by Dona Hake

“A Guarded Heart, Mind and Tongue” Posted in devotions Thursday, June 19, 2014

In this day and age we seem to be more and more aware of the importance of guarding all kinds of things. We put virus protection on our computers, and to feel even more secure we do external back up so we do not lose important documents and images. We have all kinds of new companies rising up to keep our homes safe. We do our best to keep our identity safe. Like never before people are trying to exercise and eat very healthy because they desire to guard their health and well being. In the midst of guarding all these things I constantly am reminding myself to never lose sight of the importance of keeping my heart guarded. I try to stay conscious that my thoughts are acceptable to Him and the words I speak are helping and edifying to myself and those around me.I just want to encourage you today to make sure you are making a diligent effort to guard your heart for from it flow the issues of life.

Proverbs 4:20-25

“My son, pay attention to all the words I am telling you. Lean in closer so you can hear. Keep them before you; meditate on them; set them safely in your heart. For those who discover them, they are life. They bring wholeness and healing to their bodies. Above all else, watch over your heart; diligently guard it because from a sincere and pure heart come the good and noble things of life. Do away with any talk that twists and distorts the truth; have nothing to do with any verbal trickery. Keep your head up, your eyes straight ahead, and your focus fixed on what is in front of you.”

Let us also be ever so mindful of how our words can build up or destroy.

Proverbs 18:21

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue…”

Proverbs 21:23

Those who guard their mouths and their tongues guard themselves from trouble.

by Dona Hake

Let’s just pretend today.  Let’s pretend that it is only five days till Christmas.  For all of you that do not love winter as much as I do, this may be hard, but let’s just pretend!!!!  Only a few days to go and there is something you have ask for as your Christmas gift and you begin to observe gifts that have your name on it.  They are beautifully wrapped with bright bows.  Now since we are all grown up, we would never think of picking gifts up and holding them or shaking them a bit…would we???   I am not going to ask for a show of hands, but I know I would!!!!

Many times we know what we have ask for from the Lord and we all know the importance of believing and waiting.  When we are in faith it is important that we not judge that things are not happening just because of what we see or do not see.    Many times the Lord is beginning to unfold answers to your prayers, but because of our preconceived ideas of how it is going to happen you may miss what He is trying to do in your life.  Sometimes the answers to our prayers simply come in a whole different “package” than we expected.

Hebrews 11:1 (TLB)
What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something

we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what

we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.

Hebrews 11:1 (VOICE)
Faith is the assurance of things you have hoped for,

the absolute conviction that there

are realities you’ve never seen.

One thing that we can be assured of is that we need to know that God desires to bless our faith  yet He understands more than we will ever know that His timing and our waiting is so important.    It is also of great importance that our asking is in line with His will for our lives.   Today I encourage you that if you are believing Him for something to wait with an assurance in your heart that He will bless your faith.  

~~~~~♥~~~~~

by Dona Hake

“Life is a journey, not a destination”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

I have always loved this quote because it ministers to my heart about how to view my time here on this earth. Today I was listening to someone as they shared their heart about a man that died and they esteemed this individual very highly. He was held in many’s eyes as a man of integrity and one who encouraged people to reach their potential. He began to share something he heard this gentleman say and it was relating to the quote I shared. 

This man that was also known for his words of wisdom made the following comment.regarding Ralph W. Emerson’s quote, “Yes it’s said that life is a journey, not a destination”…and if you do it right, you will never reach your destination. The reason being that until the day you die, you should never cease to learn and grow to your potential.” Learning, growing and giving should be life’s experience until you take your last breath.

I was so touched by this! I love hearing people share things like this because it causes me to be careful to never get comfortable with where I am and to keep trying harder. The gentleman sharing said that we all have someone or maybe more than one person that pushed us beyond where we would stop because of our limitations. Do you remember a person in your life that pushed you beyond what you thought you were capable of? Maybe it was that parent or teacher that seemed hard on you and you hated it at the moment but years later, you were glad they did. Today, I encourage you to think about and also be thankful for that individual that pushed you and helped you reach for the God given potential within you.

It is a wonderful thing to make a decision that you will continue to grow and learn everyday of your life no matter how old we are. So as we press in to reach our potential, let us be mindful to never give up because God has much for us to do while we live our life for Him.

by Dona Hake

“Bloom where you are planted.”

I can remember hearing this quote seventeen years ago.  An amazing gentleman from North Wales came to minister at our church.  His name was Arthur Burt, and I am forever grateful in my heart that I have the opportunity of knowing this man of such wisdom.    His little and big tidbits of wisdom always caused me to stop and ponder my own heart and challenge me to grow deeper in the Lord.

This is one of those quotes that should encourage our heart to think about where we are and what we are doing while we are in that particular place.    When a flower is in bloom it is in a time of  flourishing, healthy condition.  It is the time or period of greatest beauty, and artistry.  

Today I encourage you to bloom where God has planted and positioned you.  Never underestimate the place He has put you to do His good work.  Also, we should never compare ourselves to others and the work the Lord is doing in them.  As we are faithful to remain and allow His loving hand to keep us, and take care of us, we will indeed bloom where we are planted!

~~~~~~

by Dona Hake

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 let us meditate on God being the God that can strengthen us to do anything that is in accordance to His Will. Again, as I shared yesterday, we must believe that He is well able to do what He says He can do.

Here is an interesting quote that goes along with what I am sharing:

“Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.”
Henry Ford

It is important that we do believe all that God says about us because if we do not, there is not way that we are going to see it our God given desires come to pass. There is nothing I hate more than hearing someone say in definite terms…”I can’t do this!” What really upsets me is when I know that the person declaring this has people in his or her life to help make it happen. How much more should we never say, “I can’t!” when we have the God of heaven and earth declaring His help to us. Oh that we would fully place our trust in Him for His help in all that we ever try to do.

Today I encourage you to allow Him to infuse you with great strength, and look to Him for all that you ever need to do the task before you!

~~~~~♥~~~~~

by Dona Hake

The present and the future could cause one to worry and fear but the God we serve desires that we just believe. “The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want…” Psalm 23:1 There is probably none of us that have not heard this, and I would venture to say that it is one of the most favorite Psalms of many. While He promises tender loving care and provision, we still need to believe that He is willing and able to do what He says.

I have returned to reading from one of my favorite authors. Francois deFenelon. I love the depth of revelation that He shares. He challenges my heart as well.

by Dona Hake

I can remember as a little girl when my Grandmother would take my sister and I to the York Fair. What a treasured memory I have of her. I can remember how she would put us on the Merry-go-round and stand and watch us. Each time we would pass her, we would wave and there would be joy all over her face as she would wave back at us. There was one thing though that I could remember , and that was the faster the Merry-go-round went I could no longer seem to find her in the crowd of so many faces watching. I was always glad when it finally slowed up and even though it was fun, I was glad to get off.

Sometimes I think life can be like a Merry-go-round. Sometimes things just get going so fast that we forget to slow down and get our bearings and footing back. God desires for us to enjoy our lives and the many blessings yet He does not want us to get so caught up in them that we forget to look for Him. Let us not make ourselves so busy that things swirl so fast that we can no longer find Him in the midst of the whirlwind that we have created. We have so many things to be thankful for and many are the materialistic blessings we enjoy yet He does not want them to hold our attention to the point that our focus is off of Him. We have all heard it said that there are things we have in this world that we love but we cannot take them with us when we die.

1 Timothy 6:6-7  (VOICE)
“…because godliness, along with contentment, does put us ahead but not in the ways some imagine. 7You see we came into this world with nothing, and nothing is going with us on the way out!”

Today I encourage you to desire a heart that is contented with Him.  He is all that we need as take this journey here in life.  Let us learn how to live our lives enjoying the blessings but not loving the blessings more than Him.

~~~~~♥~~~~~~

by Dona Hake

The Lord desires that we believe Him for His angels to watch over and protect us.  I am thinking we will never know how many times our angels spared us from disaster and we did not even have a clue.  I think it would be a good idea for us to be ever so diligent to praise Him and thank Him each day for His angels that take care of us and our loved ones.

Yesterday while driving through a heavy construction area I was spared being in an accident. Had I not looked into my rear view mirror I would not have realized what I was spared from. I did not notice that there was a man literally on the tail of my car. I was driving around a bend in the road and was unable to see that there was a line of traffic sitting still. As I slowed down to stop, the traffic in front of me was slowly beginning to move. I was able to stop and then slowly move with the traffic, but because the man behind me was too close, he almost hit me. I just happened to look into my mirror and saw this gentlemen completely go off the road to avoid hitting me. The car behind him had to also steer off abruptly to avoid hitting him. Behind that car was a Mack truck, and I could see that the driver of the truck was fully aware of what was going on. Thank God he was able to stop in a safe manner. Do you get the picture of the almost accident that could have occurred?

As I continued on the road I had to laugh to myself because the gentleman that almost hit me stayed about ten car lengths behind me the rest of the way on this road.  Yes, I was thanking God, but had I not glanced into my rear view mirror in that split second, I would not even had known what I was spared from.   I was thanking the Lord that He had my back in what could have been a bad accident.

Today I encourage you to think about the times that you know His angels were there to protect you.  Also, thank Him for all the times you may have been protected from something bad, and you did not even realize it.  God is so good and He is ever so faithful to take care of us!

Psalm 91:11 (EXB)
” He has put his angels in charge of [commanded his angels/messengers concerning] you
to watch over [keep; guard] you wherever you go [ all your ways].

~~~~~♥~~~~~

by Dona Hake

“But still, You long to enthrone truth throughout my being;

in unseen places deep within me, You show me wisdom.”

Psalm 51:6 (The Voice)

I can remember many years ago reading a book by Watchman Nee, and I will never forget a statement he made. He shared that there are virgin caverns within your soul that God has not yet touched with His light. He was likening the caverns of our soul as veins in which God’s light and life are flowing. The virgin caverns are those that have not yet been discovered by the light of His truth.

These words could serve us with some real enlightenment regarding the truth that is within us. Every time I think about this statement it reminds me that there is truth that I still need deeper understanding of and there is truth that God has not yet touched my soul with yet. Lord, help me to remain humble that I may receive ALL that you desire for me to know regarding your truth!

God desires that we cry out for the wisdom and truth that the unseen places of our soul have not yet experienced.  He desires that the truth we know of to have a place in our heart that is protected and honored.    In Psalms 51:6 the psalmist is saying,

“But still, You long to enthrone truth throughout my being…”   

Let us be reminded that the truth that we know should be guarded and NOT compromised by what we feel or do not feel like doing.  Truth must reign above our feelings, emotions, and it is not moved by what is going on around us.    Let us ask Him today for His wisdom on how to keep the truth we have embraced enthroned within us.

~~~~~♥~~~~~

by Dona Hake

Have you ever prepared to travel and you want to make sure that you are packing everything  you need.  Before a trip I have so many “to do” lists and “things I need to pack” lists as well.  I want to flow as efficiently as possible in my time away from home.  I am the kind of person that likes to be ready for anything so I probably over pack because of that.  Needless to say, it is good to feel that you are properly equipped for your time away from home.

As we spend time on this earth serving the Lord we  are on a journey.   We must be assured that we are equipped for all that He has for us to do.  It is wonderful to know that He has equipped us with everything we need.    I love the image I shared today because it ministered to my heart relative to God giving me all that I need.  First of all, His Word will keep me full of the knowledge of His will.  Any door that I need to walk through whether difficult or not, He has the exact key and He also provides me with His perfect timing and I need to keep my eyes on His watch not my own.  It is when we get our eyes off of all that He has provided that our hearts can be tempted to fear.  

2 Timothy 1:7 (AMP)
“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.”

Let us be reminded today to stay focused on all that He has given us through His love for this very special journey on earth.  We can live this life with spirits full of power, love, and calm well balance minds!  It is Him that can help us to remain disciplined and self controlled for the God given work He has for us.

~~~~~♥~~~~~