HE NEVER LEAVES US

“Let your conversation be without coveteousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

Hebrews 13:5 KJV

When I got up to go the bathroom early in the morning a couple days ago, I fell.  I don’t know if I passed out or how long I was on the floor but when I realized I had fallen this hymn came to my mind and I started singing it out loud, “Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One”.

Even though I was lying on the floor and in pain, I knew I wasn’t alone, that Jesus was with me and He would help me get up.  I managed to scoot along the floor and pull myself up by holding onto my bed.  Praise God, nothing is broken but I hurt all over.  It is so wonderful to know that we are not alone.

When our family and friends visit us, they leave and go home but Jesus never leaves us.  What a comfort and healing balm it is to our weary battle scarred heart to know that Jesus never leaves us, not even for one minute.  He is with us when we are sad and hurting and He is with us when we are happy.

There are times when we get discouraged and feel like giving up.  Jesus understands because I’m sure He also got discouraged and felt like giving up.  When we are going through dark valleys, He picks us up and carries us until the pain goes away and sets us once again on the mountain top of happiness.

What a Saviour!  What a Friend, this Jesus of Nazareth!  All hail, King Jesus!  Worthy is the Lamb of God!  He is the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS and one happy day we will see Him face to face.  Are you shouting with happiness yet?

Joanne Lowe

November 21, 2016

IT IS 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 KJV

Have you ever given someone a gift and the person acted like he or she didn’t appreciate the gift?  It hurt, didn’t it?  That is exactly what people do to God.  He gave us a gift, eternal life through His Son.  Yet, there are many people who try to work for the gift or buy it instead of receiving it.  How it must hurt God.

Think how you would feel if you spent a lot of money on a big expensive gift for someone you love and the person said he or she didn’t want it.  It would hurt.  I wonder how many times we hurt our Heavenly Father and break His heart because we don’t accept the free gift of salvation He has given us.

We are to share this precious free gift with everyone we see.  It is very important that people see the difference Jesus has made in our heart and life so they too will want Jesus in their heart.  What a privilege it is to be loved by our Heavenly Father and by our precious Saviour.  O how I love Them.

Heavenly Father, You have given us Your beloved Son and yet there are times when we act like we don’t appreciate Your gift to us.  We’re sorry.  Please forgive us.  You are a tender loving and compassionate Father and we appreciate You and all You do for us every day.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

November 20, 2016

OUR THANKFUL HEART

“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”

Ephesians 5:20 KJV

Next week is Thanksgiving and we are looking forward to being with family and friends and having a big delicious meal.  If we will meditate on the Scripture verse for this devotion, we will understand that we are to give thanks always for all things.  We should thank God every day for all He does for us.

Two friends were talking and one of them said “I’ll be so glad when Christmas is over and we can put away all the decorations and start living like we usually do”.  Just as we put away the spirit of loving when Christmas is over, we sometimes forget to thank God for what He does for us when Thanksgiving is over.

How we must hurt God and break His heart when we forget to thank Him every day for all He does for us.  Do we thank Him every day for our homes that He has provided for us and for the clothes we wear and for our family?  We take things for granted.  We also forget to thank Him for Jesus and for our salvation.

Do you have a thankful heart?  Do you thank God every day for Jesus and for the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all sin?  May God have mercy on us and forgive us for neglecting to praise and thank Him every day for all that He has done for us and for all that He does for us.

Joanne Lowe

November 19, 2016

IT REALLY HAPPENS

“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

Ephesians 6:4 KJV

I was watching a family movie but I had to shut it off because the dad got very angry and he started to beat his son because his son had broke the two bottles of whiskey he had in the house.  I couldn’t watch that little boy get beat yet it really happens.  There are children who run in terror to hide from their parents.

It’s not just dads who get angry and beat their children, there are moms who also get so angry they beat their children.  We, as parents, are to discipline our children when they are disobedient but we are not to beat them.  Not only does it hurt the children, it also hurts Jesus when we are mean to them.

We read in Matthew 25:40 that when we are kind and loving to people we are kind and loving to Jesus but when we are mean and hateful to people, we are also mean and hateful to Jesus.  After all that Jesus has done for us, He deserves to be treated with respect, kindness and love.

Joanne Lowe

November 18, 2016

GIVE OURSELVES

“Every man according as he puurposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

2 Corinthians 9:7 KJV

I watched a Christmas movie about a family who didn’t have money to give each other Christmas gifts.  They decided to make gifts for one another and one of the children sold something she really loved to get money to buy gifts for the family.  It broke her heart but she loves her mom and dad. 

If you are like me, you don’t have money to buy gifts for your loved ones.  We may not have money to buy gifts but we can give ourselves to our family and our friends.  We can shut off the television set and spend time with our children.  The television has become an obstacle to spending time with each other.

May God help us to give ourselves to our loved ones this Christmas even if we have the money to buy big expensive gifts.  All the money in the world can’t buy love and that is why God gave His Son to die on the cross for us because He loves us so much.  Are you willing to give yourself to your family? 

Joanne Lowe

November 17, 2016

DO YOU KNOW HIM

“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

One of my favorite hymns is “Do You Know My Jesus”.  That is a question every Christian should ask himself or herself.  I don’t know all the geographical places in the Bible but I do know Jesus.  I have majored in the heart of Jesus for the last eleven years in God’s University.  Again, do you know Him?

You may be saved and have been a Christian for many years but do you really know Jesus?  To know someone, we have to spend time with the person.  How much time do we spend with Jesus during the day?  If we spend more time watching television than we do with Jesus, we are breaking His heart.

Jesus has done so much for us.  He allowed them to beat Him beyond recognition, spit on Him, curse Him and mock Him and crucify Him on a cross of horror and agony.  No one has ever been beaten or endured anguish and suffering like our precious Saviour.  He deserves to have first place in our heart.

Nobody loves us like God and Jesus love us and no one ever will.  Their love for us is a compassionate and unconditional love and will last for all eternity.  Have you allowed it to go from head knowledge to heart knowledge that They love you?  Without Their love for us we would be hurting and alone.

Joanne Lowe

November 16, 2016

HE STAYED ON THE CROSS

“Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.”

John 19:18 KJV

Al Harking wrote the inspiring hymn “He Didn’t Come Down” about Jesus staying on the cross.  Many times we get discouraged and feel like giving up.  Think where you and I would be if Jesus hadn’t stayed on the cross and paid the penalty for our sins.  We would be on our way to hell.

Thank God for the compassionate and unconditional love of Jesus for us that kept Him on the cross.  John W. Peterson wrote the beautiful cantata “No Greater Love”.  Indeed there is no greater love than the love that Jesus has for you and for me.  O how Jesus loves you!

Even Jesus grew weary and got discouraged when He was here on His mission.  If Jesus could keep going when He was ridiculed, rejected and cursed, you and I should also keep going even in the midst of criticisms, sarcasm, hatred and heartache.  Jesus understands how we feel and He loves us.

We read in Mark 8:34 that we are to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Jesus.  Mary Brown wrote the beautiful hymn “I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go”.  When we sing the words are we singing them from our heart?  Do we really mean we will go where Jesus wants us to go?

Are you willing to stay on the cross of criticism, ridicule and hatred for Jesus?  He stayed on the cross for you and endured pain and agony that you and I will never know.  What a Saviour!

Joanne Lowe

November 15, 2016