9.2.16
Devotional for Friday, September 2, 2016
“The Perfect Timing of Our Lord”
by Dona Hake
Sometimes we may be interpreting our prayers as unanswered when God really is at work. Let us be reminded today that our Lord has perfect pace and perfect timing! Our culture and all it’s new gadgets, etc…have trained us that everything must be instant and quickly received. You ride through the drive through window to buy your lunch, and no sooner you pay there is a bag in your hand. Many times I drive away and the things I specifically asked for are not there. Missed all in the name of rushing to get the order out of the way. I have literally had my salads all but upside down in my bag because they were thrown into the bag for speed sake. Nothing like ordering a salad, and they worked so hard to get it to you so fast that they put no utensils in the bag. In the name of *instant* and *I want it right now!* things can end up lacking. Yet this is our new norm that seems to be accepted more and more. It is sad to see that many no longer want to patiently wait for the good things that are in this life.
In the society of everything going quick and instant I find more impatience than ever. On and on I could go about how our expectations of timing can be off in areas in which we just need to patiently wait for God to move in our lives as He wills. May we never feel that everything we pray about has to arrive from Heaven instantly. The Lord has a perfect timing for everything under the sun and as we live to obey and respect His will, we also will learn to abide by His timing.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 (CEB)
” There’s a season for everything
and a time for every matter under the heavens…”
I encourage you today to ask Him for continued enlightenment regarding His timing and His ways in your life. Many times it is the waiting in our journey that we really do learn valuable lessons that never could have been learned without what we may be perceiving as delay. God is good and He is all knowing about everything, and His timing is ALWAYS correct and it is surely perfect!
9.1.16
Devotional for Thursday, September 1, 2016
“May We Seek His Wisdom Early”
by Dona Hake
Wisdom is one of the most powerful things we can embrace. It is the ability to know exactly what to do in a situation. Wisdom will cause you to speak the perfect word to the one in need. It is knowing in your heart that you have a peace to step out in a specific direction or new path because you feel it is the voice of wisdom speaking to you. Wisdom will cause peace to reign in your heart even if confusion and anxiety are trying to rock everything within you. When things seem confusing and without answer, God desires to shed His wisdom to help you walk through whatever it is you are dealing with. It is then that we know that even though we may be walking through a dark valley, it is He that is leading us through!
One thing the Bible clearly states throughout Proverbs about wisdom is that it is to be sought after, and held as valuable as a jewel. We should embrace wisdom but we must follow her ways or we could be deceived by people’s opinions or the voice of circumstance. Over and over Proverbs emphasizes the need to embrace wisdom. Don’t let it go! Clearly God understands our human nature that we can tend to look to doing things our own way or we are moved by what we see and not what He sees.
Proverbs 8:17 (NASB)
“I love those who love me;
And those who diligently seek me will find me.”
Wisdom desires to be loved and embraced. I would like to share a few more translations from Proverbs 8:17 of how wisdom desires to be sought after.
(VOICE) “… those who search hard for me will find me.”
(WYC) “…and they who wake up early to seek me, shall find me.”
(YLT)”… And those seeking me earnestly do find me.”
May we set our hearts to diligently seek for the wisdom of God each day that we live. Know that we must seek it everyday for the wisdom that we walked in yesterday was for yesterday’s need. God desires to meet us each day with His fresh provision of all that He is. So let us seek Him this new day for that wisdom in Jesus Name!
8.31.16
Devotional for Wednesday, August 31, 2016
“Are Your Words Seasoned With Grace?”
by Dona Hake
“
There are two questions I want to pose to you for thought. Have you ever had the greatest of days, all was going well, and one person says a negative thing to you and all you do is focus on that one negative? OR… Have you ever been discouraged in your heart, feeling like giving up, and someone says the most encouraging word, and you feel like your world was turned right side up? I am sure everyone of you that just read these two questions can totally identify with where I am going today.
One word has the power the lift up or bring down. Isn’t it amazing to think that one word is able to carry so much influence on those around us? Today I want to encourage your heart to let your words always be with grace and seasoned with the salt of the Living God!
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, pause 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.”
I
8.30.16
Devotional for Tuesday, August 30, 2016
“Living In the Center of His Will”
by Dona Hake
“We are just clay, and You are the potter. We are the product of Your creative action, shaped and formed …” Isaiah 68:8 (the Voice)
We are the clay that He has to work with. Let us remain pliable that He is able to work and form us. One of the very first things a potter will do with that clump of clay is center it on his wheel. For us to be worked and formed for His purposes we could look at it this way…See yourself as that clay on the Great Potter’s wheel. Now let us allow Him to place us on the center of His wheel that we may live in the center of His will.
As I pondered this devotional my heart began to think about four things that will
position us that He can continue to mold us. I already stated the first and that is
to stay centered or focused on Him. The other things would be
position us that He can continue to mold us. I already stated the first and that is
to stay centered or focused on Him. The other things would be
* stay humble before God.
* stay humble before others.
* see yourself humbly for this will guard you from self deception, which is the worst of all deceptions.
* stay humble before others.
* see yourself humbly for this will guard you from self deception, which is the worst of all deceptions.
Let us humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord that He may continue to work
and form us for His purposes. Your HUMILITY gives Him the ABILITY to mold and make you into the vessel He purposed you to be.
and form us for His purposes. Your HUMILITY gives Him the ABILITY to mold and make you into the vessel He purposed you to be.
8.29.16
Devotional for Monday, August 29, 2016
“A Brand New Day!”
by Dona Hake
Psalm 53 CEB
” Lord, in the morning you hear my voice.
In the morning I lay it all out before you.
Then I wait expectantly.”
In the morning I lay it all out before you.
Then I wait expectantly.”
I thank God that His mercies are new every morning and we can wake with the expectancy of a new day with fresh opportunities. Today let us look up and take hold of His grace that is abundant in supply for us, and flow in all that He wills for us.
Psalm 145:2 (AMP)
Every day [with its new reasons] will I bless You
[affectionately and gratefully praise You];
yes, I will praise Your name forever and ever.
Today I encourage you to draw upon His strength and see your day as brand new for this is how your Heavenly Father views it! There may be things that you are facing that tempt your heart to be burdened but be encouraged that God is a God that never grows faint or weary. Lift your eyes toward heaven and lay your heart open to Him and wait expectantly for Him to guide you throughout your day.
All of us have reasons to bless His Name and be thankful. No, maybe everything is not perfect, but take time to call out the blessings that you possess because of the goodness of God. Today, with it’s new beginnings and new reasons, let us praise and bless His Name for all the good things that we embrace because of His goodness in our life!
8.28.16
Devotional for Sunday, August 28, 2016
“Eternity Was Planted In Our Hearts”
by Dona Hake
Ecclesiastes 3:11 (Amplified)
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted eternity in men’s hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy], yet so that men cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”
I think this scripture is so awesome. I love how it tells us that God has planted eternity in every heart and mind that has ever lived. Within the heart of man is a longing that only God can satisfy yet man who chooses to fill his voids apart from looking to the Lord will never be fulfilled. I love how one man said it something like this…”Within the heart of every man and woman there is a hole that only God is able to fill.” God created us with a need and that need is for Him, and no one or nothing can fulfill that need as God can.
I like how the New Life Version translated Ecclesiastes 3:11:
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has put thoughts of the forever in man’s mind, yet man cannot understand the work God has done from the beginning to the end.”
I particularly want you to look at “man cannot understand the work God has done from the beginning to the end.” The beauty of this is that this is what makes God almighty in all that He does. He is beyond us figuring Him out, nor should we try to comprehend His ways. If He wants you to understand, He will…in His time and in the way He sees that you alone can comprehend that which you are desiring to understand. Let us as we submit our lives and wills to Him. We must simply trust Him. He has promised that as we trust He will lovingly care for every aspect of our lives.
Isaiah 58:11 (AMP)
“And the Lord shall guide you continually and satisfy you in drought and in dry places and make strong your bones. And you shall be like a watered garden
“And the Lord shall guide you continually and satisfy you in drought and in dry places and make strong your bones. And you shall be like a watered garden
and like a spring of water whose waters fail not.”
Let God show Himself strong in you when there is no strength to be found. Watch Him show you the water in the “dry lands” that you may have to walk through. It is not necessary to know how He does it for He alone is God, and all He wants is your trust! Lord we thank You that You have created us with a divinely implanted sense of purpose in which only You alone can satisfy. We thank You that You are showing us each day the plans and purposes for our lives and we trust You with all of our heart!
8.27.16
Devotional for Saturday, August 27, 2016
“His Inexhaustible Compassion”
by Dona Hake
Lamentations 3:22-23
“How enduring is God’s loyal love;
the Eternal has inexhaustible compassion.
Loyalty is characterized by faithfulness to commitments and obligations. God has promised to be loyal to us with His love, forgiveness, help, …oh my!…there are so many things that He promises to be to us. Jesus said in His Word that He would NEVER leave us or forsake us. We know that His love is ever with us and He loved us enough to send His only Son to die for us. Today let us praise Him as we meditate upon His inexhaustible compassion toward us!
At the end of the day we may wish that we would have tried a bit harder to do His commands but praise God He faithfully forgives and He promises to help me do better as we lean upon Him for all wisdom and strength. Isn’t this a wonderful love? Isn’t it wonderful to serve a living God that comes along side of us to help?
One of the first things I try to do each morning as I greet Him is remind myself and thank Him that His mercies are new every morning. My day is a fresh canvas and I am hoping I will do His will with His help. Thank God we have fresh starts each day and we can learn from our yesterdays. He is there to help us to keep working out those things that we are trying to get right in our lives, and it is all because of His great love for us. God’s love…a love that NEVER fails us!
8.26.16
Devotional for Friday, August 26, 2016
“There Is a Time For Everything”
by Dona Hake
Ecclesiastes 3:6-8
Amplified Bible
“A time to get and a time to lose,
Amplified Bible
“A time to get and a time to lose,
a time to keep and a time to cast away,
A time to rend and a time to sew,
A time to rend and a time to sew,
a time to keep silence and a time to speak,
A time to love and a time to hate,
A time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.”
This portion of scripture in Ecclesiastes reminds us that there is specific times for specific emotions and reactions to this life. I know God wants us to love at all times yet at the same time we hate the evil of the enemy that is in the earth today. This is a time in which we see war both natural and spiritual going on all around us yet we are able to carry peace in our hearts with the help of the Lord. In this time in which we are seeing so much turmoil, let us be reminded that Jesus left something behind for us, and it was not because He forgot to take it with Him. He left it on purpose, and it was His peace. He well understood the time in which we would live, and that we would need it to keep our hearts anchored.
John 14:27
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you…”
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you…”
There is so much going on in this world that could trouble our hearts. May we come to a place of purposing to keep our hearts anchored in His peace and hope. Sometimes I feel like there is too much going on all at the same time. I know many hearts are troubled and so is mine. People are bearing things that seem impossible to me, and my heart weeps for them.
Today my heart is heavy as I watch these poor people in Italy that have literally had their lives turned upside down from the horrible earthquake they just experienced. So much loss of life and sorrow as they are desperately looking for loved ones. So much sorrow as people are having to enter the rubble to identify the body of one that was taken without warning. Then there was the joy that flooded the hearts of rescue workers as they pulled a little girl out that was buried for eighteen hours. The poor little thing looked too stunned to even react to her rescue. Here within these rescuer’s hearts is so much sorrow, and then just like that joy floods their hearts as their efforts are rewarded by saving a life. May we be reminded to keep these precious people in our prayers.
Let us be reminded that the time to pray has no set time but as the Lord leads and directs us to. We just need to be obedient when He does call us to pray. Let us always strive to calm ourselves and hold fast to His peace no matter what time we are in. Now is the time to live for Him. God bless you.
8.25.26
Devotional for Thursday, August 25, 2016
“Our Reflection of Him”
by Dona Hake
Today it is on my heart to encourage you with this question…”What does your life reflect?” I believe that as we immerse ourselves in His Word and in His presence we will find that each day our lives are reflecting our Lord. As I am typing I am thinking about how in a world full of turmoil and fear as it is today that we be reflecting the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ. The scripture from Psalm 23 is on my mind…”He leads me beside the still waters.” As one stands over a body of still water you can look down and see your face. I love the thought of dwelling in that place of stillness because that is what my soul is going to reflect to those around me.
God has commanded us to live as Jesus lived. Within us dwells His life, light, and love. He intends to bless our lives, but He desires that we give it out as well. There is a greater work needed here on earth like never before and He is looking for those that will reflect that He is the answer to a lost and dying world. How do you reflect the Son? Think about how He desires to reflect Himself through you. Just think about it…within you are all the good things that He is because you have ask Him to abide within you. As He lives within us and we seek to abide in Him, let us seek how we can effectively reflect all the glorious things that He is!
1 John 2: 6 Amplified Bible (AMP)
“Whoever says he abides in Him ought as a personal debt to walk and
conduct himself in the same way in which He walked and conducted
Himself.”
conduct himself in the same way in which He walked and conducted
Himself.”
As we stay immersed in Him we will be full of His light and life. Love, peace and joy WILL be our reflection! Each one of us are fearfully and wonderfully created by God so today I encourage you to expect Him to reflect Himself uniquely through you!
8.24.16
Devotional for Wednesday, August 24, 2016
“Not My Ability But His!”
by Dona Hake
“It is not my ability, but my response to
God’s ability, that counts.”
Corrie ten Boom
Many times we are faced with things that God has asked us to do and we can discourage ourselves because we tend to try to accomplish them our own ability. We feel deep down we are to do something yet there may be times in which we lack the confidence we need because we are so focused on our inability or where we are lacking. Today let us meditate upon God’s ability at work in us as a result of drawing upon His wonderful grace.
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 heavenly possibilities and God making you able through Him. Expect this day for new opportunities to trust Him and do things apart from your own strength. Look to Him for that strength and ability that flows from Him alone. 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. The Lord loves when we do things with our whole heart and soul yet we need to keep check that we are NOT drawing upon our own wisdom or how others say it is to be done. Remember, it is not your ability but responding to His ability!
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!