JESUS IS THE ANSWER

“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 KJV

Jesus is the answer to everything.  When we walk through dark valleys or are in the middle of a crisis, He is with us.  I just recently went through a very dark valley and satan did his best to discourage me so I would stop serving Jesus.  Our precious Saviour won the victory over satan when He died on the cross.

Not only is Jesus with us when we go through dark valleys, our Heavenly Father is also with us.  What a healing balm it is to know that our Heavenly Father will never hit us, curse us or call us stupid.  What a privilege we have to be loved by God and by our Saviour.  It should make us shout with joy.

Lynda Tait Randle wrote a beautiful hymn about our loving Heavenly Father “God on the Mountain”.  “For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley When things go wrong, he'll make them right And the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times The God of the day, is still God in the night.”

I receive a lot of email from people telling me how wonderful it is that I write devotions.  I appreciate those emails because all of us need to be encouraged.  However, don’t look to me; keep your eyes on Jesus and on Him alone.  I am human and I sometimes say and do things that hurt Jesus.

Precious Heavenly Father, thank You for giving Your beloved Son to die for our sins.  You are a compassionate loving Father.  Thank You for adopting me into Your family.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

April 30, 2017

EVERY MOMENT

“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Matthew 28:20 KJV

Evangelist Daniel Webster Whittle wrote one of my favorite hymns “Moment By Moment”.  I love these words.  “Never a trial that He is not there, Never a burden that He doth not bear, Never a sorrow that He doth not share, Moment by moment, I’m under His care.”  Jesus is with us every moment of the day and night.

It doesn’t matter if we are in the valley of despair, heartache, loneliness or discouragement or if we are on the mountain top of happiness, Jesus is with us.  Many times I have felt my precious Saviour pick me up in His loving arms and carry me until the pain, the heartache and the grief went away.

If you are discouraged, lonely, heartbroken or in the valley of despair, tell Jesus.  He really loves you and cares about you.  He will lift you up and carry you through all your dark valleys and crises and will set you once again on the mountain top of happiness.  He will never leave you, not even for a minute.

Heavenly Father, there are many people who are heartbroken, lonely and discouraged and they need Your encouragement and comforting.  I pray that You will comfort and encourage them as You have done for me so many times.  Jesus, thank You for never leaving us.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

April 29, 2017

ARE WE MARCHING

“Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.”

Psalms 60:4 KJV

Evangelist Daniel Webster Whittle wrote a beautiful hymn.  It is one of my favorite hymns “The Banner of the Cross”.  “Marching on, marching on, For Christ count everything but loss! And to crown Him King, we’ll toil and sing, ’Neath the banner of the cross!”  Are we marching on when satan attacks us?

Jesus understands how we feel when satan attacks us.  Our Saviour has warned us to be on the alert for the sneaky attacks of satan.  “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1 Peter 5:8).  We must keep on the alert.

How do we keep marching on for Christ when satan attacks us with lies and discouragement?  We can’t do it in our own strength.  We need to cry out to Jesus and ask Him to help us and He will be faithful to help us.  It doesn’t matter how many crises we have, Jesus will bring us through every one of them.

When our precious Saviour was here on earth on His mission, He was ridiculed, cursed, beaten and rejected so He knows how we feel when we are discouraged and feel like giving up.  He doesn’t condemn us for being discouraged; He cheers us on to victory as He gives us more love.  O how I love Jesus!

Precious Heavenly Father, You are a loving Heavenly Father and You really care about us.  What a healing balm it is to our heart to know that You will never hit us or yell at us.  Thank You for all You have done for me.  I love You, Heavenly Father.  I love You, Jesus.  I love You, Holy Spirit.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

April 28, 2017

OUR BURDEN BEARER

“Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”

Galatians 6:2 KJV

We are instructed to bear one another’s burdens.  I don’t know about you but it is very hard for me to share what is in my heart with people.  I think it’s probably because I don’t think they will understand or they will make fun of me.  Jesus understands how we feel and He will never make fun of us.

Jesus said  “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).  The next time you are discouraged, tell Jesus.  He is waiting for you to share your heart with Him.  He will pick you up in His loving arms and carry you through the dark valley until the pain goes away.

I have a wonderful family that I love very much and I have a lot of good friends who I love but I love Jesus with all my heart.  He is the reason I’m living and the reason I get out of bed.  Without Jesus, life is not worth living because without Jesus we are not living, we just exist.

If you don’t know Jesus, take time to get to know Him.  We can be saved but not know Jesus.  To know someone, you have to spend time with that person.  Jesus should come first in our heart, in our life, in our time and in everything we do.  Our precious Saviour deserves to have first place in our heart.

Heavenly Father, I pray for all who are carrying heavy burdens.  Please comfort them as You have comforted me so many times.  May they feel the unconditional love You have for them like they have never felt it before.  I love You so much, Father.  Thank You for everything.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

April 27, 2017

A REMINDER TO PRAY

“Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:17,18 KJV

Mary Ann Pepper Kidder wrote a hymn that should remind us to pray “Did You Think To Pray”.  These words should inspire us to pray for each other.  “O how praying rests the weary! Prayer will change the night to day; So when life seems dark and dreary, Don’t forget to pray.”

Someone said “I’ve done all I can do for that person”.  However, the person who said that did not pray about the situation or for the one he was trying to help.  If we don’t pray for one another, we have not done everything we can do for each other.  It is very important and even urgent that we pray for one another.

One of my pastors said in a sermon about prayer.  “We should have pictures of the ones we love not only because we love them, but also because it is a reminder to pray for our loved ones”.  Some homes have pictures of their family on the walls.  God has pictures of us, His family, in His heart.

The next time you look at pictures of your loved ones, pray for them.  Pray that God will encourage them, comfort them and reassure them that He loves them.  If you don’t have pictures of your loved ones, I urge you to get a picture and start praying for them.  We don’t know what dark valleys they are going through.

Heavenly Father, I pray for those who read this devotion.  Please comfort and encourage them as You have done for me so many times.  Wrap Your arms of compassion and love around them and remind them that You love them so much You gave Your Son to die for them.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

April 26, 2017

SHARE IT WITH JESUS

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; 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 our heart is breaking and we don’t think we can take another step or give another smile, we need to share it with Jesus.  He is always with us.  Our loved ones have to go home but Jesus never leaves us.  Not only can we share our sorrows with Him, we can also share our happiness with Him.

There have been many times when I have been so excited and happy that I felt like shouting with happiness.  It is important that we have crises hotlines for the times we are discouraged and depressed but it is also important that we have hotlines to share our happiness.  We need each other.

It is even more important that we have hotlines we can call when we are so excited we feel like we are going to explode with happiness.  One of my pastors said in a sermon about serving Jesus “If you want to fly higher than a kite, start serving Jesus.”  I wasn’t serving Jesus at that time so I wasn’t flying.

On October 4, 1998, I surrendered to the mission field.  Since I started serving Jesus and telling people that Jesus loves them, I have been flying higher than a kite.  However, when you serve Jesus; satan will do all he can do to discourage you.

If you are happy, tell Jesus.  He will share your happiness and rejoice with you because He is always with you.  Jesus loves you so much He died for you and He wants you to be happy.

Joanne Lowe

April 25, 2017

OUR CAREGIVER

“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Matthew 28:20 KJV

One of the definitions for caregiver in the dictionary is “a person who cares for someone who is sick or disabled”.  That is what our compassionate loving Saviour does for us.  He cares for us when we are sick, hurting, lonely and heartbroken and He never leaves us, not even for a minute.

There are a lot of wonderful caregivers and thank God for the caregivers but most caregivers don’t work on the weekend.  When people are hurting, they need caregivers every day of the week.  What a healing balm it is to our weary battle scarred heart to know that Jesus is with us even on the weekend.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus, our Caregiver.  Comfort and encourage all those who are lonely, hurting, discouraged and feel like giving up.  Jesus, thank You for the promise that You are always with us.  I love You, Heavenly Father.  I love You, Jesus.  I love You, Holy Spirit.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

April 24, 2017

EXERCISES OF THE HEART

“But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7 KJV

Some people run two or three miles every morning and there are people who go someplace to exercise but some of these people never say anything kind and encouraging to people.  Someone said “I have run two miles every morning for six years and wouldn’t think of not running”.  It is very important we exercise.

However, our outward appearance doesn’t impress God.  We are to look the best we can and take care of ourselves but what makes our Heavenly Father happy is the condition of our heart.  If we do physical exercises every day but don’t do exercises of the heart, it does not make God happy or impress Him.

I have started to exercise because it makes me feel better and also to encourage my physical therapist and to let her know how much I appreciate her help, encouragement and kindness to me.  Making sure that I don’t hurt God because of what is in my heart is more important to me than doing physical exercises.

When God looks in our heart, what does He see?  Does He see bitterness, unforgiveness, jealousy, anger, hatred and all other things that hurt Him and break His heart?  It is more important to keep our heart in right standing with God than to do physical exercises.  We must do heart exercises first.

Heavenly Father, please search my heart and if there is anything that hurts You, I’m sorry.  I never want to hurt You and yet I know that I do at times.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

April 23, 2017

JESUS LOVES ME TOO

“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

When I was in school, some of the students called me fat and told me I was ugly and two of them even told me I didn’t have a right to live.  After you hear these negative things so many times, you begin to believe it.  I really believed I didn’t have a right to live and I tried to take my life three times.

As a result to being raped and beaten, I hated everyone and I was afraid of everyone and everything.  I thought I should commit suicide but I really didn’t want to do it so I checked myself into a mental hospital.  I crawled underneath the bed because I was so afraid of everyone and everything.

One glorious day, our precious Saviour put His arms of unconditional love around me and lifted me up from under that bed.  He said “I love you, Joanne.  I won’t let anyone hurt you again and I will never leave you.”  Jesus has kept His promises to me.  He never leaves me, not even for one minute.

I know that Jesus loves every person in the world but when I finally grasped in my heart that the Saviour of the world loves me too, I can’t begin to put into words the joy that flooded my heart.  Allow it to go from head knowledge to heart knowledge that Jesus loves you too and He loves you unconditionally.

Joanne Lowe

April 22, 2017

WE CAN’T MAKE IT ALONE

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

John 15:4, 5 KJV

Someone said “I don’t need anyone or anything”.  That is not a true statement.  Even Jesus needed friends and encouragement and if our Saviour needed encouragement how much more you and I need it.  I can’t even get out of bed without knowing that I have the privilege of serving my precious Saviour.

We have this example of being an encourager in the Bible.  “So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.” (Isaiah 41:7).  Have you encouraged someone today?

What about Jesus?  Have we encouraged Him today?  I think we sometimes forget that Jesus has feelings and He hurts too.  He will never have to die again for us but when people reject Him, ridicule Him and ignore Him, it hurts Him and breaks His heart.  O that you and I would be encouragers to Jesus.

When we hurt one another, we also hurt Jesus and break His heart.  “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40).  Are we hurting Jesus by our words and by our actions?

Joanne Lowe

April 21, 2017

A JOYOUS REUNION

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

1 Thessalonians 4:16,17 KJV

Holidays are exciting and happy times but for people who have lost loved ones, the holidays are also sad because they miss their loved ones.  One glorious happy day when Jesus comes back for us, we will not only be with Him for eternity, we will also have a joyous reunion with our loved ones.

Heavenly Father, I pray for all those who are lonely and hurting because they have lost loved ones.  Please comfort and encourage them as only You can.  Thank You for the promise that one day our Saviour is coming back for us and we will be with Him for all eternity.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

April 20, 2017

ADOPTION OF THE HEART

“When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.”

Psalm 27:10 KJV

For many years I really believed that my Mom and Dad didn’t love me or want me.  I went through a devastating crippling depression for over forty years because I believed it.  One happy day, I read this verse and tears of happiness flooded my eyes and heart.  God really loves us and cares about us.

Some people are unable to have children and some people due to circumstances beyond their control have to place their child for adoption.  Both of these situations are heartbreaking and only Jesus can heal a broken heart.  Whether we have children or not, all of us need to adopt people in our heart.

There are many people who are hurting, lonely, broken hearted and some who are even thinking about committing suicide as you read this devotion.  They need for us to adopt them in our heart.  If you’re like me, you don’t have the money to buy things for them but we can pray for them and encourage them.

Isn’t that what our Heavenly Father does for us?  When we invite Jesus into our heart to be our personal Saviour, we become part of the family of God.  Our Heavenly Father adopts us and loves us unconditionally.  There is nothing we could ever do to make Him stop loving us.  We have a tender loving Heavenly Father.

If you know someone who lives alone, adopt that person in your heart.  Pray for and encourage that person.  It will mean getting out of your comfort zone but isn’t that what Jesus did for us when He left His Father and home to die for us so we may be saved and live in Heaven for all eternity?  Open your heart today.

Joanne Lowe

April 19, 2017

THE POWER OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

“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

A man said “I don’t have to tell my wife that I love her.  I married her so she should know I love her”.  If Jesus didn’t tell me every day that He loves me, it would break my heart.  Jesus does tell us every day that He loves us.  If we will listen with our heart, we will hear Him say to us “I love you”.

O the power of unconditional love!  Our Heavenly Father not only loves us, He loves us unconditionally and that is why He gave His beloved Son to die on the cross for our sins.  Jesus also loves us unconditionally and that is why our precious Saviour allowed them to crucify Him on the cross for our sins.

There are many people who are trying to work their way to Heaven by doing good works and by giving money.  There is only one way to Heaven and that is through the cleansing blood of our Saviour which He shed for our sins on the cross.  He could have come down from the cross but He didn’t come down.

If there has never been a time in your life when you humbled yourself and admitted you were a sinner and invited Jesus into your heart to be your Saviour, I urge you; I plead with you to do it today before it is too late.  Your family and loved ones can’t do it for you.  Your salvation is personal between Jesus and you.

Heavenly Father, I pray for all those who are discouraged, lonely and hurting.  Please comfort and encourage them as You have done for me countless times.  Thank You for the privilege of serving Your Son.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

April 19, 2017

ARE WE TELLING IT

“That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.”

Psalms 26:7 KJV

William E. Marks wrote a beautiful hymn about Jesus “Keep Telling It”.  We need to do what the words in this hymn tell us to do.  “If there is abundance of joy in your heart, Made bright by the light from above, If Jesus has bidden your sorrows depart, Keep telling the story of love.”

It is very important that we give our testimony about our precious Saviour and what He has done for us.  Jesus has done so much for me that I could tell it every day for the rest of my life and it wouldn’t be enough time to tell you how much Jesus has done for me and how much I love Him.

What about you?  Are you telling everyone about Jesus and all He has done for you?  Jesus died for your sins because He loves you so much.  How much do you love Him and how much are you doing for Him?  Jesus left His Father, His home and all that He had to die for us.  What a precious Saviour we have!

Joanne Lowe

April 18, 2017

OUR VICTORIOUS SAVIOUR

“He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,”

Luke 24:6 KJV

Our victorious Saviour rose from the dead and He is still alive.  Gloria and Bill Gaither wrote the beautiful hymn “Because He Lives”.  It is one of my favorite hymns.  It is so true that because He lives, we can face tomorrow.  It doesn’t matter how many times we get discouraged, Jesus will help us.

Andrae Crouch wrote the heart touching hymn “Through It All”.  I love these words.  “I’ve been to lots of places, And I’ve seen a lot of faces, There’ve been times I felt so all alone, O but in my lonely hours, Yes, those precious lonely hours, Jesus let me know That I was His own.”  We are never alone He is with us.

The next time you are hurting, discouraged and feel that nobody cares or understands how you feel, remember Jesus cares and understands.  John W. Peterson wrote the inspiring hymn “No One Understands like Jesus” and nobody does understand how we feel like Jesus.  He weeps with us and He rejoices with us.

Jesus is worthy of our love, our trust, and our praise.  Another one of my favorite hymns is “All Hail King Jesus”.  Our Saviour is worthy to be praised and adored.  O how I love Jesus.  He is the Joy of my heart and the reason I live.  What a privilege it is to serve the “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS”.

Joanne Lowe

April 17, 2017

THE POWER OF A HUG

“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 11:33-36 KJV

I believe when Jesus said “Where have ye laid him?” that He hugged her.  O the power of a hug!  I have a physical therapist that is helping me do exercises and it is helping but there are times when she gives me a hug and that hug makes me want to try harder to do what I need to do.

We need heart specialists.  Jesus is the great heart Specialist but He hasn’t been here for over two thousand years.  We need to hug for Him.  When is the last time you hugged someone and told that person Jesus loves him or her?  You may not be comfortable hugging people so hug them with loving words.

“Jesus wept” is the shortest verse in the Bible yet it describes the heart of our precious Saviour.  Jesus not only saves us from our sins, He also saves and protects us from satan and from all those who criticize, ridicules and condemns us.  What a loving Saviour we are privileged to have!  I love Jesus with all my heart.

Heavenly Father, there are many people who are hurting and broken hearted and they need Your comforting hugs.  You have encouraged and comforted me countless times and I really appreciate it.  Thank You for loving me and for giving me the privilege of serving Your Son.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

April 16, 2017

FROM UNDER THE BED

“Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.”

Psalms 4:7 KJV

Many years ago I crawled underneath a bed in a mental hospital because I was afraid of everyone and everything and had no desire to live.  I really believed nobody loved me and that I didn’t have the right to live.  One day, Jesus came to me as I lay under the bed and told me He loved me.

Because Jesus told me He loved me and promised me that He would protect me and not let anyone hurt me again, I came out from under the bed.  Jesus told me He would never leave me and He has kept His Word.  He has never left me, not even for a minute and He will never leave you.  O how I love Jesus.

There are many people who are under the bed in their emotions.  They don’t let anyone see them cry and they don’t tell people they are hurting.  However, Jesus can see into our heart and He knows when we are hurting and He sees when we cry.  We have a loving compassionate Saviour Who really cares about us.

It is very important that we pray for and encourage one another.  Don’t forget to pray for and encourage your pastor.  Pastors are on call twenty four hours a day.  They give up time with their family to minister to us.  May God help us to not only pray for our pastors but also encourage them.

Heavenly Father, I love You.  Thank You for all You have done for me.  I pray for every pastor.  Please encourage and comfort them and let them know how much You appreciate their service to You.  Plant in our heart the importance of encouraging and praying for our pastors.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

April 15, 2017

HIS AMAZING LOVE

"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

We have a loving compassionate tender and forgiving Heavenly Father and it His amazing love for us that caused Him to give His beloved Son to die for on the cross for our sins.  If you are discouraged and hurting, allow God to comfort and encourage you.  He has encouraged and comforted me many times.

Joanne Lowe

April 14, 2017

TOO MANY WASTED YEARS

“And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”

Luke 15:20 KJV

We read in Luke 15 the story of the father who forgave his son.  Just as the father forgave his son when he went home so our Heavenly Father forgives us when we repent of our sins and ask forgiveness.  God is waiting for us to come home to Him with His arms open wide to welcome us home. 

I wandered in the darkness of a crippling devastating depression for over forty years.  There are too many wasted years in my life.  I thought everyone hated me and I hated everyone.  I didn’t want to live because I had been beaten and raped and I really believed nobody loved me.  No one had ever told me Jesus loves me.

It is very important that we tell people, including our family, that Jesus loves them.  We don’t know what is going on in their heart.  Joyce Landorf Heatherley, who is a Christian speaker and author, said on one of her tapes “The people we sit next to in church look fine and darling but inside they are hurting”.

It is also very important and even urgent that we encourage one another.  Many years ago, I received an email from a pastor who wrote “I am so discouraged I am thinking of leaving the church and stop being a pastor”.  It brought tears to my eyes when I read that email and it broke the heart of our Heavenly Father.

May God help us to realize the importance and the urgency of encouraging one another and praying for each other.  Have you told someone Jesus loves him or her today?  We have a  compassionate loving Saviour and He deserves our love.

Joanne Lowe

April 13, 2017

OUR TENDER SHEPHERD

“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.”

Psalms 23:4 KJV

Eliza Edmunds Hewitt wrote a beautiful hymn about our tender Shepherd “Safe in the Shepherd’s Care”.  “Through the valley dark and deep, He will comfort, He will keep, I am safe in the tender Shepherd’s care; Happy in His saving grace, Till I see His blessèd face, I am safe in the tender Shepherd’s care.”

Have you allowed it to go from head knowledge to heart knowledge that one wonderful happy day we will see our precious Saviour face to face?  Think about it.  Jesus loves us unconditionally and He really cares about us.  As much as we are longing to see Him, Jesus wants to see us more.

We are His bride and He loves us so much He died for us.  I believe when He comes back for us with a shout, He will have tears of joy and happiness on His precious face.  O what a Saviour, this Jesus of Nazareth!  I love Him so much.  Without Him, life is meaningless because we just exist.

We have this promise in the Bible.  “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:” (1 Thessalonians 4:16).  What a precious promise and healing balm it is to our battle scarred heart.

Heavenly Father, we praise You and love You and thank You for Jesus.  Precious Jesus, I love You with all my heart.  Thank You for loving me and for dying for me.  I long to see You face to face.  You are so precious to me.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

April 12, 2017

OUR SAVIOUR IS STILL ALIVE

“He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,”

Luke 24:6 KJV

Sometimes we act like Jesus isn’t alive and we have frowns on our face instead of smiles.  It is impossible to smile all the time because there is so much heartache in this world but knowing that our Saviour is still alive should fill our heart with joy.  Jesus didn’t stay in the grave, He arose.

As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, let us keep that joy in our heart all year long knowing that He is with us every minute of the day.  What a Saviour!  What a Friend, this Jesus of Nazareth!  All hail, King Jesus!  Worthy is the Lamb of God!  Join me in praising the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS!

Joanne Lowe

April 11, 2017

REJOICE

“And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.  He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”

Matthew 28:5, 6 KJV

Frances Jane Crosby wrote a beautiful hymn about our risen Saviour “CHRIST IS RISEN!”  I love these words.  “Christ hath risen! Hallelujah! Friends of Jesus, dry your tears; Through the veil of gloom and darkness, Lo, the Son of God appears!”  Jesus arose and He will never have to die for our sins again.

Knowing that Jesus has risen should be enough to make us shout with joy and happiness even if we are walking through a dark valley.  When we have dark valleys and crises in our life, our precious Saviour picks us up in His loving arms and carries us until the pain goes away.  What a loving Saviour we serve!

Joanne Lowe

April 10, 2017

PLEASE TELL THEM

“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

A young girl was visiting at a friend’s home.  When her friend’s mother came in to kiss her friend good night and tell her she loved her, the mother also kissed the visiting girl and told her she loved her.  After the mother left the room the visiting girl said “Nobody has ever told me they loved me”.

It is so important that we tell our loved ones that we love them.  I’m sure my parents told me they loved me when I was a little girl but I don’t remember them saying to me, “I love you, Joanne”.  What breaks my heart is that I don’t remember saying “I love you, Dad.  I love you, Mom”.  How I must have hurt them.

Our Heavenly Father not only has told us He loves us, He proved how much He loves us when He gave His Son to die on the cross for our sins.  Jesus proved His love for us when He allowed them to crucify Him.  He could have come down from the cross but He stayed on the cross for you and for me.

Jesus not only loved us when He hung on the cross, He loves us now.  There is nothing we could ever do that would make Him stop loving us.  “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).

Jesus tells us that He loves us every day but do we tell Him we love Him?  He wants us to tell Him that we love Him just as we want Him to tell us He loves us.  I love You, dear Jesus.

Joanne Lowe

April 9, 2017

OUR PRECIOUS FRIEND

“Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”

John 15:15 KJV

Eliza Edmunds Hewitt wrote a beautiful hymn about Jesus.  “The Precious Friend”.  I love the words in this hymn because they describe how wonderful Jesus is and how compassionate and loving He is to us.  What a privilege we have to be loved by the Saviour of the world and to be called His friend. 

What a healing balm it is to know Jesus is our Friend.  “Jesus is the precious Friend, Brightening life’s changeful story; To His Name be all the glory, He will guide me and defend; Joy, joy, happy songs ascend; He will comfort me in sadness, Fill my heart with peace and gladness, Jesus is my precious Friend.”

Yes, Jesus is our precious Friend.  Are we His friend?  If we are His friend, what are we doing to prove to Him how much we love Him?  O that we would shut off the television set, get out of our comfort zones and tell everyone we see that Jesus loves them so much He died for them.  I love Jesus so much.

Joanne Lowe

April 8, 2017

ARE WE TELLING THE STORY

“That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.”

Psalms 26:7 KJV

William Edie Marks wrote the hymn “Keep Telling It”.  This hymn should inspire every Christian to tell others about the amazing and unconditional love of Jesus.  “If there is abundance of joy in your heart, Made bright by the light from above, If Jesus has bidden your sorrows depart, Keep telling the story of love.”

Are we telling the story of the love of Jesus to everyone?  Talking about our wonderful Saviour should be a part of every conversation.  We brag about our children and grandchildren.  It’s time we start bragging about Jesus and all He has done for us.  Our precious Saviour deserves to be praised.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much that You gave Jesus to die for our sins.  Please help us to spread His love to everyone not only by our words but also by our actions.  I love You, Heavenly Father.  Thank You for the many times You have comforted and encouraged me.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

April 7, 2017

OUR REDEEMER

“Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.”

Isaiah 49:7 KJV

Rev. Joseph Swain wrote a beautiful hymn about our precious Saviour “Redeemer of Israel”.  I love these words.  “Redeemer of Israel, our only Delight, On Whom for a blessing we call, Our Shadow by day, and our Pillar by night, Our King, our Deliverer, our All!”  What a precious loving Saviour we serve!

Yes, Jesus is our All.  Without Jesus, we can’t do anything.  We need Him every minute of the day and He has promised He will never leave us or forsake us.  Will Lamartine Thompson wrote another beautiful hymn about our Saviour “Jesus Is All The World To Me”.  It is one of my favorite hymns.

“Jesus is all the world to me, my life, my joy, my all; He is my strength from day to day, without Him I would fall. When I am sad, to Him I go, no other one can cheer me so; When I am sad, He makes me glad, He’s my Friend.”  We are so blessed to be loved by Jesus.  Thank God for our Redeemer.

Joanne Lowe

April 6, 2017

GET BACK UP

“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

Two young girls were riding their horses and one of the girls fell off her horse.  The other girl told her to get back up on her horse.  When satan does his best to discourage us and we feel like giving up and stop serving Jesus, if we will listen with our heart, we will hear Jesus say to us “I will help you”.

Jesus understands how we feel when satan attacks and tempts us because satan also tempted Jesus.  When we do allow satan to discourage us or we do something or say something we shouldn’t do or say, Jesus will plead our case with our Heavenly Father.  O how our Saviour loves us.  He is so wonderful.

If you are discouraged and don’t think you can give another smile or take another step, allow Jesus to help you.  He will pick you up in His loving arms and will carry you through all the dark valleys in your life and will set you once again on the mountain top of happiness.  Get back up and keep serving Jesus.

Joanne Lowe

April 5, 2017

HE SEES OUR TEARS

“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.  Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!”

John 11:33-35 KJV

Pastor John McFarlane Moore wrote one of my favorite hymns “Burdens are Lifted At Calvary”.  I believe Pastor Moore wrote these words from the depths of his heart.  “Troubled soul, the Saviour can see, Ev'ry heartache and tear; Burdens are lifted at Calvary Jesus is very near.”  We have a tender loving Saviour.

There are times when we don’t want anyone to see us crying but Jesus sees our tears.  Jesus is not only our Saviour, He is also our best Friend and when we cry, He weeps with us and when we are happy He rejoices with us.  Do you realize what a privilege it is to be loved by the Saviour of the world?

It is very important and even urgent that we tell our loved ones how much they mean to us.  Don’t put it off!  One of my pastors said in a sermon “I was going to tell my uncle how much I loved him and appreciated him but I kept putting it off and when I finally decided to tell him it was too late because He died”.

Heavenly Father, You are a tender compassionate loving Father and You take such good care of us.  Thank You for the many countless times You have encouraged and comforted me.  I pray for every person who is hurting.  Please encourage and comfort them.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

April 4, 2017

IS JESUS ALL WE NEED

“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV

We sing the beautiful hymn “You’re All I Need” but is Jesus really all we need or do we need other things to make us happy?  Each one of us has to search our heart and be sure Jesus is all we need.  There are many people who turn to drugs, alcohol and sex trying to find happiness.  Only Jesus can help us.

Heavenly Father, help us to turn to Jesus and rely on Him for everything we need.  Jesus, You are so precious.  I love You with all my heart.  Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins.  I long to see You face to face.  I love You, Heavenly Father.  I love You, Holy Spirit.  In Jesus’ Name, I Pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

April 3, 2017

PRAY FOR AND ENCOURAGE THEM

“They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.  So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.”

Isaiah 41:6,7 KJV

As I was waiting for my ride to take me home from Wal-Mart, I saw a lot of people going in and coming out of Wal-Mart.  The thought came to me that we should pray for and encourage them.  Joyce Landorf Heatherley, a Christian speaker and author said we should encourage the ones we sit next to in church.

Just as we don’t know what is going on in the hearts of people we sit next to in church, we also don’t know what’s going on in the hearts of people we see at the store.  A lot of people, including me sometimes, smile when our heart is breaking.  Only Jesus can see what is happening in our heart and life.

Just as our precious Saviour can see what is in our heart, He is also the Healer of broken hearts.  “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds” (Psalms 147:3).  How can we encourage people we see in the grocery store?  We might only see them for a few minutes but we can smile at them.

Many years ago when I was at Wal-Mart a little girl who was sitting in the seat of the grocery cart that her mother was pushing looked at me and smiled.  That precious little girl’s smile encouraged me and helped me get through my day as I was in the middle of a dark valley.  Thank God for children.

Heavenly Father, please encourage and comfort all those who are discouraged and hurting.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.   

Joanne Lowe

April 2, 2017

THE FAITHFULNESS OF OUR SAVIOUR

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; 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

Have people ever told you they would do something for you but they didn’t do it?  Have you ever felt lonely because people had to go home?  Jesus is with us all the time.  He told us that He would never leave us or forsake us.  What a healing balm that is to our weary worn battered heart.  Jesus is so faithful to us.

Are we faithful to Jesus?  When we are going through dark valleys and are tempted to give up and stop serving Him, it is then that we need to cry out to Jesus and ask Him to help us.  He understands how we feel because He too was rejected; lonely, discouraged and abused when He was here on earth.

There are times when we try to do things without asking Jesus to help us but He has told us that we can’t do anything without Him.  “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).  We have a faithful Saviour.

May God help us to be faithful in our service to Jesus even when we feel like giving up and don’t think we can give another smile.  Jesus doesn’t condemn us because we are tempted to stop serving Him.  He loves us unconditionally.  There is nothing we could do that would make Him stop loving us.

O how I love Jesus.  He is the reason I live, the reason I get out of bed and the Joy of my heart.  I have many wonderful friends but they have to leave me and go home.  Jesus has never left me, not even for a minute.  Thank You, Jesus.   

Joanne Lowe

April 1, 2017