The Abundant Life Center

by Dona Hake

Psalm 23:3 (VOICE)
“He makes me whole again,
steering me off worn, hard paths

David wrote this Psalm with his sheep in mind.  He understood that sheep have a tendency to want to walk the same paths to the point they are in ruts.   Because a sheep stays in a favored spot, they wear it down, and it becomes barren.  These type areas can tend to become infested with parasites which are very dangerous to the health of sheep.  We too can tend as humans to desire a comfort zone.  We can tend to fall into ruts with our thinking and behavior.  These things can keep us from walking in the freshness of His will for our life.

Today, let us remind ourselves to look to Him for direction in every area of our life.  As we do, our lives will be a testimony as it echoes and honors His Name!

“SURELY goodness and mercy SHALL follow me all the days of my life.”

His goodness and mercy should not only follow us but we should have it flowing through us as we abide in Him.   I believe that we can be vessels of His goodness and mercy even to those that you may feel are undeserving of it.   Remember…we can do nothing to feel that we are deserving of all that He has lavished us with for it is not by works that we are saved.  

I leave you with two questions to ask yourself and ponder…How do you deposit the blessings you have received into the lives of others? And can others see that you are  being followed by His goodness and mercy?  I find these two questions very challenging and I want to think about them on a regular basis in order to keep my heart challenged…how about you?

by Dona Hake

“…I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Today we are meditating upon where we are dwelling.  To dwell in a place means to  live or continue in a given condition or state.  God desires that His children never  leave the beauty of His presence.  He desires we never stray or entertain thoughts of the “grass being greener on the other side.”    As He follows us all the days of our lives, He so longs for our love.  He longs that we give Him everything.  He longs that we stay close to Him and dwell in Him forever.

Oh that we would remind ourselves as much as possible of the abundance of blessings we possess in Him.  Let us declare that we belong to Him and live to please Him in every way we can today.  We should delight to give testimony of what He has or is doing in our life. 

 I encourage you to look for opportunities to share the wonderful things He has done for you as you dwell in Him all the days of your life!

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.

Devotional for Thursday, April 6, 2017

“We Have Been Given All That We Need”

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.

by Dona Hake

“May God,

THE SOURCE OF ALL HOPE

fill you with joy and

peace through your faith in him. Then you will overflow

with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Today let us think about Him being our hope.  People will say, “I hope everything works out for you.” or “I am hoping God does this or that…”  May I declare to you that God desires that you see Him as a sure and living hope.   He can ALWAYS be depended on.  He can show Himself to you as that rock in  your dry place where hope and life-giving water gushes from.  What are you believing for today?  If you are praying about something that seems impossible, know that the God of hope will fill you with HIS joy and peace as you place your trust in Him.  Imagine yourself today saturated and overflowing in all of God’s life.    Remember it is only as you draw upon Him that you will experience this!   Praise the God of ALL hope!

Devotional for Sunday, April 2, 2017

“Experiencing Abundance in the Dry Lands”

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.”

There is such beauty in this scripture.  Just think about the times in which you feel as if life has made you feel like you are in a dry land and you  are weary.  If you have lived on this earth for much time at all you well know and understand what I am referring to.  The trials and tests of this life can drain us but bless God!!!….He has promised we can remain as a garden that has plenty of water.  We can be as a spring that never runs dry!

This makes me think about how we need to be saturated in the living Word of our Lord.    The origin of the word saturate is  to be full or  well-fed.     One of it’s definitions is to soak, impregnate, or imbue thoroughly or completely.  I am thinking how one could saturate a sponge with water and just lay it down.  If one returns and squeezes it, the water will  begin to come forth from the sponge.   That which was within the depths of the sponge is now seen through the pressure of the squeeze.  As we stay full of the life of our God we need not fear the pressures of this life.      We can be as a spring that never runs dry in the midst of dry times and times of trials that serve to wear us down.   We will be as that sponge…when pressures are applied, all that is stored up within us will be there to sustain us.   We will not be empty, we will be full!   God’s Word is living and able to keep us sustained through any test or pressure this life brings.

Today I encourage you to dwell upon the fact that the Lord desires to lead you and satisfy your needs if you are walking through dry times.  It is as life puts the squeeze on us that the Lord can release His living water from deep within our souls.    He has promised to us that He would give us a river that was incapable of running dry.  I would like you to also see yourself as a refreshment to those around you that may be walking through times of need and weariness.  Let us be used as a blessing of the Lord wherever we can!

Devotional for Saturday, April 1, 2017

“…and His Power Will Rest Upon Us”

by Dona Hake

God desires that we stay in a place of rest for it is there that we are able to live refreshed and drawing upon Him. It is there that our hearts, minds and bodies are kept in check. It is there that there is strength and peace beyond any comprehension. It is the peace that guards our hearts and minds.   If we are honest with ourselves we need to admit there are times when we are pushing the boundaries of our bodies and minds out of God’s precious rest.   We need to return to His rest that He desires for us.

“Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him,”

 In this scripture Paul spoke of calling out to God to help him. Paul had enough of dealing with problems and he begged God that the whole issue would depart from him.  God’s response…(I am paraphrasing)  “Paul, My grace is what I want you to draw upon, NOT your strength, but Mine.   When you have come to realize you can do nothing without Me,  and when you are your weakest then My power will enable you to walk through anything in this life.”

Paul then said, “when I am weak in my own human strength, then I am truly strong, able and powerful in God’s strength.” Paul saw that God’s grace was all that he needed.  He saw that it was sufficient.  God’s grace is adequate for any purpose and it is always more than enough.   God’s grace is sufficient for us as well.  May we draw upon it as we live this life, and I pray that you let His grace rest upon you today.