound in you.”
 
Psalm 18:2-3 -The Passion Translation
 
  •  


Wednesday, February 19, 2020

 
 
 
Devotional- February 19, 2020
“Your Strength, My Weakness…”
 
 
by Dona Hake
 
Over the next few days we will be meditating on the strength that our Lord desires us to live by. How do you respond when your spirit makes you aware that you are weakening?
 
 
 
When our body feels weak, it may simply be that we need rest or we are not feeling so great. Whatever the cause, if we do not purpose to turn it around
it will affect what we are capable of accomplishing…so it is in our spirit .
 
 
 
As I ponder this thought I know that there is an easy trap that anyone can fall into, and that is to try to deal with weakness in one’s own ability.   The Lord offers us an extremely simple solution. Call upon Him. Lean into Him, and listen to His instruction.
 
 
 
The very moment we cry out to Him He hears, He listens, and He will always draw near. When we move near to Him, He faithfully draws near to us, and with that comes His great strength… if we ask for it.
 
 

“At the very moment I called out to you, you answered me!
You strengthened me deep within my soul
and breathed fresh courage into me.”
The Passion Translation
 
 
“On the day I needed You, I called,
and You responded and infused my soul with strength.”
Psalm 138:3 – The Voice
 
 

“On the day I called, You answered me;
And You made me bold and confident
with [renewed] strength in my life.”
Psalm 138:3 – Amplified version
 
 
 
“The moment I called out, you stepped in;
you made
my life large with strength.”
Psalm 138:1 – The Message


Saturday, February 8, 2020

 
 
 
February 8, 2020
“Do Not Be Full Of This”
 
 
 
 
by Dona Hake
 
Over the past few days we have looked at the word ~fill~and ~being full~.   Oh that we would stay full of Jesus! We looked at being full of our loving God as we worship Him every day in awe-filled worship. Yesterday we looked at living right before Him, and the blessing of walking on the path that becomes brighter and brighter until the full day of light. Today we will ponder what we do not want to be full of.
 

“Others are like the seed planted among the thorny weeds. They hear the teaching, but their lives become full of other things: the worries of this life, the love of money, and everything else they want. This keeps the teaching from growing, and it does not produce a crop in their lives.”
Mark 4:18-19 – ERV
 
 
When we are filled with such things that this scripture speaks of, we will not be filled with the power of the living Word. These things will come and keep the Word from growing in us, and the devil loves when we are unfruitful and preoccupied with the world around us . This is the devil’s way of holding us back from sowing God’s Word into our hearts, and our lives to the world.
 
 
Words that are synonymous to the word ~choke~ are to be blocked, dam or plug. Today let us think about how God desires our life to be filled to the full that we live abundantly and be a rich blessing as we touch all around us.  May none of the life of God in us be blocked or hindered in Jesus Name!
 

“But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
Psalm 1:2-3 KJV


Friday, February 7, 2020

February 7, 2020
 
“The Light That Is Full”
 
 
 
by Dona Hake
 
 
 
The path of those who live right is like the early morning light. It gets brighter and brighter until the full light of day.
Proverbs 4:18 ERV
 
 
Last week we looked at scriptures from Exodus where Moses exhorted the Israelites to stand strong, and then he encouraged them to move forward. We learned that moving forward in the face of adversity is not always easy But our God always makes a way! No matter how dark the valley is He promises to be with us and to lead and guide us illuminating our path.  Today we continue with our meditation of being filled and staying full.
 
The scripture in Proverbs shows us that as we stay on the path of righteousness for His Name sake, His light will continue to grow brighter. We all know that valleys can be dark in this light yet His great guidance and light promises to get us through it all! The living Bible translates this scripture in this way… “The good man walks along in the ever – brightening light of God’s favor…“ Verse 19 is interesting and I loved this translation…
 
“Evildoers travel a dark road because they love to hide their deeds in darkness; they can’t see the perils ahead that cause them to stumble. “Proverbs 4:19 The Voice
 

This is speaking of those that do not love God’s Word and His will, yet we can heed these words and learn from them. We must always be willing to humble ourselves and confess our sin that we do not permit any darkness in our path. Our lack of seeking forgiveness and wholeness from our Lord would surely  hinder and dim the light within us until we are back in rightstanding with Him.
 
 
Today let us move forward in God’s Word, and His ways and expect the light of His Word to grow stronger and brighter, illuminating our path in Jesus Name!


Thursday, February 6, 2020

 
 
 
Thursday, February 6, 2020
“Filled With Awe”
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
By Dona Hake
 
 
 
 
The day and age in which we live is busy, busy, busy! It is a sad thing when one gets to the point that their tight scheduled day keeps them from just living in the moment, and breathing in the sweet presence of  the Lord.
 
The word awesome is used more than frequently these days. It seems like everything is awesome. Today I want you to think about your awesome God that you serve. Step back from the “busy” of your day and think about His works that cause your heart to be filled with awe.  Awe is  that overwhelming feeling of reverence and admiration produced as we look to Him and worship Him.
 
One of my favorite things to do is just stand under the night sky and observe His beautiful handiwork of the moon, stars and planets. My heart is filled with the reminder of how great He is.
 
 
Today I encourage you to praise Him as much as you are able with awe-filled thoughts of what He has done, and is doing in your life.  Think of moments in your life that His hand touched you in a miraculous way.   Those are the awe-filled moments that God desires we recall and testify of !
 

“For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared [with awe-filled reverence] above all gods.”
1 Chronicles 16:25 – AMP
 

“For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear and worship Him [with awe-filled respect and deepest reverence].”    Psalm 103:11 AMP


Wednesday, February 5, 2020

 
 
 
February 5, 2020
“HOLD FAST TO THEM”
 
 
BY DONA HAKE
It is important that we be good stewards over our thoughts. Good thoughts or wrong thoughts are able to fill and penetrate our minds.  Our last devotional we looked at taking our thoughts captive. I will tie that devotional to today’s.
 
 
If we are undisciplined with guarding our minds, we will soon have thoughts flooding in and roaming about.   One bad thought will birth another, and before we know it our heart is troubled with imaginations of the very worst kind.  We will be filled to the full with anxiety, and our faith will surely waiver. Dwelling on bad things also have the ability to affect our health, and unforgiving thoughts have the ability to turn one’s heart bitter and tear down one’s countenance, and eventually take away all joy.  
 
Oh that we stay full of Jesus! Let us put every thought and deed to the test of it lining up with the holy Word of our Lord.  Our words that we will dwell on over the next few days are ~being filled.~.  God’s Word is a wonderful gift to us.   We are to cherish it, and make it our ONLY standard and guide to live by.   Lord, remind us to draw on Your Holy Spirit, and desire to be filled with all of You.   May we live and move and have our being in You!
 
 
“Fill your thoughts with my words until they penetrate deep into your spirit.  ” Proverbs 4:21   The Passion Translation


Saturday, February 1, 2020

 
 
 
 
 
“Take Every Thought Captive”
by Dona Hake
 
 
 
 
 
Today I will conclude our look at the word ~all~. Yesterday I brought to you the scripture that exhorted us to cast all of our cares on Him. Why is it that sometimes we do not give Him all of our cares?
Our mind can be a playground for the enemy if we are not in charge of it. We need to recognize immediately those thoughts that come to make us entertain doubt against the Word of God. The more we exercise control over those bad thoughts that hinder our faith, the stronger we will be. I encourage you today to take each and every thought captive. Demolish those bad ones, and those wonderful good thoughts that are in accordance to His will… Hold fast to them, meditate upon them, and may they grow strong and mighty in your heart! I leave you with the Scriptures.

“and we tear down every proud idea that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We also capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.”                2 Corinthians 10:5 – ERV
 
“We are demolishing arguments and ideas, every high-and-mighty philosophy that pits itself against the knowledge of the one true God. We are taking prisoners of every thought, every emotion, and subduing them into obedience to the Anointed One.”        2 Corinthians 10:5 – The Voice


Friday, January 31, 2020

 
 
Devotions for Friday, January 31, 2020
“Casting All Our Cares”
 
 
 
by Dona Hake
We have been looking at the word ~all~ in our past two devotionals. ~ALL~ is a little word but it is packed with the power to change the meaning of your spoken words and thoughts.
 
Do we give our Lord all of our heart or do we just give Him some, and reserve some for our own pleasures?
 
Is He present with us some of the time or all of the time?
 
Does He promise to meet some of our needs or all of our needs?
 
Do you see how the word ~all~ completely changes things?
 
Today we are going to look at casting our cares on Him…not just some but all! Have you ever fallen to the thought that it is okay to hold on to certain cares but giving some to Him? These cares we hold on to are able to whisper the “what ifs”.   What if this happens and what if that happens?????    These whispers are able to torment our soul, and the Lord desires that we do not carry such burdens. I encourage you to meditate on these scriptures today, and purpose each and every day to walk in the peace of knowing that your Shepherd cares for you deeply.

“…casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].” 
1 Peter 5:7 – AMP. Version
 
 
“Pour out all your worries and stress upon him and leave them there, for he always tenderly cares for you.”
1 Peter 5:7 – The Passion Translation



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!