HAPPINESS

“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”

Isaiah 6:8 KJV

Pastor Alfred Henry Ackley wrote an inspiring hymn “In the Service of the King”.  These words describe how I feel.  “I am happy in the service of the King. I am happy, O so happy! Through the sunshine and the shadow I can sing, In the service of the King.”  What a privilege to serve the One Who died for me.

Have you answered the call of Jesus to serve Him?  He doesn’t call all of us to go to a different country but He does call every one of us to serve Him where we are.  There are some people who will drive hundreds of miles on vacation but aren’t willing to drive a few miles to visit someone who is hurting.

One day our precious Saviour is coming back for us.  How it would hurt Him and break His heart if we aren’t serving Him.  We have to get out of our comfort zones to serve Him.  Jesus got out of His comfort zone.  He left His Father, His home and all that He had to come to earth to die for our sins.

You might think there is nothing you can do because you don’t have any talents.  I used to think like that but when I asked God to give me something to do to serve Jesus, He gave me the ministry of writing devotions.  I am not a professional writer and have no desire to be one.  I just write when He inspires me.

Are you willing to turn off the television, get out of your comfort zone and serve Jesus?  The desire of my heart is to make Jesus happy.  If ever someone deserves to be happy, it is our precious Saviour.  Will you answer the call and say yes to Jesus? 

Joanne Lowe

October 31, 2017

OUR SHEPHERD

“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”

John 10:11 KJV

John W. Peterson wrote a beautiful and heart touching hymn about our precious Shepherd “Shepherd of Love”.  “You sought and found me, Placed around me Strong arms that carry me home. No foe can harm me, Or alarm me, Never again will I roam.”  Thank God for our loving Saviour.

Heavenly Father, I love You.  Thank You for our Shepherd of Love.  Please comfort and encourage all who are hurting and discouraged.  Precious Jesus, I love You so much.  Thank You for loving me and dying for me.  Holy Spirit, I love You.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

October 30, 2017

THE MOST EXPENSIVE PRICE

“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”

1 Corinthians 6:20 KJV

I read somewhere that somebody had paid the most expensive price ever paid for anything.  That is not a true statement.  The most expensive price ever paid for anything was when Jesus was crucified on the cross for our sins.  He paid the price for your sins and for my sins with His own blood.

Think about it.  Jesus did not have to die on the cross for our sins.  He did not have to leave Heaven and come to earth.  He came to earth and died on the cross because He loves us so much.  John W. Peterson wrote the beautiful heart touching and inspiring hymn “No Greater Love”.

There really was and there never will be no greater love than the unconditional love of our precious Saviour for you and for me.  Are you shouting with happiness yet?  I don’t understand how people can shout and cheer for a sports team but don’t shout and cheer for Jesus.

If ever someone deserves to be praised and adored, it is Jesus, the Saviour of the world.  He is the “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS”.  What brings tears of happiness to my eyes is to know that one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord!

Heavenly Father, how I love You.  I appreciate all You have done for me and all You do for me every day.  Thank You for loving us so much You gave Your beloved Son to die for our sins.  Jesus, 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

October 29, 2017

DO WE MEAN IT

“But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.”

Isaiah 64:8 KJV

Adelaide Addison Pollard wrote a beautiful heart touching and inspiring hymn that we sing a lot “Have Thine Own Way, Lord”.  “Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way! Search me and try me, Master, today! Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now, As in Thy presence humbly I bow.” 

I wonder when we are singing it, do we mean it?  Do we really want Him to have His way in our heart and life or do we want to do what we want to do?  Do we want Him to search us and try us?  If we can’t sing this beautiful hymn and mean it, we shouldn’t sing it because we are hurting Him.

Laurie Klein wrote one of my favorite hymns “I Love You, Lord”.  If we sing this beautiful hymn to Him but don’t really mean it, then it not only shows disrespect for Him, it also hurts Him and breaks His heart.  How can we not love our precious Saviour after all that He has done for us?  He deserves our love.

I can honestly say that I love Jesus with all my heart and I long for the day when I will see Him face to face.  I love this beautiful hymn that Carrie Elizabeth Ellis Breck wrote “Face to face with Christ, My Savior”.  Are you shouting with happiness yet?  We are going to see our precious Saviour face to face.

Joanne Lowe

October 28, 2017

LOVE INSTEAD OF VIOLENCE

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”

John 13:34 KJV

I don’t like to read the news any more.  The news is filled with violence, hatred, rapes, murders and all other things that hurt Jesus and break His heart.  I read today about parents who left their dead baby in a swing for a week.  I have tears rolling down my cheeks as I type this.

If this broke my heart, how much more did it hurt Jesus and break His heart.  The goal of every Christian who claims to love Jesus should be to love one another unconditionally as He has commanded us to love one another.  Loving one another unconditionally is not an option, it is a commandment.

 I have to be honest and say there are times when God has to take me out to His woodshed of correction because I don’t always love unconditionally as Jesus loves.  Before you judge and condemn me, search your own heart.  Can you honestly say you always love others unconditionally?

Heavenly Father, please forgive me for the times when I don’t love unconditionally as Jesus has commanded us to love.  I pray You will search my heart and if there is anything that hurts You, please let me know so I can repent.  Please comfort and encourage all who are hurting.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

October 27, 2017

A PUNCTURED BALLOON

”Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.”

Proverbs 16:24 KJV

Have you ever seen a balloon that has been punctured by a fingernail or object?  It only takes one little hole in the balloon to deflate it.  It may take a while for it to completely deflate but eventually all of the air goes out of the balloon.  You can try to patch it with something and it might help for a while but it doesn’t last.

It is the same with our heart.  When someone says something negative to us, a sarcastic remark, a discouraging word or something that pulls us down, that is all it takes to deflate our heart.  It only takes one discouraging or sarcastic remark to put the hole in our heart.  That is why it is so important to choose your friends wisely.

Our loved ones can try to encourage us and tell us not to listen to those people who delight in putting us down but the hole is already there and nothing anybody says or does can take the hole out of our heart.  Jesus is the only One Who can restore our self esteem and confidence and fix the hole in our heart.

Please don’t say things to discourage people.  Joyce Landorf Heatherley, a Christian speaker and author, said on one of her teaching tapes “Men and women are leaving full time ministry in droves because we haven’t encouraged them”.  Let’s become encouragers instead of saying things that hurt people.

Joanne Lowe

October 26, 2017

HE KNEW

“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”

Luke 23:34 KJV

Dottie Rambo wrote a beautiful inspiring hymn about our precious Saviour “If That Isn’t Love”.  “He left the Splendor of Heaven Knowing His Destiny Was the lonely Hill of Golgotha There to lay down His life for me”.  Yes, He knew He was going to be beaten beyond recognition and crucified on the cross.

What kind of love is this that Jesus would walk that long lonely road to Calvary and allow them to crucify Him on the cross for our sins?  It is a compassionate and unconditional love for you and for me that kept Him on the cross.  All the nails in the world couldn’t have held Him if He had chosen to come down.

Do you understand yet how much Jesus loves you?  I write about Jesus loving you many times in my devotions and the reason why is because knowing that Jesus loves us will help us go through the crises and dark valleys in our life.  Allow it to go from head knowledge to heart knowledge that He loves you.

Joanne Lowe

October 25, 2017