DO YOU KNOW HIM

“Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.”

Psalm 144:15 KJV

Pastor Ira F. Stanphill wrote a beautiful inspiring hymn.  It is one of my favorite hymns “Happiness is The Lord”.  I love the words in this hymn.  “Happiness is to know the Savior, Living a life within His favor, Having a change in my behavior, Happiness is the Lord.” 

When we are in the presence of Jesus we have fulness of joy and happiness is ours when we know Jesus.  We can be saved and not know Him.  To know people, we have to spend time with them.  Some of us don’t even know our parents and children because we don’t take the time that’s necessary to know them.

How much time do we spend with Jesus?  If we are too busy to talk to Him during the day, we are too busy and we need to rearrange our schedule.  If we have time to watch television, we have time to fellowship with Jesus.  I think we break His heart many times because we’re too busy to spend time with Him.

Are we living a life within His favor?  Is there a change in our behavior since we’ve been saved?  Does our family and friends see the difference Jesus has made in our heart and life since we invited Jesus into our heart to be our personal Saviour?  May God help us to live a life within His favor.

Joanne Lowe

January 28, 2015

OUR STRENGTH

“I WILL love thee, O LORD, my strength.  The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.  I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.”

Psalm 18:1-3 KJV

I have been in bed most of the time for the last three days.  I’m not sure if I have the flu or just a bad cold but it has left me very weak.  However, God is faithful and He has helped me write a devotion every day.  When we need strength, God is with us to help us and deliver us.

Mylon Le Fevre wrote a beautiful hymn “WITHOUT HIM”.  It is so true that we can’t do anything without Jesus.  I am so glad that God loves us so much that He gave His beloved Son not only to die on the cross for our sins but also to be our best Friend.  Jesus is a Friend Who never leaves us, not even for a minute.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the privilege You have given me to serve Your Son and for trusting me to serve Him.  Jesus, thank You for being my best Friend and for never leaving me.  I love You, Heavenly Father.  I love You, Jesus.  I love You, Holy Spirit.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

January 27, 2015

ALMOST

“King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets?  I know that thou believest.  Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”

Acts 26:27,28 KJV

Every time I read this, it breaks my heart and I believe it broke Paul’s heart when King Agrippa said “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian”.  It is so important for Christians to act and talk like Christians.  If people don’t see the difference Jesus has made in our heart, they aren’t going to want Jesus in their heart.

“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).  May God help us to be an example of the believers in everything we say and everything we do.  People are watching Christians to see if there is a difference in them.

Are you almost persuaded to be a Christian?  If you haven’t invited Jesus into your heart to be your personal Saviour, I urge you, I plead with you to say yes to Jesus before it is too late.  Your family and friends can’t do it for you as much as they want to.  Salvation is personal between you and Jesus.

Heavenly Father, I pray for every person who hasn’t said yes to Jesus and invited Him into their heart.  May today be the day they humble themselves and give their heart and life to Him.  Please help us to set the example that we as believers should set.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

January 26, 2015

SPIRITUAL STRENGTH

“He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.  The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.  Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion.”

Psalm 147:10-12 KJV

There are some people who never miss a day of working out at the gym but only open their Bible when they go to church.  It’s wonderful that we take care of our bodies and we should take care of our bodies.  However, God wants us to have spiritual strength.  He takes pleasure in those that fear him.

It is very important that we understand that God does not want us to be afraid of Him.  One of the definitions for fear in the King James Bible Dictionary is “Reverance; respect; due regard.”  Instead of being afraid of God we should respect Him and give Him the honor that He so richly deserves.

Many years ago in Sunday school, my teacher read this verse to us “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”  When she read that, I thought it meant that I shouldn’t want Jesus in my heart.   If you are a Sunday school teacher, be sure your students understand the verses you are reading to them. 

It’s okay to go to the gym and exercise physically but spiritual exercise should come first.  We read in the Bible.  “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).  Does God approve of our spiritual exercise?

If God were to grade us today on our spiritual exercise would He give us an A or would we receive a failing grade?  Let’s put God first in everything we say and in everything that we do. 

Joanne Lowe

January 25, 2015

JESUS IS STILL ALIVE

“And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.  He is not here: for he is risen, as he said, Come, see the place where the Lord lay.  And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.  And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.”

Matthew 28:5-8 KJV

Jesus is still alive and He will never have to be crucified and die for our sins again.  How do we know He lives?  He lives within our heart.  Pastor Alfred Henry Ackley wrote one of my favorite hymns about Jesus “He Lives”.  Does Jesus live in your heart?  If not, give your heart to Him before it is too late.

Do people see a difference in you since you invited Jesus into your heart?  When Jesus comes into our heart, people should see a difference in the way we live and in the words that we say.  If we want our family and friends to be saved, we must let them see and hear how Jesus changed our heart.

I have had the privilege of serving Jesus full time for ten years today.  O how I love Jesus!  I long for the day when I will see Him face to face.  I am going to hug Him and never let Him go.  What a precious loving and compassionate Saviour we have the privilege of knowing and having in our heart! 

Heavenly Father, I pray for every person who is not saved.  May this be the day they humble themselves, confess their sins, ask You to forgive them and invite Jesus into their heart to be their personal Saviour.  Thank You for loving us so much that You gave Jesus to die for our sins.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

January 24, 2015

GOD WILL COMFORT US

“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”

Matthew 5:4 KJV

What a healing balm it is to know that God Himself comforts us.  We read in the Bible.  “Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.  Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;” (2 Corinthians 1:2,3).

I sometimes think it’s almost worth it to be brokenhearted because God Himself comforts us.  I believe when our heart is breaking that God sets us on His lap, sits in His rocking chair and tenderly dries our tears with kisses of compassion as He says to us “I love you”.  What a privilege to be loved by God.

When your heart is breaking and the tears start to fall, allow God to comfort and encourage you.  Our Heavenly Father is a compassionate Father and your tears are precious to Him.  “Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?” (Psalm 56:8).  O how God loves you!

Heavenly Father, I love You so much and I appreciate You.  Thank You for the many times You have comforted me when I was brokenhearted.  Thank You for loving me and for adopting me into Your family.  Please comfort and encourage those who are hurting and brokenhearted.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

January 23, 2015

JESUS KNEW

“And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid.  And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him,  Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles:  And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.”

Mark 10:32-34 KJV

Jesus knew in advance what was going to happen to Him.  He knew they were going to mock Him, scourge Him, spit upon Him and kill Him but He still walked that long and lonely road to Calvary and there allowed them to crucify Him as He suffered a pain and an agony that you and I will never experience.

Our precious Saviour was beaten beyond recognition for you and for me.  It is very difficult for me to type this devotion because I don’t like to think about the pain He endured for me.  Has it gone from head knowledge to heart knowledge that Jesus loves you so much He suffered all that pain and agony for you?

God knew His beloved Son was going to be beaten beyond recognition and crucified for us.  How it must have broken the heart of our Heavenly Father to watch His Son leave on His mission.  I believe Jesus and our Heavenly Father hugged for a long time with tears in Their eyes before Jesus left.

Would you send your son to war knowing he was going to be killed?  Of course you wouldn’t but God did.  Nobody loves us as much as God and Jesus love us and nobody ever will.  What unconditional love comes from Their heart for you and for me.

Joanne Lowe

January 22, 2015