Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Posted on Oct 24, 2018 in Devotions |

Devotional for Wednesday, October 24, 2018

“The Strong Roots of a Righteous Man”

by Dona Hake

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

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. The Lord IS our Shepherd and we shall not want! Praise the living God that has promised to sustain us! The man or woman with strong spiritual roots shall not be moved!

Proverbs 12:3

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

Monday, October 22, 2018

Posted on Oct 22, 2018 in Devotions |

Devotional for Monday, October 22, 2018

“Drawing Upon the Living Water”

by Dona Hake

It is surely a fact that man without Christ lives in a state of never being truly satisfied. It is only the Lord that can fill the needs of every man’s heart. The Lord knows us inside and out, and only He can satisfy the thirst of our souls. Jesus explained to the woman at the well the meaning of the true living water that only He gives.

John 4:13-14

Amplified Bible

“Jesus answered her, All who drink of

this water will be thirsty again.

But whoever takes a drink of the water that

I will give him shall never, no never, be thirsty

any more. But the water that I will give him shall

become a spring of water welling up

(flowing, bubbling) [continually] within

him unto (into, for) eternal life.”

When you feel life’s problems and this world draining you of your strength and peace, stop and drink of His water for it will strengthen and refresh your soul. Know that it is the water of continual flow for this scripture translation says, His water “shall become a spring of water welling up, flowing, bubbling, continually…” This gives such a beautiful image of His living water within us. It truly is the life flow from which we can draw upon whenever we meet uncertainty and overwhelming problems. God is gracious and He ever lives to pour forth that living water to you! Today I encourage you to lift your eyes and heart to Him. Permit Him to pour His refreshing life into you. Oh that our cups would spill over that we can refresh and lift up those around us!

Friday, October 19, 2018

Posted on Oct 19, 2018 in Devotions |

Devotional for Friday, October 18, 2018

“We Are the Children of Light”

by Dona Hake

Genesis 1 :1-3 (DARBY)

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

And the earth was waste and empty, and darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

And God said, Let there be light. And there was light.

And God saw the light that it was good; and God divided between the light and the darkness. “

One of the first things the living God did during creation was separate the light from the dark. He saw it to be a good thing that light stood out from the darkness. Every morning we wake up to the light of day, and at night the sky grows dark yet in this world we can see that spiritual darkness still hovers over the lives of people every minute of their day. This darkness creates confusion and lack of direction to those that are lost. Darkness in one’s life can bring great depression and lack of hope to a soul.

For such a time as this, we are called to be lights in the midst of darkness. He is watching for those that desire to shine like a light because He has given the light that never grows dim. Oh praise living God that within us burns a fire and light that will never get dim. He desires that we be the light where there is no light. Oh that our testimony of living for Him would cause those that are lost to believe there really is light at the end of their hopeless tunnel!

Luke 11:22 (CEB)

“People don’t light a lamp and then put it in a closet or under a basket. Rather, they place the lamp on a lampstand so that those who enter the house can see the light.”

Thursday, October 18, 2018

Posted on Oct 18, 2018 in Devotions |

Devotional for Thursday, October 18, 2018

“Our Hope In God”

by Dona Hake

Yesterday morning I was so blessed to be able to hear an interview with Pastor Brunson . I was specifically touched by certain answers that he had given to the many questions that were asked. The Turkish courts had convicted pastor Brunson of aiding in terrorism. Of course this claim was not true but even though he was being treated unjustly, and imprisoned, he determined himself to keep his eyes on the Lord. He shared how his prison cell was made to only hold eight men yet there were 20 in his cell. He shared his circumstances and the trials that went on within him and at one point he said, “I talked to God whether he talked to me or not.” He purposed himself to not let go of his hope.

I thought about that statement he made, and it made me think about how many times people get tempted to doubt when God seems quiet. We can be tempted to think he is not there yet He always is with us whether He is speaking or not, and we can be assured He is always moving on our behalf as our total trust is in Him. This statement made me meditate upon how we are never to to be moved by what we see or do not see nor should we be moved by what we hear or what we do not hear.

He shared that in the midst of his troubles he began to write a song about God‘s love and faithfulness. His wife shared how when she was able to visit him that there was a glass between them, and they would take their hands and place them on the glass that separated them, and touched each other and just pray together in agreement. It was so precious. Pastor Bronson is a vessel that is proclaiming the message of hope in the midst of no hope. At the end of the interview he was asked, “What words do you leave us with today?” Pastor Brunson proclaimed, “God is using this situation and He is using God’s people!“ Our Lord was able to take that which was meant for evil, and turned it into a victorious testimony.

May this remind us that nothing can separate us from the love of God. Our hope needs to be in Him and in Him alone. Nothing can keep His work from going forward as long as we keep our eyes on Him. May our hearts be entwined with our loving God, and we will proclaim victory as we do His will in Jesus Name.

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Posted on Oct 16, 2018 in Devotions |

Devotional for Tuesday, October 16, 2018

“Calm and Trusting”

by Dona Hake

“Only by remaining calm and trusting in me can you be strong.”Isaiah 30:15 – ERV

~Calm~. A place of quietness, to be tranquil, to be still, free from excitement or passion. Calm implies an unruffled state, especially under disturbing conditions.

As we choose to be calm and trust rather than permit the unseen “whatever’s” to agitate and create turmoil within our hearts, we will be strong. The same Jesus that stood up in the boat with His disciples, and spoke, “Be still!” lives within us. He spoke to the storm and the raging sea and everything came to complete stillness and calm. May we also speak to to our own souls in times of circumstances around us that seem to be a raging storm in our life.

I encourage you to call upon Him in those opportunities in which we can choose either to be agitated and moved by circumstances or rather be calmed by the hand of our Lord as we trust Him with all of our heart.

Thursday, October 11, 2018

Posted on Oct 11, 2018 in Devotions |

“He Is Ready To Overwhelm You!”

Devotional for Thursday, October 11, 2018

by Dona Hake

“Here’s my point. A stingy sower will reap a meager harvest, but the one who sows from a generous spirit will reap an abundant harvest. Let giving flow from your heart, not from a sense of religious duty. Let it spring up freely from the joy of giving—all because God loves hilarious generosity! Yes, God is more than ready to overwhelm you with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of everything —every moment and in every way. He will make you overflow with abundance in every good thing you do.”
2 Corinthians 9:6-8 – TPT

One can be stingy with money, but let us not think that money is the only thing one can be stingy with. A person can be tempted to be stingy with the giving of their time, and talents, etc. As believers we are blessed with an abundant life, for the scripture says He came to give us life and give it more abundantly. Praise Him for He has made available to us every form of grace and provision for our life!

His giving comes from above, and it is our provision to live this life for Him here on this earth. Our God desires to open the windows of heaven to us, and pour out into our lives in a way that we are blessed above and beyond all we dare ask or think. Above our highest hopes and dreams…our God desires to pour great things on each of us in a unique way that we may be vessels to manifest His love and glory.

How wonderful it is that we serve a God of more than enough! His store house is not controlled by this world but by the power of His mighty hand. He desires to overwhelm us with every blessing. Let us reflect on all that has been poured into our lives from His heavenly windows. Think about how you can give generously that which the Lord has entrusted to you. Let us be generous givers in every way, shape, form and fashion of all that we have been blessed and overwhelmed us with.

“Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over [with no space left for more]. For with the standard of measurement you use [when you do good to others], it will be measured to you in return.”
Luke 6:38 – Amplified version

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Posted on Oct 9, 2018 in Devotions |

“Let Every Word”

Devotional for Wednesday, October 10, 2018

“Walk in the wisdom of God as you live before the unbelievers, and make it your duty to make him known. Let every word you speak be drenched with grace and tempered with truth and clarity. For then you will be prepared to give a respectful answer to anyone who asks about your faith.”

Colossians 4:5-6 The Passion Translation

How can we make Him known? How can we make unbelievers aware of His love and presence in our life? As I am meditating upon these questions, the first word that came up from my spirit was ~ encounters~. Interesting that one of the definitions for encounters is to come upon or meet with ~ especially unexpectedly.

Wow! I love when good opportunities happen unexpectedly. These are great encounters! I think of the many divine appointments God has unexpectedly presented to me in what seemed to be an ordinary trip to the grocery store, or in the midst of doing errands. I love those opportunities to share God‘s wisdom, His love, and the truth of His Word. When our words are drenched and saturated with His grace, and our words are clear and full of truth they will surely touch a heart. So today I am encouraging you to make Him known and expect those unexpected encounters. Be ready to give an answer to that inquiring heart about the living God the dwells within you!

Thursday, October 4, 2018

Posted on Oct 4, 2018 in Devotions |

Devotional for Thursday, October 4, 2018

“Righteousness Will Go Before Him”

by Dona Hake

“Righteousness will go before Him and will make

His footsteps into a way [in which to walk].”
Psalm 85:13. AMPLIFIED VERSION

Recently I was meditating on some notes that I had taken from when my husband shared from Psalm 85 a few years ago. What the Lord was speaking to me during this teaching caused me to write the following note for me to meditate upon…

“Turn my heart toward your will,

and cause me to see when I am off of your path.”

Just think about how easy it is when you’re traveling and you are not paying attention or you think you’ve chosen a clever shortcut. Many times these are the decisions we make that end up causing us to be lost in our travels until we get back on track. So it is in the Spirit. All it takes is one wrong attitude to open us up to thoughts that could cause us to sin, and words that could cause us to hurt someone. The devil would love nothing more than to seduce us and trick us to think it is acceptable to stray from the will of our Lord, and it will always begin in the smallest of things. We must guard our hearts and minds so we are so sensitive to the Spirit of God to show us even the smallest of things.

Oh that our prayer would be that our heart is always toward our Lord continually abiding in His presence, for it is then that we will always be on His path doing His will. It is then that we will experience Him steering our footsteps in paths of righteousness for His Name sake and the work of His kingdom!

Wednesday, October 3, 2018

Posted on Oct 2, 2018 in Devotions |

Devotional for Wednesday, October 3, 2018

“But I Run With Passion”

by Dona Hake

Seeking to live in “comfort zones” in the spirit is an enemy to our faith. What is a “comfort zone“? It is the place where security is felt, it is when one feels they are in control. Our natural fears and tendencies could lead us to seek and find such a place, and then we may be tempted to position ourselves firmly in that place. It may be a place that you keep protected and you will defend it out of fear. This comfort zone can also tempt us desire to handle things in our own strength. When this happens we are most assuredly not relying on His grace nor are we continuing to grow in our faith in God.

God will always desire to take us forward…from one place in the Spirit to the next as we walk and grow in His will. Comfort zones can become a stagnant place, and can position us to end up in fear of moving forward or we can be held back by dwelling on the “good ole days” of the past. God desires that we live in a growing faith for “Now faith is…” He desires to keep our hearts challenged by Him.

Today I encourage you to think about where the Lord has brought you from, and how He may have challenged your comfort zone’s in the past. Let us run with passion into His abundance in all that He has called us to discover and fulfill!

“I admit that I haven’t yet acquired the absolute fullness that I’m pursuing, but I run with passion into his abundance so that I may reach the purpose that Jesus Christ has called me to fulfill and wants me to discover. I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead.”
Philippians 3:12-13 – TPT

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Posted on Sep 26, 2018 in Devotions |

Devotional for Wednesday, September 26, 2018

“I Have Learned…”

by Dona Hake

“I’m not telling you this because I’m in need, for I have learned to be satisfied in any circumstance. I know what it means to lack, and I know what it means to experience overwhelming abundance. For I’m trained in the secret of overcoming all things, whether in fullness or in hunger. And I find that the strength of Christ’s explosive power infuses me to conquer every difficulty.”
Philippians 4:11-12 – The passion translation

I love this… Paul understood how to obtain and hold fast to the goal of God‘s perfect will in his life. He learned and trained himself in the secret of overcoming any obstacle, and nothing was going to stand in his way or stop him. As we fellowship with our Lord and diligently renew our minds with God‘s Word we are arming ourselves for whatever we may face.

As we continue in faith and the renewing our minds, we will learn to be content whether are enjoying abundance or we are walking through lack. Here lies one of the many secrets of our walk with Jesus. All that we need is hidden in His Word for us. Even in fullness and in abundance we need to strive to be overcomers for this is NOT where we draw our strength. Many times in the times of abundance we can be tempted to ease up in our faith. Of course let us praise Him as we enjoy abundance but let us remain in the same contentment no matter what for our eyes are on Him and not the blessing.

Praise Him for His wonderful grace that is sufficient in lack and in abundance. Praise the living God for His mighty explosive power that dwells within us that positions us to live as conquerors in Jesus Name as we continue to press in and remain content in Him.

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!