Thursday, February 8, 2018
Devotional for Thursday, February 8, 2018
“Recreated By the Hands of Our Lord!”
by Dona Hake
Ephesians 2:10 (AMP)
“For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].”
Praise the Lord for He is the Great Workman, and His skilled hands work to form, shape and mold us to do great things for His Kingdom! Today let us meditate upon how our loving Lord recreated us in Him the day we said, “yes” in our hearts to His lordship in our lives. When we surrendered our hearts to Him we were born anew, and He is at work in us that we may do the works that He planned before hand for us.
Our hearts should be encouraged that the One that created the Heavens and the Earth is at work in our lives, we should be rejoicing in our hearts over the plans He has for us! I want to encourage your heart today in the fact that you are a work in progress. No matter how long you have known the Lord, whether it be a few years or many, He continues to work in you.
God sees our lives from the beginning to end, and He has perfect plans and opportunities unique to each of us in order to accomplish His will . Remember…there is only one YOU! He has a special and unique plan for you, and only YOU can do it as you look to Him and follow His specific direction. He is the faithful one that will continue to work by His Holy Spirit in our lives no matter what weaknesses or inabilities we may have.
Praise Him today for what He has done in your life. Praise Him for what you also expect Him to do, and remember to give Him all the glory as He dwells within you and uses you as He wills!
Philippians 2:13 (AMP)
“[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.”
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Devotional for Wednesday, February 7, 2018
“When He Answers With His Grace”
by Dona Hake
His grace is more than enough! When pieces of our life seem like an impossible jigsaw puzzle or our heart is broken and seems beyond repair…know this, our Loving God has the answer to every problem. He is the Healer of our hearts, He is the answer to all problems, and His grace is sufficient for us. When we call out for His help, He WILL answer us with His wonderful grace! Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 about his dilemma. He states how he cried out to God with a weary plea, and I wonder if Paul ever expected this answer from the Lord…
2 Corinthians 12:8-9 (AMP)
“Three times I called upon the Lord and besought [Him]
about this and begged that it might depart from me; But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy)
is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables
you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power
are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves
most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the
more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities,
that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah)
may rest (yes, may [b]pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!”
Many times we too are like Paul. Our hearts beg within that our problem would just go away. In a nutshell Paul finally saw what God desired for him to see. All Paul needed was to trust the Lord to be more than enough for His situation. Paul finally understood that he had hit rock bottom, and he no longer had his own strength to depend on. It was then that Paul was in the perfect place where God could totally empower him. He also realized that God was all that He needed, and that in his weakness the power of Christ would rest upon him mightily.
Maybe you are reading this and thinking all is well and you have no need to ponder this. It is human nature at times to neglect to continue to strengthen our inner man especially if all is going well. May I share with you that we can never get rock solid enough in this revelation. This is what I desire to think about and get it rooted so deep in me…God’s grace is sufficient for me to live, and He grace is more than enough. Read this awesome definition I found of the word ~~enough~.
ENOUGH:- in a quantity or degree that answers a purpose or satisfies a need or desire.
When we call upon God , He will always answer us with His empowering grace that we need for the situation we are in. I think this is a powerful thought… your need or weakness is calling out, and as you call out to Him, He answers that need with the grace that is more than enough and sufficient to deal with your situation. Praise the Living God that He and His grace is MORE than enough for every one of our needs!!!
Monday, February 6, 2018
Devotional for Tuesday, February 6, 2018
“Sometimes It’s the Little Things”
by Dona Hake
Just recently I was walking down a grocery aisle, and I saw this sweet older woman, and she was looking up at the highest shelf desiring some toilet paper. She looked at me and said, “I am a bit vertically challenged, can you please reach up and get that toilet paper for me?” As we giggled together, I told her how I used to hate being so tall but sometimes it does come in handy for the moment! As I handed her what she wanted, she was so thankful. I said, “Bless you sweetie! Have a great day!” You would of thought I handed her a handful of one hundred dollar bills! A small act of helpful kindness, and a few words made that woman glow with the sweetest smile.
I walked away thinking how you just never know what people around us may have going on in their life. You know people learn how to wear a smile yet they are crying big tears, and their hearts are hurting. There are people out there that are lonely, needy, and maybe facing the biggest battle of their life. God knows, and He wants to fill their void with life giving acts and words…He wants to use us !! I encourage you to look for opportunities to be used to bless someone in your path today.
Sometimes it really is the little things that may count to be something really big in another’s life. It is also true that sometimes the things we are called upon to do may even be inconvenient, yet if God is asking us to do it, we need to be obedient no matter how small of a thing it may seem to us. May we obediently show the love of Jesus no matter how small the deed may seem to us.
“Never get tired of doing little things for others.
Sometimes those little things occupy the biggest
parts of their hearts.”
Author unknown
Saturday, February 3, 2018
Devotional for Saturday, February 3, 2018
“His Loyal Love”
by Dona Hake
Loyalty is characterized by faithfulness to commitments and obligations. God has promised to be loyal to us with His love, forgiveness, help, …oh my!…there are so many things that He promises to be to us. Jesus said in His Word that He would NEVER leave us or forsake us. Our Lord has promised to remain faithful, from one generation to the next. The loyalty of our Lord should be precious to us for He and His loyal love can always be depended upon.
At the end of many days I may look back on my day and wished that I would have said or done things differently but praise God He faithfully forgives me, and He promises to help me do better as I lean upon Him for all wisdom and strength. Because of His loyalty and steadfast love, He promises to be there for me tomorrow, and give me the wisdom that I need to do better.
One of the first things I try to do each morning as I greet Him is remind myself and thank Him that His mercies are new every morning. I praise Him that my day is a fresh canvas, and I try to purpose myself to walk closer to Him than the day before, and seize the opportunities He prepares just for me. Today I encourage you to meditate on His loyal love!
Lamentations 3:22-23
“How enduring is God’s loyal love; the
Eternal has inexhaustible compassion.”
Friday, February 2, 2018
Devotional for Friday, February 2, 2018
“Believing For His Work In You!”
by Dona Hake
In our pursuit to grow in God’s love and in His Word sometimes we focus too much on where we are NOT growing rather that how far He has brought us. With any work that needs done in us there needs to be a time of waiting for His loving hand to work, and mold us with His loving hands. I guess there are all times we wished He would work a bit faster, but His wisdom encompasses more than we will ever understand. As He works, He promises that the transformation will indeed happen, but remember sometimes we can tend to be impatient in that which we have to wait for. Let us not stand in the way of our Lord’s work in us.
“I’ve never met a man who has given me as much trouble as myself.”
~Dwight L Moody~
Be encouraged today that as you are applying yourself to do that which is right and good in His sight that His loving hand is at work in you. While we need to be aware of areas we need to grow let us guard ourselves from focusing on our weaknesses but rather the gifts, the strengths and abilities He has blessed us with. As we keep our hearts humble and open to Him, He will be faithful to show us the areas in which we need to give attention. He leads and guides us into ALL truth in every area of our lives! God bless you.
“I’ve never met a man who has given me as much trouble as myself.”
~Dwight L Moody~
Be encouraged today that as you are applying yourself to do that which is right and good in His sight that His loving hand is at work in you. While we need to be aware of areas we need to grow let us guard ourselves from focusing on our weaknesses but rather the gifts, the strengths and abilities He has blessed us with. As we keep our hearts humble and open to Him, He will be faithful to show us the areas in which we need to give attention. He leads and guides us into ALL truth in every area of our lives! God bless you.
Philippians 1:6 Amplified Version
“I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].”
Thursday, February 1, 2018
Devotional for Thursday, February 1, 2018
“Strength and Refreshment In Dry Lands!”
by Dona Hake
Isaiah 58:11 (ERV)
“The Lord will always lead you and satisfy your needs in dry lands.
He will give strength to your bones.
You will be like a garden that has plenty of water,
like a spring that never goes dry.”
As we draw upon the living water from above each and everyday let us be mindful to share that water that gives life with those around us. Let us be thankful that the water He gives is the only water that will quench our spiritual thirst. I love how this scripture in Isaiah says that we will be “like a garden that has plenty of water, a spring that never goes dry.” No matter how much we draw upon it, those waters will continue to flow toward us to meet our every need! The only requirement is that we continue to seek Him and draw upon that river of life that proceeds from Him.
God desires to see us active in doing good for others from a heart of faith and love. Today I encourage you to think about the abundance in your life. Think about the many times that He has met you in your “dry lands” and refreshed your soul. Seek opportunities to look to be a blessing in someone’s life. I pray that the life of Jesus within you may touch and bless the dry places of someone in need. We have so much to be thankful for, and as we focus on those blessings and abide in Him we will be in a position to refresh those around us. God bless you!
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Devotional for Wednesday, January 31, 2018
“Lord, Direct Our Hearts”
by Dona Hake
The voice of self speaks loudly at times, and it will try to distract us at from doing that which is right and good in the sight of our Lord.
Psalm 119:36-40 (NIV)
“Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.”
What an awesome prayer this Psalmist recorded here in Psalm 119. As we sincerely ask Him to keep our heart turned in His direction we will quickly recognize when fleshly desires are trying to pull and tug us off of the paths of righteousness. He will faithfully reveal to us the things in this life that are of no worth so we can look away from them before they grip our heart. It is as we look to Him in this way that our life will be preserved blameless before Him. I encourage you to praise the living God today and purpose to keep the eyes of your heart toward Him! May we humbly keep our hearts open that we hear His precious voice.
Lord, we thank You this day that You are able and willing to preserve our life according to Your Word. We ask that You help us by the power of Your Holy Spirit as you direct our hearts and minds toward Your statutes and not toward our own desires. We rejoice in You and Your power to preserve our lives, in Jesus Name!
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Devotional for Tuesday, January 30, 2018
“God Always Has Something For You”
by Dona Hake
Praise God our Lord always has something for us! As we awaken and walk into a new day may be reminded from Lamentations 3:23 that His mercies are new every morning!
Thank Him today for every KEY He can place in your hand for any problem you may face. He has keys for the smallest of problems. Each key from His hand opens up the depths of His wisdom and divine direction to walk you through any questions that you may have.
Praise Him for that LIGHT That illuminates the path of your feet as you meditate upon His Word for that light will dispel any shadows or darkness that are trying to cloud any decision making you are trying to do.
Draw close and bask in the rest of your Lord as He desires to comfort your heart and bring RELIEF to you from any sorrow or worry that may be hindering your heart and causing you weariness.
Lastly praise Him today for He has given you a PLAN for your day and for every tomorrow. In Him you have all the hope you need and praise God He gives you an abundance of grace to do His will.
Psalm 119:105 (ERV)
Your word is like a lamp that guides my steps,
a light that shows the path I should take.
Your word is like a lamp that guides my steps,
a light that shows the path I should take.
Monday, January 29, 2018
Devotional for Monday, January 29, 2018
“Bearing Richer and Finer Fruit In Our Life”
by Dona Hake
John 15:1-8 Amplified Bible
Jesus Is the Vine—Followers Are Branches
Jesus Is the Vine—Followers Are Branches
15 “[a]I am the true Vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that continues to bear fruit, He [repeatedly] prunes, so that it will bear more fruit [even richer and finer fruit]. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have given you [the teachings which I have discussed with you]. 4 Remain in Me, and I [will remain] in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself without remaining in the vine, neither can you [bear fruit, producing evidence of your faith] unless you remain in Me. 5 [b]I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.”
What a beautiful scripture to keep fresh in our hearts. Without Him we accomplish not one thing, yet in Him we can do all things! Whether we are trying to do things for Him or the things that involve our daily accomplishments, it would do us good to remind ourselves that we are pulling ALL of our strength and wisdom from His resources. He IS the Vine and we ARE the branches, let us abide in Him that we stand and grow in the nourishment of Jesus, the life giving Vine.
Today I ask you, are you abiding in Him? Another way of asking this would be are you connected to Him? My friend, this is where our life give power is going to come from. Everything that we need to get through another day comes from the power and nourishment of the Living Vine, Jesus Christ.
Now let us look at being branches on His Vine. Fruitful branches are true believers who by their living union with Christ produce much fruit. In the second part of chapter 15 verse two, it says “…He [repeatedly] prunes, so that it will bear more fruit [even richer and finer fruit]…”One may cringe at this word ~prune~. I want to emphasize at this point that pruning is a very good thing, and our Heavenly Father knows that well. He knows how to keep our walk productive and fruitful for His glory and purposes. To prune is to rid or clear of anything superfluous or undesirable. It is the cutting of undesired twigs and branches. The word superfluous is when something is more than sufficient or required and unnecessary or needless.
Our rest and joy can come from knowing that His pruning will always promote growth in us. I’m going to say that again, pruning WILL ALWAYS promote growth in us! Our Lord knows the appropriate time, and He knows exactly what we need pruned from our life. Today I encourage you to meditate on being submissive to the pruning that your Lord desires to do in you that He can continue to bear even richer and finer fruit in your life. This is all for His glory in order that His perfect will be accomplished in you.
Saturday, January 27, 2018
Devotional for Saturday, January 27, 2018
“Nourished As We Hunger For Him”
by Dona Hake
Luke 6:21 Amplified
“Blessed [joyful, nourished by God’s goodness]
are you who hunger now [for righteousness, actively
seeking right standing with God], for you will be [completely] satisfied.”
I love how the word blessed is defined as joyful and nourished by the goodness of our Lord. Think about the word nourish for a moment, and what that word means. It means to supply with what is necessary for life, health, and growth. When we hunger for the righteousness and the good things of God, our spirit and soul will be nourished and filled with every blessing that our Lord can give us. Oh praise Him today for He is the Good Shepherd that will keep us and we will want for nothing! He is the God that promises to supply all of our needs as we live to seek after His righteousness. Let us declare that we are a people desiring to be nourished in our inner man with God’s goodness.
May we make it our pursuit to seek to walk deeper in His righteousness, for as we do we are desiring to walk in all that God is. He is all good, He is all moral excellence, He is all virtue, and He is all pure! Oh that we would actively hunger after His righteousness all the days of our lives for as we do, we will be satisfied and spiritually nourished in that desire.
Psalm 17:15 AMP
As for me, I shall see Your face in
righteousness; I will be [fully] satisfied when I awake
[to find myself] seeing Your likeness.
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!