By Dona Hake

I marvel at God’s creation! I can remember being at Niagara Falls and The Grand Canyon and it caused me to release a deep breath in awe of God. How did He do it? These ponderings should always position us to be reminded of how great our God is! In the book of Isaiah is is written

“My hand made all these things
and brought them into being, says the Lord.
But here is where I will look:
to the humble and contrite in spirit,
those who tremble at my word.”

As God in Heaven proclaims what He did with the work of His hands He goes on to say, “but here is where I look…” I do not know about you but I want to know what God is looking for. After all the beauty and wonder of His creation He is still looking? I love this because it is reminding us that God’s eyes are moving to and fro watching for the one that will ALWAYS put Him and His Word first and reverently respond to what He says. He is looking for those that even when they mess up they admit they are wrong and receive His forgiveness. He is watching for the man and woman that desires to be humble and respect His Word above their own opinions and thoughts. He is watching you and your heart.

Let us be reminded today that His eyes are looking and watching for the one who will listen and hear what He is speaking. Know that He is waiting for someone that He can use for His purposes. Think about it…He made it all and in all it’s grand beauty He is still watching for those of a humble and contrite spirit. I encourage you today to think about how He desires to use you as you purpose to remain humble and reverent to His Word.

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by Dona Hake

I was speaking with a gentleman yesterday and he was sharing how scared he was in a recent snow storms.  He was driving down the road and without warning he encountered a “white out.”    This occurs when the light reflected off the snow equals the light coming through the clouds.  He said what was most frightening was that he had no recollection of what was behind him so he feared stopping.  He was completely blinded with absolutely no visibility in front of him.  As I listened to him I could see how unnerving that had to have been.

God’s  Word tells us in Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”  As I ponder this scripture and this man’s story it causes me to be mindful that sometimes in life all can seem normal and just out of nowhere an unexpected problem or danger can hit.  With no warning at all you may be faced with a decision that could affect many around you.

It is vitally important that we take seriously that we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are connected with the light of His Word that we can know exactly what to do in such situations.   It is in those times that it seems like everything around you can just become dark.  The temptation to fear what your next step should be could cause fear to grip your heart.  Again, as we are walking along side of Him, we know all too well that He is faithful to show us exactly what to do.

 “The psalmist proclaims in Psalm 119:112  I have resolved to obey your laws forever, at every step.”  I believe this kind of  resolve in one’s heart  will always cause him to hold fast to God no matter what he sees or cannot see.    This is the man that will not be moved by circumstance but in faith in God alone.    We can be assured that our faith will be met by a God of total light because in Him is NO darkness at all.

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by Dona Hake

Last evening I was putting some wicker baskets away and after I hung them I was almost certain that I had gotten a splinter from one of them.   I could not see the splinter because it was so tiny so    I went down to my office where I have a magnifying glass with light behind it.  Sure enough there was a splinter that I would never been able to see without magnification.  The thought of taking a sterile needle and digging it out made me cringe, yet to leave it there would just cause an even more painful problem.  I decided to remove that splinter and even though it was painful, I was so glad it was out.

This reminds me of how many times the Word of God will expose things within us that are ever so tiny.  Sometimes there are things in our hearts that we think are okay to leave alone.  He well understands that our problems start as a seed and if let go it will gain momentum and cause us painful consequences.  We can choose to leave these “little things”  alone and bear painful consequences or allow Him to deal with it.    Sometimes the dealings of getting our hearts right isn’t always the most comfortable, but when it is taken care of, the healing will surely begin.

Hebrews 4: 12 – 13 (PHILLIPS)
” For the Word that God speaks is alive and active;

it cuts more keenly than any two-edged sword:

it strikes through to the place where soul and spirit meet,

to the innermost intimacies of a man’s being: it exposes

the very thoughts and motives of a man’s heart.

No creature has any cover from the sight of God;

everything lies naked and exposed before the

eyes of him with whom we have to do.”

I am so thankful that His Word is able to cut  right through to where soul meets spirit and joints meet marrow, and it is quick to judge the inner reflections and attitudes of our heart.  No one knows us better than the God that has made us!   He loves us so much and desires to lovingly deal with our hearts that we may continue to go forward and grow in Him.

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by Dona Hake

I would like to share from Psalm 116.  The psalmist begins the chapter by exclaiming, “I love the Lord, for He heard my voice…”   He proceeded to say that he knew God’s ear was toward him and then he said, “I will call on Him as long as I live!”

You see this psalmist understood that death was staring him in the face and he had no where to turn. I am sure that what the writer went through was terrifying and he stops and reminds himself of who and what his God is all about.    This is what Psalm 116:7-9 says.

“Return to your rest, my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you.
For you, Lord, have delivered me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.”

I believe this chapter in Psalms can serve to remind us that in trying circumstances we absolutely must call on the Lord for our help and we must purpose to remind ourselves of His love and care over us.  As he said, “Return to your rest, my soul for the Lord has been good to you…”   We too need to remind ourselves of these truths that our souls may be calmed.   As we walk before the Lord in the land of the living, let us rejoice in His mighty works He has done in our lives!

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by Dona Hake

While driving yesterday I saw something that I never saw before.  With gusts of wind of 40 m.p.h. I looked up and saw a large bird flying.  What was very odd at one point is that even though it was flapping it’s wings it was literally not moving forward.  It dawned on me that it was flying against the gust of wind.  Every so often it would go forward and then it was just flapping it’s wings but going no where.  I saw a wonderful analogy in this as I pondered what I saw.

That bird was doing all it knew to do.  Although the strong winds were coming against this bird’s flight, he just continued flapping it’s wings.  He was not moved by the fact that he was going no where at certain points nor did he look like he was panicking.  He  kept doing the only thing he knew to do.  He never once looked like giving up, he  just kept persevering against the wind.

Many times in life when the winds of trouble come against us and serve to slow us down or stop us, we too need to just keep doing all we know to do.  As we make the decision to stand in faith, it is almost a guarantee that we will be tested, yet God can keep us standing firm and unmovable.

Ephesians 6:13 (AMP)
“Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that

you may be able to resist and stand your ground

on the evil day [of danger], and, having done

all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place].”

Just know that as you remain steadfast in your faith and His purposes that He is able to keep you in the difficulties and obstacles and He will cause us to rejoice in the victory!

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by Dona Hake

Look closely at this picture and notice the burdens this individual is giving to the Lord.    Maybe you can put yourself in this image and think about the burdens you may be carrying.    You know, the Lord does not want us to try to carry any burdens.  He came to set us free from those things and as we make the decision to turn them over to Him, He promises to help us with them.

Psalm 55:22
“Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee…”

I like the absoluteness of this scripture…”HE SHALL SUSTAIN THEE…”   Burdens will hold you down.  Burdens will keep you from moving forward into your dreams.  Burdens will flat out keep you from being free. God desires that you give Him every burden in order that He may anchor you in His hope and He also promises that you will not be shaken or moved.

Matthew 11:29-30  (NLV)
“Follow My teachings and learn from Me.

I am gentle and do not have pride.

You will have rest for your souls.

For My way of carrying a load is easy and My load is not heavy.”

I just want to encourage you to make sure you are not carrying burdens.  Your help is from Him and all you have to do is ask Him to take that burden.  He promised He would and He is faithful to do that which He said in His Word.

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by Dona Hake

As a little girl I can remember one of my Grandmothers having a wall plaque and it had three powerful words written on it…”Jesus Never Fails.”    Those three words always intrigued me.   I would wonder how He could be so perfect and how impossible it seemed that there was someone that could not fail.  His unfailing love just seemed too hard for me to comprehend.   Just the thought of someone never messing up and always being there for me just seemed too great and unreachable.

“…but the Lord’s unfailing love
surrounds the one who trusts in Him.”

Psalm 32:10b  NIV

As you purpose to trust Him with all of your heart He promises to surround you with His unfailing love.    Amazing isn’t it?  Just to try to fathom that His love is incapable of failing.    His love knows only faithfulness.  His love has no beginning and it has no end.   Because His love has no limits,   He promises to always be there as our  faithful Friend.

When you feel like no one understands or you  feel like you are standing alone, know this…if you put your trust in Jesus, He promises to never fail you, leave you or forsake you.   A God of perfect love desires to come along side of you  and encompass you with the beauty of His never ending, unfailing love.

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by Dona Hake

What does it mean to have abundant peace? This sounds like such a treasure doesn’t it? Daily our lives face disruptions that serve to dampen the peace that we strive to hold fast to. I do not know about you but when I feel His peace in the midst of turmoil it is the most wonderful thing to know. Face it, sometimes it seems like all is going well and suddenly it goes downhill fast. It is only His peace that can minister to your heart and mind and that very peace will keep you afloat. The Psalmist speaks that if we love God’s instruction, we will have abundant peace that BELONGS to us.

Psalm 119:165 (HCSB)
“Abundant peace belongs to those
who love Your instruction;
nothing makes them stumble.”

Peace in abundance means that it is present in great quantity; more than adequate and over sufficient! I love the “more than adequate” because sometimes in stressful situations, you not only need peace for yourself but extra to share with those around you. That peace that belongs to you not only keeps you but it can spill out and touch hearts around you.

There is one thing the Lord asks that we do and that is to love His Word. I believe that loving His Word means to embrace it no matter what is going on around us. Loving His Word means looking daily to it for our instruction in the way that we are to walk. His Word is our instruction manual for life. As we love His Word and make a decision to do what it says, He promises that abundant peace belongs to us. I thank Him for that peace!

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by Dona Hake

I absolutely hate if I am trying to do something and I just know that my heart is not in it.  When you are trying to do your job or do something and your heart is not connected it simply feels like you are going through the motions.   I also hate when I know I have to do something and my attitude is not correct.  God desires to work in our everyday things that we have to do.  He certainly can see the maintenance adjustments that are much needed on our heart, mind and soul.  He sees our struggles and He knows well what you dread relative to your job or other responsibilities.

I believe the Lord desires that we work wholeheartedly in all that we set our hand to.

Colossians 3:23 (AMP)
” Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul),

as [something done] for the Lord and not for men…”

In this scripture we can see that as we do anything our focus needs to stay on the Lord.  We need to work as if we are doing it for Him.  As I think about this I cannot help but to think about how our hearts would definitely be more willing even if the job is not pleasant. Another translations says, in ALL the work you are given, do the best you can.   I think that is a great attitude to carry with us as we face each day’s demands and our jobs.  No matter what it is that is your responsibility just simply do the best you can and do it as if you are doing it for Him.  As you pursue to make this a habit of your heart, I guarantee you that He will prosper all that you put your hand to.

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