ALL WE NEED

“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.  Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV

We sing the beautiful hymn “You’re All I Need” and Jesus really is all we need.  He is enough for every crisis and for every heartache.  When we are brokenhearted and going through dark valleys, He tenderly picks us up in His loving arms and carries us through the dark valleys in our life.

Not only does Jesus pick us up and carry us through the dark valleys in our life, He sets us once again on the mountain top of happiness.  Have you allowed it to go from head knowledge to heart knowledge how much Jesus loves you?  No one loves you like Jesus loves you and no one ever will.

What a compassionate, tender forgiving and loving Saviour we are privileged to know and to have.  If you have invited Jesus into your heart to be your personal Saviour, God has adopted you into His family.  You are a blood bought child of God and Heaven is your home.  You will see Jesus face to face.

Joanne Lowe

February 11, 2015

HE WAS HUMAN

“And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.  And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.  Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.  And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”

Luke 23:32-34 KJV

I knew Jesus had been crucified on the cross for my sins but I didn’t think about Him being human when He was crucified because I always thought about Him as my precious Saviour.  The day I realized that He was human when He was crucified, that He suffered and had feelings like we do, I cried like a baby.

Every time I think about Jesus suffering all that excruciating pain and agony because of my sins, I am humbled that He loves me so much that He died for me.  Rusty Goodman wrote a beautiful hymn about Jesus loving us so much He died for us on the cross “Who Am I”.  We are sinners who are saved by grace.

Many years ago, one of the pastors at the church I was a member of volunteered to hang on the cross during the passion play.  I couldn’t watch because when I looked at that cross and saw the pastor hanging there, I realized that Jesus really did suffer all of that agony and pain because of me and my sins.

Has it gone from head knowledge to heart knowledge that Jesus loves you so much that He allowed them to spit on Him, curse Him, mock Him, pluck His beard and beat Him beyond recognition so you can have your sins forgiven and live in Heaven for all eternity?  What a Saviour, this Jesus of Nazareth!

Joanne Lowe

February 10, 2015 

AND THE TEARS FELL

“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

John 19:30 KJV

When Jesus was hanging on the cross dying for our sins, God had to turn away from His own Son because Jesus had taken our sins on Him and God can’t look at sin.  God cried and the tears fell.  Also, God cries when He sees some of the things we do and hears some of the things we say to each other.

Jesus will never be crucified again but He is still enduring emotional punishment.  Jesus has told us when we are kind and loving to others, we are being kind and loving to Him.  He has also told us to love one another unconditionally just as He loves us but we don’t always love each other unconditionally.

How we must break the heart of our precious Saviour when we don’t love people unconditionally as He loves us.  If Jesus asked His Father to forgive us while He was still hanging on the cross beaten beyond recognition with the blood flowing down His body, how dare you and I refuse to forgive those who hurt us?

May God have mercy on us if we don’t forgive those who hurt us.  How dare you and I ask our Heavenly Father to forgive us if we’re not willing to forgive those who hurt us?  If we want people we hurt to forgive us, we had better forgive those who hurt us.  It is so true that you get back what you give out.

Heavenly Father, how Your heart must have broken when Jesus was beaten and hung on a cross of torture as He died for our sins.  You couldn’t even look at Your Son because He had taken our sins on Him.  Thank You for loving us so much and thank You for Jesus.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

February 9, 2015

ANYWHERE

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.  Have not I commanded thee?  Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”

Joshua 1:8,9 KJV

It doesn’t matter where we live or where we go because God is with us.  There was a time in my life when I had to stay at the Salvation Army.  God was still with me protecting me.  Whether we live in a large beautiful house or a very small house, He is with us.  I’m so glad God is with us anywhere we go.

God has commanded us to be strong and of a good courage but I think if are honest with ourselves, we sometimes are afraid of what might happen to us.  It is always safe to trust God because when God promises us something, He keeps His word.  What a compassionate, protective and loving Heavenly Father we have.

Not only is God with us, Jesus is also with us because Jesus promised us that He will never leave us or forsake us.  Even when our family and friends have to go home after they visit us, Jesus is still with us.  I used to get real lonely when my family went home until I realized that Jesus is with me all the time.

Heavenly Father, thank You for your protection.  I pray that You will reassure those who are in the middle of a crisis that You will be with them and protect them.  Please be with our foreign missionaries and protect them from all harm and let them know how much You appreciate them.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

February 8, 2015

HEAVEN

“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.  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.  Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

John 14:1-6 KJV

The greatest thing about going to Heaven to me is that we will see Jesus face to face and we will be with Him for all eternity.  The second most important thing to me is I will be able to sing.  I read this in a devotional book “If you can sing, sing.  If you can’t carry a tune, let the Spirit carry it for you.”

I’m so glad that God listens to the song coming from our heart and that He doesn’t listen to see if we can carry a tune.  One glorious day, I will sing with the Heavenly Choir forever and I won’t be kicked out of the Heavenly Choir as I was kicked out of a church choir because I was told I couldn’t carry a tune.

What a glorious day it is going to be when Jesus comes back for us.  We will see our loved ones who are already in Heaven and we’ll never have to say goodbye.  We will see Jesus face to face.  Think about it!  We are going to have the privilege of seeing Jesus Who loves us so much He died on the cross for our sins.

How I long for the day when I will see my precious Saviour face to face!  I’m going to give Him a big hug and for all eternity I’m going to tell Him how much I love Him and appreciate Him.  What a precious loving Saviour we are privileged to know and have.

Joanne Lowe

February 7, 2015

DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT

“But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.”

Deuteronomy 1:38 KJV

Just as we have to eat every day because we get hungry, so we need daily encouragement because of all the heartaches and stress in our life.  All of us are hungry for love.  If Jesus needed to be encouraged, how much more you and I need to be encouraged.  Every one of us needs to be encouraged.

Evangelist Charles Weigle wrote the beautiful and inspiring hymn “No One Ever Cared for Me Like Jesus”.  How true this is because no one ever cared for us like Jesus does and no one ever will.  We are very blessed and privileged to be loved by the Saviour of the world.  O how I love Jesus!

Have you encouraged your spouse, your children and your loved ones today?  Have you encouraged your pastor?  What about Jesus?  Have you encouraged Him today?  How do we encourage Jesus?  We encourage Him by being kind and loving to others and by telling everyone how much Jesus loves them.

Joanne Lowe

February 6, 2015

HE GIVES US LIGHT

“For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.”

Psalm 18:28 KJV

A pastor said in one of his sermons “We were in a cave and it was so dark I couldn’t see my hands”.  Sometimes people criticize us and ridicule us and the light in our heart dims.   It is then that we need to ask God to shine His light of love brighter in our heart to take away the darkness of criticism and ridicule.

As heartbreaking as it is for us to be criticized and ridiculed, what is even worse is for you and I to criticize and ridicule someone else.  Christians are supposed to live so others will know that Jesus lives in our heart and has made a difference in our heart.  Do people know you are a Christian?

Heavenly Father, please shine Your light of love brighter in our heart when people say unkind words to us.  Thank You for Your light and thank You for loving us.  I pray for everyone who is hurting.  Please encourage them and comfort them as only You can.  Thank You.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

February 5, 2015