“Choose Instruction, Knowledge, and Wisdom”

Posted on Jan 11, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

We are to value God’s instruction, knowledge and wisdom above the jewels listed here in the scripture taken from Proverbs 8:10-11. God’s instruction will show us what to do, where to go, and how to get there. It will correct our course, and warn us that we stay out of trouble. His knowledge will show us how to do life the right way. His knowledge will help us be discerning so that we can make decisions based upon that which we know to be His truth. His wisdom will show us how to use the knowledge we have. James 3:17 tells us that the fruits of wisdom are pure, peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. God’s instruction, knowledge, and wisdom are to be valued and held precious in our hearts.

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 will never 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 riches !!

Today I encourage you to guard your heart with God’s very precious jewels that are part of who He is, for nothing can compare to the beauty of His instruction, knowledge, and wisdom!

“Rooted Deep In Him”

Posted on Jan 10, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

To reach a great height a person needs to have great depth.
Anonymous

May we stay aware that the roots of our heart must continue to grow deep in Him. This is a continual process of feeding and maintaining our strength through God and all the good things that He has provided us. This does not happen just by going to church once a week, it is a lifestyle of living and drawing upon the Almighty God. We have a vital part in the process of our growth in Him. Yes, we live by grace but we must do our part of staying spiritually strong and staying obedient to Him. If it is your heart’s desire to be used greatly by Him then the roots of your heart must go deeper and deeper. If this is your heart’s desire, God is ready to take you there as you apply your heart to His commands!

Jeremiah 17:7-9

Amplified Bible (AMP)

“[Most] blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, and relies

on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is.
For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters that spreads

out its roots by the river; and it shall not see and fear when

heat comes; but its leaf shall be green. It shall not be anxious

and full of care in the year of drought, nor shall it cease yielding fruit.”

This tree that Jeremiah speaks of is the man who has totally trusted on the Lord God above. This tree thrives on the waters it is planted by. Notice the scripture does say that THE HEAT WILL COME and SO WILL THE YEAR OF THE DROUGHT. In our lives we too will face times where the heat is on yet we can know that because our roots of faith are strong, we need not fear nor grow weary. In the year of drought we can be free from care for we will NOT stop yielding fruit. Praise the living God that has promised to sustain us!

Proverbs 12:3

“…but the roots of the righteous can’t be disturbed.”

“As We Press On”

Posted on Jan 9, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

His mercies are new every morning ,

His grace is sufficient,

His joy is our strength,

His love keeps our hearts,

His patience promises us a heart of longsuffering,

Our youth is renewed as the eagles as we wait upon Him,

He promises to never leave us,

and in His presence is abounding joy.

From the windows of Heaven comes an abundance

so big that we cannot even begin to contain it.

Any sin, no matter how big or small is forgiven

when we take it to Him with a repentant heart.

Is there anything too hard for our God? He is great and greatly we should praise Him each and everyday! Do you feel at times that your life, and it’s problems are too hard for God? Maybe you feel there are times that you are such a mess that maybe He sits and scratches His head wondering what to do with you. Again, the answer is NO He does not! When problems and issues get out of hand in our lives we can certainly feel overwhelmed by them, but let us return to what will build and encourage our faith and our hearts. No matter how difficult your life seems God is able. Paul spoke with confidence in Philippians.

Philippians 1:6 (JUB)

“…being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun

a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

God is not a God that starts things and leaves them unfinished. He is NOT a procrastinator, He is the one with diligent and mighty hands that are well able to continue the great work He began in you. All we have to do is keep our hearts and eyes on Him, and trust Him with all of our being.

“Carry It All To Him”

Posted on Jan 8, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

Jesus Christ loved us so much that He went to the cross for us. He bore every pain, sickness, disease on the day He died for us. He also took upon Him any burden that would serve to rob us of our joy. Sometimes it can be tempting to carry the “little” burdens on our own. I think the more we get into the habit of taking it all to the Lord the better off we will be. The more we take it ALL the more we will grow in seeking to do everything by His strength and wisdom. It is those little things, those little cares that we carry that will soon having us trying to figure things out in our own ability.

~~~

Corrie ten Boom put it this way…

“Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer

is too small to be made into a burden.”

~~~

Philippians 4:6-7 (ERV)

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.”

When I read this scripture and I ponder what Corrie ten Boom said it reminds me of how tenderly the Lord desires to watch over me. It causes me to think more about how He knows what I need before I am even aware of the need. I think the deeper we understand this love the more we will run to Him with everything no matter how small it may be in our eyes. God is so good.

“His Loyal Love”

Posted on Jan 7, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

Loyalty is characterized by faithfulness to commitments and obligations. God has promised to be loyal to us with His love, forgiveness, help, …oh my!…there are so many things that He promises to be to us. Jesus said in His Word that He would NEVER leave us or forsake us.

At the end of many days I may look back on my day and wished that I would have said or done things differently but praise God He faithfully forgives and He promises to help me do better as I lean upon Him for all wisdom and strength. One of the first things I try to do each morning as I greet Him is remind myself and thank Him that His mercies are new every morning. My day is a fresh canvas and I am hoping I will do His will with His help.

I have a decorative slate in my kitchen. Every so often I will write a thought or scripture on it and it reminds me of something I am meditating on. I can remember an evening that I was trying to do some different cursive handwriting with the chalk and I kept messing up. I was glad I could just erase it and start over and work at it till I had it exactly the way I wanted it. So it is with the Lord’s mercies, they are new and fresh each morning. Our day is new, and it is time to start afresh!

Thank God we have fresh starts each day and we can learn from our yesterdays. He is there to help us to keep working out those things that we are trying to get right in our lives. Thank God that our mess ups are forgiven and wiped away with the blood of Jesus. We serve a God that is ever so loyal!

Lamentations 3:22-23 “How enduring is God’s loyal

love; the Eternal has inexhaustible compassion.

“Bringing Comfort”

Posted on Jan 6, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

I can remember a few years ago when I was out Christmas shopping. I walked to the counter and laid my things down and a clerk that I speak with often began to ring me up. I asked her how she has been doing. She dropped her head and said, “Not well at all. I am really having a hard time getting through this…” I immediately knew what she was referring to for I knew from previous conversations that she had lost someone very special in her life. She began to share that it has been five years and she has done well for the past five Christmas holidays yet this year she could not figure out why this one was so hard. The depression that enveloped her touched me in my heart. I began to try to console her for I too know what it is like to lose someone over the holidays. Sometimes words seem so inadequate yet I know they do more than what we realize at times. I walked out the door and prayed that God would comfort her heart and He has continued to remind me to pray for her.

I know that I have shared this in the past but it bothers me seeing how the hustle and bustle especially over the holidays can pull us into our own little “worlds”. We can become oblivious to the pain of those that are reaching into the past and their memories have caused them to struggle. Even after the holidays one can carry the pain of loss right into a fresh new year. It may not even be a death, but a broken relationship that has caused division in an one’s family.

I encourage you to be sensitive to those around you. Ask the Lord to give you an awareness of those that may be hurting. Maybe you are reading this and you are walking through the pain of remembering someone you love and have lost or you are enduring a trial that has robbed you of the joy of life. I pray that God’s comfort would permeate you and keep your heart and that His joy would well up within you. I pray also that great strength would arise within you that you may in turn share that same comfort with someone else. God bless you.

2 Corinthians 1:3 (The Message)
“All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.”

“God Is…”

Posted on Jan 5, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

A few years ago I was blessed to be able to take painting lessons from an extremely talented woman. Her paintings amazed me and I would sit in awe as she would skillfully paint in front of us for illustration sake. I can remember the times that she would show a different painting technique and she would sense my frustration as I was trying, and she would stand behind me and embrace my hand showing me how to angle my brush, etc. I loved this experience of learning especially the art of learning to work through struggles or what I perceived as inability.

I can remember once I had almost completed a painting and I made a big mistake. I mean everything was perfect, and I went and ruined the whole painting. Well…in my eyes it was a big mistake, but in the teacher’s eyes it was an opportunity. She would always encourage us that these so called “mistakes” are our opportunities to create. She would tell us to have fun with it and see what comes of it. I was amazed that many of my paintings had my “mistakes” hidden under what only the eye could see. It was only me that knew that there was originally a mistake but it was turned around as a result of reaching into those creative abilities God blessed me with.

I learned from her also a life lesson. Many times people trash whatever they are trying to do because of a mistake. We need to see hindrances, hurdles, or mistakes as opportunities. It is in those times if we allow the Master Painter to work on the canvas of our heart that we may see some pretty amazing outcomes. Along with those amazing outcomes we can walk away with knowledge and wisdom for future application in our life.

Romans 8:28

“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God “

“A Word Fitly Spoken”

Posted on Jan 4, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

What do you think of when you hear ~~ a word fitly spoken ~~?? When I think of a word fitly spoken, I think of expressing words from my heart to someone, and you just know in your heart of hearts that you have spoken exactly what they needed to hear. Yet, those same words spoken at the wrong time could possibly not be good. Just because you know something to be true does not mean it is the moment to speak it. Today let us ponder and meditate on desiring that our words are spoken in due season. James also had some excellent advice about listening, speaking, and handling offense…

James 1:19 (AMP) “Understand [this], my beloved brethren.

Let every man be quick to hear [a ready listener],

slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry.”

I think of how many arguments would be avoided if this simple and profound verse was mastered by us. If one does not give their full attention to the one speaking to them, there will more than likely words that are spoken which could be inappropriate or hurtful. This verse has a wealth of wisdom in it for us. I think it is just as important to listen to another’s heart as well as the words that proceed from their mouth. After you have listened, then think thoroughly before you open your mouth. Many times you may feel that you have the right answer for someone’s problem yet it is not the appropriate time for that word to be spoken.

Let us ask the Lord to have sensitive hearts that we will listen more sensitively to those around us. Many times we may indeed know what that individual may need but we need to ask the Lord for the proper season to share it. I would also venture to say that the one that has mastered being a good listener also understands the value of giving their full attention and making eye contact with the one speaking.

Proverbs 25:11 (AMP) “A word fitly spoken and in due season is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”

Listening to someone may be the greatest gift you could give them. Choice words are even a greater gift to one that is in need. After you have listened carefully you will find they will be much more apt to hear your heartfelt and choice response. I believe the Lord can help us to guard our tongues that our words will be as choice silver and gold, and spoken at the proper time.

” Are You On God’s Side?”

Posted on Jan 3, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

Psalm 54:4-5 (VOICE)

“But see now! God comes to rescue me;
the Lord is my valiant supporter.”

God desires to help us strategically win and He promises supernatural strength to us as we lean upon Him in our day of battle. Thank God that in our time of trouble He desires to rescue us for as this scripture says, He is the valiant supporter. The word valiant means: boldly courageous;brave; and stout-hearted. Even if one is alone in the natural they really are never alone if God is on their side! It is so wonderful to know that the Ultimate Strength is standing with you, and He is on your side.

Today, we are not only looking at God being faithful to rescue but we must always be sure that we are in deed on God’s side. Let us always be careful in the midst of a situation or life’s battle that we are thinking like God and acting according to His Word. It is all too common for people to look for opinions from others in their time of trouble. People can be well meaning with good intentions but that by no means is an indication that their opinion should lead you in your decision making. May we know that we are listening for the still small voice, the RIGHT voice in our time of trouble. We need to concern ourselves with the knowing that we are standing on the side of God in all matters. Here is a powerful quote by Abraham Lincoln that fits perfectly with our devotion today. In the time of battle and the concerns of it, he spoke these words….

“Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side;

my greatest concern is to be on God’s side,

for God is always right.”

I want to encourage you today with the truth that it is always important that you are totally loyal to the truth in every area of your life. When we are dwelling and remaining loyal to the truth, this is where we will always find an abundance of strength, help, and wisdom from the Lord our God. There may be times as well that people, especially in friendships can be more loyal to the friendship or relationship than to God’s Word. What do I mean by this? Well, in those times that someone you love dearly asks you for your opinion, are you afraid to state the truth or are you afraid it will upset them? Any relationship that is truly God ordained should be able to withstand and grow from their friend or spouse speaking firmly and lovingly to them.

Father, help us to stay aware that we are always abiding in your truth. We know that You are all truth, and that brings us strength in our day of trouble. Help us as well to have the courage to speak the truth even when it may not be the most popular thing to do. Help us to be mindful to stay on your side, the side of truth, and cause us to speak truth in Your Spirit of love.

“As I Look To Him”

Posted on Jan 2, 2015 in Devotions |

by Dona Hake

Sometimes the eyes of our heart and mind are thinking about things that are nothing more than distractions or things we have no business thinking about. As a little girl I can remember our family sitting down to the dinner table in the evening. My father would not put any food on his plate until my mother, sister and I were served. We understood that we were there to eat, and not to be talking. Every once in a while I would glance to see if my sister was eating all of her food or God forbid she got a bit more than me if it was my favorite. It seemed like my daddy had eyes not only on the front of his face but a pair on each side of his head. Nothing got by him! If he noticed my sister or eye minding each others plate, he would take his fork and gently tap my plate and firmly say, “Mind you own plate!!”

Have you ever found yourself thinking about something that was not your business thinking about, and the Holy Spirit gently tugged your heart? Sometimes we are simply minding others business or their affairs, and we do not even realize how much it is consuming our minds. The older I get the more I realize how important, and liberating it is to just pray if I see something that troubles my heart. If the Lord desires to make it my business, He will kindly speak to me by His Holy Spirit. He always instructs us in the way that we are supposed to walk, not the way we think we should walk. Many times we may be trying to be walking in a place that we have no business. An excellent scripture I would like to share with you on this matter comes from the Psalms.

Psalm 131:1 (ESV)
“O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.”

and another translation brings even more light to the truth…

Psalm 131:1 (GW)

“O Lord, my heart is not conceited.
My eyes do not look down on others.
I am not involved in things too big or too difficult for me.”

I believe as we understand this scripture that it will cause us to guard our heart against the pride of thinking we have all the answers. It will also remind us to be thinking about only that which we are supposed to be thinking. Let us not look down on others when we see faults and weaknesses. May we rather try to help them with a kind word of wisdom and our prayers. If the Lord sees that you are to be put in the path to help an individual, believe me, He is well able to arrange that! Next time you may feel that someone else’s business is preoccupying your mind too much , just maybe your loving Heavenly Father is gently but firmly tapping the “plate” of your life saying, “Mind your own plate!”

Devotional Archives

6 Responses to “Devotional”

Lisa Viands says:

November 8, 2013 at 5:05 pm

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!!
- Dona Hake says:
  
  November 8, 2013 at 11:15 pm
  
  thank you Lisa for sharing. I am blessed that this was a blessing to you!
Selena Neely says:

November 18, 2013 at 3:07 pm

Ralph &I are really enjoying your devotional together.
- Dona Hake says:
  
  November 18, 2013 at 3:29 pm
  
  So glad this is blessing you both!
Selena Neely says:

November 19, 2013 at 12:50 pm

Oh, what a wonderful reminder! I want to break the magnifing glass of worry and trust God for each step I take.
Dona Hake says:

November 20, 2013 at 2:41 am

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!