Wednesday, April 5 , 2017

Posted on Apr 5, 2017 in Devotions |

Devotional for Tuesday, April 5, 2017

“Our Hearts Filled With Hope”

by Dona Hake

Recently I shared about being saturated with the fullness of God. In the midst of dry land, He promises to satisfy our every need. He said we would be like a garden that has plenty of water, like a spring that never goes dry.”

Today I want to share about God being our source of hope. Our God…that place from which we need to be drawing from, He IS the source of all hope. Our God…that well from which ALL blessings flow! May our hearts be full of hope and joy as we draw upon Him today.

Sometimes in the midst of barren or difficult places, hope can seem impossible to our hearts, and our minds are a battlefield as it tempts us to get into reasoning away our faith. As He is truly our source we will turn to Him and Him alone for all that we need. He IS the stream that never runs dry and He promised to be a river of life within us. One translation brings us Romans 15:13 like this:

“May God,

THE SOURCE OF ALL HOPE

fill you with joy and

peace through your faith in him. Then you will overflow

with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Today let us think about Him being our hope. People will say, “I hope everything works out for you.” or “I am hoping God does this or that…” May I declare to you that God desires that you see Him as a sure and living hope. He can ALWAYS be depended on. He can show Himself to you as that rock in your dry place where hope and life-giving water gushes from. What are you believing for today? If you are praying about something that seems impossible, know that the God of hope will fill you with HIS joy and peace as you place your trust in Him. Imagine yourself today saturated and overflowing in all of God’s life. Remember it is only as you draw upon Him that you will experience this! Praise the God of ALL hope!

Sunday, April 2, 2017

Posted on Apr 2, 2017 in Devotions |

Devotional for Sunday, April 2, 2017

“Experiencing Abundance in the Dry Lands”

by Dona Hake

Over the past few days we have been meditating upon drawing upon God’s grace and entering into His rest. As we rest in Him we will experience His life flow of abundance even though we may be walking through dry lands in our life. The scripture I share with you today from Isaiah 58 speaks of time of need being a “dry land”. Let us read that scripture…

Isaiah 58:11 (ERV)

“The Lord will always lead you and satisfy your needs in dry lands.

He will give strength to your bones.

You will be like a garden that has plenty of water,

like a spring that never goes dry.”

There is such beauty in this scripture. Just think about the times in which you feel as if life has made you feel like you are in a dry land and you are weary. If you have lived on this earth for much time at all you well know and understand what I am referring to. The trials and tests of this life can drain us but bless God!!!….He has promised we can remain as a garden that has plenty of water. We can be as a spring that never runs dry!

This makes me think about how we need to be saturated in the living Word of our Lord. The origin of the word saturate is to be full or well-fed. One of it’s definitions is to soak, impregnate, or imbue thoroughly or completely. I am thinking how one could saturate a sponge with water and just lay it down. If one returns and squeezes it, the water will begin to come forth from the sponge. That which was within the depths of the sponge is now seen through the pressure of the squeeze. As we stay full of the life of our God we need not fear the pressures of this life. We can be as a spring that never runs dry in the midst of dry times and times of trials that serve to wear us down. We will be as that sponge…when pressures are applied, all that is stored up within us will be there to sustain us. We will not be empty, we will be full! God’s Word is living and able to keep us sustained through any test or pressure this life brings.

Today I encourage you to dwell upon the fact that the Lord desires to lead you and satisfy your needs if you are walking through dry times. It is as life puts the squeeze on us that the Lord can release His living water from deep within our souls. He has promised to us that He would give us a river that was incapable of running dry. I would like you to also see yourself as a refreshment to those around you that may be walking through times of need and weariness. Let us be used as a blessing of the Lord wherever we can!

Saturday, April 1, 2017

Posted on Apr 1, 2017 in Devotions |

Devotional for Saturday, April 1, 2017

“…and His Power Will Rest Upon Us”

by Dona Hake

Yesterday we took time to meditate upon God’s grace. We looked at Paul’s frustration as he begged God to deliver him, and God’s response to him was that he had everything he needed. Paul came to understand that when he was powerless as he turned from his own ability that he would then be strong in God’s grace. He came to see that the mighty God above wanted to rest upon Him with His great strength that only comes from grace. Today we will meditate further to deepen this revelation. His rest is in Him and in Him we will find freedom from anything that wearies, troubles, or disturbs our souls. As we rest alone in God, His power will rest upon us.

You know we overwork our bodies at times and more than likely our minds are overworked on a regular basis. Daily responsibilities and cares can just take it out of us. Many times weariness sets into our souls at a pace that can be so subtle that we do not even realize it is happening. I think the secret of this is knowing when we have stepped out of God’s rest and peace and into our own ability. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit would show us when we are not relying upon Him as we should.

God desires that we stay in a place of rest 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 kept in check. It is there that there is strength and peace beyond any comprehension. It is the peace that guards our hearts and minds. If we are honest with ourselves we need to admit there are times when we are pushing the boundaries of our bodies and minds out of God’s precious rest. We need to return to His rest that He desires for us.

Let us abide under the shadow of His wings and I mean abide…live there, hang out, stay there….God wants us to remain before Him. He does not desire we come and go as we please. He does not desire that we come to Him when only when problems come up, but He desires we stay put. It is as we rest in this place that we really do experience His rest!

“Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him,”

Psalm 62:5 HCSB

Friday, March 31, 2017

Posted on Mar 31, 2017 in Devotions |

Devotional for Friday, March 31, 2017

“As God’s Grace Rests Upon Us”

by Dona Hake

2 Corinthians 12:8-10
I begged the Lord three times to take this problem away from me. But the Lord said, “My grace is all you need. Only when you are weak can everything be done completely by my power.” So I will gladly boast about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can stay in me. Yes, I am glad to have weaknesses if they are for Christ. I am glad to be insulted and have hard times. I am glad when I am persecuted and have problems, because it is when I am weak that I am really strong.

In this scripture Paul spoke of calling out to God to help him. Paul had enough of dealing with problems and he begged God that the whole issue would depart from him. God’s response…(I am paraphrasing) “Paul, My grace is what I want you to draw upon, NOT your strength, but Mine. When you have come to realize you can do nothing without Me, and when you are your weakest then My power will enable you to walk through anything in this life.”

Paul’s heart was totally toward God and he realized that all he had to do was allow God’s grace to rest upon him. One translation implies to allow God’s grace to rest as a tent pitched upon us. What an awesome way of looking at dwelling and drawing upon His wonderful grace.

Paul then said, “when I am weak in my own human strength, then I am truly strong, able and powerful in God’s strength.” Paul saw that God’s grace was all that he needed. He saw that it was sufficient. God’s grace is adequate for any purpose and it is always more than enough. God’s grace is sufficient for us as well. May we draw upon it as we live this life, and I pray that you let His grace rest upon you today.

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Posted on Mar 30, 2017 in Devotions |

Devotional for Thursday, March 30, 2017

“With Every Step You Take”

by Dona Hake

Proverbs 3:5-6 Easy-to-Read Version

Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge.

With every step you take, think about what he wants,

and he will help you go the right way.

Trust does not always come easy, especially when we feel our backs are up against the proverbial wall. Yet if we read this scripture very carefully we can deepen our revelation of what trust is. “With every step you take, think about what he wants…” Sometimes the easiest thing to do is turn to our own thoughts and understanding in our life. We can be guilty of only looking to the Lord when trials start to heat up in our day. May we learn to be conscious of His loving hand that desires to direct our day….every minute of it. I recently experienced a very simple problem that I could not figure out what to do to resolve it. I could have gotten online and do some reading, but I desired to just rest in this very small matter, and I was amazed how the Lord showed me the answer to that simple problem. I delight in my heart to know that He cares about the smallest of things in my life.

God has blessed us with intelligence, creativity and know how but let us always be mindful to lean upon Him even in the smallest of matters that He is able to guide our paths. Today I encourage you to learn of Him and lean on Him! With every step you take lean upon Him!

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Posted on Mar 29, 2017 in Devotions |

Devotional for Wednesday, March 29, 2017

“Simple Obedience”

by Dona Hake

Think about times in your life that without the help of others you would not have made it through a particular hardship. I can remember different times in my life in which I truly felt the prayers of the saints lifting me up. They just felt to pray and they had no idea what I was walking through. Simple obedience to the Father’s voice brought strength to me when I needed it.

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 to those around us. I find this scripture interesting as well as applicable to the thought 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 hearts of people around us. Let us ask the Lord to help us to see and hear the cry of people around us. 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 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 .

Keep your ears and eyes open to those around you. Never take the position that you have to know all the facts before you can pray. If you see or hear pain…just pray. No fancy words…just pray. God wants to use you and I to reach down and strengthen those that need our help. There is power in simple obedience.

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Posted on Mar 28, 2017 in Devotions |

Devotional for Tuesday, March 28, 2017

“Living In the Joy of the Moment”

by Dona Hake

As I have mentioned before, many times words spoken that I have heard in sermons or the reading of His Word have touched the depths of my heart, and I love passing them on to you. I have found that there are words that are worthy to be written down and pondered over and over so they may soak deep into my spirit. Today I am returning to some words that are strong and solid and good for my soul to meditate upon. I can remember my husband sharing these words in one of his sermons… “If you live in the past, you’ll have no current joy.” I think one of the saddest things is seeing people live in the pain of their past yet they have so much to be thankful for in the present moment. If we live in the past, even when there are good things going on around us, we may be hindered from even noticing them. The past has the ability to rob us of the good things that are in our life RIGHT NOW! We need to stop and purposely think of each and every good thing that God has blessed us with. If we allow our mind to dwell on the memories of the past we will miss the joy of the moment.

Philippians 3:13 (TLB)

“No, dear brothers, I am still not all I should be, but I am bringing

all my energies to bear on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead…”

I want to encourage you today that if you are tempted to look over your shoulder into your past to STOP! Stop and look at who you are today and how far God has brought you. Stop and think about every blessing you possess whether it be spiritual blessings, family, friends or material things.

Let us not allow the wonderful joys in our present be robbed from us because we feel we are unable to go forward. Know this, God can heal us from the pain and scars of our past. He can give us hope for a future, and He can bring joy unspeakable into our heart and peace that passes all understanding that will permeate our mind. Enjoy the current joys that are around you and allow God to give you the strength to continue to move forward!

Monday, March 27, 2017

Posted on Mar 27, 2017 in Devotions |

Devotional for Sunday, March 27, 2017

“Love Takes No Account”

by Dona Hake

As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ we should be always thinking about the importance of walking in His perfect will for our life. As individuals He will speak to each of us differently but there are certain things that He desires we all walk in. Those things are in His Word, therefore this is why it is so important that we read and know His Word. As we grow in His Word and walk humbly before God and man we continue to see the blessing of obedience. But what about those commands that are not so easy for us. You know…the commands that really challenge our flesh, and make us realize that apart from His help and grace we can do nothing. Today I am thinking about the love chapter in First Corinthians 13. Some of the attributes within this chapter may come easy to you but what about the ones that are harder. We need to be honest with ourselves, and not make excuses for God has given His grace and strength, and He will always empower us to do that which He desires us to do.

I began to reflect back on something that happened when I was with my one Granddaughters. She wanted to study and observe all that I did, so that particular morning she saw me get ready to take my vitamins. Her sweet little eyes studied and observed all the different shapes and colors. “What’s this one for?” ….”Why do you take this one?” Some were clear and pretty and sweet, some were just plain looking, but three of them are big and pink. Oh yes…the magic color that every little girl loves…PINK!!! She watched intently as one by one I swallowed them hoping it appeared to be a somewhat good experience. I thought to myself…”wait till she sees me try to swallow the big ones!” She reached her little hand up and pointed to the big one and said, “Grandma, try this one! It’s pink! That one will be good for you!” In her mind because it was pink it would be easier to take. Believe me as I swallowed that one her face exhibited real concern for I exhibited the face you get when something is not going down all so well! I am laughing now but it makes me think how sometimes in life the right and good things we are told to do can be the hardest “pills” to swallow. Many times we want the great fruit of something but we are not willing to do what it takes or count the cost.

I think the following scripture could probably be looked at as one of those difficult “pills” to take and apply to our lives. I Corinthians 13 referred as the love chapter states all that God’s love would have us to do.

1 Corinthians 13:5

“… it takes no account of the evil done to it it

pays no attention to a suffered wrong.”

Our human natures can tempt us to have little running “accounts” in the back of our minds of things done wrong to us, hurtful words, etc. The longer the list gets the harder it is to feel at ease with that person that did a hurtful thing to you. Doing the “God thing” or right thing can be that hard pill to swallow. God well understands that this type of habitual “account keeping” will destroy even the most precious and dear relationships. He commands us to forgive and let it go. Again this is one of those “big pink pills” that are hard to swallow. Believe me, we need to take this chapter and meditate upon it and let it grow big within us. It is nourishment to our spiritual being and it will cause us to be better people. God wants us to live free from all bondage so let us release the wrongs and stay focused on loving others as He loves us! Let us live to forgive.

Sunday, March 26, 2017

Posted on Mar 25, 2017 in Devotions |

Devotional for Sunday, March 26, 2017

“…But An Encouraging Word”

by Dona Hake

The other day I was pondering the fact of how one word carries such power. One word has the power the lift up or tear down. Isn’t it amazing to think that one word is able to carry so much influence on those around us? I have seen it how a person could be experiencing the most wonderful day, and one negative word is spoken to them, and that word sadly robs them of their joy. May we guard our tongues that it be used to speak words that lift people up. May our words lift up the heavy heart, may our words proceed from a heart of wisdom that provides direction for the one that is full of anxiety.

Proverbs 12:25 (AMP)

“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down,

but an encouraging word makes it glad.”

The Voice translation of Proverbs 12:25…

“The weight of worry drags us down,

but a good word lightens our day.”

Today as you encounter people, study before you speak. Think about how your words can lift them up and possibly change the way they are thinking about themselves. Kind thoughts and kind words cost not one penny yet the hearer may be receiving a wealth of encouragement that their money could never buy.

Proverbs 18:21 (Good News Translation)

“What you say can preserve life or destroy it.”

Saturday, March 25, 2017

Posted on Mar 24, 2017 in Devotions |

Devotional for Saturday, March 25, 2017

“The Transformed Life”

by Dona Hake

Today we are going to meditate on the word transformation. I was reading and thinking about the incredible transformation of the Apostle Paul in the scriptures. Before his transformation he was known as Saul of Tarsus, and some of the most powerful writings in the New Testament were written by him. Before his encounter with God he sought out Christians to imprison them and kill them but praise God he was miraculously transformed by the love of the most forgiving God. What a wonderful day it was in the life of Paul when God knocked him off his “high horse” and he humbled himself under the mighty hand of God!

As I began to pray and think about transformation I immediately saw in my spirit something being turned inside out. You see when you turn anything in side out you see all the things that are hidden. For instance, a piece of clothing. When you turn a piece of clothing inside out you see the stitches or any of the mistakes that were made in it’s making.

I can remember creating many things when I used to sew. Anything from dresses for myself to making a young lady’s wedding gown, and then I made all my bridesmaid’s gowns for my wedding day. I can always remember that each time I created a garment that there was some kind of a mistake that only I knew about, and I did my best to fix it that it would not be seen on the outside yet if you looked at the underside you could see the mistake.

I think of this as a wonderful analogy of who we are. We were fearfully and wonderfully made by our Creator. But yet as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ we probably can all recall the day that we turned our hearts over to Him for it was the day we surrendered it all, and we permitted His light to soak into the depths of our heart and examine every place that was wrong, so He could make it right. The Lord knows all that is within us that is imperfect, and He loved us anyway, and began a good work in us. He promises to continue that work as we submit our lives to Him. Praise Him for the day that He turned us inside out, and cleansed us with His wonderful blood! It truly was the beginning of our transformation.

Today I challenge you to continue acknowledging your need for transformation every time you spend time with Him, read His Word, or hear His Word when you attend church. Permit that Word to go into your heart, go into your mind and continue the transforming process by the hand of a loving and living God.

Romans 12:2 Amplified Version

And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].

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!