HIS TENDER LOVING CARE

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

Ephesians 4:2-10
King James Version

As we get together with family and friends on Thanksgiving Day, let us remember the great unconditional and unending love that our Heavenly Father has for you and for me.

We have a loving Heavenly Father Who loves us so much that He gave His only Son to die on the cross for your sins and for my sins and His Son had never done anything wrong.

What kind of love is this? This is an unconditional forgiving love that can only come from the heart of our loving protective Heavenly Father.

Thank You, Heavenly Father, for loving us when we were so unlovely. I love You and appreciate all You have done for me.

Joanne Lowe
November 24, 2021

 THE MOST IMPORTANT

"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
King James Version

When I go to bed at night, I thank God for everything He has done for me but the most important thing I thank Him for is loving me unconditionally.

Not only does our Heavenly Father love me unconditionally, He also loves you. There is nothing we can do that would make Him stop loving us.

What a privilege it is to be part of the family of God. Do you realize how much God loves you? The next time you get discouraged and feel like giving up, remember that God loves you.

Joanne Lowe
November 23, 2021

 PEACE OR WAR

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."

Matthew 5:9
King James Version

Are we acting in a way that brings peace and happiness to Jesus? If not, we are hurting Him and breaking His heart. Jesus want all of us to be happy. He does not play favorites as we sometimes do.
He has told us that He wants us to be happy. We will never be happy if we are hurting Him. May God have mercy on us if we are hurting His beloved Son. I love You, dear Jesus.

Joanne Lowe
November 22, 2021

 ARE WE DOING IT

"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour."

Ephesians 5:1, 2
King James Version

Are we doing it? Are we walking in love as we have been told to do or are we still allowing resentment, bitterness, jealousy and all other things that hurt our Heavenly Father to remain in our heart? If so, we are hurting Him and breaking His heart.

Joanne Lowe
November 21, 2021

 IN HIS LOVING ARMS

"Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!"

John 11:32-36
King James Version

Today is my Mother's birthday. She died several years ago on Christmas Day. I miss her so much but I also know that she is in the loving arms of Jesus.

Although I miss her so much and shed a few tears on her birthday, I have peace in my heart because I know that Jesus loves her more than I could ever love her. Thank You, Jesus, for taking care of my precious Mother.

Joanne Lowe
November 20, 2021

 YEARS OF HEARTACHE

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

John 10:10
King James Version

I have the best sister in the world. For over forty years I went through a devastating and crippling depression. I really believed that nobody loved me and that I didn't have a right to live.

Through all those years my sister was there for me even when she didn't think she was helping me. As I look back on those years of heartache, I realize if it had not been for my sister that I would be dead today.

I really do have the best sister in the world. She really does care and even when she is going through heartache herself she reaches out to not only me but also to all who are hurting and need to know they are loved.

Jesus does not want any of us to be discouraged, in pain and feel all alone. He has come that we might have life and have it more abundantly.

If you are hurting today, reach out to Jesus, He will pick you up in His loving compassionate arms and will carry you until the pain goes away.

What a Saviour! What a Friend! Please join me in praising the "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS"! Worthy in the Lamb of God!

I love You, precious Saviour and I look forward to the happy and joyous day when I will have the privilege of seeing You face to face. It's hard to imagine being any happier than I am right now but I know the happiness I feel now is nothing compared to the joy I will feel when I see You face to face.

Joanne Lowe
November 19, 2021

 A RECIPE FOR ENCOURAGEMENT

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”

Psalm 23
King James Version

I think that most of us can quote this Psalm by heart without looking. The question is, do we really understand and believe what we are saying?

Many times we memorize Bible verses and don’t really pay attention to what we are saying. It is the same with singing in church. We sing the same hymns so often that we know them by heart and instead of worshipping Jesus while we are singing, we let our minds wander.

When I lived in East Texas, the pastor preached a sermon on encouragement and he used this Psalm. He told us that when we started feeling discouraged to say this Psalm and to put our names in it to make it personal.

He said that it had been a source of encouragement for him many times during his thirty eight years as a pastor.

I started doing it the next day.
I said “The Lord is Joanne Lowe’s Shepherd. Joanne Lowe shall not want.” I said the entire chapter putting my name in the right places and I felt such a peace, such an encouragement and such a comfort flood my heart that could have only have come straight from the loving heart of our precious Saviour.

For those of us who teach Sunday school, especially the little children, it is extremely important that we explain the phrase “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want”.

Also, for those of us who have children and grandchildren, it is very important that we make sure they know what this verse means.

For many years I thought that I wasn’t supposed to want Jesus because of this verse. Don’t laugh. I have had three people tell me they thought the same thing that I did.

Instead of pursuing Jesus, I ran from Him. After I started studying the Bible and asked the Holy Spirit to teach me, I understood that the verse means that I shall not want anything because Jesus will provide everything that I should ever need.

If today you are hurting and feeling discouraged and are lonely and frightened, try putting your name in while you say this Psalm. Allow Jesus to comfort and encourage you as only He can. He is our loving Saviour and Friend.

Thank You, Jesus, for loving us so much and for putting up with us when we hurt You and fail You so many times. Please plant deep within our heart a desire to be an encouragement and comfort to our families, our loved ones and to a world that is hurting and desperately needs someone to care about them and love them.

Joanne Lowe
November 18, 2021