HE UNDERSTANDS

"His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord."

Matthew 2 5:21
King James Version

Lucie Eddie Campbell wrote one of my favorite hymns "He'll Understand and Say Well Done".  I'm so glad the words in this hymn are true.  " If when you give the best of your service, Telling the world that the Savior is come; Be not dismayed when men don't believe you; He understands; he'll say, "Well done."

Jesus understands when we get discouraged and feel like giving up.  I'm sure there were times when He felt all alone and thought about giving up.  However, He didn't give up.  Jesus wanted to complete the mission His Father had given Him.  He did finish His mission.  He died on the cross for our sins.  What a Saviour!  What a Friend, this Jesus of Nazareth!

Margaret Clarkson wrote the beautiful heart touching hymn "So Send I You".  "So send I you to labor unrewarded, To serve unpaid, unloved, unsought, unknown, To bear rebuke, to suffer scorn and scoffing- So send I you to toil for Me alone. So send I you to bind the bruised and broken, O’er wand’ring souls to work, to weep, to wake, To bear the burdens of a world aweary- So send I you to suffer for My sake."

Yes, Jesus understands when we feel like going to bed and staying there.  When we feel like that, we need to ask Jesus to help us and He will help us.  I have lost track of the many times He has picked me up in His loving arms and carried me through the dark valleys in my life and put me once again on the mountain top of happiness.

Are you serving Jesus?  If not, why aren't you.  He may not call you to be a missionary or send you to another country but He is calling everyone of us to tell everyone that He loves them so much He died for them.  When is the last time you hugged someone for Jesus?  You may not be comfortable hugging someone but all of us can comfort people with our loving words and actions.

Most important of all, have you told Jesus that you love Him today?  If Jesus didn't tell me every day that He loves me, it would break my heart.  Thank You, Jesus, for loving us.  I love You so much and I long for the day when I will have the privilege of seeing You face to face.

Joanne Lowe

June 30, 2020  

NOT A GIFT

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Romans 6:23
King James Version

One of the things that really upsets me is when I hear on the television or radio that if you will send some money to us then we will give you this other thing as a gift. That is a lie straight from the pits of hell. If we have to send money for something, it is not a gift!! One of the definitions I found in Webster’s Dictionary when I looked up the definition for the word gift is “something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation”.

People try to get into Heaven by doing good works and giving money to others. It has never worked and it will never work. There is only one way we can go to Heaven and it is by the cleansing atoning blood of Jesus that He shed for us on the cross.

Rev. James M. Gray wrote the hymn “Nor Silver nor Gold”. I believe Rev. Gray wrote this hymn from the depths of his heart. “Nor silver nor gold hath obtained my redemption, Nor riches of earth could have saved my poor soul; The blood of the cross is my only foundation, The death of my Savior now maketh me whole.”

Yes, only the cleansing blood of Jesus can wash away our sins.  Jesus must love us very much to willingly walk that long lonely road to Calvary and there allow them to crucify Him so we can be saved.  What a loving and compassionate Saviour we are privileged to know and have!  What a Friend, this Jesus of Nazareth!

I was at a revival meeting and the visiting missionary used this illustration that I have never forgot. He held up a twenty dollar bill and asked the teenage boy sitting in the first row “Would you like to have this money”? The teenager got excited and said “yes” so the missionary held the money out toward the young boy but the boy never got up and took the money.

It is the same with salvation. Jesus has died for you and for me on the cross and all we have to do is open the door of our heart and let Him come in to be our Saviour. For some people, Jesus has been knocking at the door of their heart for many years and He is still knocking.

Don’t keep Him standing any longer. Confess your sins to God and open the door of your heart and let Him come in to be your personal Saviour. You will know a Joy and happiness that you will never find in the world.

Joanne Lowe
June 29, 2020

STOP IT

"She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."

John 8:11
King James Version

Someone said "I will never forgive that person for what he did". Jesus is telling us to stop it. We need to stop condemning and judging people and start encouraging them and praying for them. You're not perfect and neither am I. All of us hurt Jesus at times because we don't love others unconditionally as He has commanded us to love them.

One day we will stand before a Holy God and give an account of the things we did and said to others. One happy and joyous day, Jesus is coming back for us to take us to Heaven to live with Him for eternity. I don't know about you but I don't want to have to hang my head in shame because of things I have allowed to remain in my heart, things that hurt my precious Saviour.

Heavenly Father, I pray that You will please forgive me for the times I have hurt You by allowing unforgiveness to remain in my heart. I pray for all who are hurting physically and emotionally. Please comfort them as You have done for me so many times. I love You, dear Father. What a healing balm it is to our weary and battle scarred heart to know You love us unconditionally and You will never kick us out of Heaven. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
June 28, 2020

A PROMISE

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

John 14:1-3
King James Version

In this world of violence and hatred, it is a healing balm to our battle scarred heart to know that Jesus is coming back for us and all the heartache and sorrow we have now will be over. Jim Hill wrote the beautiful heart touching hymn "What a Day That Will Be". I love these words.

"There is coming a day, When no heart aches shall come, No more clouds in the sky, No more tears to dim the eye, All is peace forever more, On that happy golden shore, What a day, glorious day that will be. 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."

Are you shouting with happiness yet? We are going to see Jesus face to face and we will be with Him forever. Carrie E. Breck wrote one of my favorite hymns "Face to Face with Christ, My Savior". "What rejoicing in His presence, When are banished grief and pain; When the crooked ways are straightened, And the dark things shall be plain. Face to face with Christ, my Savior, Face to face—what will it be, When with rapture I behold Him, Jesus Christ who died for me?"

What a privilege it is to be a part of the family of God and to know that one happy and joyous day we will see our precious Saviour face to face. How I long for that day when I will have the privilege to see Him face to face.

Joanne Lowe
June 27, 2020

GOD WILL PROVIDE

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

Isaiah 41:10

King James Version

Civilla D. Martin wrote one of my favorite hymns "God Will Take Care Of You". I'm so glad the words in this hymn are true. "All you may need He will provide, God will take care of you; Nothing you ask will be denied, God will take care of you." We have a loving compassionate Heavenly Father Who loves us to much He gave His beloved Son to die on the cross for our sins. Thank You, Heavenly Father, for loving us and for taking care of us.

Joanne Lowe
June 26, 2020

A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

Luke 2:11
King James Version

Today is a happy day for me because it is my sister's birthday but there is a more exciting and special birthday that we celebrate every year, the birthday of our Saviour. 

That day was the happy and joyous day that Love, unconditional love, came into the world. The most beautiful Baby was born, the Baby Jesus. However, that Baby grew up and died on the cross for your sins and for my sins.

We can't buy presents for our loved ones every day of the year but we can give them unconditional love, compassion, tenderness and understanding. If we would only allow it to go from head knowledge to heart knowledge that when we give love, unconditional love to our loved ones, we are also giving it to Jesus, we would make Him so happy.

May God help us to encourage one another and pray for one another instead of criticizing and judging as we often do to each other. I'm reminded of what one of my pastors used to say in his sermons. "If you will make sure your own heart is right before God, you won't have the time to criticize and judge others."

I don't know about you but I have to be honest and admit that there are times when I get upset when someone says something or does something that hurts me that I do not love others as Jesus has commanded us to love others.

Let's make Jesus happy by loving one another and being kind to each other not just at Christmas but every day of the year. I'm reminded of the little boy who said "My mom played with me all day on Christmas day but the next day she turned the television on and hasn't played with me or talked to me since Christmas day except to tell me what to do."

We must set a good example for our children. If our children don't see the difference Jesus makes in our heart and life, they are not going to accept Him as their Saviour. A young boy said to his parents when they came home from church. "You go to church, sing in the choir and teach Sunday school but when you come home you criticize the pastor and the sermon. If this is what being a Christian is, I don't want any part of it."

We read in the Bible. "Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:13,14).

Jesus loves our children more than we do and we can trust Him to take care of our children. Several years ago, I wrote a devotion about loving children and someone on my mailing list wrote "This devotion does not apply to me because I don't have children. Take me off your mailing list." 

Jesus wants us to love all children. Sometimes it's hard to love them when they say and do things that hurt us. However, we need to remember that God loves us even when we say and do things that hurt Him. Do your loved ones know you love Jesus by your words and by your actions?

Joanne Lowe
June 25, 2020

OUR LOVING SAVIOUR

"And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour."

Luke 1:47
King James Version

Rev. Charles M. Fillmore wrote a beautiful hymn "My Savior". I love the words in this inspiring hymn. "For my sake He came from Heaven To this world of sin and shame; Bore my guilt, tho’ He was guiltless, And tho’ blameless, took my blame: Can I ever cease to love Him, And His goodness to proclaim?"

Albert A. Ketchum wrote the hymn "Why Do I Sing About Jesus?" "Why do I sing about Jesus? He is my Lord and my Savior, Dying, he set me free!" As you can tell, I love hymns. I can't carry a tune in a bucket but one day when I get to Heaven I will sing in the Heavenly choir and I won't be told I can't sing or asked to leave the choir. How I long for that day when I will be able to lift my voice in praise to my Saviour in the Heavenly choir.

It doesn't matter to Jesus that I can't sing according to the world. What makes Jesus happy is when we sing to Him from our heart instead of just singing the words. Please lift your voice and join me in praising the One Who loves us so much He died for us.

We have a loving Saviour Who loves us unconditionally. Do we love Him? If so, what are we doing to prove to Him that we love Him? Jesus should have first place in our heart, in our life, in our time and in all we do. O how I love Jesus!

Joanne Lowe
June 24, 2020

EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a 

Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

Luke 2:11
King James Version

We should have the love and joy of Christmas every day of the year in our heart because every day our precious Saviour comes to us. Charles Weigle wrote one of the most beautiful hymns I have ever heard "No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus". The words in this hymn are so true. "I would love to tell you what I think of Jesus, Since I found in Him a friend so strong and true. I would tell you how He changed my life completely; He did something no other friend could do."

Jesus not only came into my heart to be my Saviour, He also gave me a new heart, a heart that is filled with love and compassion for others instead of the cold heart I had that was filled with hatred for others. I'm so glad Jesus gave me a new heart. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26).

After all that Jesus has done for us, how can we do less than give Him first place in our heart. Think about it! Jesus had never done anything wrong yet He walked that long lonely road to Calvary and there allowed them to beat Him beyond recognition, spit on Him, curse and mock Him and pound those nails into His precious hands. I believe every time they pounded a nail in His hands, that He felt that terrible pain in His heart.

The most amazing thing to me is that Jesus didn't have to stay on the cross. He could have come down had He chose to do so but He stayed on the cross because He loves us so much. All the nails in the world couldn't have kept Him on the cross had He chose to come down. We read in the Bible. "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? (Matthew 26:53)

Ray Overholt wrote the beautiful and heart touching hymn "He Could Have Called Ten Thousand Angels". "They bound the hands of Jesus In the garden where He prayed They led Him through the streets in shame They spat upon the Saviour So pure and free from sin They said, "Crucify Him He's to blame. He could have called ten thousand angels To destroy the world (the world) and set Him free He could have called ten thousand angels But He died alone for you and me."

Have you allowed it to go from head knowledge to heart knowledge how much Jesus loves you? I believe the reason we have so much violence and hatred in the world is because people have not allowed the unconditional love Jesus has for them to enter their heart. O what a precious Saviour we are privileged to know and have and one happy joyous day we will see Him face to face when He comes back for us. Are you ready to meet Him?

Joanne Lowe
June 23, 2020

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
King James Version

Rev. Charles P. Jones wrote a beautiful hymn "Come Unto Me". "Hear the blessèd Savior calling the oppressed, O ye heavy laden, come to Me and rest. Come, no longer tarry, I your load will bear, Bring Me every burden, bring Me every care." Jesus wants to bear our burdens but He won't force Himself on us. We must go to Him and ask Him to help us. Jesus is waiting for us to come to Him with His arms open wide and a heart filled with unconditional love for us.

You might wonder if Jesus really cares and wants to help you. I know from personal experience that Jesus really does care. When we are sad, He cries with us and when we are happy, He rejoices with us. Rev. Frank E. Graeff wrote another one of my favorite hymns "Does Jesus Care". I'm so glad the words in this hymn are true.

"Does Jesus care when my heart is pained Too deeply for mirth or song, As the burdens press, and the cares distress And the way grows weary and long? Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares, His heart is touched with my grief; When the days are weary, the long nights dreary, I know my Savior cares."

If you are reading this devotion, know that Jesus does care about you and He longs to comfort you. Tell Jesus how you feel and ask Him to help you and He will help you. He already knows how you feel but He wants you to go to Him. Jesus is a Gentleman and He won't force Himself on us. He is waiting with His arms open wide and a heart filled with love for you. Tell Jesus how you're feeling and allow Him to comfort and help you.

Joanne Lowe
June 22, 2020

HE BEARS OUR BURDENS

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."

1 Peter 5:7
King James Version

C. Austin Miles wrote a beautiful hymn about our loving Saviour "ALL ALONE". The words in this hymn are so true. "When I have burdens to bear Which no one can share, I take them to Jesus, the Man of Calvary; When I have crosses to bear, my Savior is there, And always takes the heavy end, And gives the light to me." Not only does Jesus bear our burdens, He also loves us unconditionally and will never leave us and He understands how we feel.

On August 14, 1980, the day I admitted I was a sinner, asked God to forgive me and invited Jesus into my heart to be my personal Saviour, He not only came into my heart, He put His loving arms around me and said "I love you, Joanne, and I will never leave you". There are no words to describe the joy and happiness I felt when Jesus told me that He loves me. He hasn't left me either, not even for one minute.

It doesn't matter what dark valleys you are going through, Jesus understands how you feel and He cares about you. There is nothing you could ever do that would make Him stop loving you. Jesus want us to have a happy life but He has warned us in the Bible that satan will do his best to discourage us so we will stop serving Jesus but we must stay on the battlefield for Jesus just as He stayed on the cross for us.

We read in the Bible "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). Yes, Jesus wants us to have a happy life. How do we have a happy life? We have a happy life by knowing and loving our precious Saviour.

Ira F. Stanphill wrote one of my favorite hymns "Happiness Is The Lord". I love the words in this beautiful heart touching hymn. "Happiness is to know the Savior Living a life within His favor Having a change in my behavior Happiness is the Lord! Real joy is mine No matter if teardrops start, I’ve found the secret, It’s Jesus in my heart!" Is Jesus in your heart? If not, I urge you to give your heart to Jesus right now. He is waiting for you with His arms open wide. Don't keep Him waiting any longer.

Joanne Lowe
June 21, 2020

OUR GREAT PHYSICIAN

"And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people."

Matthew 4:23
King James Version

One of my favorite hymns is "The Great Physician Now is Near". I love the words in this beautiful hymn. "The great Physician now is near, the sympathizing Jesus; he speaks the drooping heart to cheer; oh hear the voice of Jesus." We have many doctors, some specializing in certain things but Jesus is the only One Who can heal a broken heart.

The next time you are hurting, tell Jesus. Our precious Saviour knows how it feels to have a broken heart and feel all alone. He was beaten beyond recognition, spat on, cursed, mocked, humiliated, scorned, and laughed at, when He had never done anything wrong. Yes, our great Physician cares when you are hurting.

Allow Him to pick you up and carry you through all the dark valleys in your life. He will carry you until the pain goes away and will be faithful to set you on the mountain top of happiness once again. I have lost track of the number of time He has healed my broken heart. O how I love Jesus. He is the Joy of my heart and the reason I am living and one happy joyous day I will see Him face to face. Are you ready to meet Jesus if He comes back for us today?

Joanne Lowe
June 20, 2020

STILL KNOCKING

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."

Revelation 3:20
King James Version

For some people, Jesus has been standing at the door of their heart for many years and knocking so they will let Him come into their heart and be their personal Saviour. For other people, He wants us to serve Him. Are you serving Jesus? If not, why aren't you serving Him? Our precious Saviour left His Father, His home and all that He had to come to earth and die on the cross for us. How can we do less than give Him our heart, our time, our talents and all that we have?

May God have mercy on us and forgive us if we aren't serving Jesus. To serve Jesus, we will have to shut off the television, get out of our comfort zone and go tell everyone we see how much Jesus loves them. Are you willing to serve the One Who loves you so much He died for you?

Joanne Lowe
June 19, 2020

ARE YOU TELLING IT

"That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works."

Psalms 26:7
King James Version

William E. Marks wrote the beautiful and heart touching hymn "Keep Telling It". I love the words in this inspiring hymn. " If there is abundance of joy in your heart, Made bright by the light from above, If Jesus has bidden your sorrows depart, Keep telling the story of love." We also read in the Bible. "Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;" (Psalms 107:2).

I could talk forever and never tell you how much Jesus has done for me. He came to me when I couldn't go to Him. When I hear the Booth Brothers sing the beautiful hymn "He Came to Me", I get tears of happiness in my eyes to know Jesus loves me so much. "He came to me; He came to me When I could not come to where He was He came to me That’s why He died on Calvary When I could not come to where He was He came to me."

I dearly love my family and my Pastor and I have many wonderful friends who I love but the love I have for them is nothing compared to the love I have for my precious Saviour. To know that Jesus loves me so much that He died for my sins on the cross fills my heart with so much love for Him and one happy and joyous day I will get to see Him face to face when He comes back for us.

Please join me in praising the One Who loves us so much He died for our sins. I will never understand how people can shout and cheer for their favorite sports team but neglect to cheer for Jesus. All hail, King Jesus! Worthy is the Lamb of God! He is the "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS". I love You, Jesus. Thank You for all You have done for me.

Joanne Lowe
June 18, 2020

WHAT ARE WE CALLED

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."

Matthew 5:9
King James Version

I want people to say that I'm a Christian and that I love Jesus. However, I know there are times when I don't always love others unconditionally as Jesus has commanded us to love one another and it breaks my heart when I hurt Him. I used to have a terrible temper and would say unkind and sarcastic words to people but I asked Jesus to help me keep my big mouth shut when someone hurts me. Now, most of the time the only person I get upset with is myself when I can't do something.

There was a time in my life when I literally could not make my bed because I was so depressed. I would pick up the sheet to make the bed and just start crying. I am so glad Jesus saved me and gave me a new heart. When Jesus changes us, we can do things that we couldn't do before and we are more loving to people.

What about you? Do people know you love Jesus and that you're a Christian by the things you do and the words you say? We need to remember that when we hurt others, we are also hurting Jesus. We read in the Bible "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).

We need to remember that when we say or do something that hurts others we are also hurting Jesus. May God have mercy on us for hurting His beloved Son. Let's encourage one another and pray for one another instead of saying hateful words and doing things that hurt one another.

Joanne Lowe
June 17, 2020

HE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh."

Ezekiel 36:26
King James Version

Bill Gaither wrote the beautiful and inspiring hymn "Since Jesus Passed By". The words in this hymn are so true. "Like a blind man I wandered So lost and undone A beggar so helpless Without God or His Son Then my Savior in mercy Heard and answered my cry And oh what a diff'rence Since Jesus passed by."

Jesus will make the difference in our heart and in our life when we let Him do it. However, Jesus will not make us do anything. He allows us to come to Him so He can help us. I have lost track of the times He has picked me up and carried me through dark valleys in my life. If you are hurting, tell Jesus and allow Him to carry you until the pain goes away. He really does love you.

Joanne Lowe
June 16, 2020

IMPOSSIBLE

"Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

Galatians 1:3-5
King James Version

It is impossible to thank our Heavenly Father for all He has done for us. Fanny Crosby wrote one of my favorite hymns "To God Be the Glory". My heart echos the words in this beautiful hymn. "To God be the glory, Great things He has done; So loved He the world That He gave us His Son, Who yielded His life An atonement for sin, And opened the life gate That all may go in."

One day our Heavenly Father looked down and saw the mess the world was in and He opened His heart of compassion to us and gave His own beloved Son to die on the cross and pay the price for our sins. It was a price you and I could never have paid. Think about it. God gave His Son to die for us. What an amazing unconditional love for us flowed from the heart of our Heavenly Father that day.

If you're a parent, would you willingly send your son to war knowing in advance your son would be killed? Of course, you wouldn't but that is what God did for you and for me. I believe God and Jesus had a long talk before Jesus left for His mission. When my brother went into the service, my Mother went outside and stood there watching for a long time even after my brother was out of sight.

I believe God and Jesus hugged each other for a long time before Jesus left on His mission and that Both of them had tears running down Their faces. Your family and loved ones love you but nobody loves you like our Heavenly Father and Jesus love you. Their love for us is unconditional and unending. If you ever think nobody loves you, remember the cross and the love Jesus and our Heavenly Father gives us.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much You gave Your Beloved Son to die for our sins. Jesus, thank You for dying for me and for paying the price for my sins, a price I could never have paid. Heavenly Father, I pray for every man, every woman, every girl and every boy. If they have never opened the door of their heart and invited Jesus in to be rheir personal Saviour, may today be the day they invite Jesus into their heart. I love You, dear Father, and I appreciate all You have done for me and all You do for me every day. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
June 15, 2020

AND THE TEARS FALL

"When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!"

John 11: 33 - 36
King James Version

I think we sometimes forget that Jesus has feelings too. It hurts Him when we say and do things that hurt each other. When Jesus sees some of the things we do to each other and hears some of the cruel sarcastic words we say to one another, it breaks His heart and He cries. It is time we stop hurting one another and start loving one another unconditionally as He has commanded us to love each other.

Someone said "I have a right to be angry and do mean things and say cruel words to that person because of what that person did to me". That is not a true statement. Only Jesus has the right to be angry because only He was beaten beyond recognition, spat on, cursed, mocked, rejected and left alone to die on a cruel cross when He had never done anything wrong.

How dare you and I go to a Holy God and ask Him to forgive us or ask Him for anything if we aren't willing to forgive those who hurt us. Guess what, you're not perfect and neither am I and there are times when we hurt our Heavenly Father because we allow hatred, unforgiveness, jealousy, bitterness and all other things that hurt Him to remain in our heart. Let's stop hurting 

each other and start loving one another.

Heavenly Father, thank You for all You have done for me. Thank You for the privilege You have given me to serve Jesus. Please search my heart and if there is anything in my heart that hurts You, please forgive me. I never want to break Your heart and hurt You yet i know there are times that I do. I'm sorry I hurt You. I love You and appreciate all You have done for me. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
June 14, 2020

DO WE CARE

"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

John 13:35
King James Version

We say that we love one another but do we really care? Do we care when we see someone who is suicidal and feels like giving up? We take our friends and family to see the doctor when they are sick but do we take people to see Jesus, the great Physician, when they are hurting emotionally and they feel like giving up and going to bed and staying there? Only Jesus can heal a broken heart and only Jesus can make things right again when people say things that hurt us and do things that hurt us.

Rev. George O. Web wrote a hymn that I believe he wrote from the depths of his heart "I Need Jesus". "I need Jesus, my need I now confess; No friend like Him in times of deep distress; I need Jesus, the need I gladly own; Tho’ some may bear their load alone, yet I need Jesus." There have been times in my life when I was in such emotional pain that I didn't want to get out of bed and wouldn't have got out of bed had I not known that 

Jesus still loved me and cared that I was hurting.

Yes, Jesus cares when we are hurting and it hurts Him when we are sad and discouraged. We talk a lot about us being sad and discouraged but what about Jesus being sad and discouraged? Jesus allowed them to spit on Him, curse Him, mock Him, pound nails into Him when He died on the cross for your sins and for my sins. How it must hurt Jesus and break His heart when He sees and hears some of the sarcastic and cruel things we say and do to each other.

It is time we stop hurting Jesus by the cruel words and things that we do that hurt others and start making Him happy by the kind and loving words we say and the kind things we do for one another. Do something kind and loving for someone today and make Jesus happy.

Joanne Lowe
June 13, 2020

THE LIGHT OF LOVE

"And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof."

Revelation 21:23
King James Version

Even when it is dark and storming outside, the Light of Love Who is Jesus shines brightly in our heart. Not only is Jesus the Light of Love, He is also the healer of broken hearts. Georgia Stiffler wrote a beautiful and heart touching hymn about our precious Saviour "Healer of Broken Hearts".

Doctors can operate on the heart but only Jesus can heal a broken heart. Many years ago when I was going through that crippling and devastating depression that I went through for forty years, Jesus healed my broken heart. He put His loving arms around me and said "I love you, Joanne, and I won't let anyone hurt you again".

There are no words to express the joy and happiness I felt when Jesus told me He loves me. If you are reading this devotion, know that Jesus loves you and He will always love you. Don't listen to satan when he tells you Jesus doesn't love you because that is a lie.

There is nothing you could ever do that would make Jesus stop loving you. He loves us even when we hurt Him. He loved you yesterday. He loves you today and He will love you forever. Allow Jesus to pick you up and carry you in His loving arms until the pain goes away. O how I love Jesus!

Joanne Lowe
June 12, 2020

WILL YOU GO

"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
King James Version

If we will listen with our heart, we will hear Jesus asking us "Will you go?" Harry Dixon Loes wrote the hymn "Everybody Ought to Know" The words in this hymn remind us that Jesus wants us to go and tell everyone that He loves them. "Everybody ought to know Everybody ought to know Who Jesus is." When is the last time you told someone that Jesus loves him or her?

Mary Brown wrote one of my favorite hymns "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go". We sing this beautiful hymn but do we really mean the words that we sing? "It may not be on the mountain’s height, Or over the stormy sea; It may not be at the battle’s front My Lord will have need of me; But if by a still, small voice He calls To paths I do not know, I’ll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in Thine, I’ll go where You want me to go."

When God called me to be a missionary, I didn't know where He wanted me to go. When I walked down the aisle that Sunday morning during the invitation and told the pastor God had called me to be a missionary, the pastor prayed for me and told me not to wait until God showed me what He wanted me to do. The pastor said start telling everyone you see that Jesus loves them.

God did not send me to another country. He gave me the ministry of writing daily devotions with His help. The desire of my heart is to make Jesus happy. He has done so much for me and has been so faithful to me. He has never left me, not even for a minute. When I'm going through a dark valley or a crisis, He picks me up in His loving arms and carries me until the pain goes away.

You may think that you can't serve Jesus but all we have to do is be willing to serve Him and He will open the door where He wants us to go and help us do what He wants us to do. The most important thing Jesus wants us to do is to tell everyone that He loves them. However, it is not enough to tell people that Jesus loves them, we must prove it to them by our kind words and loving actions.

Have you answered the call of Jesus on your life? Is Jesus first in your heart and life? Have you told Jesus you love Him today? He has feelings too and He wants us to tell Him that we love Him. I love Jesus with all my heart. He is the reason I'm living and the Joy of my heart and one happy day, I will have the privilege of seeing Him face to face. How i long for that day. I'm going to give Him a big hug and spend eternity telling Him that I love Him.

Joanne Lowe
June 12, 2020

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
King James Version

Rev. William C. Martin wrote the beautiful hymn "The Name of Jesus". I love the 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!" Our loving Saviour does so much for us and He asks so little of us. There really is no sweeter or greater name than the Name of Jesus. When I am sad and discouraged, I say His precious Name and I feel better. I have said this many times and I will keep saying it until God calls me home. Nobody loves you like Jesus loves you and nobody ever will. His love is unconditional and unending.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving Your beloved Son to die on the cross for our sins so we can be saved and go to Heaven. I pray for every man, every woman, every boy and every girl. If they haven't invited Jesus into their heart to be their personal Saviour, may today they open the door of their heart to Jesus. I love You, dear Father. Thank You for the privilege You have given me to serve Jesus. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

Joanne Lowe
June 11, 2020

YES HE CARES

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."

1 Peter 5:7

King James Version

Rev. Frank E. Graeff wrote the beautiful heart touching hymn "Does Jesus Care?" I'm so glad the words in this hymn are true and Jesus does care. "Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares, His heart is touched with my grief; When the days are weary, the long nights dreary, I know my Savior cares."

Jesus knows how to feel to be all alone. Our precious Saviour was alone when He died on the cross for us. Even God had to turn away from our Saviour because Jesus had taken our sins on Him and God can't look on sin. If ever someone understands how it feels to be all alone, it is Jesus.

If you are discouraged and hurting today, tell Jesus. He will pick you up in His loving arms and will carry you through all the dark valleys in your life. He loves you so much and He longs to comfort you. We have a loving compassionate Saviour. He not only will comfort you, He will never leave you not even for a minute. O how I love Jesus!

Joanne Lowe
June 10, 2020

JESUS CARES AND LOVES US

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Matthew 11:28
King James Version

Pastor Edmund S. Lorenz wrote one of my favorite hymns "Tell It To Jesus". "Are you weary, are you heavy hearted? Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus. Are you grieving over joys departed? Tell it to Jesus alone."  John W. Peterson wrote the beautiful heart touching hymn "No One Understands Like Jesus". The words in this hymn bring tears to my eyes to know Jesus loves us this much. "No one understands like Jesus; Ev'ry woe He sees and feels; Tenderly He whispers comfort, And the broken heart He heals."

On August 14, 1980, I confessed my sins to God asked Him to forgive me and invited Jesus into my heart to be my personal Saviour. Jesus not only saved me by His cleansing redeeming blood, He also gave me a new heart. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 26:36).

We have a tender compassionate Saviour Who loves us unconditionally. There is nothing you could ever do that would make Him stop loving you. Jesus loved you yesterday. He loves you today and He will love you tomorrow and for all eternity. Thank you, dear Jesus, for loving us and for never leaving us. I love You and appreciate all You have done for me.

Joanne Lowe
June 9, 2020