Friday, January 26, 2018
Devotional for Friday, January 26, 2018
“A Soul At Rest”
by Dona Hake
“If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within,
you’ll be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you’ll be at rest.”
Corrie ten Boom
There is such beauty to observe the believer that walks through adversity, and chooses to keep a steadfast focus on Christ. They chose not to quit or be bitter but instead they make the decision to stand back up in midst of their weariness, and they take hold of God’s courage. The reward to them is a soul at rest, and oh how beautiful it is. What a blessing it is to see such victory, and these are the testimonies that can bring courage to our hearts. These are believers that endured because they chose to look into the eyes of the One that cause them to overcome, and not be overcome by their circumstance. They look at Christ instead of what the world’s answers are. They look at Christ instead of their own ability.
The Lord has shown us in His scriptures that we need to hold fast, and continue to look to Him that we may have enduring strength. Trials can cause us to be stronger people if we permit them to. As we press in and keep our eyes on Him and seek His wisdom we will see that our patience is being worked and perfected by Him even when things around us do not look so perfect. Many times in this life things do not go the way we plan but we must take courage and try again, and persist in our faith. Keep looking to Jesus, permit your soul to take rest, and He will renew your strength.
Proverbs 24:16
“For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again…”
Hebrews 10:36
“Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.”
Let us live a life of pressing into God that we can walk and run in His enduring strength. Continue to do His will, step out in new paths that He shows you, and patiently endure that you may receive the blessing of what you are hoping for! Today I encourage your heart to keep looking to Christ, and live in His rest.
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Devotional for Thursday, January 25, 2018
“Blessing Others As You Desire To Be Blessed”
by Dona Hake
Matthew 7:12 (MSG)
“Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior:
Ask yourself what you want people to do for you,
then grab the initiative and do it for them.”
I love this translation…in a nutshell it is challenging us to examine our heart and ask ourselves the question, What do we desire that people do for us, and then grab the initiative and do it for them. It seems that the message from our Lord was to bless others as we desire to be blessed! May this remind us to stop and take initiative to do the right thing, and treat people the same way that we desire to be treated. Oh that our hearts would rise above our hurts and self-centered focus,, and just be obedient and do good even to those that do not deserve it.
Many times we just need to stay aware of what our Lord is seeing, for too many times we miss the hurts and needs around us because we are too consumed by our own needs. Let’s make this scripture a prayer over our lives. In everything, in every circumstance, do to others as we would have them do to us. I believe these words spoken by Jesus are those of power and they are meant keep our hearts challenged in the love walk and live by this godly principle.
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Devotional for Wednesday, January 24, 2018
“By the Light of His Face”
by Dona Hake
Psalm 89:15 The Voice translation
“How happy are those who have learned how to praise You;
those who journey through life by the light of Your face.”
“How happy are those who have learned how to praise You;
those who journey through life by the light of Your face.”
I love this scripture….May we learn to praise our God, and how happy we will be as we journey through this life by the light of our Lord’s face! Let’s rejoice that the light of His glorious face will illuminate our path. Some days the journey is smooth and some days the journey is just full of unexpected things , yet unexpected things can be times of opportunity for Him to do the unexpected and perform the impossible on our behalf.
The important thing about the journey is knowing that He has promised to be right there beside us, and He will never leave us. I know I share this truth with You often but it is important that we live and breathe this wonderful truth. May knowing that He is always with us burn deep in our souls. Take time throughout your day and look up for the glorious light of His face is upon you. Let not one thing in this life come between your walk with Him.
“The closer you walk with God,
the less anything can get
between you and Him.”
between you and Him.”
Lord we praise You this day that our path is gloriously illuminated by the light of Your face! We thank You that You give us joy in the journey and You lead and guide us into every truth. We declare this day that we will walk in expectancy of good things that You desire to do for us today! In Jesus Name, amen.
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Devotional for Tuesday, January 23, 2018
“Jesus- the Restorer of My Soul”
by Dona Hake
Today let us meditate on the truth that Jesus IS the Restorer of our soul. Even in the doing of His will our souls can grow weary. This is why we are cautioned in Galatians 6:9 “Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in…”
Today I want to encourage your heart that reaping time is coming, so let us walk as those that believe that our Lord is able to restore and refresh our soul as we serve Him and wait upon Him as He performs His will in our life. Praise the living God that He is able to keep us fresh, strong and built up by the power of His restoration. In Psalm 23 David wrote, “He makes me to lie down in green pastures and He leads me beside the still waters…” I love the words “He makes…” because sometimes that is exactly how it is. Because in those times that we push ourselves, our Lord may need to give us that gentle tug in our hearts,and gently lead us to lay down in His green pastures beside the still waters of His loving Spirit that will truly minister rest to our souls.
In order for us to regenerate our physical bodies one of the most important things is proper rest . And so it is in our soul…we must seek His loving restoration that we be strong and healthy in spirit. I encourage you today to be mindful of your soul’s need for your Lord’s refreshment and restoration.
Psalm 23:3 (AMP)
“He refreshes and restores my life (my self)”
Monday, January 22, 2018
Devotional for Monday, January 22, 2018
“…and the Sin Which So Easily and
Cleverly Entangles Us…”
by Dona Hake
Today I will pick up with where I left off on our last devotional. I shared this quote:
“Ships do not sink because of the water around them;
ships sink because of the water that gets in them.
Do not let what is happening around you
get inside you and weigh you down.”
We looked at Hebrews 12:1. We looked at weights being the “water” that gets inside our boats. Today we will look at sin that is left go can also be the “water” that will sink us.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud
of witnesses who by faith have testified
to the truth
of God’s absolute faithfulness,
stripping off every
unnecessary weight and
the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us,
let us run with endurance and
active persistence the race that is set before us,”
One time I saw the most touching video of a deer that was tangled up in netting in the woods, and it laid helplessly. It frantically and fearfully was trying to escape the trap it was in. There were some men that wanted to help it, and as they approached it, the deer began to panic. They spoke softly to it, and it soon seemed to understand that they were trying to help. They carefully cut away that which was entangling it and the deer went free. It was precious to see the deer set free from all the entanglements that would of surely caused it harm or death in due time.
We must be careful to be diligent and watchful over our souls that there is not a sin that is cleverly trying to put us in a position in which the enemy can entangle us and consume us. As we watch over our hearts and minds through prayer and fellowship with our Lord, He will help us to discern those clever attempts that the evil one tries to deceive us with. Let us run with endurance and active persistence that race that is set before us in Jesus Name!
Saturday,, January 20, 2018
Devotional for Monday, January 20, 2018
“ This Is Why Ships Sink”
by Dona Hake
“Ships do not sink because of the water around them;
ships sink because of
the water that gets in them.
Do not let what is happening around
you get inside you and weigh
you down.”
ships sink because of
the water that gets in them.
Do not let what is happening around
you get inside you and weigh
you down.”
This is a very powerful quote with a wonderful message that should challenge our hearts. Let us look at the following scripture in light of this awesome quote….
Hebrews 12:1 Amplified Version
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness, stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us,”
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness, stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us,”
The first words I want to look at today is the words stripping off every unnecessary weight. As I read this quote it reminded me of the fact that many times we are the ones responsible for sinking our own ships. How is that? you might wonder…I think about times when we pick up cares that we have no business trying to carry. It is amazing how we can just convince ourselves that picking up care and worrying about something is going to solve a problem. The Lord tells us in His Word to cast all of our care upon Him, for He is the one caring about us!
He does not want us to be burdened down with anything here in this journey on earth. He desires we run the race of our life with light hearts and minds that are free from care. He does not want us to try to solve problems in our inability but rather that we let that to Him. It is as we cast our care that we are really stripping off the unnecessary weight that tries to slow us down and burden us.
Today I want to challenge your heart to think about things you may be thinking about that have become a burden, and unnecessary weight and care in your mind. I encourage you to make a decision to just stop carrying it in your own ability, make a quality decision to give it to the Lord Jesus Christ in prayer.
Friday, January 19, 2018
Devotional for Friday, January 19, 2018
“Before You Speak…”
by Dona Hake
As I was meditating upon this sound wisdom of what I should do before I speak the words “bottled up” came to my spirit. You know…those times that you to repress, try to control, or restrain something within you. These are usually things that are bugging us, and we are not dealing with them rightly.
Let us meditate upon what rich wisdom this is to think first before we speak unspoken thoughts. Sadly, there are times that we permit thoughts within our minds to remain, and remain unchallenged. It is then that these thoughts that are “bottled up” within us will cause us problems. If not dealt with according to our Lord’s instruction we will end up hurting or offending someone with our words. Let us think about what Jesus said about it…
“…For out of the fullness (the overflow,
the superabundance) of the heart
the mouth speaks. “
Matthew 12:34(Amplified Classic Edition)
Whether they are good thoughts or bad thoughts, the more they are accumulated within us, they will grow in strength. Let this be our prayer today that we may keep check over our unspoken thoughts and spoken words that they would be pleasing before our Lord…
“May my spoken words and unspoken
thoughts be pleasing even to you,
O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer.”
Psalm 19:14
Devotional for Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Devotional for Wednesday, January 17, 2018
“The Blessing of the Lord”
by Dona Hake
Psalm 139:1-5 The Living Bible
O Lord, You have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit or stand. When far away You know my every thought. You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment You know where I am. You know what I am going to say before I even say it. You both precede and follow me and place Your hand of blessing on my head.
O Lord, You have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit or stand. When far away You know my every thought. You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment You know where I am. You know what I am going to say before I even say it. You both precede and follow me and place Your hand of blessing on my head.
How awesome is this… Our Lord charts our path. He knows exactly when our hearts are weary and we need to follow His command and stop and rest. Today as you go about your day I encourage you to be mindful of His plans for you as He works through your life. Be mindful and obedient to stop and rest as He instructs you to do that He may refresh and renew your strength.
Many times we can get so focused on the work that we forget that our spirit needs refreshed and our body needs rest. He desires to continually empower us with His strength and wisdom that we would not get weary in doing His will. Praise the living God today and be mindful that He goes before us and follows us, and His hand of blessing is upon our heads!
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Devotional for Tuesday, January 16, 2018
“Let Us Be Real”
by Dona Hake
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.”
Yesterday I shared about keeping the words that we speak. A faithful man or woman will see to it that they follow through with their promises no matter how big or small. I want to cause you to ponder the words ~our love must be real~. What does it mean to be real with our love toward people as we walk with Jesus. God’s love is always real, it is genuine, not counterfeit or artificial. His love is pure…ALWAYS. I challenge your heart today to walk in the love of your God, His real love. This challenge calls you away from trying to love people, and walk in love in your own ability.
As I experienced seeing God’s real love in action it changed my thinking as a young believer. My heart was broken of stubbornness when I accepted Him yet I struggled as I observed many Christians walking in hypocrisy. I know I had friends praying diligently for me, therefore the Lord brought special laborers to step into my crooked path to help me. He brought a special Christian couple into my life for me to observe, and see how they served the Lord. They lived in truth and they kept their word. If they said they would pray… they meant it. If they said they would be there for me…they were there. Their real love that only came from drawing on God’s love began to touch my heart and draw me closer to Him.
It is important that we know we are being honest with God, honest with ourselves, and therefore we will be in a position to show God’s real love. As we grow in His love we will walk away from selfishness, the very thing that inhibits us from giving our all for Him. God’s love positions us to be totally real and honest with those around us. The more we come to know God, His love and His ways, we will walk as the Lord walked. This world is looking for those that are walking in the God kind of love. My friend, there are many in this dark world that are truly searching for real love. Let us position ourselves on that hill, and be that light that cannot be hidden. Let us not hide our light under the bushel of our fears and apprehensions. God desires that we not just talk the talk, but rather walk the talk.
January 15, 2018
Devotional for Monday, January 15, 2018
“Your Thoughts = Your Words”
by Dona Hake
“May the words from my mouth and the thoughts from my
heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my defender.”
Psalm 19:14
heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my defender.”
Psalm 19:14
I believe that God desires for us to have hearts that determine to be pure and upright before Him. He desires that we value each and every word that proceeds from our mouth. He wants us to diligently watch over and guard our hearts that the words we speak will be pure and acceptable to Him. May we purpose to guard the words or promises that we make to people around us. When a man or woman makes a promise and does not keep his word, it conveys a message of one that does not watch over the words that they speak.
“Promises are NOT made to be broken.
Promises are made to be honored.”
Promises are made to be honored.”
I encourage you today to make a constant effort to be purposeful to speak words that are edifying, true, and words that are full of goodness and mercy. Make an effort to stand behind your words to the best of your ability.
As we meditate upon guarding our words we must first be guarding how we are thinking before we even speak. May we stop and purpose to ask ourselves the questions…”Am I thinking good thoughts, pure thoughts, thoughts that are of honor and praise?” “Is my opinion and thoughts on this matter worthy to be spoken? I have heard it said that just because a thought pops into your mind does not mean it has to be spoken. We would spar ourselves a lot of grief if we would stop and filter ourselves with these questions.
Philippians 4:8 instructs us in how we should keep our hearts and minds for our thoughts surely become words sooner or later. May we watch over our words and promises that we speak that we can be known as a person of our word. God desires that the words we speak be honored as we keep our promises.
Philippians 4:8 Expanded Bible
“ Finally; In conclusion; or Now then] Brothers and sisters, ·think about [focus your thoughts on; fill your minds with] things that are true and honorable and ·right [just] and pure and ·beautiful [lovely] and ·respected [commendable]. If there is anything that is ·good [morally excellent] and worthy of praise, ·think about [focus your thoughts on; fill your minds with] these things.”
“ Finally; In conclusion; or Now then] Brothers and sisters, ·think about [focus your thoughts on; fill your minds with] things that are true and honorable and ·right [just] and pure and ·beautiful [lovely] and ·respected [commendable]. If there is anything that is ·good [morally excellent] and worthy of praise, ·think about [focus your thoughts on; fill your minds with] these things.”
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!