GOD’S RETIREMENT PLAN

“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 14:2, 3 KJV

People start preparing for retirement when they start work but there is a better plan than Social Security and a retirement plan here on earth and it is God’s retirement plan.  When God calls us home and we retire from God’s service, we have a mansion that Jesus has already prepared for us.

We read in the Bible.  “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:” (Matthew 6:19, 20).

It is important that we prepare for our retirement here on earth, but it is much more important that we have God’s retirement plan in our heart.  If you have never invited Jesus into your heart to be your personal Saviour, I urge you, I plead with you to give your heart to Jesus before it is too late.

Heavenly Father, I pray for every person who has never said yes to Jesus.  May today be the day they humble themselves and invite Jesus into their heart.  Jesus, thank You for loving me, for never leaving me and for preparing a place for me.  I love You and long to see You face to face.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

May 31, 2017

THE PILLOW OF LOVE

“I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.”

Psalm 4:8 KJV

The greatest thing we can do for people who are hurting is to place them on the pillow of love and His name is Jesus. It is very important that we bring our loved ones to Jesus at night because it is at night that satan lies to us and gives us doubts.

If we will keep our hearts and eyes focused on Jesus, we will have a sweet and peaceful sleep.  There are times when we have days that are frustrating, challenging and stressful. Then there are days that are filled with productivity, joy and happiness.

No matter what kind of day we have when we go to bed and lay our head on our pillows, we are laying in the tender arms of Jesus and close to His heart.  He is right there with us all night long to protect us and rock us to sleep.

While it is wonderful that He loves us enough to rock us to sleep and be our pillow of love we also need to be His pillow of love. He didn’t have a place to lay His precious head when He was born so He was born in a lowly manger. Is He comfortable in our homes?

Does He have to listen to arguments and fighting, or does He hear soft gentle words spoken to one another? Do we talk to each other, or do we keep our eyes glued to the television and ignore one another?  Have you made a pillow of love for Jesus in your heart?

It is important that we keep our homes clean but it is far more important that we allow Jesus to sweep all the bitterness, unforgiveness, sarcasm and criticism from our hearts as often as necessary.

Joanne Lowe

May 30, 2017

THE GREATEST COMMANDER OF ALL

“Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you.”

Deuteronomy 4:1 KJV

Today, as we remember the brave men and women who gave their lives for their country, let us not forget to remember and honor the greatest Commander of all, Jesus.  He didn’t just die for some people; He died for every person in the world.  He paid the debt that we could never have paid.

Pastor Elijah Taylor Cassel wrote a beautiful hymn about our great Commander “Loyalty to Christ”.  “On to victory! On to victory!” Cries our great Commander, “On!” We’ll move at His command, We’ll soon possess the land, Through loyalty, loyalty, Yes, loyalty to Christ.”  We must remain loyal to Jesus.

I thought when I asked Jesus into my heart to be my Saviour that everything would be wonderful, that I would never have any problems.  I was wrong because until we ask Jesus into our heart, satan doesn’t have to attack us. However, when we are serving Jesus, satan will lie to us, attack us and deceive us.

Our great Commander has warned us to be alert for the sneaky, poisonous and vicious attacks of satan.  “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (I Peter 5:8).  There are times when we let our guard down and satan tries to defeat us.

We must keep following Jesus because He will never fail us.  He will lead us on to victory.  One glorious happy day, we will see our great Commander face to face.  How I long for that day!

Joanne Lowe

May 29, 2017

HE STILL LOVES US

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:”

1 John 2:1 KJV

If we have accepted Jesus into our heart as our personal Saviour, we should try to do things and say things that make Jesus happy.  However, we need to remember that we are still in the flesh and there are times when we hurt Jesus and break His heart.  What a healing balm it is to us to know He still loves us.

Sometimes I get angry at myself because I can’t do everything I want to do.  Then I remember that Jesus loves us so when I am angry, I have to forgive myself because when I’m angry I can’t share His love with others.  I think we sometimes forget that none of us are perfect, only Jesus is perfect.

When we do sin, Jesus intercedes for us with the Father.  We need to be sure that our heart is in right standing with God because Jesus could come back for us even while I am typing this devotion or while you are reading it.  What about your heart?  Is God pleased with the things in your heart?

Joanne Lowe

May 28, 2017

BLOOD AND TEARS

“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 23:33,34 KJV

I believe with all my heart when Jesus was crucified and His precious blood ran down His body, I believe that the tears also ran down His heart.  When they pounded the nails into our Saviour’s hands, I believe that every time they put a nail in His hands, He also felt that excruciating pain in His heart.

Some of the definitions I found in the dictionary for excruciating are “extremely painful; causing intense suffering; unbearably distressing; torturing:”.  They tortured our precious Saviour and He endured an agony and pain that you and I will never know.  Not only was His body broken, His heart was also broken.

Marvin P. Dalton wrote my favorite hymn which I believe should be the Christian National Hymn “O What a Savior”.  “O what a Savior, O hallelujah! His heart was broken on Calvary, His hands were nail scarred, His side was riven, He gave His life-blood for even me.”  O how our Saviour loves you and me.

Think about it.  Jesus willingly left His Father, His home and all that He had to come to earth and die on the cross for our sins.  Do you understand that Jesus loves you so much He died for you?  Your family and friends love you but nobody loves you like Jesus loves you and nobody ever will.

O how I love Jesus.  He is the reason I get out of bed and the Joy of my heart.  One glorious happy day, I will see Him face to face!

Joanne Lowe

May 27, 2017

HE REALLY CARES AND LOVES US

“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

Every time I think about God loving us so much that He gave His beloved Son to die on the cross for our sins, I get tears in my eyes.  One day, God opened His heart to us and sent His Son to die for us so we may be saved.  He really cares and loves us.  We have a loving compassionate Heavenly Father.

Heavenly Father, we praise You and thank You for loving us and for caring what happens to us.  Thank You for Jesus.  I love You, Heavenly Father.  Please comfort and encourage all who are hurting and brokenhearted.  I love You, Jesus.  I love You, Holy Spirit.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

May 26, 2017

OUR REDEEMING SAVIOUR

“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

John 8:36 KJV

Bill and Gloria Gaither wrote an inspiring heart touching hymn about our redeeming Saviour “I’m Free”.  I love these words in this beautiful hymn.  “I'm free from the guilt that I carried, From that dull empty life I'm set free; For when I met Jesus, He made me complete, He forgot the foolish child I used to be”.

One of the most vicious attacks of satan is when he reminds us of our past before we accepted Jesus as our personal Saviour and tries to convince us that we haven’t changed and that Jesus doesn’t love us.  That is a lie straight from the pits of hell.  When Jesus makes us free, we are free and He does love us!

I submit to you on the authority of the Word of God that Jesus loves you and He loves you unconditionally.  I used to wonder why Jesus loves us so much and it is because not only does Jesus give us unconditional love, He is Love!  Another hymn that I love by  Robert Harkness is “Why Should He Love Me So”.

Jesus loves you so much He died for you.  There is nothing you could ever do that would make Him stop loving you.  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”!  Join me in praising our Saviour.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much that You gave Jesus to die for our sins.  You are a loving and compassionate Father and I love You.  Thank You for the many times You have comforted and encouraged me.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen. 

Joanne Lowe

May 25, 2017