Sunday, April 16, 2017

 

 

 

 
Devotional for Sunday, April 16, 2017
“There’s Power In the Blood!”

 

power in the blood

by Dona Hake

 

 “Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow?

There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood;
Sin-stains are lost in its life-giving flow;
There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.

There is pow’r, pow’r, wonder-working pow’r
In the blood of the Lamb;
There is pow’r, pow’r, wonder-working pow’r
In the precious blood of the Lamb.”

 

Lyrics from “There’s Power In the Blood”

by Lewis E. Jones

 

I love this old hymn because it challenges my heart to remember that Jesus did what no one else could do for us.  Today I encourage you to remember that your heart can be whiter than snow because of what He did at the cross.  May we celebrate this day and every day that we were set free from the bondage of sin as He gave His life upon the cross for us.   Because He lives we can face our today and every tomorrow in the strength and power of all that He is!

 

Psalm 103:12 (CJB)
“He has removed our sins from us
as far as the east is from the west.”
 
Lord, we thank You that You have redeemed up with Your precious blood.  Oh that we would never lose sight that as You forgive our sins that You forget them.   May we ponder knowing that our sin stains are lost in the life giving flow as Your blood was shed for us.   May we also be mindful to freely give forgiveness to those that
may offend or hurt us in this life.   We thank You that by Your grace You empower us to live and walk as You walked. In Jesus Name, amen!

 

 



Saturday, April 15, 2017

 

 

 

Devotional for Saturday, April 15, 2017
“Life’s Journey In God”
 

Life Is a journey

by Dona Hake

 

“Life is a journey, not a destination”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

I have always loved this quote because it ministers to my heart about how to view my time here on this earth.  I can remember several years ago a gentleman sharing  about a very special man that walked in  great integrity and he was highly esteemed.   He was remembered as one that encouraged people to reach their potential. He began to share something he heard this gentleman say and it relates  to the quote I shared. 

 

This gentleman being interviewed humbly quoted this gentleman that had passed…“Yes it’s said that life is a journey, not a destination”…and if you do it right, you will never reach your destination. The reason being that until the day you die, you should never cease to learn and grow to your potential.” Learning, growing and giving should be life’s experience until you take your last breath.

 

I was so touched by this! I love hearing people share things like this because it causes me to be careful to never get comfortable with where I am and to keep trying harder. The gentleman sharing said that we all have someone or maybe more than one person that pushed us beyond where we would stop because of our limitations.
 
Today I ask you this question.  Do you remember a person in your life that pushed you beyond what you thought you were capable of? Maybe it was that parent or teacher that seemed hard on you and you hated it at the moment but years later, you were glad they did.    I encourage you to think about and also be thankful for that individual that pushed you and helped you reach for the God given potential within you.

 

It is a wonderful thing to make a decision that you will continue to grow and learn everyday of your life no matter how old we are. So as we press in to reach our potential, let us be mindful to never give up because God has much for us to do while we live our life for Him.



Friday, April 14, 2017



Thursday, April 13, 2017

 
 
 
 
 
Devotional for Thursday, April 13, 2017
“Entrust Your Life To Him”
 
 

 

 

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.”

 

How many times have you only viewed things from the “glasses” of your formed opinions and thoughts?    This can be a common mistake, 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.   Sadly if we make conclusions apart from God’s truth we could make mistakes in how we react to people and things. 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 stood back up and  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!

 



Wednesday, April 12, 2017

 

 
 
 
Devotional for Wednesday, April 12, 2017
“God Is Always True To His 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. Oh praise the Lord that we can turn to Him when our hearts and souls need refreshed by the One that created us!   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.


Tuesday, April 11, 2017

 

Devotional for Tuesday, April 11, 2017
“Faith Is…”

 

faith is the evidence

by Dona Hake

 

 

 

When we are in faith it is important that we not judge that things are not happening just because of what we see or do not see.    Many times the Lord is beginning to unfold answers to our prayers, but because of our preconceived ideas of how it is going to happen we may miss what He is trying to do in our life.  Sometimes the answers to our prayers simply come in a whole different “package” than we expected.

 

Hebrews 11:1 (TLB)
What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something

we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what

we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.

 

Hebrews 11:1 (VOICE)
Faith is the assurance of things you have hoped for,

the absolute conviction that there

are realities you’ve never seen.

 

One thing that we can be assured of is that we need to know that God desires to bless our faith  yet He understands more than we will ever know that His timing and our waiting is so important.    It is also of great importance that our asking is in line with His will for our lives.   Today I encourage you that if you are believing Him for something to wait with an assurance in your heart that He will bless your faith.  Continue to stand with your eyes on Him, and may you refuse to be moved for that thing you are hoping for.    Remember faith IS the assurance of things we are hoping for and it IS absolute conviction of things you have not yet seen with your physical eyes!

 



Monday, April 10, 2017

 

 

 

Monday, April 10, 2017
“I’m Not Turning Back”
 

eye on the goal

by Dona Hake

 

Ecclesiastes 7:10  (NIV)

Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?”

For it is not wise to ask such questions.

 

 Sometimes in the midst of how evil seems to be on such a rapid pace I will hear people refer to the “good ole days”.   We can all reach into our past of sweet memories and enjoy them but we need to be careful to remember that things are continually changing around us. No matter how hard we try it would be impossible for us to go back to  our past.   Yes, we will always have fond and sweet memories of our life, and God has blessed us with such a life.   Yet our God desires that we keep moving forward with His plan burning within our hearts.  That God given  plan within our hearts will be the vision before our eyes.  

 
Today I want to encourage you to run the race with courage in your heart.   Look up to Him in your times of feeling you do not know which way to turn, and He will be faithful to guide you.  In times in which your heart feels weary, look up to Him, and He shall strengthen your heart.    With His courage, grace and strength we can run the race set before us and know in our hearts that we can enjoy the day in which we live and in the end, we win and we aren’t turning back!

 

“…but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—

to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. ”

Philippians 3:13 The Message



Sunday, April 9, 2017

 

 
Devotional for Sunday, April 9, 2017
“Discerning Faith”
 

by faith we believe

by Dona Hake
 

 

I love this quote from Francious DeFenelon… 
 
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. Behind the circumstance God is seeing an opportunity for His hand to graciously move in our lives.   Many times our human nature  hates to be in a place of uncertainty. We want to get through the trial and get it over with. Even in the midst of a trial, God is looking to work a new thing in our heart by His love and tender instruction.
 
 

Hebrews 11:1 “Faith assures us of things we expect and convinces us of the existence of things we cannot see.”  The God that asks us to live by faith is so ready to perform that which He said He would do, all we need to do is believe!  May we live in that place of assurance and expectancy as we believe Him who has begun a wonderful work in our life!



Saturday, April 8, 2017

 

 

Devotional for Saturday, April 8, 2017
“God Longs To Enthrone Truth Within Us”
 

 

truth you long to entrone in my heart

by Dona Hake

 

“But still, You long to enthrone truth throughout my being;

in unseen places deep within me, You show me wisdom.”

Psalm 51:6 (The Voice)

 

I want to share one of my favorite meditations from Watchman Nee’s book that I read many years ago.  He shared that there are virgin caverns within our souls that God has not yet touched with His light. He was likening the caverns of our soul as veins in which God’s light and life are flowing. The virgin caverns are those that have not yet been discovered by the light of His truth.  Let us think upon the fact that within each of us are places that have not yet been touched by His light.   Also, the places that within us that have been touched by His Word and changed can always be deepened by the power of His Holy Spirit.  May we purpose to grow in the depths of all that God has for us!

 

These words could serve us with some real enlightenment regarding the truth that is within us. Every time I think about this statement it reminds me that there is truth that I still need deeper understanding of and there is truth that God has not yet touched my soul with yet. Lord, help me to remain humble that I may receive ALL that you desire for me to know regarding your truth!

 

God desires that we cry out for the wisdom and truth that the unseen places of our soul have not yet experienced.  He desires that the truth we know of to have a place in our heart that is protected and honored.    In Psalms 51:6 the psalmist is saying,

 

“But still, You long to enthrone truth throughout my being…”   

 

Let us be reminded that the truth that we know should be guarded and NOT compromised by what we feel or do not feel like doing.  Truth must reign above our feelings, emotions, and it is not moved by what is going on around us.    Let us ask Him today for His wisdom on how to keep the truth we have embraced enthroned within us.

 

 



Thursday, April 6, 2017

 

 

Devotional for Thursday, April 6, 2017

We Have Been Given All That We Need”

 

god gave us a spirit of power

by Dona Hake

 

 

 

As we spend time on this earth serving the Lord may we see it as  a journey.   He desires that we serve Him with all of our heart, mind, and soul.  We must be assured that we are equipped for all that He has for us to do.    I love the image I shared today because it ministered to my heart relative to God giving me all that I need.  First of all, His Word will keep me full of the knowledge of His will.  Any door that I need to walk through whether difficult or not, He has the exact key and He also provides me with His perfect timing and I need to keep my eyes on His watch not my own.  It is when we get our eyes off of all that He has provided that our hearts can be tempted to fear.  

 

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 a spirit 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.




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!