A NEW LIFE

“Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.  Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent.  O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.”

Psalm 30:10-12 KJV

Many years ago when I lived in Texas my pastor preached a sermon about flying higher than a kite.  Pastor Jim said “If you want to fly higher than a kite, start bragging on Jesus”.  I was not serving Jesus at that time so I didn’t know what the pastor was talking about.  I was not flying.  In fact, I was unhappy.

When I started serving Jesus, my life changed.  Even in the midst of heartaches, I was happy.  It is true that when we serve Jesus, we do fly higher than a kite.  There are times when I get so happy and excited that I have to think about something sad because I feel like I am going to explode with happiness.

If you want to have a new life, a life that is filled with joy, happiness and peace, start serving Jesus.  You don’t have to go to another country to serve Jesus.  You can serve Him where you live.  You can also send an encouraging email to someone and you can call people and tell them Jesus loves them.

For over forty years, I went through a crippling depression.  I didn’t talk to anyone.  When Jesus told me He loves me, I was so happy.  It was the first time anyone had ever said to me “I love you, Joanne”.  Jesus not only told me He loves me, He also gave me a new life, a life that is filled with joy, peace and happiness.

Joanne Lowe

June 28, 2015

DON’T PLAY FAVORITES

“Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.  And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.  And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.”

Genesis 37:3-5 KJV

If we will read the story of Joseph, we will understand that we shouldn’t play favorites with our children.  Israel caused a lot of problems between Joseph and his brothers.  The brothers were upset and jealous because their father made Joseph a coat of many colours and didn’t make them a coat.

A mother was talking to one of her daughters and said “I don’t understand why you don’t like my good daughter”.  What the mother was saying to her daughter was she loved her sister more than she loved her.  How that must have hurt her and broke her heart because she believed her mother didn’t love her.

Not only should we not play favorites, we should be a Joseph because in the end Joseph forgave his brothers even after everything they did to him.  What a beautiful reminder that God forgives us even after the things we do that hurt Him and break His heart.  We have a loving forgiving Heavenly Father.

Joseph forgave his brothers and he also kissed them to prove to them he had forgiven them.  “And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.  Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him” (Genesis 45:14,15).

Joanne Lowe

June 27, 2015

  

VALLEY OF DESPAIR AND HEARTACHE

“Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.  Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.  I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.  Wait upon the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”

Psalm 27:11-14 KJV

If you have ever been in the valley of despair and heartache, then you understand when other people are brokenhearted and hurting as they are going through the valley.  I’ve been in that valley many times in my life so I understand how it feels.  However, no one understands how it feels like Jesus.

Jesus understands how we feel and how much it hurts.  He feels our pain and He longs to dry our tears with tender kisses.  Not only was Jesus beaten beyond recognition, cursed, spat on, mocked and ridiculed, He also felt betrayed and all alone.  When He was hanging on the cross, Jesus was totally alone.

Our Heavenly Father is a Holy God and He can’t look at sin so when His beloved Son was hanging on that cruel cross bleeding and dying for our sins, God couldn’t look at Jesus.  I believe it broke the heart of God when He had to turn away from Jesus.  God cried because His Son had been beaten and was dying.

If you are going through the valley of despair and heartache, cry out to God and He will be faithful to comfort and encourage you.  What a compassionate loving Heavenly Father we are privileged to know and have.  I love You, dear Father.  Thank You for adopting me into Your family.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

June 26, 2015

WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE

“The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”

Jeremiah 31:3 KJV

One of the definitions that I found for everlasting in Webster’s Dictionary is “existing or continuing without end”.  Has it gone from head knowledge to heart knowledge that Jesus, the Saviour of the world, not only loves you, He loves you with an everlasting love?  He loves you and He will love you forever.

You might wonder why I write so much about the love of Jesus in my devotions.  It is because love, unconditional love that comes from the heart of Jesus is the only thing that will get us through this world of hatred and violence.  Until we grasp in our heart how much Jesus loves us, we will never be happy.

Some people think that sex is love but it isn’t.  I wonder how many times men have said to someone “If you love me, you would go all the way with me”.  That is a lie straight from the pits of hell.  Unless we love someone unconditionally and from the depths of our heart, it is not real love.  It is just a physical act.

Heavenly Father, we’re sorry for the times we hurt You when we don’t love one another unconditionally.  Thank You for giving Jesus to us to die on the cross for our sins.  Jesus, I appreciate You and I love You with all my heart.  How I long for the day when I will see You face to face.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

June 25, 2015

GOD LOVES US

“The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.  He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.  He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.  For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.  As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”

Psalm 103:8-12 KJV

What a comfort and healing balm it is to our weary battle scarred heart to know that not only does God love us, He also loves us unconditionally.  Our Heavenly Father is a compassionate tender and forgiving Father.  O how He loves you and me!  What a privilege it is to be loved by our Heavenly Father.

I am so glad that when God forgives us He never holds our sins against us again.  When someone hurts us, we need to forgive them and then forget about what they did just as God forgives us.  How dare you and I go to our Heavenly Father and ask Him to forgive us if we aren’t willing to forgive those who hurt us?

None of us are perfect.  There was only one perfect person who ever lived or ever will live and His Name is Jesus.  I heard someone say “hurting people hurt people”.  Instead of us saying or doing something to hurt those who hurt us let’s love them unconditionally as Jesus has commanded us to do.

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for not always loving others unconditionally.  Thank You for loving us unconditionally even when we fail You and hurt You.  May we be children who make You happy instead of children who hurt You and break Your heart.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.      

Joanne Lowe

June 24, 2015

DO WE HEAR HIS VOICE

“OUT of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.  Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.  If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?  But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.  I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.”

Psalm 130:1-5 KJV

We want God to hear our voice when we pray but do we hear His voice when He asks us to do something for Him?  If we will listen with our heart, we will hear God asking us to serve His Son.  Are we serving Jesus?  If we are serving Him, do we serve Him all the time or just when it is convenient for us?

I don’t think it was convenient for Jesus to leave His Father, His home and all that He had to come to earth and die on the cross for our sins.  However, Jesus willingly came to earth because He wanted to fulfill the mission His Father had given Him.  Jesus left everything He had because He loves us.

We say that we love Jesus but what are we doing to prove to Him that we love Him?  Are we willing to shut off the television, get out of our comfort zone and spread the unconditional love of Jesus to everyone we meet?  There are many people who are hurting and are discouraged and brokenhearted.

Joyce Landorf Heatherley, a Christian speaker and author, said on one of her teaching tapes that the people we sit next to in church look fine and darling but inside they are hurting.  May God help us to love people unconditionally as Jesus has told us to do and also be an encouragement to one another.

Joanne Lowe

June 23, 2015

HE WILL GIVE US REST

“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 won the war over evil and satan when He defeated satan on the cross.  However, we are still in a battle and we must stand firm and not let satan discourage us so much that we stop serving Jesus.  It makes satan very angry when we serve Jesus and he will do his best to stop us from serving Jesus.

I have received several emails from people who wrote and told me that they are tired and feel like giving up because satan has caused problems and lied to them.  We must stay on the battle field for Jesus.  Are you weary of being on guard against satan and his vicious attacks?  Tell Jesus, He will help you.

Jesus knows how it feels to be weary and tired and He also knows how it feels to be tempted by satan.  Jesus did not give in to temptation and sin when satan was tempting Him.  It’s not a sin to be tempted, it only becomes sin when we give in and do what we know is wrong.  It also hurts God and breaks His heart.

Heavenly Father, I pray for every person who is weary and tired.  Please comfort and encourage them as You have comforted and encouraged me so many times.  Jesus, please pick them up and carry them through the dark valley and set them once again on the mountain top of happiness.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

June 22, 2015