Thursday, September 28, 2017

Posted on Sep 28, 2017 in Devotions |

Devotional for Thursday, September 28, 2017

“The Honor of Good People”

by Dona Hake

Today we are meditating God being our integrity. The honor of good and godly people is to walk in their Lord’s integrity. First I would love for you to read this short quote as we think about our Lord guiding us in the ways and path of integrity.

“God shall be my hope, My stay,

my guide and lantern to my feet.”
William Shakespeare

If God is our hope, we have established in our hearts that He is going ahead of us. Our eyes are fixed on Him with great confidence and expectation. When we see Him as our stay, He is always all that we need in the present. He shall be the loving Anchor of our soul, and we shall not be moved. When He is our guide, He is the ultimate compass that moves in the greatest of accuracy. As He is our lantern to our feet we will be moving in His divine direction with great illumination all around us. This is the walk of a godly man or woman. This is the walk and life of showing forth His integrity.

Now let us look closely at what the word integrity means:

It means to adhere to a moral or ethical principle.

It is the soundness of moral character, honesty.

Integrity is the state of being whole, entire or undiminished.

As we practice living, breathing and moving by the Spirit of the Living God, we will be a people of great honor and integrity. From the depths of our being there will be a passionate desire to please Him and do the right thing. We will adhere to His precepts, and we will walk in God’s character which is sound and moral remaining whole, entire and undiminished. Oh the beauty of walking in the integrity of our God!

Proverbs 11:3
New Life Version
“The honor of good people will lead them…”

We thank you Lord that Your integrity shall guide us, and that Your integrity in us will draw people to You! We praise You for being our Hope, our Stay, and the Lantern to our feet that we may exhibit integrity in our lives.

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Posted on Sep 27, 2017 in Devotions |

Devotional for Wednesday, September 27, 2017

“Righteousness Walks Before God”

by Dona Hake

Psalm 85:10-13 (CEB)
Faithful love and truth have met;righteousness and peace have kissed.
Truth springs up from the ground;righteousness gazes down from heaven.
Yes, the Lord gives what is good,and our land yields its produce.
Righteousness walks before God, making a road for his steps.

God desires that we live and walk by His truth and His truth alone. Our walk with Him must be led by the light of His righteousness. Many times the way of the Lord will be narrow, and sometimes even unpopular. I remember a quote that I used to have hanging on a poster in my high school classroom. It said:

“What is popular is not always

right, what is right is not

always popular.”

Many time popular trends can lead, pull and tug at our hearts. May we determine that the way of the world will not dictate the paths that we choose to walk on. Also, may we seek Him for the courage and strength to walk on right paths that are not popular in the world’s eyes. God blesses the paths that He desires that we walk in. As we seek His righteousness He WILL make a place for us to stand, He’ll make a road for our steps to walk upon firmly!

He desires to perfect all things that concern us. As we turn our hearts toward Him I believe He will cause us to see and discern when we are not on the right path. One of the secrets to knowing we are always walking in the Lord’s foot steps, is staying aware that we are not walking in our own ability nor thinking our own thoughts, but rather drawing upon the wisdom and grace that flows from above. We must purpose to draw upon the mind of Christ in our prayers, our words, and our actions. I remember many years ago the popular saying “What would Jesus do?” It was popular to wear bracelets that had imprinted upon them WWJD, and they were worn as a constant reminder of this truth. I loved this because it really did make you stop and ask yourself that question…”What would my Lord do in this situation?”

Today may we look to Him for His loving guidance, and His loving kindness in our lives. May we release our faith that He will speak to us and cause others to see His love in our lives. Help us Lord to hear with expectant hope what You desire to speak to our hearts.

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Posted on Sep 26, 2017 in Devotions |

Devotional for Tuesday, September 26,, 2017

“Fresh Faith For Today”

by Dona Hake

Yesterday I shared the scripture with you from Acts 17:28, “It is through Him that we are able to live, to do what we do, and to be who we are..” The Lord desires that we live IN Him in this life, and He desires we live every moment of our life by faith. He desires that we trust in Him with all of our hearts, and that we live this life in Him just as we depend upon Him for our next breath. We need not live by our own works but rather we should press in to live and move and flow from His heavenly abundance, grace and strength. Let us continue to build our faith and be mindful that our dependency must be upon Him for every moment we live. The strength we received yesterday was for yesterday’s needs. Tomorrow is a new day, and we must look to Him for new strength and provision for the needs of the day.

“The comfort you find in

a moment of faith will

be completely inadequate

for the next.”

Francois de Fenelon

It is our human nature to get caught up in special moments isn’t it? Some moments are so wonderful and just unforgettable. In this life we will be blessed to experience joyous moments that are above and beyond our belief. But then there are moments in which we will experience trials and the sorrows of this life. Jesus said those times would happen, and He has promised to be there for us when they do. Oh the joy of those sweet victories of those situations that seemed so impossible. May we rejoice in those victories, but know this my friend, we cannot live off of the fumes of yesterday’s faith and victories. We must continually press in and grow in our faith.

Today I encourage you to reflect on the wonderful victories and testimonies the Lord has blessed you with but remember that today is a new day with new demands, circumstances, and sometimes obstacles that are going to try to stop you. Look to Him with fresh faith, new strength and grace for this day, and live and move in Him by faith as you serve Him fresh today!

Monday, September 25, 2017

Posted on Sep 25, 2017 in Devotions |

Devotional for Monday, September 25, 2017

“It Is Through Him…”

by Dona Hake

I can remember a few years ago our youngest Granddaughter wanting to help me take our German Shepherd out in the backyard so she could run and play ball. Since it was bitter cold she needed to put some gloves on to throw ball for Aasha. I stood by her and gave her the opportunity to try and put the gloves on herself. You can only imagine what I saw…first, two little fingers were shoved into one finger of the glove, and she ended up looking up at me with a frustrated look exclaiming, “Grandma…this is so complicated!” We laughed together as we looked at the glove on her little hand for one of the fingers of the glove was motionless because there was no finger in it. I said, “Okay, let’s try this again…” She opened her little hand and along with a little bit of my help she did her best to carefully place each finger in the appropriate finger of the glove. Then I heard, “There!!!! I got it Grandma, now let’s go!!!” It is little things like this that speak things to my heart, and the Lord uses them to enhance a spiritual truth to me. This is what He showed me….

We too are just like that one finger left empty in the glove when we try so hard to do things apart from His help. Without the Lord helping us and moving through us by His Spirit we can be left motionless and without use apart from Him filling each and every aspect of our being. He desires to live and flow through us in every area of our life. This is His perfect will for us! Today I want you to remember that you are His very special vessel and He wants you to submit yourself to Him that He can breathe His life into every word you speak, every deed you do, and every circumstance you face today. Oh praise Him today for He wants to move through us and make us a vessel of honor for Him. Let us live and move and have our total being in Him!

Acts 17:28 (East To Read version)

“It is through him that we are able to live, to do

what we do, and to be who we are…”

Sunday, September 24, 2017

Posted on Sep 24, 2017 in Devotions |

Devotional for Sunday, September 24, 2017

“It Is Not Our Ability”

by Dona Hake

“It is not my ability, but my response

to God’s ability, that counts.”

Corrie ten Boom

We have all been faced with things we have had to do that seem impossible to do in our own ability. It is in those times that our mind may give us fits but we need to stop and remind ourselves that we are in a perfect place, and that is when we are weak HE IS STRONG. It is in these times that when we face the impossible that we stop and remind ourselves that we serve a God that is able to take our impossibilities and turn them into testimonies of His greatness!

Philippians 4:13 (AMP)“I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].”

Today I encourage you to look up and draw from Him. Draw upon His grace and all of those heavenly possibilities! Know that God can make you able through Him. If you are dealing with something that seems too big for you, set aside your thoughts and plans. Ask Him to infuse you with His strength and His thoughts on the matter. Remember, respond to His ability with faith in your heart and watch Him work mightily on your behalf!

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Posted on Sep 23, 2017 in Devotions |

Devotional for Saturday, September 23, 2017

“Whatever May Be Your Task”

by Dona Hake

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 whatever our task may be, no matter how simple or complicated, our focus needs to stay on the Lord We need to be working wholeheartedly from our soul . Whatever the task is may it be as unto the Lord. As I think about this I cannot help but to think about how our hearts would be more willing diligently 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 whatever our job or task may be. No matter what it is your responsibility is to simply do the best you can, with a heart of determination and love. As we purpose to make this a habit of our heart, He will prosper all that you put your hands to.

Lord, help us to keep our hearts and minds toward you this day. We call upon you to remind us to work wholeheartedly no matter what we put our hands to. We thank you for blessing the work of our hands that we may bless You, and then be a light and blessing to those around us.

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Posted on Sep 21, 2017 in Devotions |

Devotional for Thursday, September 21, 2017

“Do You Have Abundant Peace?”

by Dona Hake

What does it mean to have abundant peace? This sounds like such a treasure doesn’t it? We may find those days in which disruptions try to rob 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. Sometimes it seems like all is going well, and suddenly the winds of this life pick up and we are confronted with a circumstance or some sort of trial. It is only His peace that can minister to our heart and mind, and that very peace will keep us above any thing we may face. So as we look and meditate on God’s peace, let us ponder dwelling in an abundance of peace. I love that thought…how about you? 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.”

I love this…when I am loving His instruction for my life, I will have an abundance of peace, and nothing that crosses my path will make me 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, we not only need peace for ourselves but extra to share with those around us. That peace that belongs to us not only keeps our hearts and minds but it can spill out and minister to the troubled hearts around us.

Today as we meditate on possessing peace in abundance may we keep our minds always renewed that the Lord desires that we 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!

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Posted on Sep 19, 2017 in Devotions |

Devotional for Tuesday, September 19, 2017

“Dwelling In His House”

by Dona Hake

“…I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Psalm 23:6

To dwell in a place means to live or continue in a given condition or state. God desires that His children never leave the beauty of His presence. He desires we never stray or entertain thoughts of the “grass being greener on the other side.” As He follows us all the days of our lives, He so longs for our love. He longs that we give Him everything. Oh how He longs that we dwell in His house forever!

Let us declare His wonderful works and may we be used as a humble vessel for Him. We should delight to give testimony of what He has or is doing in our life. I encourage you to look for opportunities to share the wonderful things He has done for you as you dwell in Him all the days of your life. It is good to draw near to Him, and trust Him with your whole heart.

Psalm 73:28 Amplified

“But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have

put my trust in the Lord God and made Him my

refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.”

Monday, September 18, 2017

Posted on Sep 18, 2017 in Devotions |

Devotional for Monday, September 18, 2017

“Forget, Focus, Persevere, and Reach”

by Dona Hake

Philippians 3:13 (ERV)

“Brothers and sisters, I know that I still have a long way to go.

But there is one thing I do: I forget what is in the past and

try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me.”

The Apostle Paul was one determined man. I love his honesty here as he admitted in his writing that he still had a long way to go. Paul understood the power of focusing on what really mattered, and he understood the grace that came from above. He understood that his past needed to be forgotten and his future needed to be reached for with great perseverance. There are four words in particular that I am meditating on as I read over this portion of scripture in Philippians.

Forget

Focus

Persevere

Reach

Many times we can get so hung up on our pasts , and if we do so that mindset can cause a spiritual stand still in our walk with the Lord. It is sad to think one’s purpose and determination is robbed by their yesterdays. I do feel strongly that there is importance in learning from mistakes or bad experiences. These things can serve to help us learn and gain wisdom. Wisdom gained from bad experiences or mistakes can be carried with us the rest of our life. This wisdom is something we can embrace and pass on to others.

Many times in our journey in life we may come to a “dead end” on a path that we were traveling You may had thought that the path you were on seemed so promising, but just like that…it did not turn out the way you planned. Do not let that discourage you but rather seek the Lord and what He would have you to do. I believe there are many times that “dead ends” on the paths that we walk are God’s favor on us, and He is sparing us from a bad decision or mistake. Sometimes you just never know. One thing we do know though, and that is that we need to keep moving forward. Remember to forget the past, focus on His plan for you, persevere in the journey, and reach forward!

“One of the greatest and most comforting truths

is that when one door opens, another closes,

but often we look so long and

regretfully upon the closed door that

we do not see the one that is open for us.”

(Anonymous)

Sunday, September 17, 2017

Posted on Sep 16, 2017 in Devotions |

Devotional for Sunday, September 17, 2017

“Staying On Course With God”

by Dona Hake

A few years ago I read a woman’s writing about life’s lessons had taught her. She decided to celebrate aging by passing on what she learned. I love this! Her name was Regina Brett. She really shared some interesting things that she deemed as valuable wisdom from her experiences she lived through. I loved so much of the wisdom that she shared but a few really hit me as very awesome to ponder. The one in particular was…

“Don’t compare your life to others.

You have no idea what their journey is about.”

In the world in which we live there are so many opinions of what dictates how success is defined. These people are the “they” voices. You know…”they” say you should do this, “they” say you should look like this, etc… “They” really can put some real pressure on us at times, can’t “they???” Peer pressure is not only among the young, for it will be among any age group. I think it can be so easy to fall into comparing ourselves to those around us. We can never let our focus be on the success of another man therefore making that our standard of what we strive to attain. We are to please our Lord as we seek Him every day. God wants us to seek His perfect will for us as individuals, and go forward into that journey with our whole heart.

My friends, we are uniquely made by Him, therefore He has a unique and special plan for each of us. Let us make a practice of rejoicing in our hearts as those around us succeed. Enjoy who God made you to be and relax and enjoy growing each day as you walk with Him! Today I encourage you to compare yourself to no one, rejoice in His perfect plan for you and may we proclaim “Lord, I’m going to do what you tell me to do…!”

Psalm 119:1-8 (The Message)

“You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You’re blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That’s right—you don’t go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set. You, God, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it. Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set; Then I’d never have any regrets in comparing my life with your counsel. I thank you for speaking straight from your heart; I learn the pattern of your righteous ways. I’m going to do what you tell me to do…”

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!