Saturday, January 13, 2018
Devotional for Saturday, January 13, 2018
“He Illumines Our Dark Times”
by Dona Hake
“the Lord my God
illumines my darkness.”
Psalm 18:28
Today let us consider those times in which we are blindsided by life’s unannounced difficult circumstances that render us helpless, and our hearts are tempted to fear. There are those times that we are going about our business and out of no where we are hit with having to make a difficult decision. It may be so difficult that our mind and heart are in total confusion. You cannot see in front of you nor can you see what is behind you. If things seem unclear and in the midst of it all you are struggling to hear and see what to do, know this our Lord is our light. Today let us proclaim, “The Lord WILL be a light in our darkness!”
God’s Word tells us in Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” “The psalmist also proclaims in Psalm 119:112 “I have resolved to obey your laws forever, at every step.” I believe this kind of resolve in our heart will always cause us to hold fast to God no matter what we see or cannot see. This is the man that will not be moved by circumstance but in faith in God alone. We can be assured that our faith will be met by a God of total light because in Him is NO darkness at all.
Lord, we thank you for Your light and divine direction in those times in which we need to see which way to go. Thank you Lord for being our Great Compass as You guide us with Your light. In Jesus Name! Amen.
Devotional for Friday, January 12, 2018
Devotional for Friday, January 12, 2018
“God’s Kindness In You”
by Dona Hake
Galatians 5:22-23Amplified Bible
“But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us]
“But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us]
is love [unselfish concern for others], joy,
[inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting],
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Against such things there is no law.”
The fruits of God’s Spirit in us are those things that will cause our light to shine bright in the midst of darkness and a world that has no hope. Today we will meditate on His kindness in us. It is as we stay aware of the Lord’s presence with us and in us that we will continue to grow in every one of the fruits of the Spirit. As we commune with Him throughout our day we should be speaking to Him and listening for His precious still small voice. His voice will instruct us, direct us, but also correct us as well. Are you listening to His voice closely so He is able to instruct your way?
Have you ever been in an individual’s presence, and because of their close walk with God, you walk away feeling blessed, encouraged, and challenged in your heart? As we look today at the fruit of kindness I think of those that I know that have purposed to develop a kind and gentle spirit. They seem to walk in a sweet calm and carry a peace. It is like a sweet aroma that follows them. No matter how developed we are in any fruit let us never feel we are strong enough in any one of the fruits. Every thing in God is eternal and has no limits. Let us look at this quote from Mother Teresa…
“Let no one ever come to you without leaving
better and happier. Be the living expression of
God’s kindness:
kindness in your face,
kindness in your eyes,
kindness in your smile.”
— Mother Teresa
Lord, we ask you to help us to be vessels of Your kindness this day. Help us to recognize and seize opportunities to give kindness to the one in need. May we submit to Your plans for us that we can be used by You to touch someone’s heart. We thank you that we can be the living expression of Your sweet kindness to all around us.
Thursday, January 11, 2018
Devotional for Thursday, January 11, 2018
“Nothing Too Hard For Our God”
by Dona Hake
Jeremiah 32:17 (VOICE)
“Eternal Lord, with Your
outstretched arm and Your enormous power You
created the heavens and the earth.
Nothing is too difficult for You.”
Today let us ponder the greatness of the God that we serve. He is great and greatly to be praised! The works of His hands and the many testimonies of His love speak of His ability to do great things. There is not one thing too difficult or too big of a problem for Him to solve. It is when we lose sight of this that we see our problems or circumstances to be too big of a mountain for His Hands to deal with. Let us rest and wait upon Him for His strength and His answers rather than our own. My heart was reflecting upon this scripture as I was pondering this truth. Let us look at Isaiah 40:28-31…
“Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become tired or grow weary;
There is no searching of His understanding.
Does not become tired or grow weary;
There is no searching of His understanding.
He gives strength to the weary,
And to him who has no might He increases power.
And to him who has no might He increases power.
Even youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him]
Will gain new strength and renew their power;
They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun];
They will run and not become weary,
They will walk and not grow tired.”
Will gain new strength and renew their power;
They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun];
They will run and not become weary,
They will walk and not grow tired.”
Oh how very sad it is that there are those that have convinced themselves that God does not exist, and they are trying to explain away the wondrous things He created with His hands and the power of His spoken Word. If they can convince themselves that God does not exist, they can live by their own standards, and decide what is right and wrong for themselves.
Let us shine as wondrous lights on a hill for all to see. Look for opportunities today to share His love and testimonies in your life. May we be living testimonies for this world to see that a great, powerful and Mighty God is alive and doing wondrous things among His people. Today my prayer for you is that you walk with an awareness of His presence being with you, and that He will do above and beyond all you dare ask or think! (Ephesians 3:20)
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
Devotional for Wednesday, January 10, 2018
“…and This Is What God Is Looking For”
by Dona Hake
“My hand made all these things and
brought them into being, says the Lord.
But here is where I will look: to the humble and contrite in spirit, those who tremble at my word.”
Isaiah 66:2
As I read this scripture I can almost visualize the Lord… He created everything that we enjoy. All the beauty, the great and the magnificent he observes, and then He steps back and proclaims something that means to much to His heart. As His eyes look to and fro He seeks the man or woman that possesses a humble heart and is contrite in spirit. His heart cherishes the man or woman that trembles at His Word.
I do not know about you but I want to know what God is looking for. Just think about it…after all the beauty and wonder of His creation He is still looking? I love this because it is reminding us that God’s eyes are moving about and seeking intently for the one that will ALWAYS put Him and His Word first and reverently respond to what He says. He is looking for those that even when they mess up they will admit they are wrong, and receive His forgiveness. He is watching for the man and woman that desires to be humble and respect His Word above their own opinions and thoughts.
Lord, help us be mindful of how awesome You are, and how the work of Your hands is beyond what we can comprehend. Oh God, You created the heavens and the earth. You created us, and before we were even born You knew every one of our days. You carefully formed us within our mother’s womb, and You have a wonderful plan for us. As we look at all the beautiful things that You have created, our hearts are in awe, yet you see something even more awesome than what Your hands have created, and that is the man or woman that respects your Word, and is humble and contrite in spirit. Help us this day to be in pursuit of maintaining a humble heart before you, and a determination to love and respect your Word. In Jesus Name!!!
Monday, January 8, 2018
Devotional for Monday, January 8, 2018
“Where Is Your Delight?”
by Dona Hake
Our Lord desires that we delight in Him and His Word for He desires that our hearts be full of joy as we follow and abide in Him. As we daily follow Him and purpose to put His teachings first and foremost in our life, He has promised that our life would be prospered. There is great reward for being diligent in embracing the Word of God.
As we stand as trees along God’s riverbank we will continue to experience spiritual growth, and flourish in Him. As we bear fruit in and out of season may we continue to be mindful that our fruit is not for us alone for He desires that we are used abundantly in blessing those around us. Today I desire to encourage your heart to purpose to delight in Him and be a willing vessel in His hands. Be willing to bless those He puts in your path as you live and abide in Him. As we proclaim His Word many will be blessed and nourished from the fruit that our lives bear.
Psalm 1 :2-3 (TLB)
“…but they delight in doing everything God wants
them to, and day and night are always meditating
on his laws and thinking about ways to follow
him more closely.
They are like trees along a riverbank bearing
luscious fruit each season without fail. Their
leaves shall never wither, and all they do shall prosper.”
Today I rejoice knowing that I am standing strong in His promises. I love that He has promised that we would bear luscious fruit as we live to serve and obey Him. Watch over your heart diligently, purpose to delight in Him, and look for opportunities to be used as a righteous man or woman of God to nourish those in need around you.
“The lips of the righteous nourish many…”
Proverbs 10:21 NIV
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
Devotional for Tuesday, January 9, 2018
“Jesus Our Hope, Jesus Our Anchor”
by Dona Hake
Hebrews 6:18-20 (ERV)
“These two things cannot change:
God cannot lie when
he says something, and he cannot lie
when he makes an oath.
So these two things are a great help
to us who have come to
God for safety. They encourage us
to hold on to the hope that
is ours. This hope is like an anchor for us. “
What a firm foundation we have in Jesus Christ. He is total truth and nothing but the truth! It is wonderful to know that all the words that proceed from God are truth and when He says He will do something, He will always keep His Word. Today let us meditate upon the fact that our hope in Jesus is the anchor of our soul.
Where do you look to when you want answers? When you are feeling like you are standing on shaky ground, how do you make your feet sure again? It is only the Word of God and our hope in Him that can establish our foot steps and make them sure and solid. We must always look to where we know the truth is, for His truth is what we can build upon. Our foundation will be strong and immovable when we build and anchor our hearts upon the Word of God. Today I encourage you to look to the Lord of all hope and the One that has promised to anchor our souls.
Saturday, January 5, 2018
Devotional for Saturday, January 6, 2018
“The Work of His Refining Fire”
by Dona Hake
Proverbs 25:4 (ERV)
“Remove the worthless things from
silver to make it pure, and a worker
can make something beautiful.”
You are so valuable and He loves you so much. As we read this scripture we can see that there is a process that we are all walking through as we grow in Him. There is a refining and purification that is taking place in our hearts as we deeply humble ourselves to His mighty life changing Word. Are our hearts humble enough to look up to our Lord in prayer and ask, “Remove that which is worthless in me Lord.” Here is another translation of Proverbs 25:4…
“Remove the impurities from the silver,
and the smith has material to make a vessel.”
and the smith has material to make a vessel.”
The Lord our Refiner desires to bring us to a refined or a pure state; free from impurities. As our Purifier He will cause us to be free from anything that debases, pollutes, adulterates, or contaminates our hearts. God wants every bit of us so He can use us in wonderful ways to glorify Him on this earth.
Many times it is the pressures and circumstances that we experience that will actually expose to us the things we did not even realize were there. In the forty five years that I have known the Lord I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have heard people share from the depths of their hearts as they faced trials they never walked through before. Many at the end of the trial admitted that they experienced God removing things from them that positioned them to be used in a greater way. It is those difficult situations that can actually cause us to do the soul searching we need to do, and God is able to work in ways that exceed our comprehension. As we keep our hearts humble before Him I believe He will continue to refine and purify us that we can serve and be used by Him in greater ways. Praise be to the God who is the Refiner and Purifier!
Friday, January 5, 2018
Devotional for Friday, January 5, 2018
“The Lord – Our Sun and Our Shield”
by Dona Hake
Psalm 84:11 (AKJV)
” For the Lord God is a sun and shield:
the Lord will give grace and glory:
no good thing will he withhold
from them that walk uprightly.”
As we walk uprightly before the Lord our God there should be an expectation in our heart everyday we rise. No matter what we face in our day , we can expect the Lord God to be our Sun and our Shield, and NO GOOD thing will be withheld from us. All good and perfect gifts proceed from Him!
What “good thing” are you in need of from Him today? Is it peace? Is it strength? Maybe you need a touch of healing in your body. He desires to pour upon us all that which we need for He is the only one that can satisfy our soul, and meet any possible need that we have.
Let us live to yield our wills to Him, and let us be vessels that draw upon His continual blessings, and truly live the abundant life that He desires that we live. Praise God that He is our Sun and our Shield, the God who is pouring out His grace, glory and every good thing to all that walk uprightly before Him!
Devotional for Wednesday, January 3, 2018
Devotional for Wednesday, January 3, 2018
“God’s Peace –
What’s it worth to you?”
by Dona Hake
We hear it said often, “Do not go into debt, and “Use your money wisely.“ Today we are looking at, and meditating upon that which none of us can afford. Yes, none of us. no how matter how much money we may have in our pocket we cannot afford to give up our peace for we simply cannot afford it. You cannot attain peace or joy by purchasing luxurious things or going on elaborate vacations, brand name clothes …the list goes on. While these things may be a blessing know this they do not bring the lasting peace, that God wants our hearts to possess.
Today’s quote,
“Anything that cost you
your peace is too expensive. “
We have been given God‘s peace but we must forever remember that there was a price tag attached to His peace, and that was the blood of Jesus Christ. The first two thoughts that came to my mind when I read this quote this morning was my reaction to anything that would cost me my peace should be, “I cannot afford this.” and I’m not going there.” As we call on our Lord in our time of temptation of risking losing our peace, He will help us to be strong and remain in the truth we know, and not go to that place that would cause us to be robbed of our peace.
Many times as I shop I will see price tags on particular items, and my first thought is I can not believe that cost that much, and my second thought is I cannot believe people actually pay that amount of money for such a thing. We all have choices, and I encourage you to think about your choices today for many have price tags attached to them. Think about those things that the price tag may say “This will cost you your peace.“
This should encourage everyone of our hearts to give thanks to God for that precious peace, guard it with all that we have within us, and walk away from that thing that would surely try to rob us of the precious gift that was purchased with His blood.
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Devotional for January 2, 2018
“The Lord’s Purposes for You”
by Dona Hake
“Many plans are in a man’s mind,
but it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand.”
Proverbs 19:21 (AMP)
Yesterday we meditated upon how we must have a plan and then commit to it. Today we are looking at a scripture regarding plans and purpose. Many times it is sad to see an individual with plans or resolutions but they are birthed out of wrong motives or selfish ambitions. As we understand our purpose for our life I believe our thoughts toward planning will always flow with our Lord, and witness to those that love us. Let us look at purpose.
A purpose is the reason for which something exists or is done, made, used, etc. It is such a good and fulfilling feeling when we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are flowing in the perfect will and purposes of our Lord. Yet there may be times we are doing something that seems to be a good thing yet it is not God’s perfect will at that time. The Lord desires that all our good deeds proceed from a right heart and not one of feeling obligated. Let us be careful that all we do is instructed by the Lord.
Today I want to encourage your heart to establish your plans to fit hand in hand with His purposes. May we be useful in the Master’s hands to perform His desires and not our own. I must share something I overheard once while I was shopping that goes along with the truth of being in a position of being useful. It made me giggle to myself for my Mother used to say this to me a lot. I was in a store and a mother was struggling trying to carry something and she looked at her child and said, “Don’t just stand there, make yourself useful and help carry something!” How true this is for us as spiritual children! Let us make a conscious effort to have our “hands full” of doing the will of God and accomplishing His purposes for He has a great work He desires to accomplish through us. As we stay aware of how He desires to use us, we will not stand empty handed, we will allow Him to make us useful as we live to do His will only and give Him glory!
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!