by Dona Hake

Proverbs 3:5-12   (MSG)
“Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!”

We live in an age of information and it is readily at our finger tips.  In many ways it is so wonderful and time saving how you can get information about almost anything.  While this is good it can distract us from fully trusting in the Lord.    Sometimes we can be tempted to pick and choose what we think is the right thing to do and it may not be what He desires for you.

As the scripture says we need to trust Him from the bottom of our hearts and stop trying to figure everything out.  Many times God has a totally different route He desires to take you and you need to be willing to walk in the direction He has chosen.

I think there is a key word that God wants us to keep before us and that is the word HUMILITY.  As we stay humble, we will be thankful for the knowledge, gifts and talents He has blessed us with but we will keep them in their proper place.  As we remain humble, we will always be looking to acknowledge His ways in everything that we do.    He can indeed teach us to trust Him with all of our hearts and He will make those places that have seem crooked and confusing completely straight.

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by Dona Hake

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by Dona Hake

God is looking for us to put feet to His love, and walk out His ways.  He is desiring that we put action to that which we know we should do.  There is a scripture that says, “In Him I live and move and have my being.” Acts 17:28    He so desires that we act according to His Word and walk away from our ways that do not exhibit His love and character.  There are those that need His love and we need to avail ourselves to Him that He can flow through us.

We must remember that there will be times that He may call upon us to help people and it may just make us have to go one more mile than what we had intended.  Many times His love will stretch us and that is a very good thing.  It is in those times that His love will be shown and we too will grow as we give of ourselves.   I think it is a good thing for all of us to be pulled away from our comfort zone and put in a place we have to rely on Him to help us to do things we never thought were possible!

Oh how  liberating it is to know that when we are real with God, He will show us great things that He desires to do through us.  We will then be positioned to act from our hearts and exhibit His love in a real way.

1 John 3:18-19   (ERV)
“My children, our love should not be only words and talk.

No, our love must be real.

We must show our love by the things we do.

That’s how we know we belong to the way of truth.”

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by Dona Hake

 It was a  nightmare scenario that became all too real in West Virginia last week: a chemical seeped into the water supply and threatened to sicken hundreds of thousands of people.  Officials found out about the spill when people started calling in complaints about a strong licorice-type smell in the air.

I found it interesting that this potentially harmful chemical seeping into the water had a sweet smell of licorice.  Some said it smelled like cough syrup, and the smell puzzled them.   I am sure they will figure out how this happened but what matters is that it rendered over 300,000 people no drinking, no bathing,  and no cooking with the water.  One chemical literally zapped the pureness of their water to poisonous and harmful, and brought a huge amount of people helpless without pure water.

God’s Word speaks to us through Proverbs 4:23 and warns us as well to be careful and be vigilant to watch over our hearts.   This scripture warns us to guard the purity of your heart and all that flows from it.  Our heart is as a wellspring from where all issues flow.   A wellspring is a source or supply of anything, especially when considered inexhaustible.

Proverbs 4:23 (AMP)

“Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance

and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.”

Let us be careful to never leave down our guard over our hearts.  There are so many “sweet smelling” temptations in this world that could taint and poison our hearts in which the life of God desires to flow.  Oh that we will take it seriously to guard our hearts with all vigilance for this is where life begins and flows from.

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by Dona Hake

I was having a discussion with my oldest Granddaughter a week or so before Christmas.  The anticipation was mounting and she was hinting and trying to figure out what and when she was going to receive a particular gift.  At one point she kept asking and I just looked at her and I was proceeding to bring up how she needed to be patient.  She knew exactly what I was about to say and her response to my look…”I know, I know Grandma! I need to be patient.  Sometimes it’s just hard!!”  I thought to myself, “She’s right, it really can be hard to be patient at times!”  Nevertheless I  exhorted her in remaining patient  and that she would be blessed as she did.

We too can feel the same way at times when we are waiting for something that we have released our faith for.    Sometimes time seems to take forever doesn’t it?  I am also reminded of the patience that is developed in the midst of remaining steadfast during a trial.  James spoke of us developing our faith in the midst of going through bad things.  I have to tell you that this one always puzzled me.  I used to think, “How in the world does something good come out of a trial?”   I am sure you can agree that sometimes trials can just make you weary and stress your body and mind as well.

James 1:2-3

“Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations.

Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.”

I love the part where he is saying “Be assured and understand…”  Let us remember that as we know that we are truly in faith and the trials begin to wear us out that we can be assured that the beautiful fruit of patience IS developing within us.    As we get through those trials let us also remind ourselves of the testimony within our hearts that we can and have endured by faith in Jesus Christ!

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By Dona Hake

Jesus Calms a Storm
Matthew 8:23-27  ESV

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.  And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.”  And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.  And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

I am thinking about really knowing my God today.  You know, you can be acquainted with people but you may not really know them.  You may not know them well enough to know how they will react in a circumstance.   Being acquainted with someone and really knowing them is entirely two different things.  You see the disciples knew Jesus but even after He did this wonderful work of rebuking the wind and calming the sea, their response was “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God…”

I can only imagine how frightened His disciples were.  Let’s be honest, we too might have been a bit unnerved being in a boat swamped with waves and wind, and our boat being tossed to and fro!   As I meditated on this and think about this scripture in Psalms, He led me to bring it to you this way…When we KNOW that He is God we WILL be still.   When we are faced with circumstances that are rough and rocking our boats, we can be still because we KNOW that the Jesus inside of us is well able to rise up and calm our storms.  To God be the glory for all the great works He desires to do in us as we purpose to KNOW Him!

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by Dona Hake

I have a neighbor friend that owns horses.  She told me if I ever wanted to visit her farm that I was welcome to stop in anytime.  I can remember the evening I decided to visit her beautiful horses.    I had a very busy and long day and to be quite honest, I was exhausted, and I was having a hard time focusing on doing much of anything. On that evening that I grabbed my camera and headed to her farm.  Even though I was a complete stranger these horses all greeted me with a warm welcome, and they all seemed to enjoy my presence. As they walked away and enjoyed the lush green grass in their pasture I was able to get the image I shared today.

As I stood there and just soaked up the evening sun, and the  peace and quiet, I was reminded of His beautiful creation and peace just swept over me.  Sometimes we just need to stop in the midst of our busy lifestyles and soak up all that God has blessed us with.  Too many times we can become consumed with life’s demands and problems and we simply forget.  What do we forget?  We forget that His peace is there for the asking.  His peace is like none other and we need to pause and bask in it.  I believe that the more we do this, the more we will hate when we lose that peace.

John 14:27 (ERV)
“I leave you peace. It is my own peace I give you.

I give you peace in a different way than the

world does. So don’t be troubled…”

It does not take big problems to cause one’s heart to be troubled.  It can be those little cares that seem  to “snowball” in our minds.  It is those little things that can indeed cause our hearts to be troubled and afraid.  Give it all, big or small.  Let us remember to stop and pause as much as we are able and be blessed by the peace that only He can give.

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by Dona Hake

I would venture to say that before you leave to go to work or go out in public that you will stand in front of your mirror.  What would we do without our mirrors?   Mirrors reflect exactly what we look like and they never lie.  They speak to us in a sense of what needs changed before you leave your home.  If you see your hair is a mess and you walk away and forget to go back and change it, nothing will change until you stop and take whatever effort and attention it needs.

Today I want to share a scripture in which James speaks about our attention to the Word in our life being likened to looking into a mirror.

James 1:22-25 (Amplified)

“But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].

For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his [own] natural face in a mirror;

For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like.

But he who looks carefully into the faultless law, the [law] of liberty, and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he shall be blessed in his doing (his life of obedience).”

There may have been a time that you have  heard the Word of God and your heart seemed encouraged and lifted up.  At that moment you may feel  you have seen an area of your life in which your are lacking or need growth and change.  If you do not act on the challenge of God’s Word, you will be tempted to back burner the living Word of God and thus go unchanged in that area.  It is the same as seeing yourself in a mirror.   The reflections of your spirit and soul are speaking where they are and you walk away and act as if you did not see it.  Hearing the Word without obedience following  will never change you.  Action by faith in Him must follow!

As we look into the glorious mirror of the living Word of God and it reveals what we need let us ask God to help us receive the wisdom, understanding and direction to deal with our own hearts.  He who has shown this great light of His Word will be faithful to accomplish the change you need and you will be blessed as you obey Him.

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by Dona Hake

James 1:19 (AMP) 

“Understand [this], my beloved brethren.

Let every man be quick to hear [a ready listener],

slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry.”

I think of how many arguments would be avoided if this simple and profound verse was mastered by us.   If one does not give their full attention to the one speaking to them, there will more than likely words that are spoken which could be inappropriate or hurtful.   This verse has a wealth of wisdom in it for us.   I think it is just as important to listen to another’s heart as well as the words that proceed from their mouth.    After you have listened, then think thoroughly before you open your mouth.  Many times you  may feel that you  have the right answer for someone’s problem yet it is not the appropriate time for that word to be spoken.

Let us ask the Lord to have sensitive hearts that we will listen more sensitively to those around us.    Many times we may indeed know what that individual may need but we need to ask the Lord for the proper season to share it.  I would also venture to say that the one that has mastered being a good listener also understands the value of giving their full attention and making eye contact with the one speaking.

Proverbs 25:11 (AMP)
“A word fitly spoken and in due season is like

apples of gold in settings of silver.”

Listening to someone may be the greatest gift you could give them.     Choice words are even a greater gift to one that is in need.  After you have listened carefully you will find they will be much more apt to hear your heartfelt  and choice response.  I believe the Lord can help us to guard our tongues that our words will be as choice silver and gold.

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by Dona Hake

Nehemiah 8:10 (Amplified)

“…for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold.”

This is one scripture I have heard many say that is one of their favorite Bible verses.   It is important that we are always purposing to stay in His presence because this is where His joy is found.     Psalm 16:11 says “In Your presence is fullness of joy.”   It is very easy to get caught up in the issues of life, get too busy  and just leave Him out of our affairs.  Let us never forget that He is called along side to help us.  His Word says that He will perfect that which concerns us.   He also knows every anxious thought that tries to torment us and rob our joy.

I like to think of being in His presence as having a constant awareness that He is listening to my thoughts and my words, and  He sees every action.    As I pray I can be fully confident that He is right there listening to me.  The more we strive to walk in His ways we will stay conscious that He is always present.  After all did He not promise that He would never leave or forsake us?  His joy in all of it’s fullness will certainly bring us every bit of strength that we need for each and every day of our lives.  Let us give thanks to Him that He has promised to be our faithful friend and He is always present with  us!

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