Dona Hake, Author at The Abundant Life Center

“Filled With Good Things”

Posted on Sep 10, 2014 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

Most vehicles sound off a little alarm of some sort to warn you that you are low in gas. If you are wise you pay attention to it and make sure that the gas station is a stop that you will make in the day. If you ignore it, you are sure to encounter an inconvenience. If you park your car in town and you fill your meter for one hour, you are given that one hour to complete your errand. If you do not get back on time and the meter is empty, you could be pulling a slip out from under your windshield wiper with a hefty little fine you have to pay. You did not keep filling the meter and you ended up paying for it in a more expensive way.

Today I want to share about us paying attention to our hearts being kept full and maintained by all the good things of God. You know He desires that we be full and stay full that we may live the victorious life that He intends for us to live. How many things in life do we diligently pay attention to in the natural…our gas tanks, our bank accounts, the parking meter, food in the refrigerator, etc… We keep a mental note and physical notes that we are maintaining these things, yet our spiritual being could be totally dehydrated and we do not even notice. When we are dehydrated spiritually, eventually we are going to pay for it. We will not have the strength that we need, therefore we cannot persevere. As our peace is no longer present, we will react to things in a way that we wished we had not. On and on I could go sharing about the good things that God desires we stay full of as we maintain our time with Him and in His Word. He desires we be full!

Let us diligently watch over the gauge of our hearts and minds. Pay attention to the warning signals. Let us be watchful that we do not become dehydrated in things that He desires we be filled with. We actually come to this place of “dehydration” when we begin to live life from our own resources and our own ability. When we stop trusting God for the littlest of things, it eventually snowballs every area of our life. God desires to fill that we bubble over with hope as we trust in Him. I encourage you to do so today. God is so good, trust in Him!!!

Romans 15:13 ERV

“I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much

joy and peace as you trust in him. Then you will have more

and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

~~~~~♥~~~~~

“Each Day, A New Beginning”

Posted on Sep 9, 2014 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

Psalm 5:3 (CEB)

^”Lord, in the morning you hear my voice.
In the morning I lay it all out before you.
Then I wait expectantly.”

I thank God that His mercies are new every morning and we can wake with the expectancy of a new day with fresh opportunities.

Psalm 145:2 (AMP)

Every day [with its new reasons] will I bless You

[affectionately and gratefully praise You];

yes, I will praise Your name forever and ever.

Today I encourage you to draw upon His strength and see your day as a fresh canvas. There may be things that you are facing that tempt your heart to be burdened but be encouraged that God is a God that never grows weary. Lift your eyes toward heaven and lay your heart open to Him and wait expectantly for Him to guide you throughout your day. All of us have reasons to bless His Name and be thankful. No, maybe everything is not perfect, but take time to call out the blessings that you possess because of the goodness of God. We all have much to be thankful for. Today, with it’s new beginning, praise and bless His Name for all the good things you embrace because of His goodness in your life!

~~~~~♥~~~~~

“Believe the Best of Every Person”

Posted on Sep 8, 2014 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

I was standing in a fast food restaurant waiting in line to place my order. The young lady taking orders from several people before showed no kindness or courtesy to the customers. I watched as she rudely took their orders and was just moving them through as quickly as possible. To be quite honest I was getting a bit upset with her just watching how she was handling herself. I wondered what this person in charge of this restaurant ever saw in her to hire her in the first place. I want to stop right now and tell you that I WAS NOT believing the best of this young lady, and my attitude was absolutely wrong.

God began to challenge my heart and my wrong thinking. You see, I was judging this young lady by outward appearances. Many times in situations like this I have heard people say “If an employee comes to work dealing with personal issues, they need to leave their problems at home while they are at work.” I feel this is wrong thinking, for there are times in life that certain problems can not be left at home because one’s heart and soul are consumed with pain and hurt.

As I stepped up for her to wait on me I felt to ask her “How are you today?” even though it was plain to see that she was not doing well. She proceeded to tell me she was not doing well and I expressed that I had noticed something must be wrong. I began to encourage her by saying “I hope the rest of your day is better.” She then opened wide up to me and shared that she just found out one of her friends had committed suicide. Can I tell you that I am ALWAYS reminded of this incident whenever I am tempted to think someone is wrong in the way an individual may be handling themselves. I spoke words of comfort to her, and I told her I would keep her in my prayers. She thanked me for talking to her, and to this day I am ever so grateful that I had that experience for it challenged my wrong thinking, and I learned from it.

God’s love will always stop us in our tracks and help us to consider what another individual may be walking through. Maybe what they are walking through may not seem to be a big deal to you but to them, it is their world and they are consumed with the problem. Today I encourage you to believe the best of those around you. Ask God to help you be a help to someone. That one kind word you speak in response to behavior which seems unacceptable may give one hope to go on. That kind response you give may cause them to step back and regain momentum, and make a right decision in the midst of their confusion. You just never know how powerfully God may use you as you dare to believe the best in others.

God help us to see people through the eyes of your love and not our own expectations.

1 Corinthians 13:7 (AMP)
“Love bears up under anything and everything that comes,

is ever ready to believe the best of every person.”

“God Planted Eternity In Man’s Heart”

Posted on Sep 7, 2014 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (AMP)

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted eternity in men’s hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy], yet so that men cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”

I think this scripture is so awesome. I love how it tells us that God has planted eternity in every heart and mind that has ever lived. We are born with the choice of whom we will look to to satisfy our every need. Within the heart of man is a longing that only God can satisfy yet man who chooses to fill his voids apart from Christ will never be fulfilled.

I like how the New Life Version translated Ecclesiastes 3:11:

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has put thoughts of the forever in man’s mind, yet man cannot understand the work God has done from the beginning to the end.”

I particularly want you to look at “man cannot understand the work God has done from the beginning to the end.” The beauty of this is that this is what makes God almighty in all that He does. He is beyond us figuring Him out, nor should we try to comprehend His ways. If you wants you to understand, He will. Let us as we submit our lives and wills to Him just simply trust Him. He has promised that as we trust He will lovingly care for every aspect of our lives.

Isaiah 58:11 (AMP)
“And the Lord shall guide you continually and satisfy you in drought and in dry places and make strong your bones. And you shall be like a watered garden

and like a spring of water whose waters fail not.”

Let God show Himself strong in you when there is no strength to be found. Watch Him show you the water in the “dry lands” that you may have to walk through. It is not necessary to know how He does it for He alone is God, and all He wants is your trust!

~~~~~~♥~~~~~

“We Are the Work of His Hand”

Posted on Sep 6, 2014 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

“We are just clay, and You are the potter. We are the product of Your creative action, shaped and formed …” Isaiah 68:8 (the Voice)

We are the clay that He has to work with. Let us remain pliable that He is able to work and form us. One of the very first things a potter will do with that clump of clay is center it on his wheel. For us to be worked and formed for His purposes we could look at it this way…

Stay centered on His “wheel”
and you will be in the
center of His will.

As I pondered this devotional my heart began to think about four things that will
position us that He can continue to mold us. I already stated the first and that is
to stay centered or focused on Him. The other things would be

*stay humble before God.
*stay humble before others.
*see yourself humbly for this

will guard you from self deception, which is the

worst of all deceptions.

Let us humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord that He may continue to work
and form us for His purposes.

Your HUMILITY gives Him the ABILITY to mold and make you into the vessel He purposed you to be.

“The Wise Man Knows”

Posted on Sep 5, 2014 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

Everyday we have choices before us. It would be interesting to take note of all the choices and decisions that we make everyday. Today I want to encourage your heart in simply meditating upon the truths and power of the written Word. It is as we keep ourselves full of His Word that our choices and decisions will be guided by Him.

Within the Word of God is a wealth of testimonies of those that have gone before us. Their lives can encourage us to be strong when fear and weakness are trying to overtake our hearts. The Psalms are full of words to encourage our heart as well. Many of the Psalms were written by those that their lives were endangered yet they chose to call out to the Living God and praise His holy Name! Allow them to escort your heart to praise the living God as well. The Proverbs can serve to bring wisdom to our heart as we may be facing a time of decision making. As we read the New Testament we see and hear the words of our Lord and we also can read accounts of those that walked with Him.

The Proverbs exhorts us to cherish His instruction and knowledge above anything. We are to value it above anything this world puts a price on.

Proverbs 8:10-11 (NIV)

“Choose my instruction instead of silver,

knowledge rather than choice gold,

for wisdom is more precious than rubies,

and nothing you desire can compare with her.”

In this scripture God is showing us that even the jewels that we could ever possess that are incredibly expensive do not measure in value to His instruction, His wisdom and knowledge. Think about it…NOTHING we could ever desire no matter how wonderful can compare to the worth of His great knowledge and instruction. Let us be thankful for the written Word of God and take time to read it for it is what we need to keep us strong in spirit as we serve Him every day of our lives.

~~~~~♥~~~~~

“The Timing of God”

Posted on Sep 4, 2014 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

I found an interesting quote today in one of my prayer books.

“I have learned to thank God for answering some of my

prayers with “no” or “not now.”

Sometimes we may be interpreting our prayers as unanswered when God really is at work, but at His time and pace. When I read this I immediately began to think how we are so used to getting everything fast. You ride through the drive through window to buy your lunch, and no sooner you pay there is a bag in your hand. I have literally had my salads all but upside down in my bag because they were thrown into the bag for speed sake. Nothing like ordering a salad, and they worked so hard to get it to you so fast that they put no utensils in the bag. In the name of *instant* and *I want it right now!* things can suffer at times.

In the society of everything going quick and instant I find more impatience than ever. On and on I could go about how our expectations of timing can be off in areas in which we just need to patiently wait for God to move in our lives as He wills.

May we never feel that everything we pray about has to arrive from Heaven instantly. The Lord has a perfect timing for everything under the sun and as we live to obey and respect His will, we also will learn to abide by His timing.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (CEB)

” There’s a season for everything
and a time for every matter under the heavens…”

I encourage you today to ask Him for continued enlightenment regarding His timing and His ways in your life. Many times it is the waiting in our journey that we really do learn valuable lessons that never could have been learned without what we may be perceiving as delay. God is good and He is all knowing about everything, and His timing is ALWAYS correct!!!

“Our Heart’s Treasure”

Posted on Sep 3, 2014 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

Matthew 6:19-21 (Darby)

“Don’t pile up treasures on earth, where moth and rust can spoil them and thieves can break in and steal. But keep your treasure in Heaven where there is neither moth nor rust to spoil it and nobody can break in and steal. For wherever your treasure is, you may be certain that your heart will be there too!”

There are so many things in this life that can serve to distract us from what is really important in life. Many may feel that if they only had more money or if they were more beautiful that everything would be better. You could be the richest and most beautiful person in the world yet have an empty and lonely heart. The things in this world cannot compare to those things that proceed from the windows of Heaven. We need to remind ourselves to be in great gratitude and thanks to our Lord for how He has touched in our lives.

When we start to accumulate the beautiful treasures that only Heaven can birth in our hearts, we will know and understand that they cannot be taken from us. His Word should be our greatest treasure and we need to guard it with all diligence.

Proverbs 4:23 (Amplified)

Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.

Today I encourage you to look up! Look up and remind yourself of all the wonderful things that He has touched your heart with. There are blessings all around you and He desires that you embrace a heart of thankfulness and that you would never take any good thing for granted. It is God that is the giver of all good things and today we can praise Him for that!

“The Joy of a Word Spoken In Season”

Posted on Sep 2, 2014 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

How odd it would be to wake up tomorrow morning , and find it snowing. The region in which I live summer is almost over but snow still would not be welcome. Everything has it’s proper time and season here on the earth. God has an order and reason for the seasons in every region on this big, great Earth. So it is with our words, He has a proper time and season in which they are to be spoken. One word spoken at one time may be perfectly fitting yet in another moment it may be entirely unacceptable, and maybe even offensive.

Today I just want to focus on the importance of speaking words at the proper time. God desires that we embrace His wisdom that our thoughts and words would be perfectly ordered by Him. I have said this many times. “Just because you are thinking something does not mean it should be spoken.” God desires that we choose our words wisely and thoughtfully. Let us look for ways to minister grace to the hearers of our words. Sometimes we may never have any idea how much our words especially those of encouragement may bless the heart of another.

“A word of encouragement during a failure is worth more than an hour of
praise after success.”
Unknown

I love the feeling of knowing that my words whether they be advice or encouragement were exactly what an individual needed to hear. It is just such a rewarding feeling. Think about blessing those around you with words that are uplifting and full of His grace.

Proverbs 15:23
“People enjoy giving ·good advice [ a right reply].
Saying the right word at the right time is so pleasing.”

~~~~~♥~~~~~

“Are You Blooming Where You Are Planted?”

Posted on Sep 1, 2014 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

I headed to my front garden to take a shot of the smallest Hydrangeas that I have ever seen. My Son and Daughter-in-law blessed me with this for Mother’s Day this year. In the past I have not had great success in my gardens with this particular bush, so I was not sure where to plant it. About six weeks ago I decided where to put it. Diligently I watered it but my Ivy is wanting to grow close to it. It was surrounding it so much, it actually was overshadowing something that almost went unnoticed. Underneath one of the large leaves of this little bush was the tiniest of Hydrangea blooms that I have ever seen. I broke that leaf away so the bloom would receive more light. In contrast to the size of the leaf you can see how small it is. I could not help but think of the quote “Bloom where you are planted!”

I can remember hearing this quote almost eighteen years ago from a special man named Arthur Burt. Today, I dedicate this devotional to him. His life was amazing and God used him in wonderful ways while he lived here on earth. Last week at age 102, he went to breathe the air of Heaven and spend eternity with the one he loved the most, and that was Jesus! Arthur had the most thought provoking quotes and wonderful stories. Oh my…he was the best story teller ever!

I can remember when he shared this quote. I just loved how these words spoke to my heart and challenged me. I knew I was planted and doing that which God wanted me to be doing but this quote always provoked me to keep check on whether I was blooming where He planted me. The reason I loved this tiny little bloom of my Hydrangea is because it reminds me that sometimes we may be in bloom in different ways and not to compare what we are doing with the successes of others. This little bloom is only about two inches above the soil…just an amazing little sight!

Today I encourage you to know that you are planted where God wants you to be, and then diligently do all that you know to do. Keep yourself full of Him that you can truly thrive and be a blessing a blessing to God and to those around you. Do not be surprised at the opportunities, places, and timing for you to flourish and bloom. Today, bloom where you are planted!