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10.24.16

Posted on Oct 24, 2016 in Devotions, Uncategorized |

Devotional for Monday, October 24, 2016

“The Habits of the Mind”

by Dona Hake

Today I would like to share something that is on my heart relative to habits in our life. All of us have good habits but we also probably have some bad habits which we should get rid of.

Today I want to address the habit of wrong thinking. It can happen to any of us, and there are times we can have reactions to things that happen around us mainly because we have a rock solid opinion within our own minds about how something should be or how it should not be. If we respond to things based on opinions that are deeply rooted in our minds, we can get ourselves into trouble.

Let’s look at the word habit. It is defined as an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary . An example would be when we were little we had to be taught to look both ways before we crossed the street. Once we understood the wisdom in this rule it became a habit and we do not even think twice about looking both ways before we cross the street. We just automatically do it and it is a good habit that could save our life.

Now let us look at habits of wrong thinking. Over the years, we can have habits within our minds, and we do not even realize they are there. First we must seek the Lord to help us with this, and we must identify our wrong habits that have created wrong thought patterns and reactions. We must ask God for a break through which would be the work of his wisdom, guidance, and discernment. Praise God that He is able to help us in this matter when we humbly call upon Him for help!

I encourage you today to ask God to examine your heart and mind as to any habits of thinking that may be wrong within you. If you do this I encourage you to take action to rid yourself of any bad habit that could be hindering your walk with the Lord. From there we must purpose ourselves to set God’s Word as the standard for how we think. We must make it the goal for ourselves to think as God desires for us to think. I leave you with good translation from The Message Bible from Philippians 4:8-9. This is a wonderful portion of scripture to meditate upon to help us in continuing to conform our thoughts to the way God desires for us to think.

Philippians 4:8-9 The Message

8-9 “Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.”

10.8.16

Posted on Oct 8, 2016 in Devotions, Uncategorized |

Devotional for Saturday, October 8, 2016

“Trusting Him Is a Must”

by Dona Hake

Proverbs 3:5-12 (MSG)
“Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!”

Today we are focusing on living a life of trust for it is a must as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. As the scripture says we need to trust Him from the bottom of our hearts and stop trying to figure everything out. Many times God has a totally different route He desires to take us and we need to be willing to walk in the direction He has chosen. Sometimes His paths that He is establishing for us are ones we may feel uncomfortable with. If so, let us trust Him for He has promised to never leave or forsake us.

As we look at the life of trust I want to emphasize how important it is that we must make it our pursuit to maintain a heart that is humble. God loves and desires the humble heart for His Word says that He resists the heart of a proud man. As we stay humble, we will be thankful for the knowledge, gifts and talents He has blessed us with but we will keep them in their proper place. As we remain humble, we will always be looking to acknowledge His ways in everything that we do. He can indeed teach us to trust Him with all of our hearts and He will make those places that have seem crooked and confusing completely straight.

Father God we thank You for this new day. You greet us with Your faithfulness and love and we know that You desire to work in our hearts, minds, and in our lives. May we grow in our faith and trust in You as You desire to work in a mighty way in our lives. Help us Lord in those times in which we are tempted to try to figure things out on our own. May we listen to Your heart in everything we do and everywhere we go. In Jesus Name, Amen!

9.17.16

Posted on Sep 17, 2016 in Devotions, Uncategorized |

Devotional for Saturday, September 17, 2016

“The Good Things Ahead!”

by Dona Hake

Today I want to share something I saw on social media the other day, and I thought it would stir your hearts.

“Even though there are days
I wish I could change some
things that happened in the
past, there’s a reason the rear
view mirror is so small and
the windshield is so big…
Where you are headed is
much more important than what
you have left behind.”

A quote like this could hit each of us differently, and for that reason I encourage you to ponder it, and allow the Lord to minister to your heart. The truth that hit me here is to leave behind any negatives or things that have hurt me in my past. For any of us to continue to dwell and refuse to let go of what has happened to us in the past will surely be a breeding ground for the seeds of bitterness to enter our heart. No matter what we go through, we must return to the truth that there is not one thing that should have the power to hold us back. Yet, unforgiveness does have that power. In fact it has the power to imprison us to our past. Ultimately you will relive your past over and over in your mind, and it will freeze you from freely going forward in your walk with the Lord.

May we look in the “rear view mirrors” of our life, and make a quality decision that we can attain wisdom from our experiences from the past. May our hearts rejoice daily that God sent His only Son and forgave each of us from all of our sins, and we too can freely offer forgiveness when we need to.

Experiences from our past can serve as teaching moments that we can pass on when we are called upon to do so. I love when I can pass on wisdom to someone in need just because I totally identify with their hurt. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, each and everyone of us has a big future whether we are young or old. Live life to it’s fullest with the help of your Lord, and go forward triumphantly in His plan!

Philippians 3:13 ERV

“Brothers and sisters, I know that I still have a long way to go.

But there is one thing I do: I forget what is in the

past and try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me.”

8.30.16

Posted on Aug 30, 2016 in Devotions, Uncategorized |

Devotional for Tuesday, August 30, 2016

“Living In the Center of His Will”

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…See yourself as that clay on the Great Potter’s wheel. Now let us allow Him to place us on the center of His wheel that we may live 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.

8.7.16

Posted on Aug 7, 2016 in Devotions, Uncategorized |

Devotional for Sunday, August 7, 2016

“Be Still”

by Dona Hake

Sometimes life can become so hectic that we lose our awareness that are souls are no longer quiet before Him. I think we need to be cautious and over how busy we permit out lives to become, and daily seek His wisdom over the planning of our days. How can we expect to hear His still small voice if we plan our days in such a way that we cannot pause and fellowship with Him. If we are not careful we could miss His gentle voice that so desires to fellowship with us and give us the direction that we need. Let us read this portion of scripture from 1Kings 19:11-12, and ponder what it says.

1 Kings 19:11-12 (AMP)

” And He said, Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord. And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake;
And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire [a sound of gentle stillness and] a still, small voice.”

Elijah knew that the sound of a gentle whisper was God’s voice. He understood that God did not just reveal Himself in the big and the powerful, but in the sound of stillness. The Lord is often found in the gentle whisper in the quietness of a meek spirit. It is there that He is able to whisper the secrets of His perfect will and purposes for our life.

Today let us purpose in knowing that our hearts are quieted before Him. I believe even in the midst of the demands of our lives that we can maintain our hearts and keep them at peace that we can hear His voice no matter what is going on around us.

“Let us be silent that we may hear the whisper of God.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

7.15.16

Posted on Jul 15, 2016 in Devotions, Uncategorized |

Devotional for Friday, July 15, 2016

“Leading Our Thoughts By the Power of God”

by Dona Hake

2 Corinthians 10:5 (AMP)

³For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons.

⁴For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds,

⁵[Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One),

Each day as we set out to serve our Lord we must be mindful that He has equipped us to live this life in victory. Even though we live in the flesh He desires that we pick up and masterfully use the spiritual weapons only He can give that we may wage war the way He intends it to be. We cannot fight fire with fire nor can we fight fleshly things with our human understanding and our own ability. God has given us spiritual weapons with preciseness and they are powerful. These weapons guarantee to overthrow the destruction of the strongholds that purpose to hold us down from living victoriously.

I can only imagine how grieved the heart of God is as people believe so quickly the vain philosophies and wrong thinking that swirls around us. Yet if we do not keep our hearts anchored in the Word of God, we will ultimately be targets of living the doubleminded and unbelieving life. The lies of the devil will come to you and so many ways, and if God’s Word is not anchored in your soul, you will will pulled and led by it’s persuasiveness.

God desires that we lead every thought and take it captive if it is one that serves to destroy. This makes me think of my German Shepherd today. When I take her in her backyard, it is fenced in, and she has free roam of the yard so she can do as she pleases. I would like to say she stays out of trouble but I remember the evening she encountered a furry black and white animal that desired to give her a new smell. She knew she had gotten into a tangle with the wrong thing that evening. That little skunk changed our lives and the inside air of our home for a few days! When I take her in her front yard, there is no fence so she must be on a leash, and I must lead her and command her as to what she is permitted to do. There is a road and if she were not on the leash, she could get hit by a car. There are so many bunnies and God only knows where she would end up if she was left to chase them.

There will be times in which you need to leash up and guide your thoughts as to where they are to be. If they are good and holy we are free to meditate upon them. If they are setting you up to question God’s Word and lead you astray then you need to take hold of them, get them on a spiritual leash and lead them where they need to be. It is as we make this a practice in our walk with the Lord that we will live victoriously. We will have a mind that is saturated with power and we will enjoy the beauty of a sound mind.

6.11.16

Posted on Jun 11, 2016 in Devotions, Uncategorized |

Devotional for Saturday, June 11, 2016

“Let Our Praise Never Cease!”

by Dona Hake

Psalm 145:1-3

“I will lift my praise above everything to You, my God and King! I will continually bless Your name forever and always. My praise will never cease— I will praise You every day; I will lift up Your name forever. The Eternal is great and deserves endless praise; His greatness knows no limit, recognizes no boundary. No one can measure or comprehend His magnificence.”

It is so easy to take things and people for granted. We must be purpose that we live with hearts that are full of thanks especially to our loving God and the loved ones and friends in our life.Today I am encouraging you to think about how wonderful and good the Lord has been to you. Day in and day out He faithfully meets us as we open our eyes each morning. He is always there for us throughout our day. Even when we fall and mess up, again He is faithful. As the psalmist writes in verse three, God is much greater than anyone can understand!

Have you ever tried to figure out the word “eternity.” I have pondered this word, and it never ceases to leave me speechless and in awe. This is just one of the many wondrous things about God that are far above and beyond our comprehension. Have you pondered how great His love is toward you today? Is it not the most wonderful thing to know that He loved you enough to send His Son to die for you? Have you stopped and thanked Him today for His forgiveness and paused to try to figure out the depth of His compassion that forgiveness brings to you? I marvel as I think about how He not only forgives us but He totally washes us clean and restores our souls.

Let us think about more of His divine attributes…His grace and mercy recognizes no boundaries and they are new each morning as we face new challenges. No, we will never be able to totally comprehend His greatness, but we can always continue to offer thanks and worship to Him for all that He is to us! Give thanks to the Lord for there is no measure of His magnificence!

5.24.16

Posted on May 23, 2016 in Uncategorized |

Devotional for Tuesday, May 24, 2016

“When the Lord Shows Us Our Hearts”

by Dona Hake

Proverbs 27:19 (ERV)
“Just as you can see your
own face reflected in water,
so your heart reflects the
kind of person you are.”

This scriptures provokes me to think about the true spiritual condition of my heart. If I were to stand over a crystal clear pond and look in, my reflection would answer back at me or in other words I see myself. I would see myself for exactly what I am because the reflection does not lie. When we stand in front of a mirror we can not stand there and say, “this is not me!” or “I do not look like that!” Our reflections are speaking to us and telling us exactly what we look like. So it is when we look into God’s Word, He will reveal to us our need for Him and all that He wants us to be.

James 1:22-25
Amplified Bible (AMP)

“But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].

For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his [own] natural face in a mirror;

For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like.

But he who looks carefully into the faultless law, the [law] of liberty, and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he shall be blessed in his doing (his life of obedience).”

There will be those times in which we hear the Word and we may feel a bit convicted and we need to give heed, and be an active doer as this scripture tells us to do. This tugging at our heart is the Holy Spirit speaking to us to make changes, and this kind of change really is a good thing. This scripture is clear that we need to give heed to the Word we hear and read, and the living water of the Word will truly reveal to us the condition of our heart if we permit it to. The Lord is loving, and He will help you to make the adjustments you need to be molded into His image. Let us look carefully at ourselves in light of God’s Word and allow Him to work in us.

Lord we ask that you convict our hearts today by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Help us to be honest with ourselves when we see the condition of our hearts as we read and hear Your Word. Help us to be mindful to remain humble under Your loving hand. Help us to grow in the area of hearing You as You speak to our hearts this day. In Jesus Name! Amen.

5.12.16

Posted on May 12, 2016 in Devotions, Uncategorized |

Devotional for Thursday, May 12, 2016

“Remember Where To Look!”

by Dona Hake

We all need to be reminded of things. Sometimes even the most important things can be forgotten. We get too busy, our minds are full, and we just forget. Today I want to remind you to keep looking up. This is something you have to do, and no one else can do it for you. I want to share several scriptures that will stir your heart to continue to look in His direction.

Psalm 143:8
“Cause me to hear Your loving-kindness in the morning, for on You do I lean and in You do I trust. Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk, for I LIFT UP MY INNER SELF TO YOU.”

Psalm 63:4

“So will I bless You while I live; I WILL LIFT UP MY HANDS in Your name…”

Psalm 121:1-3 Amplified Bible (AMP)
“I WILL LIFT UP MY EYES to the hills —From whence shall my help come?
My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.”

I want you to take note that in all of these scriptures “I Will” proceeds the lifting up of our inner self, our hands, and our eyes. You see, it is an act of our will to look up and lift up. He promises that as we make a decision to look away from all that is trying to hold us back and hold us down that He WILL lift us up!!

5.11.16

Posted on May 11, 2016 in Devotions, Uncategorized |

Devotional for Wednesday, May 11, 2016

“Encouragement vs. Discouragement”

by Dona Hake

It is when we are full of God’s courage that we feel we are able to accomplish anything with His help. Today we will look at two words encouragement and discouragement. We know that the opposite of courage is discouragement, and both of these are powerful forces. Discouragement has the power to paralyze someone from moving forward. It has the power the keep you unmotivated, and tempt you to wallow in the past. Today we will look at how we must guard our hearts against discouragement.

Abraham Lincoln wisely said,

“Let no feeling of discouragement prey upon you, and in the end you are sure to succeed.”

Courage is that thing that empowers us to do what we may be afraid of. It helps us go forward into things we thought was too big for us to handle. Let us live with determined hearts and never allow discouragement to prey upon our hearts.

Many times discouragement will be birthed as a result of being preoccupied with cares in our life. We are commanded to cast all our care over to God. As the scripture says below, we need to keep our minds clear and alert because the devil is watching for those opportunities to pull us down.

1 Peter 57-9
Names of God Bible

“Turn all your anxiety over to God because he cares for you. Keep your mind clear, and be alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion as he looks for someone to devour. Be firm in the faith and resist him, knowing that other believers throughout the world are going through the same kind of suffering.”

If your heart is in a place of discouragement, I want to encourage you today to look up and know that He is well able to pull you out of that place and bring courage back to your heart. Release your care and hold fast to His loving hands and you will be made courageous!