The Abundant Life Center

 

by Dona Hake

 

In the scriptures (2 Corinthians 12:8-10) Paul spoke of calling out to God to help him. Paul had more than he felt he could bear as he was dealing with problems and he begged God that the these things would depart from him. God’s response…”My grace which is my favor, my lovingkindness, and my mercy are all that you need. My grace is sufficient against any danger and it enables you to bear this trouble manfully. My strength and power are made perfect and show themselves MOST effective in your weakness.”

Paul’s heart was totally toward God yet he was weakened by his trials and circumstances.    God was faithful to Paul and spoke to him of His powerful grace that would enable him to bear every trouble manfully.  One translation implies that we  allow God’s grace to rest as a tent pitched upon us. What an awesome way of looking at dwelling and drawing upon His wonderful grace.

 

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 may His grace rest as a tent pitched upon us.

 

 

 

by Dona Hake

 

“When you get into a tight place and everything goes against

you until it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never

give up then, for that is just the time and place that the tide

will turn.”

 

 

 

I love this quote. It makes me wonder how many times that I have given up on something or someone just when the tide was ready to turn. Determination is when you come to a decision or you fix yourself on a purpose, and nothing is going to hold you back.  

 

 

 

I cannot help but think of Peter as he stepped out of the boat upon the Lord’s command. “Come Peter!” I can only imagine what was going through Peter’s mind as he looked down and saw himself walking on the water. His faith was at work and he was defying the impossible. Yet when his mind became focused on the wind, waves and the turbulent storm, he began to sink. Jesus reached out His hand to Peter, took a firm hold and kept him above water. The thing that always hit me the hardest with this account was that Peter was only an arm’s reach away from Jesus. Peter was almost there but circumstances caused his heart to weaken in faith and determination.

 

How many times are we just an arm’s reach away from the finish line of success in that which we are setting ourselves. How many times is the tide ready to turn and we throw up our hands and give up. We must apply faith, persistence, and determination to all we set ourselves to do. As we fix our eyes on Jesus with determination and faith in our hearts, He will enable us to do the impossible. It is as we do this that we can share the testimony of what we learned in our accomplishment to those that need this same word of encouragement!

 

 

“And let us not get tired of doing what is right, for

after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up.”

Galatians 6:9 TLB

 

by Dona Hake

 

I picture in my mind David writing the Psalms in the quietness of the night while his eye was watchful over his flock of sheep. I am sure that his days were long days, and some were more challenging than others. Sheep have a way of getting themselves in trouble, and they can be helpless as well. A good shepherd seeks to understand every aspect of the care of his sheep.

 

There are a handful of Psalms where David used the term “cast down.” This is probably one of my favorite facts about a shepherd and his sheep that brings such a beautiful analogy of the Psalm to us. “Cast down” 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. 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 think this is such an excellent analogy of our condition at times, yet David would use this term within prayers such as “why are you cast down oh my soul?…hope in God.” I am sure we can all relate to times that we are down, feeling frustrated and helpless.

 

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.”

 

I encourage you that in those times of being down and feeling helpless that you would look up for His hand. It is there for you to grasp! He will lift you up and put you on your feet again. Our Lord is a good Shepherd and He most assuredly will uphold you!

 

by Dona Hake

 

 

 

by Dona Hake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Dona Hake

I can remember the evening like it was yesterday. I had completed a very long day of shooting a wedding and I was a good hour away from home. When I left the wedding it was dark and a storm had moved in. Heavy rain, wind, and fog was what I would be driving in. With many of my weddings that I shot being out of town I learned to rely on my GPS aka “Gladys”. I turned on “Gladys” and proceeded to closely follow her directions. Everything looked totally different in the dark, and heavy rain. I can remember a tractor trailer coming straight for me and visibility was so bad, and it looked like he was going to hit me. That had me a bit shaken and then I realized on top of that the GPS was taking me home a totally different way than I came. I can remember the feeling of just being totally dependent on this wonderful little device because I had no clue where I was.

 

As the I continued to drive I was becoming a bit concerned because I was seeing no route signs, no nothing…nothing but cornfields. I could not figure out why it seemed like I was on such a path that seemed to be going nowhere. I called my husband to get his opinion and while we were talking I lost cell signal. Right before we got cut off he encouraged me not to fear, that he would pray and I was to keep him posted. I had absolutely no idea where in the world I was! I realized I just needed to continue to listen and follow the GPS and keep calm. I had to set my fears, my opinions and my apprehensiveness aside, and just trust that this little device knew what “she” was doing and where “she” was taking me. It was a matter of minutes that I was in the middle of nowhere and just like that my next turn was on a familiar route to my home. I breathed a sigh of relief, and thought from now on I need to just keep calm when “Gladys” decides to take me different routes.

 

I shared that little story just to bring a spiritual truth to you today. God desires that we live dependent on nothing but Him. He wants to be our spiritual GPS! Let us guard ourselves that nothing on this earth has a place in our hearts more than He does. He has promised that He would never EVER fail us or leave us helpless. There will be times that the direction He is taking us may seem off the beaten path but let us come to the place that we lift our hands in surrender to His divine decision making and guidance. Many times we are set on paths that are divinely ordained by His hand to simply keep us safe. It may seem “out of the way” to you but His ways are divinely appointed for you and you alone. Let us learn to be content with where He is directing us and be set on following Him.

 

 

 

Hebrews 13:5 (AMP)

 

“Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]”

 

 

 

Today I encourage you to keep Him always before you.   Ask Him to show you the things that are tugging at your heart that serve to weaken your love for Him, and pull you off the perfect path that He has set for you.

 

 

 

Psalm 16:8 (KJ21) 

 

“I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.”

 

by Dona Hake

 

I want to share with you about someone that spoke into my life when I needed it most. It was a time in which I knew I was to step forward into doing something I did not think I could do. I thank God for those times in my life for those that have spoken words into my heart at the exact moment that I needed. These are times in which I have received courage to do what I thought I could not do.

 

When we were beginning a new class at our Christian school many years ago I knew I was to teach a particular class yet I was nervous about it. I knew I was to step forward into this new opportunity yet the apprehensiveness was causing me to fear that I was not able to do it . My husband continued to encourage me as he always does and I appreciated that so much. There were times I would break down in tears to him trying to convince him I really could not teach the class. He continued to encourage me because he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was God’s will. Thank God for those that can see clearly when things are out of focus for us.

 

 

One day our dear friend from Nigeria stopped by the school to visit and I was standing in the hall and he greeted me. This gentleman could see right through me and he perceived that I was troubled. I began to share the opportunity before me and my fears and he spoke one sentence to me that totally shook me from the inside out. “Sister, God wants to unlock surprises within you that you never knew were there!” He spoke it with boldness and I just knew God was using him.

 

Whenever I think about this I always keep before the Lord that just maybe there are other “surprises” or gifts within me that He is quietly waiting for me to allow Him to unlock. I just love this quote by this incredibly gifted sculptor. It too encourages my heart relative to gifts within.

 

 

“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” Michelangelo

 

You see, God sees what is inside of us and He desires to set it free as well to bless those around us. I hope this encourages you to think about the gifts that may be in you that you have not yet discovered. God is able to show you…if you let him.

by Dona Hake

 

What a wonderful thing that God’s wisdom is. As we seek it first before any task we can know that we are doing the right thing and it is in accordance with His will. Today let us meditate on how wonderful it is that godly wisdom is as a spring, a gushing stream with life giving power! As you draw upon it, it will flow to you and from you to others.

 

by Dona Hake

 

Wisdom is one of the most powerful things we can embrace. It is the ability to know exactly what to do in a situation. It will bless your heart because you know the word you just spoke to a friend in need was exactly what they needed to hear. It is knowing in your heart that you have a peace to step out in a specific direction or new path because you feel it is the voice of wisdom speaking to you. When things seem confusing and without answer, God desires to shed His wisdom to help you walk through whatever it is you are dealing with.

One thing the Bible clearly states throughout Proverbs about wisdom is that it is to be sought after and held as valuable as a jewel. We should embrace wisdom but we must follow her ways or we could be deceived by people’s opinions or the voice of circumstance. Over and over Proverbs emphasizes the need to embrace wisdom. Don’t let it go! Clearly God understands our human nature that we can tend to look to doing things our own way or we are moved by what we see and not what He sees. 

 

 

 

by Dona Hake