6.22.16
Devotional for Wednesday, June 22, 2016
“Our Hiding Place Is In Him”
by Dona Hake
I shared this little story about my German Shepherd before, and I want to share again today! I hate when dogs get ear infections. It is so painful to watch them suffer for they are so tormented. Once when our Aasha was diagnosed with an ear infection she took it very hard for she hated when I would go to clean her ears and put the drops in. As smart as she is, she began to figure out the time of the day that it was going to happen. Her countenance would change, fear would come over her face, and she would just get all beside herself. I would feel so bad but she had to have the medicine put in. There were times that my husband found her making plans to hide from me. The one evening she was attempting to go inside our one shower. The next evening she crawled in and hid behind the shower curtain. It was kind of funny yet the poor thing was trying to find a hiding place from that which she feared. She certainly must of thought that if I could not find her she would escape the ear drops! We too in this life are faced with things that cause our hearts to dread and be fearful.
When we are afraid, we too need a hiding place. Today we will praise Him because we can run to Him when we need to be hidden. We can always run to His place of safety and He has promised to keep us safe in the storms we will face. Sometimes this life can tempt our hearts to be troubled and afraid. In those times of trouble you can know that He will hide you under His wings and keep you safe in the storm.
Psalm 32:7
You are a hiding place for me; You, Lord,
preserve me from trouble, You surround
me with songs and shouts of deliverance.
Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
I love this scripture! It causes me to visualize the Lord’s strong arm of protection in the worst of storms and even while the storm is trying to rob my peace I can believe that songs and shouts of deliverance are round about me. He knows the outcome and He well understands that He is able to cause us to be victorious!
Psalm 119:114
You are my hiding place and my shield;
I hope in Your word.
As we look at Jesus being our hiding place in the storm, let us also look at Him as being the hope of our soul. He will always keep us anchored in our faith as we continue to hope and abide in His Word. To Him be the glory!!!
6.21.16
Devotional for Tuesday, June 21, 2016
“He Counts the Stars”
by Dona Hake
Psalm 147:3-5 (TLB)
“He heals the brokenhearted, binding up their wounds.
He counts the stars and calls them all by name.
How great he is! His power is absolute! His understanding is unlimited.”
I love these verses and I love thinking about how God knows all the specifics about everything. He knows everything about everything that He created. He created you and the stars and there is no limit to what He knows! This is a powerful thought isn’t it?
This scripture should cause us to ponder His greatness and along with such greatness the psalmist proclaims that He heals the broken in heart. Today I want to encourage those of you that He that has given every single star a name knows and understands you inside and out. Today if you have suffered a broken heart, know that He is able to heal the pain of your heart. Whether it be that you have lost a loved one to death, divorce or there is broken fellowship with someone special to you, He is able to bring you comfort. He is able to come close to you and touch your heart and bring His touch of healing to it. Our Lord is great. Nothing is impossible with His overwhelming power. He is loving, compassionate, and wise beyond all measure. God bless you.
6.20.16
Devotional for Monday, June 20, 2016
“Oh That Our Life Would Reflect Him”
by Dona Hake
Psalm 119:5 (AMP)
“Oh, that my ways were directed and established
to observe Your statutes
[hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]!”
Oh that we would consistently reflect the Lord’s ways! The psalmist wrote this, and he spoke his heart’s desire to reflect all that was right and good that he could represent God according to the decrees he knew. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, this too should be our desire . The Amplified version of this scripture shares the secret to doing this in four words. We need to truly hear, receive, love, and obey His Word.
Have you ever heard something, and it went in one ear and out the other? We have all been guilty of that one. Yet, God wants us to be cautious that we do not do that when we hear the living Word of His truth. May we hear it, and take hold of it, and receive it to be our very own revelation. As we hold fast to it, love, and obey it, we will indeed reflect His decrees. Let us be faithful to read and study His Word. It is as we meditate and reflect upon the Word that it will grow within our hearts. I love the thought of knowing that God is desiring to use us to reflect His ways and everything about Him to this very dark world in which we live.
“I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways.”
Psalms 119:15 NLT
Lord, we ask you to help us to remember that as we are here on this earth, you desire to live in and through us. We are your vessels, and we long to radiate and reflect Your life, light, and love in all that we do. Keep us humble Lord, and show us those things that would hinder us from reflecting You fully. We thank you for Your great and awesome works that you plan to do through us. Lord, “You are good and kind and do good; teach me Your statutes.” Psalms 119:68 (Amp.)
6.19.16
Devotional for Sunday, June 19, 2016
“The Spirit of Self Control”
by Dona Hake
I can remember a particular weight loss commercial that literally made me cringe every time I heard it. It was all about a weight loss pill that would make you lose weight. I am sure it probably did but here’s the part that bothered me….”Lose weight without any lifestyle changes…” Every time I heard those few words within the commercial I could not help but to think that in about five years we will be hearing a commercial that says, “If you have taken this weight loss pill and have the following complications…” I am probably right for I no longer even hear commercials for this pill. So sad isn’t it?
There will be things in this life that will take the fruit and disciplines of self control. Some things are easier than others, and some things take patience and time. I will never forget hearing a man’s testimony of extreme weight loss. He weighed over 600 lbs. and over a period of time was able to lose 400 of those pounds. It was amazing to see his before and after images of himself. His story was touching and inspiring!
Before he lost the weight, he had basically given up and just stayed at home. He did play online video games and ended up becoming friends with a woman on the other side of the world. They interacted on line playing video games together, and he shared his life of hopelessness because of his weight problem. One day in the course of their conversation she spoke words to him that challenged and changed his life forever…”You are throwing your life away…” He made some real decisions and it was a slow but sure victory. There are certain challenges in this life that we have no control over, yet there are some situations that require of us making solid decisions for change to come. As we face anything in this life that is bigger than us we must know that we can turn to the One that sees not one thing as impossible. He will give us the spirit of an overcomer!
2 Timothy 1:7
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.”
God has made it possible that we tap into the power of self control and discipline. Also, it is wonderful to know that God is able to inspire us in disciplines through His Spirit, and those around us. He is also able to help us accomplish our goals as we purpose our hearts to be disciplined for Him in every area of our life. God is able to help us do above and beyond all we dare ask or think! By His power, we can do that which may seem impossible, for we serve a God of wonderful possibilities!
6.18.16
Devotional for Saturday, June 18, 2016
“Your Life Is a Gift”
by Dona Hake
Did you know that your life is a gift from God and you are a gift to people around you? God saw a plan for your life before you were even born. When He created you within the womb of your mother, He saw purpose, He saw a future for you, and He has wonderful plans for you to fulfill.
Psalm 139:14 (GW)
“I will give thanks to you
because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made.
Your works are miraculous, and my soul is fully aware of this.”
Now I want to add to this thought for you to ponder….stop and look around at all the gifts the Lord has placed in your life. They are those precious family members, friends, and co-workers in the faith. Let us thank our loving God for those that are assigned to walk along side of us in this life. He has put people in our life to help us to do His will, and encourage our hearts. Let us keep an awareness that the real gifts in this life are not those that come in boxes with beautiful bows but those precious people that He has called along side of us to do His will, and help us when we need help!
Today I encourage you to stop and give thanks for the life and breath that He has given you. You are a gift and your life is to be given as a gift to those around you. May we live our life in a manner of giving and pouring our to those around us. If you do not know you purpose, then simply ask Him. He is faithful to bring us answers as well as direction and instruction. Also, stop and think about all the special people that are in your life…now give thanks to God for them.♥
6.17.16
Devotional for Friday, June 17, 2016
“Facing Our Fears With God’s Courage”
by Dona Hake
I can remember this one Hallmark movie I watched a few years ago, and I loved it so much….especially one particular part. There was a young lady in the movie that had never ridden a horse before yet she desired to do so. You see, deep down she was scared to ride a horse, yet she still desired to ride one. She shared her fear with the young man with her, and he assured her that he totally understood. He said he too at a young age shared that same fear but his Daddy helped him overcome it. He said, “My Daddy sat me on his lap and said courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway!” I just loved this because it was an inspiration of how to face fear with a true heart of courage.
Psalm 27:14
“… Wait for the Lord, and he will come and save you!
Be brave, stouthearted, and courageous. Yes, wait and he will help you.”
Maybe you could testify of a time that fear has gripped your heart and rendered you unable to move forward. How terrible it is to be held back by a fear. Fear has the capability of robbing one’s dreams, but God desires to release us into our dreams. He understands our every fear and the things that intimidate us, yet He promises to help us overcome any fear that would hold us back. His Word says that the righteous will be bold as a lion!
Sometimes in life we just simply have to “saddle up and face our fears” believing that He will give us the courage and strength that we need for that moment and situation. His grace will always be sufficient and complete no matter what we face!
6.16.16
Devotional for Thursday, June 16, 2016
“Our Future Is In His Hands!”
by Dona Hake
“…but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of
the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Today is here and tomorrow is coming. What happened yesterday is in the past. Did good things happen to you yesterday? I hope you can say yes, but if you cannot you must make a choice to see this day as a new day with new beginnings. If your yesterday brought pain to you, then ask the Lord to bring healing to your heart, and ask Him for the wisdom you need to walk forward. It important to remember that when we do walk through hardships that we should seek to embrace whatever wisdom we can attain from the situation, and learn from it. Many times the Lord will call upon us to share the lessons and wisdom that we have attained as we have walked through trials in our life. I have found that many times people seem to be very open to those that may be walking through similar hardships. What a blessing it is to share with someone that is hurting. You may be the only light they have in their dark situation.
God desires that we look forward into our future with faith in our hearts. It is a very bad mistake to live in our past. It is like trying to drive a car with your gaze continually in the rear view mirror. Yes, there are times we need to glance in our rear view mirrors so we can proceed cautiously but we must go back to looking where we are going.Those glances into the rear view mirror of life will serve us in a good way to proceed with caution that we do not make mistakes or put ourselves in danger. Just beware that our dwelling place is not living in the past for it is harmful for our growth as a Christian.
“The future frightens only those who prefer living in the past.”
John Mason
God does not want us to be fearful of our future but rather we need to rejoice in the days to come knowing that He is ready to use us as He wills as we give Him our all! I read a really awesome but powerful quote and it went like this…
“My unknown future is in the hands of an all knowing God.”
I will leave you with that thought today! We can all have our plans and expectations for our future and that is good but praise God that He is all knowing and He can cause our paths to be blessed and prosperous all the days of our lives. God bless you richly as you serve Him this day.
6.15.16
Devotional for Wednesday, June 15, 2016“The Closer I Walk With Him”
by Dona Hake
Today I want to share about walking with Jesus and holding His hand tightly. This requires our effort because many times we desire that He walk with us yet we break away due to the distractions of this life, and run off like a little child. I can remember a few times as a little girl walking with my Daddy on the streets of the city in which we lived. I thought I was a big girl and did not feel I needed to hold his hand. The rule was I walked beside me and I held on to his little finger. The other rule was that he was closest to the street, and I walked on the other side of him. I wanted to feel grown up like he did not have to hold my hand but I willingly held tight to his one finger. You see I could of been disobedient and ran from him and possibly been hurt but he did trust me that I would obey him and stay by his side. I especially understand this now as our Granddaughters are getting bigger and they want the feeling of being trusted as we walk through parking lots or across streets. I constantly speak to them about the dangers of streets and parking lots and the need to be watchful. They clearly understand that they must follow those rules because of the dangers.
Even though we may feel we are all grown up in our spiritual walk, we must remind ourselves that we do not always see the dangers ahead as our Lord foresees. It is of utmost importance that we purpose to hold the loving hand that desires to embrace ours. There may also be times that He too may see need to speak firmly to His by His Word because we are wanting to go our own way. I can remember seeing this little quote once, and it really ministered to my heart…
“The closer I walk with Him,
there’s less of a chance
that anything come between us.”
Today I encourage you to hold His hand tightly and allow no distance between you and Him. Know that there are many things in this world that are trying to take your attention from Him. These things tend to tempt us and will ultimately weaken your relationship with Him. Be vigilant to watch over your soul and hold His hand and keep your eyes on Him because He never takes His eyes off of you!
6.14.16
Devotional for Tuesday, June 14, 2016
“I Can! Because He Is My Strength”
by Dona Hake
Philippians 4:13 (CEB) ” I can endure all these things through
the power of the one who gives me strength.”
What a blessing it is to know that we have all that we need for anything that we face. Let us look at this verse, and as you read it emphasize the first two words, “I can.” Many times when we are faced with adversity or we are feeling weak, the first words that we may be tempted to entertain in our minds are “I can’t do this.” Today I want to encourage you to seek daily to find your strength in God. As you seek and find your strength in Him, you will be able to proclaim, “I can do all things through His power who gives me great strength!” In preparing for this particular devotional my original focus on scripture was John 10:10:
John 10:10 (AMP) “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill
life, and have it in abundance
(to the full, till it overflows).”
In this life we all face the thief, and he is the devil himself, He diligently seeks to steal and rob from us. He will try to kill our dreams, weaken our faith, and more than anything try to convince us that we cannot reach the goal of being overcomers in this life. He seems to sometimes have the mysterious ability to make the smallest of things look gigantic, yet we serve the one that can bring all problems down to size if only we keep our eyes on Him. Paul spoke of when he was his weakest was when he truly experienced God’s strength. As we look to live in His strength we can know that no matter how things are going in the natural, He is with us, and He will make Himself strong on our behalf! Today let us proclaim that His life flows in us in great abundance. Let us draw upon His strength and grace that we can boldly say…
“I can do all things!”
6.13.16
Devotional for Monday, June 13, 2016
“Our Caring Heavenly Father”
by Dona Hake
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27 “Think about how the wildflowers grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon, the great and rich king, was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers.
28 If God makes what grows in the field so beautiful, what do you think he will do for you? That’s just grass—one day it’s alive, and the next day someone throws it into a fire. But God cares enough to make it beautiful. Surely he will do much more for you. Your faith is so small!
29 “So don’t always think about what you will eat or what you will drink. Don’t worry about it.
Luke 12:27-29 ERV
This scripture reminds us of God’s loving care, and how He watches over us. God is so good isn’t He?? He is there to provide for us all that we need in any particular time. Today, I encourage you to ponder the blessings in your life. Think about how He has so faithfully provides for you every day. Maybe it is not in ways you expected, but we can count on it….He is faithful and He will provide!
He is our Good Shepherd and as we trust Him for all of our needs in our life, He will see to it that we will have no lack. Psalm 23:1 says as we look to Him as our Shepherd, we shall not want. Think about it…. When you need wisdom…The Lord will provide. When you need strength…The Lord will provide. When you need direction…The Lord will provide. Think about all you may need and then begin to become strong in your faith that the Lord will provide! God is good all the time…all the time God is good, and He knows all that you need!
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!