“Anchored By Being Single Minded”
by Dona Hake
James 1:6-8 (The Voice)
“The key is that your request be anchored by your single-minded
commitment to God. Those who depend only on their own judgment are like
those lost on the seas, carried away by any wave or picked up by any wind.
Those adrift on their own wisdom shouldn’t assume the Lord will rescue
them or bring them anything. The splinter of divided loyalty shatters your
compass and leaves you dizzy and confused.”
“The key is that your request be anchored by your single-minded
commitment to God. Those who depend only on their own judgment are like
those lost on the seas, carried away by any wave or picked up by any wind.
Those adrift on their own wisdom shouldn’t assume the Lord will rescue
them or bring them anything. The splinter of divided loyalty shatters your
compass and leaves you dizzy and confused.”
I really love how this translation brings such great insight into the importance of being single minded. This scripture warns us of leaning on our own understanding and placing our wisdom above God’s. God desires that we be totally devoted in our hearts and minds to His wisdom only that we may be anchored with a single mind. Let us look closer to the one verse here in James…
“The splinter of divided loyalty shatters your
compass and leaves you dizzy and confused.”
The last thing I want to deal with as I set out to sail in my faith is the experience of spiritual dizziness and confusion. I want vision and direction before me that is guided and directed by the Lord Himself. There is great danger in not being single minded and it can cause severe consequences. Just as a compass keeps you on track, being single-minded with all that God has for you will also keep you wise, discerning and very sensitive to the voice of the Lord in the midst of trouble. Your spiritual “compass” will keep you right on target and you will remain strong, steady, and focused in the midst of a storm. With God’s compass, there will be no wavering, and your path will be sure, and you will stay on course. Let us purpose to seek to be single minded by keeping ourselves full of God’s Word and drawing upon His wisdom.
“Watching Over One Another”
by Dona Hake
Have you ever walked away from someone feeling inspired to be a better person and to try harder in a particular area of your life? I know how it will hit me. Sometimes when I spend time with certain individuals I will ponder and think over the person’s words and actions that they spoke. I may study in my mind how they are dealing with something that so difficult yet they are remaining strong. I will recall their attitude or words and those things will cause my heart to want to rise to a higher level. They have been an example to me, and they may have not even realized it. They have provoked my heart to press in and be a better and stronger person.
“And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities…” Hebrews 10:24 AMP
This scripture is not saying to look for another’s weaknesses but rather to look and see how God may possibly use you to stir them up or incite them to pressing into more of their potential. The Word is exhorting us to give attention and continuous care each other. My heart is so grieved when I observe people, and they seem to busy themselves to such a degree that they can barely keep an eye on their own life let along others. I personally feel that God desires us to go beyond ourselves. There is more to life than just living for pleasure, it is about living from our hearts, and helping others. He desires that we purpose to help one another grow and live in all the good things that our Lord wants us to live and grow in!
Today I encourage you to look around and observe those that God has put in your life. Seek ways to encourage them and bring out the best in them. Let us pay attention to one another, in order to spur each other on to love and good deeds.
“You Raise Me Up”
by Dona Hake
Psalm 27:5 (TLB)
” There I’ll be when troubles come.
He will hide me.
He will set me on a high rock”
Isn’t it interesting that the psalmist said “when trouble comes?” He definitely understood that there would be trouble because it is part of life. He also understood where he would be positioned in the midst of it. He expected God’s mighty hand to gird him and lift him up above the storms beneath him.
When unrest visits our soul, it is a beautiful thing to know that we have a God that has a plan of escape for us. As he hides us under His wings we can be assured that He is well able to get us through any battle in this life. Today I encourage you to reflect on His wonderful peace as a place of refuge. His peace exceeds all our thoughts about any matter and it will guard and shelter our hearts and minds!
Can we proclaim today that God is lifting us up and He desires to place us above anything that troubles our soul?
“The Way You Give To Others”
by Dona Hake
Matthew 7:12 (MSG)
“Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior:
“Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior:
Ask yourself what you want people to do for you,
then grab the initiative and do it for them.”
We all have feelings about how we desire to be treated. This scripture is exhorting us to “grab the initiative” and do for them that which you desire to be done to you. Many times this scripture is used more when something negative may happen. I want to look at it relative to just blessing and doing good. I want to stir your heart to take initiative to just be a blessing to someone…just because you want to show the love of God. If we are honest we would say that we all love when someone blesses us for no reason at all.
Today we here much about random acts of kindness. Recently I had someone bless me with much needed help while my husband was out of the country, and my heart was so grateful. To be quite honest, I can have a hard time just receiving help because I know how busy everyone is. Thank God for those times in which people bless you out of obedience to the Holy Spirit. When it is in our power to bless or help someone, I believe the Lord wants us to take initiative and do so. We live in a time in which our lives are so busy, and we must be so careful to never become so engrossed in our own little worlds that there is no time left over to be a vessel of God’s kindness and love.
I love the translation of this scripture and it fits well with living a life of giving.
Luke 6:38 Easy-to-Read Version
“Give to others, and you will receive. You will be given much. It will be poured into your hands—more than you can hold. You will be given so much that it will spill into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you.”
Luke 6:38 Easy-to-Read Version
“Give to others, and you will receive. You will be given much. It will be poured into your hands—more than you can hold. You will be given so much that it will spill into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you.”
Giving is not just done through money, it is done in a handful of ways. There may be someone in your path today that is heavy in heart, and just needs someone to listen to them. Think about the times that all you wanted was someone to listen to you. You may even encounter someone needing direction, and they are feeling overwhelmed. Let’s say you have walked through a similar situation and God has blessed you with wisdom relative to their experience. Are you willing to take the time and be a blessing and share your wisdom? It just may be very possible that you are the vessel in which God desires to speak His wisdom through.
There are a world of opportunities for us to do God’s Word. So grab the initiative and look for opportunities!
“NOTHING Can Separate Us”
by Dona Hake
NOTHING can separate us. He is NEVER distant, and He will NEVER leave or forsake us. We just need to believe this at all times. Whether things are going great or it seems like everything is going wrong…NOTHING can separate us from Him and His love when we know Him personally.
Romans 8:39 ERV
“….nothing in the whole created world—
“….nothing in the whole created world—
will ever be able to separate us from the love God has shown
us in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Our lives are full of things. We purpose to set time aside to eat, sleep, work and play. Let us be ever so diligent to carve out moments during the day and dedicate them to sit in His presence and acknowledge Him. Talk with Him about how you feel and what you fear. Ask Him about everything that concerns you. He is bound to you by His love! Do not go by feelings and do not go by what you see. He is ALWAYS with you and nothing can separate you from Him. Praise Him because of His inseparable love for you!!
~~~~~♥~~~~~
“He Cares About You Affectionately”
by Dona Hake
I have been thinking a lot lately about how bad it is to worry and carry care. We can get so used of thinking that worrying is just something you should do. I can remember my Dad saying “I gotta have something to worry about or I won’t know what to do with myself.” I am not trying to fault anyone, but seriously I grew up thinking you had to worry or it was not normal. This has also brought me to meditate upon the importance of refraining from thinking about things that do not matter or things that are not for me to be thinking about. The Word of God tells us to lay aside every weight that would hinder us and it is vital that we constantly evaluate how much weight we carry because of our own lack of discipline of our thought realm.
Psalm 131
Song of Quiet Trust
“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 marvellous for me.”
The image I choose today to apply my scripture to ministered to my heart relative to my cares and His care for me. This image reminds me that Jesus cared and loved me so much that He went to the cross. He paid for it all and that includes the fact that He purchased my peace and wholeness of mind. For this reason I must be diligent to guard my mind and cherish the peace He died to give me.
He loves each of us affectionately and desires to carry every care that we have. We were not designed to carry burden and worry. Today, I encourage you to lay it all down before Him and look up to Him and let these nail prints remind you of how much He loves you.
1 Peter 5:7
Amplified Bible (AMP)
“Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.”
~~~~~♥~~~~~
“May We Never Tire”
by Dona Hake
I am sure that you can think of times in your life that your gave and gave of yourself because you knew it was what God had instructed you to do. In your obedience you experienced strength from above, and it seemed to carry you as gave your best efforts. There may also be times that a weariness may have set in on your heart and mind and ultimately your body grew tired and your mind became weary. In times like these we may question whether we should even be giving of ourselves, and it can be frustrating. Whenever we give of ourselves we must be sensitive to when the Lord is telling us that we have completed our part of the task and it is time for someone else to step in. Whatever we put our hand to is a blessing and a very special part of the whole plan of God. Let us never underestimate our obedience, for God will bless our efforts that we are assigned to and use it for His purposes.
1 Corinthians 3:6-7
“I planted the seed, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. So neither the planter nor the waterer is anything, only God who makes things grow .”
Now let us look at times when weariness began to become a part of the equation if we did not exercise patience and keep persevering. Godly patience and perseverance can have an awesome effect on our heart and mind. It will cause us to rise up and press in with fresh and renewed strength. It will bring determination to our heart, and the obstacles that serve to cause weariness will lose their strength and ability to cause weariness. I loved this quote and it fits well with what I am sharing.
Patience and perseverance have a magical effect
before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.
John Quincy Adams
God has called us to be overcomers, and we must remind ourselves that if He called us to a task, He will equip us to do it. We must make the decision that weariness will not rob us from doing the good thing He has asked us to do. If we just persist, our work will bear great fruit for His kingdom. Praise Him for that great harvest He is working through us as we patiently persevere in Him !
Galatians 6:9 (VOICE)
“May we never tire of doing what is good and right before our Lord because in
His season we shall bring in a great harvest if we can just persist.”
“May we never tire of doing what is good and right before our Lord because in
His season we shall bring in a great harvest if we can just persist.”
“My Help Comes From the Lord”
by Dona Hake
I came across this prayer one day and I absolutely love it. I love how it is worded because it causes me to think about my need for His help as I meet my day. When we humbly ask for His help we are asking Him to provide what is necessary to accomplish a task or satisfy a need. I don’t know about you but each day I awaken I am thinking about all that needs accomplished so I try to stay mindful that He desires to have His hand in all that I put my hand to!
“Lord, Help me to live this day quietly and easily,
To lean upon Thy great strength trustfully and restfully,
To wait for the unfolding of thy will patiently and serenely,
To meet others peacefully, and joyfully,
And to face tomorrow confidently and courageously.”
Anonymous
The beginning of the prayer is asking the Lord for help to live the day quietly and easily. I loved this. I do not see this as a request for a day of ease but rather that my heart would remain quiet in the midst of any confusion or difficulties that may be encountered. Oh that we would be mindful that when we are tired during the day that He desires that we stop, lean, and rest in His strong arms.
This prayer beautifully addresses how we view His perfect will for us. Can you think of times where impatience has tried to rob you from God’s plan ? Let these words minister to your heart then…”Lord, help me to wait for the unfolding of thy will patiently and serenely.”
How powerful this simple prayer is yet it will help you see your tomorrow with confidence and courage rather than dread and fear. Remember to simply pray and pray simply. God bless you!
Psalm 121:2 (VOICE)
“The Eternal Creator of heaven and earth and these mountains
will send the help I need.”
“The Eternal Creator of heaven and earth and these mountains
will send the help I need.”
~~~~~♥~~~~~
“His Light Gives Light”
by Dona Hake
I thank God that He sent Jesus! When Jesus came as a gift to us, He brought life giving light with Him. I can remember all too well the darkness and hopelessness of my life before the light of Jesus came in and illuminated my path. Even after we know Him, situations we face can bring times in which we cannot see which way to go. Our decision making may seem foggy and we are confused. Praise God, His light gives the light we need! When things seem dark and dim, HE IS the Light. When you do not seem to understand the whole picture ask Him for light on the matter, for HE IS Light. Sometimes we just need fresh perspective on how we are seeing things.
Have you ever tried to read the teeny tiny print on a medicine bottle, and it almost seems impossible? I always think, “Why do they make this so very hard to see?” ,Yet if I move into some really great light, it is all so much better. Sometimes we just need to re-position ourselves and get into better “light”. When things seem hard to understand we need to ask God to shine His light upon the situation. We need to seek Him for the “position” He desires for us that we may see things as He sees them. As we do this we will immediately receive a godly perspective. All of a sudden you see the wisdom that we need and it is as if our path was not as dark and crooked as it appeared. God is light, pure light and there is absolutely NO trace of darkness in Him!
Psalm 36:9 (CEV)
“The life-giving fountain
belongs to you,
and your light gives light
to each of us.”
~~~~~♥~~~~~~
“My Soul, Wait Only Upon God”
by Dona Hake
I love this visual of hope being the door that stands open before us. Because the door is open, you are able to see what is on the other side. You see, when you embrace the hope that God gives, there will always be a place to stand, and in His timing the door will open or that which you are believing for will come to pass.
As we stay quiet and humble before Him, He will be faithful to bring hope to any situation and your soul will be at rest. Faith is the evidence of that which is hoped for. Again, I like this image because there are the times of waiting and standing in faith. Hope will always cause you to see open doors, finish lines, and shouts of victory! Hope will always show you how to see things that be not as though they were. It will keep your heart as you wait for something to come to pass. What a wonderful thing it is to possess hope, and be at rest in our souls. This only happens in God alone. Thank you Lord for the hope you have brought to us through your son Jesus Christ!
Psalm 62:5 (AMP)
“My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him;
“My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him;
for my hope and expectation are from Him.”
~~~~~♥~~~~~
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!!
thank you Lisa for sharing. I am blessed that this was a blessing to you!
Ralph &I are really enjoying your devotional together.
So glad this is blessing you both!
Oh, what a wonderful reminder! I want to break the magnifing glass of worry and trust God for each step I take.
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!