Thursday, December 31, 2015

HOW MUCH DO WE TRUST HIM

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Proverbs 3:5,6 KJV

Many years ago, one of my pastors preached a sermon on trusting Jesus.  My pastor used an illustration about a chair.  He said “When we sit down, we don’t worry if the chair will hold us.  We don’t even think about it.  How sad it is that we trust a chair more than we trust Jesus”. 

The more I thought about that illustration, the more I realized my pastor was right.  I had never worried if a chair would hold me if I sat down on it; I just sat down.  How we must hurt Jesus and break His heart when we don’t trust Him like we should trust Him.  We should trust Him for everything.

Missionary Edgar Page Stites wrote the hymn “Trusting Jesus”.  Can we honestly say we trust Jesus with all of our heart all of the time?  If we don’t trust Him, we are hurting Him and breaking His heart.  Jesus has not only proved to us how much He loves us by dying for our sins, He also has proved to be trustworthy.

Do we put Jesus ahead of everyone and everything?  If not, we not only are hurting Jesus, we are also hurting God.  May God help us to trust with all of our heart.  What a healing balm it is to our weary battled scarred heart to know we can trust Jesus.  We have a loving and faithful Saviour.

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for not always trusting like we should trust.  Jesus, thank You for loving us unconditionally and for dying for our sins on the cross.  We love You and we appreciate You.   In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 31, 2015

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

ARE WE WATCHING

“Watch therefore: for ye know not when your Lord doth come.”
Matthew 24:42 KJV

There is a cat next door that sits at the door of the house every morning and waits for my neighbor to come out of the house.  O that you and I would be as faithful to watch for Jesus to come as the cat is to watch for my neighbor.  John W. Peterson wrote the beautiful hymn “Jesus Is Coming Again”.

I love these heart touching words in this hymn.  “Marvelous message we bring, Glorious carol we sing, Wonderful word of the King, Jesus is coming again!”  We don’t know when Jesus is coming back for us but He is coming and we need to be ready to meet Him when He comes back for us.  Are we ready?

Dr. James Edwin Orr wrote a hymn that we sing but I wonder if we sing this hymn from our heart.  Do we really mean the words we sing?  “Search me, O God, and know my heart today; Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray”.  Would we be ashamed if He searched our heart today?

When we go on a trip, we usually make plans to go.  When Jesus comes back for us, we won’t have time to get ready.  Have you invited Jesus into your heart to be your personal Saviour?  Are you ready to meet Jesus if He comes back for us while you are reading this devotion?  Is your heart right with God?

I have been saved by the cleansing and redeeming blood of Jesus.  On August 14, 1980, I humbled myself, admitted I was a sinner, asked God to forgive my sins and invited Jesus into my heart to be my Saviour.  He took away my old heart and gave me a new heart.  I am a sinner saved by grace.  O how I love Jesus!

Joanne Lowe
December 30, 2015

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

ROOM AND TIME

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”
Luke 2:7 KJV

This is one of the most heartbreaking verses in the Bible.  There was no room for Jesus when He was born and what is even more heartbreaking is that even today there is no room for Jesus in many hearts and lives.  John W. Peterson wrote the heart touching hymn “No Room”.

The words in this hymn break my heart every time I read them, sing them or hear someone sing them.  “No room, only a manger of hay No room, He is a stranger today.”  There are people who haven’t made room for Jesus in their heart and life and there are also people who haven’t made time for Jesus.

If we are too busy to spend time with Jesus, we are too busy and we need to rearrange our schedule so that Jesus will come first in our life and in our heart.  It is very important that we serve Jesus but we must also spend time with Him.  Our precious Saviour has feelings and He wants us to fellowship with Him.

I’m reminded of someone who said to a man “You work hard to make money and support your children but they never get to see you or talk to you.  It is very important that you spend time with them because your children are growing up and you don’t even know them”.  Do we know Jesus?  Do we spend time with Him?

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for not always giving Jesus first place in our life.  We’re sorry.  I believe that it hurts Jesus and breaks His heart when we don’t spend time with Him.  Help us to always put Jesus first.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen. 

Joanne Lowe
December 29, 2015

Monday, December 28, 2015

GOD’S GRACE

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Ephesians 2:8,9 KJV

One of the definitions I found for grace in Webster’s Dictionary is “Appropriately, the free unmerited love and favor of God, the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from Him.”  Our salvation is a free gift from the heart of God.  Our Heavenly Father gave His Son to die on the cross for our sins.

Our salvation is a gift.  We can’t buy it or work for it.  If we could work for it, Jesus would not have had to be beaten beyond recognition, cursed, spat on and mocked.  Some websites have posted they have a free gift for us but if we want this free gift, we have to send a donation.  That is not a gift.

A gift comes from the heart and it is free.  God’s grace is free to us but it cost Jesus everything, His life.  Jesus took our sins on Him and died on the cross and paid the debt for our sins.  Nobody loves you like God and Jesus love you and nobody ever will.  Their love is unconditional and will never end.

If there has never been a time in your life when you admitted you were a sinner, asked God to forgive you and invited Jesus into your heart to be your personal Saviour, I urge you, I plead with you to open the door of your heart and invite Jesus to come in.

Heavenly Father, we praise You and thank You for Your grace, Your mercy, Your unconditional love and Your forgiveness.  Thank You for loving us so much that You gave Jesus to die on the cross for our sins so we may be saved and go to Heaven.  I love You, precious Saviour.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.   

Joanne Lowe
December 28, 2015

Sunday, December 27, 2015

ALL WE NEED

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.  Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever.  Amen.”
Philippians 4:19,20 KJV

Rev. William Charles Poole wrote a beautiful hymn about our precious Saviour “Just When I Need Him Most”.  When we sing this hymn, are we singing it from our heart?  “Just when I need Him, Jesus is strong, Bearing my burdens all the day long; For all my sorrow giving a song, Just when I need Him most.”

I think there are times when we sing a hymn so much that we don’t pay attention to the words we are singing.  Is Jesus really all we need or do we also need money, expensive cars, big houses and other material things?  Can we honestly say from our heart that Jesus is all we need and mean it?

Before I was saved, I was lonely, heartbroken and angry at everyone.  I hated everybody and I was afraid of everyone.  I had no desire to live.  The day I asked God to forgive me for my sins, Jesus saved me and He gave me a new heart.  He took away the anger and gave me a heart of compassion.  What a Saviour!

Heavenly Father, You are a loving compassionate tender and forgiving Father.  Thank You for adopting me into Your family.  What a privilege You have given me to serve the One Who loves me so much He died for me.  Jesus, I love You with all my heart.  I long to see You face to face.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.   

Joanne Lowe
December 27, 2015



Saturday, December 26, 2015

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE

“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”
Psalm 16:11 KJV

I have tried many times to describe the joy that Jesus has given me but it is impossible.  One of my pastors said in a sermon “If you want to fly higher than a kite, start bragging on Jesus”.  Since I started bragging on Jesus, there are times when I feel like I am going to explode with happiness. 

Jesus wants us to live a happy and victorious life.  “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).  It is only when I am in the presence of Jesus that I feel like I’m going to explode with happiness. 

It is impossible to smile all the time because all of us go through dark valleys and have heartaches but if we are saved, Jesus will pick us up and carry us through all our dark valleys until the pain goes away.  What a privilege is ours to be loved by the Saviour of the world!  O how I love Jesus.

If you are hurting today, tell Jesus.  He understands because He was hurt many times when He was here on earth.  He feels our pain and our sorrow and He is waiting with open arms for us to come to Him.  Run into the open arms of Jesus and let Him carry you through all your dark valleys.  He loves you so much.       

Joanne Lowe
December 26, 2015

Friday, December 25, 2015

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
Luke 2:11 KJV

When a baby is born there is a lot of happiness and rejoicing but nothing can equal the happiness and joy that was felt when the Baby Jesus was born.  Happy Birthday Jesus!  I love You with all my heart and I appreciate You so much.  You have never left me, not even for a minute.

Many years ago on the darkest and the most painful day of my life as I lie underneath a bed in a mental hospital where I had crawled because I was afraid of everyone and hated everyone, You came to me.  You put Your loving arms around me and said “I love you, Joanne.”  What happiness and joy filled my heart.

Jesus, You are so precious to me and I love You with all of my heart.  How I long for the day when I will see You face to face.  When I think about You loving me so much that You died on the cross for me, my heart overflows with joy.  How I long for everyone to feel the joy and happiness that I have with You.

This is from my heart to Your heart.  “Happy Birthday to You.  Happy Birthday to You.  Happy Birthday, dear Jesus.  Happy Birthday to You.”  As you are reading this devotion, please join me in singing Happy Birthday to Jesus and sing it from your heart because Jesus is worthy of our praise and adoration.

Heavenly Father, thank You for sharing Jesus with us.  You are a tender loving Father and I love You and appreciate You.  Thank You for adopting me and for the privilege You have given me to serve Your Son.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 25, 2015

Thursday, December 24, 2015

GOD’S FAVORITE COLOR

“And the blood shall be for you a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.”
Exodus 12:13 KJV

Red has always been my favorite color because it reminds me of the blood that Jesus shed on the cross for my sins so I could be saved.  I have always loved red roses.  They are beautiful and smell wonderful just as our precious Saviour is beautiful and smells wonderful.  Red is also God’s favorite color.

Why is red God’s favorite color?  It is because when He sees the cleansing blood of His Son in our heart, He knows we have accepted His beloved Son as our personal Saviour.  Has there ever been a time in your life when you allowed Jesus to cleanse your heart with His redeeming blood?  If not, do it today!

When God looks in our heart, does He see the color red or does He see the color black?  If God sees red in our heart then He knows that we are saved and if He sees black in our heart then He knows we have not accepted His Son as our Saviour and we are still serving satan instead of serving His Son.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much that You gave Your beloved Son to die on the cross and pay the penalty for our sins that we could never pay.  Jesus, thank You for loving us so much that You died for our sins.  I love You so much and I long to see You face to face.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 24, 2015

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO GIVE HIM

“When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.  When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.  And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold and frankincense, and myrrh.”
Matthew 2:9-11 KJV

Pastor Homer W. Grimes wrote a beautiful hymn “What shall I give Thee, Master”.  This hymn asks us a question that every person should ask himself or herself.  “What shall I give Thee, Master?  Thou who didst die for me.  Shall I give less of what I possess, Or shall I give all to Thee?”

The question in this hymn is especially meaningful as we are celebrating the birthday of Jesus in two days.  I don’t know about you but I don’t have money to give Jesus.  I’m like the pastor who emailed me and wrote “There is more month than there is money”.  However, I can give Him my heart and life.

What about you?  What are you going to give Him for His birthday?  You may not be able to sing in a choir, play the piano or organ, teach Sunday school or go on a mission but everyone can tell Jesus they love Him.  What are we doing to prove to Jesus how much we love and appreciate Him?

May God help us to live in such a way that everyone who sees us or hears us talking will know we love Jesus.  Have you told Jesus you love Him today?  He has feelings too and He wants to be told He is loved just as we want Him to tell us He loves us.  If He didn’t tell me every day He loves me, it would break my heart.

Joanne Lowe
December 23, 2015

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

THE UNCONDITIONAL GIFT

“For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16 KJV

I have been to many websites that had the message “For a contribution, we will give you something free”.  I’ve also heard advertised on the radio and television that for a donation of so much money we will send you this gift.  If we have to pay money or contribute money for something, it is not a gift.

Our Heavenly Father has given us the greatest Gift ever given and His name is Jesus.  Not only is Jesus the greatest Gift ever given, He is also an unconditional Gift.  None of us deserve this wonderful Gift.  Jesus is a gift of unconditional love to us from the heart of God.  O how God loves you and me.

Heavenly Father, we praise You and thank You for loving us so much that You gave Jesus to die on the cross for our sins.  Thank You for loving us unconditionally.  Help us to love one another unconditionally as Jesus has commanded us to love each other.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 22, 2015

Monday, December 21, 2015

PRAY FOR AND ENCOURAGE YOUR PASTOR

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?  And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them who preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”  
Romans 10:13-15 KJV

Our pastors are on call twenty four hours a day.  There are times when they have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the hospital to encourage and pray for someone.  Our pastors sacrifice a lot of time when they could be with their family to minister to us.  Thank God for our pastors.

It is important and even urgent that we pray for and encourage our pastors.  They get tired just like we do.  Even Jesus got tired so He understands how it feels to be tired.  “Now Jacob’s well was there.  Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour” (John 4:6).

It makes satan very angry when we serve Jesus and he will do all he can do to discourage us so much that we will stop serving Jesus.  We must not let that happen!  We must stay on the battlefield for Jesus.  Our precious Saviour has done so much for us so we should do all we can do to serve Him.

A pastor emailed me and said he was so discouraged he was going to leave his church because instead of the people encouraging him, they were discouraging him.  One day every one of us will stand before a Holy God.  Will we be able to look Him in the eye or will we have to hang our head in shame?

Joanne Lowe
December 21, 2015

Sunday, December 20, 2015

IT TAKES TWO PEOPLE

“And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.”
Luke 6:31 KJV

Years ago when I was looking for a church to join, I visited several churches.  Nobody ever said hello to me in any of the churches so I got up and left.  I went to the services twenty minutes early just to see if anyone would greet me.  Yesterday, I realized that I didn’t greet any of them.

I could have said hello to them and asked them how they were but I didn’t do it.  Joyce Landorf Heatherley, a Christian speaker and author said on one of her teaching tapes.  “The people we sit next to in church look fine and they look darling, but inside they are hurting”.

We don’t know what is going on in someone’s heart but Jesus knows.  He sees the hurt, the sorrow and the loneliness in their heart and His heart is moved with compassion for them.  Jesus hasn’t been here for over two thousand years.  We need to hug the lonely and hurting people for Him.

We may not be comfortable hugging people but all of us can hug people with our words.  The best way to let people know they are loved is to tell them that Jesus loves them so much He died on the cross for them.  We also need to let them know that Jesus not only loves them, He loves them unconditionally.

Heavenly Father, please put a desire deep in our heart to be an encourager and a comforter to everyone just as You encourage and comfort us.  I love You.  Thank You for everything.  Please forgive me for not always loving unconditionally as Jesus has commanded us to love.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen. 

Joanne Lowe
December 20, 2015

Saturday, December 19, 2015

A DAY OF REJOICING

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Luke 2:10-14 KJV

Charles Wesley wrote the beautiful inspiring hymn “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing”.  Indeed, when Jesus was born it was a day of rejoicing and happiness.  The Baby Jesus grew up and died on the cross for our sins and one glorious day our precious Saviour is coming back for us to take us to Heaven with Him.

Rev. E. A. Hoffman wrote a hymn that should make every Christian search his or her heart “Is Thy Heart Right with God?”  We can tell people that we don’t have anything in our heart that hurts God but God can see into our heart and He knows if our heart is right with Him or if we’re just giving Him lip service.

When Jesus comes back for us, will we rejoice and shout with happiness or will we be sad and hang our head in shame because of the way we lived?  There is nothing more important in this life than our relationship with God and Jesus.  We need to make sure there is nothing in our heart that hurts God.

The greatest Christmas gift we can give our family and our friends is love, unconditional love.  We can give them big and expensive gifts but if we don’t give them love, unconditional love we haven’t given them anything of value.  What about you?  Are you ready if Jesus should come back for us today?

Joanne Lowe
December 19, 2015

Friday, December 18, 2015

WE HAVE BEEN ADOPTED

“When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.”
Psalm 27:10 KJV

Harriet Buell wrote one of my favorite hymns “A Child of the King”.  “I once was an out-cast stranger on earth, A sinner by choice, and an alien by birth; But I’ve been adopted, my name’s written down, An heir of salvation, the kingdom and crown.”  Thank God for the cleansing and redeeming blood of Jesus.

When I was a child I thought for many years that my parents didn’t love me and I felt all alone.  The first time I read our Scripture verse for this devotion, I got so excited and happy because I realized that even if nobody on earth loved me or wanted me, Jesus did.  Jesus is my Saviour and King.

I know now that my parents did love me, they just didn’t hug me.  It is very important that we hug one another for Jesus.  If you don’t feel comfortable hugging someone, hug them with tender loving words as you tell them that Jesus loves them and that He loves them unconditionally.

What about you?  Have you been adopted into God’s family through the redeeming blood of our Saviour that He shed for you on the cross?  If you have never invited Jesus into your heart to be your personal Saviour, don’t put it off.  Invite Jesus into your heart today before it is too late.  He loves you so much.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us unconditionally and for adopting us into Your family.  You are a tender compassionate loving Father and I appreciate You and all You have done for me.  Thank You for all the times when You have comforted me.  I love You, dear Father.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen. 

Joanne Lowe
December 18, 2015

Thursday, December 17, 2015

WHERE IS THE LOVE

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
John 13:34,35 KJV

I read in the news yesterday that a teenager killed another teenager and there were other murders in the news.  Where is the love?  I think we sometimes forget that loving one another is not an option.  Jesus has commanded us to love one another.  Can we honestly say we love one another unconditionally?

A teenage girl was very upset and crying because her boyfriend had said to her “If you love me, you will have sex with me”.  I submit to you on the authority of the Word of God that what that boy said to that girl is a lie straight from the pits of hell.  Just having sex with someone is not love, it is a physical act.

The teenage girl asked her dad if she was old fashioned because she wouldn’t have sex with her boyfriend.  Her dad replied “you are not old fashioned.  Having sex does not mean you love him.  Real love is eating ground round instead of steak and getting up in the morning and facing the day together”.

Thank God for that dad who cared enough to take the time to talk to his daughter and explain to her about real love.  We as parents need to tell our children about real love, unconditional love.  One day every one of us parents will stand before a Holy God and give an account of how we raised our children.

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for not always loving one another unconditionally as Jesus has commanded us to love.  Jesus, thank You for loving us.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 17, 2015

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

THE PRECIOUS LAMB OF GOD

“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
John 1:29 KJV

Rev. Henry Godden Jackson wrote a beautiful hymn “Look to the Lamb of God”.  I love these inspiring and true words in this hymn.  “Fear not when shadows on your pathway fall, Look to the Lamb of God.  In joy or sorrow Christ is all in all.  Look to the Lamb of God.”  Yes, Jesus is the precious Lamb of God.

The precious Lamb of God died on the cross for our sins so we may be saved and live in Heaven for all eternity.  O how God and Jesus love us.  Nobody loves us like They love us and nobody ever will.  What an amazing love for you and for me came from the heart of God when He gave Jesus to die for our sins.

Not only does Jesus take away our sins, He is also our constant Companion, our best Friend, our Guide and He loves us unconditionally.  It doesn’t matter how many times we hurt Him and fail Him, He still loves us.  When He said while still hanging on the cross “Father, forgive them”, He was talking about us.

Heavenly Father, while we are happy and rejoice because of the birthday of our Saviour, there are many people who are hurting and sad because of losing loved ones.  Please comfort and encourage them as only You can.  May they realize how much You love them.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 16, 2015


  

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

ARE WE GIVING OUR BEST

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16 KJV

God gave His best to us.  He gave His beloved Son to us to be our personal Saviour.  The question we need to ask ourselves is are we giving our best to God?  One of greatest ways we can make our Heavenly Father happy is to love and serve Jesus.  Can we honestly say we are serving Jesus?

There are times when we get something new and give the old one away.  Wouldn’t it be nice if we would give the new thing we have away instead of our old one?  I have to admit that I have been guilty of giving my old things away instead of my new things.  May we become givers instead of takers.

Our salvation is free to us.  We can’t buy it or work for it because it is a free gift from the heart of Jesus.  What we can do is tell everyone that Jesus has changed our heart and life.  However, just telling it is not enough.  People need to see the difference Jesus has made in our heart and life.

Does our family see the difference Jesus has made in our heart and life?  Do they see us serving Jesus and hear us tell people how wonderful Jesus is and how much He has done for us?  It is very important that our children see us serving Jesus and hear us telling others about His unconditional love. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much that You gave Jesus to us to not only be our Saviour but also to be our best Friend.  We love You, Heavenly Father.  We love You, Jesus.  We love You, Holy Spirit.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 15, 2015

Monday, December 14, 2015

OUR TEARS

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
Revelation 21:4 KJV

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year.  It is a happy and joyous time as we celebrate the birthday of Jesus but for some people whose loved ones have died, it is also a time of loneliness and sorrow because their loved ones aren’t there with them.  However, Jesus is still with us.

I miss my Mother a lot especially on Christmas day because Mom died on Christmas day.  Mom is not hurting now and will never be in pain again.  I used to wonder how God is going to wipe away our tears so I asked Him.  God spoke to my heart and said “I am going to dry your tears with tender loving kisses.”

Think about it!  God Himself Who loves us so much He gave Jesus to die on the cross for our sins is going to wipe away our tears.  He is not going to take a big handkerchief and wipe all of our tears at the same time.  I believe He is going to wipe the tears from each one of us with tender loving kisses.

For those of us who are sad and lonely because our loved ones have died, remember that God not only understands how we feel, He also feels our pain because His beloved Son also died.  I believe when His Son died on the cross that God’s heart was broken into millions of pieces.  O how God loves you!

Heavenly Father, I pray for every person who is hurting.  Please comfort and encourage them as You have done for me.  Thank You for loving us and comforting us.  I love You so much, dear Father, and I appreciate You.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 14, 2015

Sunday, December 13, 2015

HIS PRECIOUS NAME

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6 KJV

Pastor William Clark Martin wrote one of my favorite hymns “THE NAME OF JESUS”.  Not only is His Name precious, He is precious.  I love these words in this hymn.  “The name of Jesus is so sweet, I love its music to repeat; It makes my joys full and complete, The precious name of Jesus!”

One of the definitions for precious in Webster’s Dictionary is “greatly loved, valued, or important”.  Indeed Jesus our precious Saviour is greatly loved and valued and He is also important.  Do you realize what a privilege it is to be loved by the Saviour of the world?  It is a privilege just to say His precious Name.

One day Jesus is coming back for us to take us to Heaven with Him.  He isn’t taking us for a visit.  We will live with Jesus for all eternity.  Are you shouting with joy yet?  Think about it!  We will be with Jesus, the KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS forever!  We will also be reunited with our loved ones.

If we will listen with our heart, we will hear Jesus tell us every day how much He loves us.  How often do we tell Jesus we love Him?  How much time do we spend with Jesus during the day?  If we are watching television most of the day and only giving Jesus an hour, we are hurting Him and breaking His heart.

After all that our precious Saviour has done for us and continues to do for us every day, He should have first place in our heart, in our time, in our life and in everything we do.      

Joanne Lowe
December 13, 2015

Saturday, December 12, 2015

WAIT FOR JESUS

“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”
Psalm 27:14 KJV

There are times when we have bad days because we don’t wait for Jesus.  We should never do anything without waiting for Jesus to lead us because without Jesus we can’t do anything.  Not only is He our Shepherd, He is also our Guide.  The Bible makes it clear that we are to wait for Jesus.

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).  Are we waiting for Jesus to lead us or do we do things the way we want to do them?  Remember, Jesus knows what is best.

Heavenly Father, please help us to wait for Jesus to lead us instead of doing things the way we want to do them.  Father, I pray for every person who hasn’t invited Jesus into their heart.  May today be the day they open the door to their heart and let Jesus come in.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 12, 2015



Friday, December 11, 2015

LOVE AND RESPECT

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.  And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold and frankincense, and myrrh.”
Matthew 2:10,11 KJV

We will celebrate the birthday of the Christ Child in fourteen days.  That beautiful precious Baby didn’t stay a Baby; Jesus grew up and died for our sins.  He gave His life for us on the cross so we can be saved and live with Him in Heaven forever.  O how Jesus loves you and me.  He is a loving Saviour.

What are we going to give Him for a birthday present?  Even if we had all the money in the world to give Him, it would not be enough.  We can give Him our love and our respect.  Sometimes we treat Him like He is a puppet.  We put Him on the shelf and only take Him down when we need or want something.

If we want people to give us love and respect we had better give Jesus our love and respect.  How do we prove to Jesus how much we love Him?  We prove it by loving and being kind to one another.  If ever someone deserves to be loved and respected, it is Jesus the Saviour of the world.  Are we being kind to Jesus?

“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40).  Does Jesus know we love Him by our words and actions to others?  Let’s give Jesus a gift of love and respect on His birthday.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving Jesus to us.  We love You and we appreciate You.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 11, 2015

Thursday, December 10, 2015

HIS ARMS ARE OPEN

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 KJV

Jesus is not only telling us to come to Him, His arms are open and waiting for us.  When we invite Jesus into our heart to be our personal Saviour, He breaks the yoke of bondage that satan has on us and sets us free.  He not only sets us free, He draws us close to Him and never leaves us.  What a precious Saviour!

His arms are open to us and so is His heart.  He loves us so much He died on the cross for our sins so we can be saved and live forever in Heaven with Him.  Hopefully, we have had and will have a lot of happy days but no happiness on earth can compare with the happiness and joy we will have when He comes back.

Jim Hill wrote the hymn “What A Day That Will Be”.  I love these beautiful words.  “What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see, And I look upon His face, The One Who saved me by His grace, When He takes me by the hand and leads me through the Promised Land, What a day, glorious day that will be.”

How I long for the day when I will see my precious Saviour face to face.  I’m going to give Him the biggest hug I have ever given anyone and try to tell Him how much I love Him and appreciate Him.  Do you realize what a privilege it is to be loved by the Saviour of the world?  O how He loves you!

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving Jesus to us to not only be our Saviour, but also to be our best Friend.  I pray for those who aren’t saved.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen. 

Joanne Lowe
December 10, 2015

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

HE WILL NOT FORSAKE US

“When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.  I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.”
Isaiah 41:17,18 KJV

Ludie Carrington Day Pickett wrote one of my favorite hymns “Never Alone”  “When in affliction’s valley I tread the load of care, My Savior helps me carry the cross so heavy to bear; Though all around me is darkness, earthly joys all flown; My Savior whispers His promise, never to leave me alone!”

God has promised us that He will never forsake us so He gave us His beloved Son to not only be our Saviour but also to be our constant Companion.  Our friends and family have to go home but if we have accepted Jesus as our personal Saviour, He lives in our heart and He will never leave us.

Our Heavenly Father is a tender loving compassionate Father and He cares about us.  God knows that we can’t make it through this life by ourselves so He gave Jesus to us to be our Helper and our Guide.  I honestly don’t know how I made it in this life before I was saved.  I wasn’t living, I just existed.

Heavenly Father, thank You for not forsaking us and for giving Jesus to us to be our Saviour, our best Friend and our constant Companion.  I pray for every person who is hurting.  Please comfort and encourage them as You have done for me so many times.  I love You, Father.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 9, 2015

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

JESUS IS CHRISTMAS

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Luke 2:10-14 KJV

Have you ever seen Merry XMAS instead of Merry Christmas?  I submit to you on the authority of the Word of God that Jesus is the reason for Christmas.  What an insult it is to Jesus when they leave His name off because Christmas is the birthday of our precious Saviour.  Without Jesus there would be no Christmas.

It is one of the times I have to pray and ask God to put a zipper on my mouth so I won’t say something mean and hateful to the ones who say Merry Xmas instead of Merry Christmas.  Even though it hurts Jesus when they say it, He still loves them just as He still loves us when we say or do something that hurts Him.

His love for us does not depend on what we do or say because His compassionate forgiving love for us is unconditional.  Every time I think about Jesus asking His Father to forgive them when they crucified Him, I’m reminded of how much He loves us.  He even asks God to forgive us when we hurt Him.

Heavenly Father, as we celebrate the birthday of Jesus on Christmas, please help us to love one another unconditionally just as Jesus loves us when He asks You to forgive us.  May we love one another unconditionally every day of the year, not just on Christmas Day.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 8, 2015

Monday, December 7, 2015

GOD APPRECIATES YOU

“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?  Then said I, Here am I; send me.” 
Isaiah 6:8 KJV

A lady used to go to her mother’s house every week and do her mother’s laundry.  It made the daughter very happy that she could do something for her mother.  However, her mother only thanked her a couple of times and then acted like she expected her daughter to do it every week.

Some of the happiness and excitement went out of her daughter’s heart because she didn’t feel like her mother appreciated her and her mother was just taking her for granted.  God not only appreciates you, He also loves you and He appreciates you serving His Son.

Pastors and Evangelists, you may feel like nobody appreciates you.  I submit to you on the authority of the Word of God that you are appreciated.  Every person you minister to is recorded in God’s heart. Those of you who play the piano or organ or sing, you are making the heart of Jesus happy.

What about you?  What are you doing for Jesus?  Has there ever been a time in your life when you said to our loving Saviour “Here am I; send me”?  If we aren’t serving Jesus, we should be because He gave His life for us and He endured pain and agony that you and I will never know.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us and for giving us the privilege of serving Jesus.  Please put the desire in every Christian’s heart to serve Jesus with all their heart and with all their time.  Thank You for the eleven years You have allowed me to serve Jesus.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 7, 2015

Sunday, December 6, 2015

DROPS OF LOVE

“And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth.  Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.  Amen.”
Revelation 1:5,6 KJV

Evangelist John Stallings wrote the beautiful inspiring hymn “LOVE GREW WHERE THE BLOOD FELL”.  “Love grew where the blood fell, Flow’rs of hope sprang up for men in misery, Sin died where the blood fell, I’m so glad this precious blood has covered me.”  Thank God for the redeeming blood of Jesus.

The drops of blood that Jesus shed for us while He was hanging on the cross were drops of love for you and for me.  Have you allowed it to go from head knowledge to heart knowledge that Jesus, the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS loves you so much He shed His own blood for you?  O how He loves you.

Think about it!  Jesus did not have to leave Heaven and come to earth and die on the cross for our sins.  Jesus willingly left His Father, His home and all that He had to fulfill the mission God had given Him.  I believe when Jesus left Heaven that His Father gave Him the biggest hug that anyone has ever been given.

The heart of our precious Saviour was broken on Calvary but God’s heart was also broken because His Son was beaten beyond recognition.  God couldn’t even look at His Son because Jesus had taken our sins and God can’t look on sins.  We have a compassionate and loving Saviour!  I love You, dear Jesus.

Joanne Lowe
December 6, 2015


Saturday, December 5, 2015

HE RESTORES OUR HEART

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.  And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:”
1 John 2:1 KJV

There are times when a virus will attack our computer even if we have an antivirus program then we have to do a system restore.  Just as we have to do a system restore on our computer when a virus attacks it so God has to restore our heart when viruses of hatred, anger, jealousy and unforgiveness attack our heart.

One of the definitions I found for restore in Webster’s Dictionary is “to return (something) to an earlier or original condition by repairing it, cleaning it, etc.”  When satan attacks us with viruses and we allow them to stay in our heart, we need to repent, ask God to forgive us and ask Him to cleanse our heart.

God is a compassionate Father.  Thomas Chisholm wrote one of my favorite hymns “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”.  “Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father!  There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not As thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.”

Heavenly Father, thank You for being a compassionate Father and thank You for restoring our heart.  What a healing balm it is to our heart to know that You love us unconditionally.  Your love for us is not based on what we do or don’t do.  We praise You for being a loving Father.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.   

Joanne Lowe
December 5, 2015



Friday, December 4, 2015

DO WE

“And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”
Deuteronomy 6:5 KJV

We say we love the LORD our God but do we love Him?  Are we just giving Him lip service or do we love Him from the depths of our heart?  If we really love Him, then our actions will prove our love for Him.  Words are meaningless unless we do things to make Him happy.  Our Heavenly Father deserves to be happy.

When someone says or does something kind to our children, it makes us very happy.  It is the same with God.  It makes Him very happy when we are kind and loving to His beloved Son, Jesus.  However, it breaks God’s heart when we hurt Jesus.  God loves His Son very much.

For some people, Jesus has been knocking on the door of their heart for many years but they have refused to open the door of their heart and allow Him to come in and let Him be their personal Saviour.  That hurts God and makes Him sad.  I believe it also makes Him angry to see the way His Son is treated.

John W. Peterson wrote the hymn “No Room”  The words in this hymn break my heart because it is really true that people keep rejecting Jesus even after all He has done for us.  “No room here in the hearts of mankind.” When will we make room for Jesus, not only in our heart but also in our life?

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for hurting Jesus because not only are we hurting Him, we are also hurting You.  I pray that all of us will put Jesus first in our heart, in our time, in our life and in everything we do and say.  Jesus, thank You for loving us unconditionally.  I love You.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 4, 2015

Thursday, December 3, 2015

OUR SHELTER OF LOVE

“HEAR my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.  From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.  I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings.  Selah.”
Psalm 61:1-4 KJV

Dottie Rambo wrote one of the most beautiful hymns I have ever heard “Sheltered In The Arms of God”.  “I feel the touch of hands so kind and tender.  They’re leading me in the paths I must trod.  I’ll have no fear for Jesus walks beside me For I’m sheltered in the arms of God.”  Thank God for His shelter.

In this world of hate and violence, it is an encouragement to our weary and battle scarred heart to know that in the shelter of God’s arms we not only have rest from life’s dangers, we also have unconditional love.  Yes, God is our shelter of love and our precious Saviour takes our hand and walks beside us.

We may live in a big expensive house and we may have a lot of material possessions but if we haven’t allowed God to shelter us in His arms of unconditional love, we aren’t protected from the violence and dangers of this world.  Allow God to shelter you in His loving arms.  Remember, Jesus walks beside us.

Loving Heavenly Father, we come into Your presence today with grateful hearts for Your unconditional love for us and for Your protection from the violence and dangers of life.  How reassuring it is to know that You will never yell at us or hit us and that You will always love us.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.    

Joanne Lowe
December 3, 2015



Wednesday, December 2, 2015

STOP TRYING

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Ephesians 2:8,9 KJV

Several months ago someone said “I am trying my best to get into Heaven.  I give money when I have it and I do lots of good things”.  I submit to you on the authority of the Word of God that there is only one way to Heaven and that is when the blood of Jesus is applied to our heart for the forgiveness of our sins.

If you have been trying to work your way into Heaven, stop trying.  There is only one way to go to Heaven.  It is through the redeeming cleansing blood of our Saviour.  If we could work our way or buy our way into Heaven, Jesus wouldn’t have had to be beaten beyond recognition and crucified on the cross for us.

After we have invited Jesus into our heart to be our personal Saviour, we should do all we can do to make Him happy and also be kind and loving to people.  Never forget that when we are kind to people, we are kind to Jesus and when we’re not kind to people, we are not kind to Jesus.

May God have mercy on us if we are hurting Jesus and breaking His heart because we are not kind and loving to one another.  I think that we sometimes forget that loving one another is not an option.  It is a commandment from our Saviour.  “These things I command you, that ye love one another” (John 15:17).

Heavenly Father, You are a tender loving Father.  Thank You for Jesus.  Precious Saviour, I love You with all my heart.  Thank You for loving me unconditionally and thank You for dying for my sins.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe
December 2, 2015

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

A BROKEN HEART

“After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.  Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.  When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”
John 19:28-30 KJV

Marvin P. Dalton wrote my favorite hymn “Oh What A Savior”.  I believe that just as the Star Spangled Banner is our national anthem “Oh What A Savior” should be the Christian anthem.  When I think about Jesus dying on the cross and enduring all that pain, rejection and agony for my sins, it breaks my heart.

The words in this inspiring hymn remind us how much our precious Saviour loves us because He suffered all of that pain and agony because of our sins.  “O what a Savior, O hallelujah!  His heart was broken on Calvary, His hands were nail scarred, His side was riven, He gave His life-blood for even me.”

Jesus is the Saviour of the world but He is also our personal Saviour and when I sing this beautiful hymn of unconditional love I make it personal.  O what a Savior, O hallelujah!  Your heart was broken on Calvary, Your hands were nail scarred, Your side was riven, You gave Your life-blood for even me.   

If you are lonely, hurting and broken hearted, tell Jesus because He understands.  Not only was His heart broken on Calvary, it was also broken when He asked His disciples to watch and pray and they fell asleep.  Yes, Jesus understands our pain when our heart is breaking and He cares and weeps when we hurt.

Joanne Lowe
December 1, 2015