Thursday, April 12, 2018
Devotional for Thursday, April 12, 2018
“Become Like Children!”
by Dona Hake
“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child and set him before them, and said, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless you repent [that is, change your inner self—your old way of thinking, live changed lives] and become like children [trusting, humble, and forgiving], you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever [a]humbles himself like this child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 18:1-4 Amplified Version
We should all desire to grow strong in our faith in the living God but oh that we would embrace remaining as a child in our hearts. A child will simply trust those that they believe in and love. Our Lord instructs us in this scripture that we need to rid of our old way of thinking. Honestly I do not know about you but sometimes some old ways of thinking hang can hang on more than we would ever admit.
May we humbly permit our Lord to continually examine our hearts that they remain pure and acceptable to Him. Jesus also encouraged those around Him to live a life that is changed and that they become like a child that is humble and willing to forgive.
I can remember teaching a group of preschoolers about the Bible verse found in Psalm 89:11 “Everything in heaven and earth belongs to you. You made the world and everything in it.” These little ones sat around me staring into my eyes with great anticipation as they waited to hear the teaching about what these words meant. At one point we talked about how God is just so magnificent! I began to focus on how He made so many sea creatures in the big beautiful sea. One my one the little ones were naming off the great sea creatures that they wanted to talk about. Once again their childlike excitement and joy over this truth stirred my heart, and I can see why Jesus advises us to remain as children. I began to share with them about how God is so great and full of wonderful wisdom, and He knew exactly how to make boundaries around the ocean. I said to them, “How does God make the ocean water only go so far, and then there is land? How does God separate the land from the sea?” Then I asked them, ” What is it that you walk on before you step into the ocean?” All their little hands were up in the air as they shouted, “It’s the sand!“ As they said this immediately my heart was impressed to bring to their hearts another truth,( I will share that one with you tomorrow!)
Today I encourage you to think about how everything in this heaven and earth belongs to your God, He made it and everything in it for us to enjoy and be blessed. Yet this truth should remind us how great our God is and His provision is great, so let us remain as trusting children, believing that He is able to do above and beyond all we dare ask or think in Jesus Name. His greatness should remind us to stay humble and trusting in His ability to take care of us.
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
“Be Thou My Vision”
by Dona Hake
Proverbs 29:18 ( Amplified Bible, Classic Edition )
Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]—blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he.
Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]—blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he.
Without God‘s vision it does not go well for us. One is left unrestrained if he has lacks the vision and revelation of his God. But if the believer guards his heart, guards God’s law, and obeys what he has been taught, this is the man or a woman that will be happy and blessed. This is the man or woman that will run with a God given vision in their heart. This is the life of living and being blessed according to His Word. Oh Lord of our heart, help us to press into your vision every day of our life.
“Be thou my vision, oh Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best thought by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light“
This is a portion of the lyrics from “Be Thou My Vision”. I love the first line of the lyrics “… Oh Lord of my heart.“ When we have made Him the Lord over our hearts, we are asking Him to take all control, we will seek out His vision for our life, and His presence will illuminate , guard, and direct our paths.
Today let us look to run with his vision. God’s Word says in Isaiah 40:31 “We shall run and not be weary.” Psalm 119:32 says “I run the same path as your commandments because you give my heart insight.” Hebrews 12:1 says “Run with patience the race that before us, looking onto Jesus.” These Scriptures should motivate and encourage our hearts to run with patience, run with insight, and run with strength as we run with His vision.
Monday, April 9, 2018
Devotional for Monday, April 9, 2018
“God Is Always True To His Word”
by Dona Hake
Psalm 23:3 the Message version
“True to Your Word, you let me catch my breath
and send me in the right direction. “.
Jesus our Shepherd, the restorer of our soul…what a loving caring God we serve. Yet there are times that we need to be made to lie down in His green pastures. Our loving Lord will gently lead us if we permit Him to for we need to walk away from our own efforts and abilities that can rob us of His rest. It is as we get into His presence that our soul will experience the peace of His still waters. He promises to restore our soul with His life giving words, and the ministry of His Spirit.
As we purpose to feed and ponder His Word, our minds will be renewed to the truth. Once again He shows us that His way will straighten any crooked paths, and we will see clearly the direction of His perfect will for us. Our God is true to His Word, and He wants to perform His Word in our life. His Word never returns void for it accomplishes what He desires as we continue to hold fast and stand firm in our faith.
“So will My word be which goes out of My mouth;
It will not return to Me void (useless, without result),
Without accomplishing what I desire, And without
succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:11 – Amplified Version
Saturday, April 7, 2018
Devotional for Saturday, April 7, 2018
“Living Purposefully”
by Dona Hake
The man or woman with diligent hands proceeds from their hearts being consumed with a desire to live productively and prosper in everything they put their hand to. It is so wonderful to experience the fruit of our accomplishment after we have done what we know we have set our heart to do! May we all set out each day that we live looking for godly opportunities to buy up and glorify our God!
Ephesians 5:15-17
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
“Look carefully then how you walk!
Live purposefully and worthily and accurately,
not as the unwise and witless, but as wise
(sensible, intelligent people),
Making the very most of the time
[buying up each opportunity],
because the days are evil.”
Our time is so valuable and precious, and we must purpose to never waste a minute of it. I own a antique hour glass, and as the sand flows through it, there is a measure of time that passes. I love it’s visual reminder to me of how time flies by. This glass timer also reminds me that once that sand flows through it, that a particular time has passed, and I can not get it back. Many times people fail to realize the time they are living, and they are missing opportunities for some reason or other. As time passes so do certain opportunities if we do not seize them. Just as opportunities come and they call for our diligence in a specific time, there are also other things in life that require our diligence in order that we sow, reap, and enjoy blessings.
I encourage you today to desire the heart and hands of the diligent and be blessed. Guard you time and spend it wisely. Diligence is a good thing and it leads to abundant blessing!
Proverbs 21:5 Amplified Bible
“The thoughts of the [steadily] diligent
tend only to plenteousness…”
Friday, April 6, 2018
Devotional for Friday, April 6, 2018
“Simple Obedience”
by Dona Hake
I can remember times in my life in which I truly felt the prayers of loved ones or friends lifting me up. I never mentioned my hardship, yet I felt like there were those holding my arms up in the battle. Praise God for the simple obedience of those that prayed, and they had no idea what I was walking through. Their obedience to the Father’s voice brought strength to my heart when I needed it most. God desires to use our spiritual eyes and ears to stay tuned to what His Spirit desires to do in us.
Never underestimate the times that you have felt prompted to pray for someone and you had no idea of what they were walking through. Simple obedience in such a matter could mean a major victory in an individual’s life. God desires to use us to be a strength and minister through us. I find this scripture interesting as well as applicable to the truth I am bringing to you today.
Proverbs 20:12
“It was the Lord who gave us eyes for seeing and ears for hearing.”
He wants to use our eyes to show us what He is seeing, and He wants to use our ears to hear the hurting or needy hearts of those around us. Let us ask the Lord to help us to see and hear the cry of those spoken and unspoken words of the hurting. I have had times where I might see a complete stranger and I see pain in their eyes and I walk away and just whisper a prayer for them. I more than likely will never see nor speak to them ever again yet I believe the Lord uses us to possibly change situations through such simple prayers. Also, do not be fooled by those that seem so strong and happy on the outside because they may be crying out for help and falling apart on the inside. Again, see people’s hearts with God’s eyes and you will not miss such divine opportunities to be used by God .
Today I encourage you to keep your ears and eyes open. Never take the position that you have to know all the facts before you can pray. If you see or hear pain…just pray. God desires to work in and through you to reach out and strengthen those that need our help. There is power in simple obedience.
Thursday, April 5, 2018
Devotional for Thursday, April 5, 2018
“When All That We Need…”
“We mutter, we sputter,
We fume and we spurt.
We mumble and grumble-
Our feelings get hurt.
We can’t understand things-
Our vision gets dim,
When all that we need-
Is a moment with Him.”
We fume and we spurt.
We mumble and grumble-
Our feelings get hurt.
We can’t understand things-
Our vision gets dim,
When all that we need-
Is a moment with Him.”
Corrie ten Boom
I loved this poem written by this precious woman Corrie ten Boom. She truly understood what hardship was. She understood what it meant to wonder what was going to happen to her and her sister every moment of the day during imprisonment . You see living in a concentration camp Corrie learned to pray in the most hopeless of situations. She grew in her love for God, and those around her, and her many dark situations taught her to keep a thankful heart.
Many times we can be overcome with what is going on in the moment of our lives. And this poem gives us something to meditate upon that is very precious. In those moments of anxiety, confusion, or feelings getting hurt or it seems we do not understand things…it is in those moments we must make the decision to step into a moment with our Lord and simply pray.
“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.” Philippians 4:6-7. Amp. Version
I love this translation for it exhorted my heart when I face moments of frustration or confusion, etc…to step out of that moment, and step into a moment with Him and simply cast my care and pray. It will be then that I not only seek answers to my problems but I need to stop and thank Him for what I do have. Many times our focus can become so strong on what is wrong in our lives, and we need to simply stop and give thanks to our Lord for all that we need is a moment with Him!
Monday, April 2,2018
Devotional for Monday, April 2, 2018
“Jesus Our Light”
by Dona Hake
Oh the wonderful light of our Lord that we have been given to live by! This is the only true Light in this world but know this for sure…there are those that are looking for something to fill the darkness in their souls, and this world tries to counterfeit God’s light in order to draw them away from our Lord. The scripture speaks of the devil masquerading as an angel of light. Today let us meditate upon being deliberate in walking in the light that we have been given so that people can be set free, and not snared by the devil.
Psalm 36:9
(CEV)
“The life-giving fountain
belongs to you,
and your light gives light
to each of us.”
My friends, let us live to bring hope and His pure light to the hopeless. I encourage you to look for opportunities to live and speak from that life-giving fountain of light within you in Jesus Name!
1 John 1:5 (The Message)
“This, in essence, is the message we heard from Christ
and are passing on to you: God is light, pure light;
there’s not a trace of darkness in him.”
Saturday, March 31, 2018
Devotional for Saturday, March 31, 2018
“The Pure Heart”
by Dona Hake
“The blood of Jesus does not cleanse excuses.
It cleanses sins that are confessed.
We have to humble ourselves.“
Corey ten Boom
After I read this quote I immediately began to think upon the scripture in Psalm 51:10.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God;
and renew a right spirit within me.” (KJV)
This is such a precious scripture to me,and it is one I love to pray often over my heart.It is when we desire to have a clean and pure heart that the Lord will be able to work deeply within us. The Lord will speak to us plainly and frankly if we permit Him to. He will show us in those times that we are not rightly dealing with sin in our heart, and He will show us that making excuses is not the right thing to do. When we make excuses for things in our lives we have come to a place where we do not want to deal with our hearts according to truth. We are merely seeking to remove guilt and blame from ourselves according to our own standards of what is right and wrong.This is a very dangerous thing to fall into for this is self deception.
May we trust our Heavenly Father, and the work of the Holy Spirit to help keep the eyes of our understanding clear so that we can see our sins as we should be seeing them. Saying that, we can rejoice as believers that the Lord has an abundance of love, forgiveness and grace for us, and He desires to deliver us and help us maintain a clean and pure heart in Jesus name.
“The blood of Jesus his son cleanses us from all sin.
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us.” 1John 1:7–8 (RSV)
Friday, March 30, 2018
Devotional for Friday, March 30, 2018
“I Will Rest In God Alone”
by Dona Hake
“Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him,”
Psalm 62:5 HCSB
Psalm 62:5 HCSB
God’s desire is for us to stay in the place of rest that He has provided for us for it is there that we are able to live refreshed and drawing upon Him. It is there that our hearts, minds and bodies are living as He created us to live. It is there that there is strength and peace beyond any comprehension exists.
Sometimes it is human tendency to push our minds and bodies beyond the boundaries that God created for us. Worry is an example. The Lord did not create for us to carry cares, and keep our minds in a preoccupied state of worry. It is God’s plan and desire for us to live on this earth drawing upon His grace and strength as we purpose to do His will. In those times we realize we have stepped into our own ability, let us return to His rest that He desires for us.
I encourage your heart to live in that place that provides abundant relief and freedom from anything that wearies, troubles, or disturbs our soul. Let us abide under the shadow of His wings. It is as we rest in this place that we really do experience the power of His restoring strength to our soul! Rest in God alone for this is our hope.
Thursday, March 29, 2018
Devotional for Thursday, March 29, 2018
“But Fruit Is Grown In the Valleys”
by Dona Hake
“Mountain tops or for views and inspiration,
but fruit is grown in the valleys.“
Billy Graham
I was so touched and inspired by this quote when I came across this the other day! It caused my heart to reflect on how it is such a blessing to rejoice as we walk through times of mountaintop experiences in this life, but we come to understand all too quickly that this is not reality to expect every minute of our lives.
God has promised to be with us in the valleys, and many times it is in the valleys that we gain wisdom, peace, and strength that we never would have attained unless we walked through dark and difficult times. One thing for sure is when we stay connected to Jesus He will continue to cause us to flourish in the midst of any dry or dark season. Whatever we do and whenever we do it we can believe that we can continue to mature and prosper.
“And he will be like a tree firmly planted [and fed] by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season; Its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers [and comes to maturity].”
Psalm 1:3. Amplified version
In His presence is fullness of joy no matter what is going on in our midst. We can do nothing without Him yet with Him we can do all things! Let us expect from our Lord that we will continue to bear fruit whether we be on the mountain top or in the valleys of this life.
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
John 15:4-5
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!