A DAY OF JOY

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Luke 2:10-14 KJV

Pastor Isaac Watts wrote the beautiful hymn “Joy to the world.”  Indeed it was a day of great joy when the Baby Jesus was born.  This precious little Baby grew up and was beaten beyond recognition, spat on, cursed, mocked and rejected and was crucified for your sins and for my sins.

There is going to be another day of joy when Jesus comes back for us and we see Him face to face.  Carrie Ellis Breck wrote another beautiful hymn “Face to Face With Christ My Savior”.  One happy day we will have the privilege of seeing our Saviour face to face.  What a day of rejoicing that is going to be.

“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Corinthians 13:12).  Do you understand yet how much Jesus loves you?  He paid the penalty for your sins so you can have your sins forgiven and go to Heaven.

If you have never stayed up all night with Jesus and kept telling Him over and over how much you love Him and appreciate Him, you are missing a night filled with joy and happiness.  Please join me in praising the One Who loves us so much He died for us.  What a Saviour!  What a Friend, this Jesus of Nazareth!

Joanne Lowe

July 31, 2018

HAVE WE

“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”

Luke 14:33 KJV

Evangelist Judson W. Van Deventer wrote a hymn that we sing many times “I Surrender All”.  We sing this hymn but can we honestly say that we have surrendered all to Him?  “All to Jesus, I surrender; Lord, I give myself to Thee; Fill me with Thy love and power; Let Thy blessing fall on me.”

Heavenly Father, search my heart and if there is anything that hurts You please forgive me.  I pray that my words and actions will point others to the unconditional love of Jesus that He has for them.  I love You, Heavenly Father, and I appreciate all You have done for me.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

July 30, 2018

GIVE HIM PRAISE

“Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.  Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.  From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S name is to be praised.”

Psalms 113:1-3 KJV

Fanny Crosby wrote a beautiful hymn “To God Be the Glory”  “Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the earth hear His voice!  Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the people rejoice! O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son, And give Him the glory, great things He has done.”  Are we praising Him?

Do we praise Him all the time even when we are going through a dark valley or do we only praise Him when He does something for us?  Someone said “I went through a very dark time in my life.  I read the Bible and I sang praises but I didn’t feel anything for many years”.

I know from personal experience that when we go through dark valleys we tend to get our eyes off Jesus and just think about our circumstances.  Helen H. Lemmel wrote the hymn “Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus”.  If we will keep our eyes on Jesus and not on our circumstances, we won’t be as sad.

Jesus was rejected, scorned, spat on, cursed, beaten beyond recognition and nailed to the cross for our sins.  He understands how we feel when we are rejected and abused.  If you’re hurting, tell Jesus.  He loves you so much and He longs to help you.  Cry out to Jesus and He will carry you through the dark valleys.

Joanne Lowe

July 29, 2018

ALL ALONE

“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

Have you ever felt all alone?  I felt that way many times until the day I read our Scripture verse.  Jesus is with us all the time no matter how many lies satan tells us.  It makes satan very angry when we serve Jesus and satan will do all he can do to discourage us so much we stop serving Jesus.

If we have invited Jesus into our heart to be our personal Saviour, we are not alone and will never be alone because He promised us that He is with us.  What a precious promise that is to our weary battle scarred heart.  O how Jesus loves you and me.  It is a privilege to be loved by the Saviour of the world.

No, we are never alone when Jesus comes into our heart.  However, Jesus was all alone when He was hanging on the cross with His blood flowing down His body.  Even God had to turn away from Him because Jesus had taken our sins on Him and God is a Holy God and He can’t look at sin.

If you ever feel nobody loves you or cares about you, remember the cross and all the pain and agony Jesus endured for you because He loves you so much.  If you are hurting, tell Jesus.  He will pick you up and carry you through all the dark valleys in your life until the pain goes away.

Heavenly Father, thank You for adopting me into Your family.  I pray that You will comfort and encourage all who are hurting and discouraged.  Please encourage our pastors and let them know how much You love them.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

July 28, 2018

OUR REDEEMING SAVIOUR

“And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.”

Haggai 2:7 KJV

Charles Wesley wrote “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus”.   “Come, Thou long expected Jesus Born to set Thy people free; From our fears and sins release us, Let us find our rest in Thee. Israel’s Strength and Consolation, Hope of all the earth Thou art; Dear Desire of every nation, Joy of every longing heart.”

How thankful I am that one day God opened His heart of compassion to us and gave His beloved Son to die on the cross to free us from sin.  We have a tender loving compassionate Heavenly Father Who loves us unconditionally and will always love us no matter how many times we hurt Him.

How do we hurt God?  We hurt Him when we aren’t kind and loving to Jesus.  I believe it breaks His heart to see people rejecting His Son.  For some people, Jesus has been knocking at the door of their heart for many years but they have refused to let Him into their heart.  We need to stop hurting God.

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for hurting You and breaking Your heart by rejecting Your Son and by the way we treat Him.  Please melt hardened hearts so they will open the door of their heart and invite Jesus in to be their personal Saviour.  I love You, Heavenly Father.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

July 27, 2018

LOVE FROM HEAVEN

“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

The greatest gift God has given us is His beloved Son, Jesus.  It is because Jesus went to the cross and allowed them to crucify Him for our sins that we can be saved and live with Him in Heaven for all eternity.  Have you invited Jesus into your heart to be your personal Saviour?  If not, I urge you to do it now.

Joanne Lowe

July 26, 2018

OUR PARENTS

“Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

Matthew 19:19 KJV

We are told in the Bible to honor our parents.  Are we doing it?  I think we sometimes forget that parents have feelings just like we do and it hurts them when their children say harsh and criticizing words to them and don’t respect them.  Parents should be loving so their children will respect and honor them.

A teenage boy said to his parents “You go to church, sing in the choir and teach Sunday school but when you come home you criticize the pastor and the sermon.  If that is what being a Christian is, I don’t want any part of it”.  It is very important that our children see us and hear us being kind and loving.

If we as parents want our children to love and respect us, we need to be loving and kind and set a good example so they will love and respect us.  Our Heavenly Father set a good example for us “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).

Do we tell our children we love them and prove it to them by our actions?  A dad yelling at his son who was doing drugs said “You are a disgrace to the family and I disown you”.  Yet even while the dad was yelling at his son because the son was doing drugs, the dad was smoking.  Parents must set a good example.

It is time that children love and respect their parents.  May God help parents and children love each other and prove their love for each other by their actions and their words.  Above all, every person needs to be kind and loving to our Heavenly Father.  God deserves to be praised, loved and adored.

Joanne Lowe

July 25, 2018

WINGS OF LOVE

“Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,”

Psalms 17:8 KJV

Pastor William O. Cushing wrote a beautiful hymn “Under His Wings”.  I love these words.  “Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow! How the heart yearningly turns to His rest! Often when earth has no balm for my healing, There I find comfort, and there I am blessed.”  Thank God for His wings of love.

I love this verse too “Under His wings I am safely abiding, Though the night deepens and tempests are wild, Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me, He has redeemed me, and I am His child.”  What a healing balm it is to our weary and battle scarred heart to know that God will protect us from danger.

Please join me in praising our Heavenly Father.  Pastor William P. Mackay wrote another one of my favorite hymns “Revive Us Again”.  “We praise Thee, O God!  For the Son of Thy love, For Jesus Who died, And is now gone above.”  Not only does God protect us, He also adopts us into His family when we are saved.

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15).  What a privilege it is to be a part of the family of God.  Our Heavenly Father will never hit us or yell at us.  He will love us forever and He loves us unconditionally.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me even when I hurt You.  You are a tender loving, protective and compassionate Father.  Thank You for Jesus and thank You for adopting me into Your family and for giving me the privilege to serve Jesus.  I love You, Heavenly Father.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray, Amen.

Joanne Lowe

July 24, 2018

NO MORE CRYING

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

Revelation 21:4 KJV

My Mother died on Christmas Day many years ago but I still miss her.  However, I have the assurance that I will see her again because she was saved.  The Bible gives us this assurance because when Jesus comes back for us, we will be reunited with our loved ones. 

This verse gives the assurance we will see our loved ones again.  “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 to our weary battle scarred heart.

When my Mother died, some people told me that a Christian shouldn’t cry when someone dies so I never cried until years later.  I submit to you on the authority of the Word of God that statement is a lie because even Jesus cried.   If Jesus cried, it is okay for us to cry. 

“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” (John 11:33-35).  Only two words but it describes the tender heart of Jesus. 

O how Jesus loves you.  When you cry, He weeps with you and when you are happy, He rejoices with you.  God knows how it hurts to have a loved one die because His Son died on the cross for you and for me.  I’m sure God cried when His Son died.

Joanne Lowe

July 23, 2018

IS IT OKAY

“Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.”

1 John 3:21 KJV

The question was asked “Is it okay to watch television?”  Our Scripture verse gives the answer to that question.  If our heart condemns us when we want to watch television, we shouldn’t watch it.  If we wouldn’t feel uncomfortable if Jesus was sitting beside us, it’s okay.

We should never do anything that would hurt Jesus but there are times that we do hurt Him.  Television has become a big problem in some homes.  It is turned on as soon as people wake up and it isn’t turned off until they go to bed.  Does this hurt Jesus?

Every one of us has to answer that question.  If we say we don’t have time to read our Bible and pray, then it is wrong.  Reading our Bible and praying should come before watching television.  There were times I was guilty of watching it all day and never praying.

A husband and wife had a fight over who was going to have the remote control and didn’t speak to each other for two weeks.  My Mother used to say to me “Don’t do what I do, do what I say”.  It doesn’t work that way.

May God help us to set a good example for our children.

Joanne Lowe

July 22, 2018

ARE WE WILLING

“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”

1 John 3:16 KJV

We may never be put in a situation where we have to lay down our life but are we willing to do so if we need to do it?  That is what Jesus did for us on the cross.  He was willing to lay down His life for us.  What a Saviour!  What a Friend!

We can lay down our life for others by putting their wishes ahead of ours.  When we go out to eat with someone, do we always insist on going to our favorite restaurant or do we ask them where they would like to go?  May God help us to put others first.

We also need to be encouragers.  “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).

What about being an encourager to our pastor?  I think we sometimes forget that pastors get weary and discouraged just like we do.  They give up time with their families to minister to us.  We also need to encourage our pastor’s family.

Joanne Lowe

July 21, 2018

THE GREATEST REUNION OF ALL

“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

Someone said “Our family reunion lasted for one month”.  The longest and greatest reunion of all will be when Jesus comes back for us and we see our loved ones.  What a glorious happy day that is going to be when we not only see our loved ones again, we will see Jesus.  How I long for that day.

Jim Hill wrote a beautiful and inspiring hymn about our Saviour coming back for us.  “What A Day That Will Be.” “There'll be no sorrow there, no more burdens to bear, No more sickness, no pain, no more parting over there; And forever I will be with the One who died for me, What a day, glorious day that will be.”

Are you shouting with happiness yet?  Carrie E. Beck wrote one of my favorite hymns “Face to Face with Christ, My Savior”.  “What rejoicing in His presence, When are banished grief and pain; When the crooked ways are straightened, And the dark things shall be plain.”  Are you ready to meet Jesus?

You may be saved but is your heart right with God?  When God looks into your heart, does He see things that make Him happy or does He see things that hurt Him and break His heart?  May God help us to keep our heart in right standing with Him.  O how our Heavenly Father loves you.

Are you going to be at the greatest reunion of all and see Jesus face to face?  Jesus loves you so much He died for you.

Joanne Lowe

July 20, 2018

ARE WE LISTENING

“And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.”

1 Samuel 3:10 KJV

I wonder how many times God calls us and we don’t hear Him because the music we are listening to is too loud.  God will not shout to make Himself heard.  We need to keep our heart tuned to hear God when He speaks to us.  I love music but when the music is too loud, I can’t hear God speaking to me.

Several years ago, I was a member of a church that started playing the piano so loud that even during the invitation time I couldn’t hear the pastor pray.  We should keep our hearts tuned so we can hear our Heavenly Father speaking to us.  His ways and thoughts are better than our ways and thoughts.

God loves us so much He gave His beloved Son to die on the cross for our sins so we may be saved.  How much do we love Him?  Are we willing to be in an attitude of prayer so we can hear Him when He speaks to us?  This doesn’t mean that we have to keep our eyes closed all the time.

What it does mean is that just as we listen for the sound of our children when they are crying and need us, we need to be listening for our Heavenly Father speaking to our heart.  May God help us to be in an attitude of prayer at all times.  God is not impressed with a long prayer. 

What touches the heart of God is the condition of our heart.  When God looks into our heart, does the things He sees make Him happy or do they hurt Him and make Him sad?  Let’s stay in an attitude of prayer so God can speak to us.

Joanne Lowe

July 19, 2018

THE ANGELS ARE SINGING

“Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”

Luke 15:10 KJV

Pastor William O. Cushing wrote the beautiful hymn “Ring the Bells of Heaven” “Glory! Glory! How the angels sing; Glory! Glory! How the loud harps ring! 'Tis the ransomed army, like a mighty sea, Pealing forth the anthem of the free.”  The angels sang for me when I was saved on August 14, 1980.

Have the angels sung for you?  Has there ever been a time in your life when you confessed your sins, asked God to forgive you and invited Jesus into your heart to be your personal Saviour?  If not, I urge you to do it now before it is too late.  Jesus can come back for us any minute.

For some people, Jesus has been knocking at the door of their heart for many years.  Please don’t keep Him waiting any longer.   “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).

Have you ever heard church bells ringing and you thought they were loud?  When the angels rejoice and sing when we invite Jesus into our heart to be our personal Saviour, they sing louder than any church bells ringing.  Don’t miss out on spending eternity with Jesus.  Invite Him into your heart today.

Heavenly Father, I pray for every person who has never said yes to Jesus.  Please melt their cold hardened heart.  May today be the day they invite Him into their heart.  Thank You for adopting me into Your family and for the privilege You have given me to serve Jesus.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

July 18, 2018

DO WE LOVE HIM

“And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.”

Malachi 3:17 KJV

Pastor William O. Cushing wrote the hymn “When He Cometh”.  “Little children, little children, Who love their Redeemer, Are the jewels, precious jewels, His loved and His own.”  We can tell people we love Jesus but do we love Him?  Is He first in our heart, in our time and in everything we do?

We can fool people but Jesus can see into our heart and He knows if we are sincere or if we’re just giving Him lip service.  If we do love Him, what are we doing to prove to Him that we love Him?  We can say anything but it’s the things we do that proves to Him how much we love Him.  How much do we love Him?

The level of our service to Jesus depends on our level of love for Him.  Are you serving Jesus?  If not, why aren’t you serving Him?  Jesus left His Father, His home and all that He had to come to earth and die on the cross for our sins.  We should be eager to do all we can to serve Jesus and make Him happy.

Heavenly Father, I pray we will get out of our comfort zone and serve Jesus Who left His comfort zone to die for our sins.  Jesus, I love You so much.  Thank You for loving me and for never leaving me.  Heavenly Father, I pray You will comfort all those who are discouraged.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

July 17, 2018

OUR VICTORIOUS SAVIOUR

“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 28:6,7 KJV

Cecil F. Alexander wrote the hymn “He is Risen”.  “Said the angel, “He is risen!” Tell it out with joyful voice: He has burst His three days’ prison; Let the whole wide earth rejoice: Death is conquered, we are free, Christ has won the victory.”  Our victorious Saviour rose from the dead just as He said He would.

Pastor Robert Lowry wrote another beautiful hymn about our Saviour “Low in the Grave He Lay”.  “Up from the grave He arose, With a mighty triumph o’er His foes, He arose a Victor from the dark domain, And He lives forever, with His saints to reign.  He arose! He arose!  Hallelujah! Christ arose!”

Thank God for our risen Saviour.  Jesus died on the cross and paid the debt for us that we could never have paid.  Elvina M. Hall wrote one of my favorite hymns “Jesus Paid It All”.  “Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.”  What a loving Saviour we have!

If you have never confessed your sins, asked God to forgive you and invited Jesus into your heart to be your personal Saviour, I urge you to do it now.  Don’t put it off because Jesus could come back for us even while you are reading this devotion and you won’t be ready to go with Him.

Heavenly Father, I pray You will melt hearts so they will say yes to Jesus before it is too late.  Jesus, thank You for dying on the cross for my sins.  I love You.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

July 16, 2018

OUR BEST FRIEND

“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.”

John 15:12-14 KJV

Evangelist Henry de Fluiter wrote a beautiful hymn about our Saviour “Jesus, My Friend”.  “I have a Friend so dear, Constant and true is He, Filling my heart with cheer, So good to me.  He’s covered ev’ry sin and stain, His pow’r now makes me whole again, And soon with Him fore’er I’ll reign—Jesus, my Friend.”

Le­la B. Long wrote another inspiring and heart touching hymn about Jesus that I love “Jesus Is The Sweetest Name I Know”.  “There is no name in earth or Heav’n above, That we should give such honor and such love As the blessèd Name, let us all acclaim, That wondrous, glorious Name of Jesus.”

I have many wonderful friends that I love but the greatest and dearest Friend I have is Jesus.  It is a privilege just to say His precious Name.  O how I love Jesus.  He is the Joy of my heart, the reason I’m living and the reason I get out of bed.  One happy day I will see Him face to face and be with Him for all eternity.

We are to love everybody unconditionally but we need to be very careful when choosing close friends.  It only takes one person to lead us astray.  If the person does not love Jesus, I do not choose that person to be a close friend.  Our friends should praise Jesus just like we praise Him.

Heavenly Father, help us to choose close friends that lift up the Name of Jesus.  Please encourage and comfort all who are lonely, discouraged and hurting.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

July 15, 2018

THEY LOVE US

“The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.”

Psalms 9:9 KJV

William F. Sherwin wrote the hymn “God Our Refuge”.  “When to this Refuge flying, Turn sinners, helpless, dying, On Christ alone relying, No harm can reach them there; When floods of grief are dashing, And waves of sorrow splashing, Light to the soul comes flashing—God’s smile through dark despair.”

The words in this hymn are so encouraging to know that God’s smile reaches us when we are in dark despair.  O how God and Jesus love us!  God gave Jesus to die on the cross for our sins.  Jesus died on the cross and paid the debt for our sins that we could never have paid.  What amazing unconditional love for us!

We know that God and Jesus love us.  They have proved to us how much They love us.  The question every Christian needs to ask is “Do I love God and Jesus and if I do, what am I doing to prove to Them that I love Them”?  Have we given Jesus all that we have?  Is He first in our heart, our time and in our life?

Are we encouraging people or are we discouraging people?  Do others see the love of Jesus for them in our actions and do they hear His love for them in what we say?  May God help us to show the unconditional love of Jesus in our actions and in our words.  Let’s be lighthouses of love for Jesus.   

Heavenly Father, I love You.  I appreciate all You have done for me.  Jesus, I love You so much.  Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins.  Holy Spirit, I love You.  Father, I pray for every person who is discouraged, lonely and going through dark valleys.  Please encourage them.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

July 14, 2018

ARE WE DOING OUR BEST

“Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.”

Leviticus 19:18 KJV

William M. Golden wrote the hymn “A Beautiful Life”.  “Each day I’ll do a golden deed, By helping those who are in need, My life on earth is but a span, And so I’ll do the best I can, The best I can.”  We sing the words but are we doing our best?  Do we love each other unconditionally?

We sometimes forget that loving one another unconditionally is not an option; it is a commandment from Jesus.  “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12).  Do we love one another as He loves us?  If not, we are not doing our best.

Someone said “I have a right to be angry after what they did”.  If ever someone had a right to be angry, it is Jesus.  They beat Him beyond recognition, they spat on Him, and they cursed Him and rejected Him and left Him all alone to die on the cross.  Even God had to turn away from Jesus because He is a Holy God.

Even while hanging on the cross with the blood flowing down His body, Jesus said “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots” (Luke 23:34).  If Jesus could forgive after the way He was beaten, how dare you and I not forgive those who hurt us?

Joanne Lowe

July 13, 2018

STAY ON THE BATTLEFIELD

“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 15:57,58 KJV

Eliza E. Hewitt wrote the hymn “Victory in Jesus”.  We need to do what the words in this hymn tell us to do.  “Soldiers of King Jesus, raise the shout again, Victory in Jesus, victory! Marching to the music of the glad refrain, Victory in Jesus evermore.”  If we will stay on the battlefield, Jesus will give us the victory.

There are times when we get discouraged and are tempted to give up and stop serving Jesus.  We must not let that happen!  When Jesus was here on His mission, He also got discouraged so He understands how we feel.  When we are going through dark valleys, Jesus picks us up and carries us.

We need to pray for our pastors and encourage them because they also get discouraged.  When is the last time you invited your pastor out to eat?  Your pastor might not be able to come but it will make your pastor very happy to know you cared enough to give an invitation.  Please encourage your pastor.

Heavenly Father, You are a tender compassionate loving Father and I love You so much.  I appreciate all You have done for me.  please help us to stay on the battlefield for Jesus just as He stayed on the cross for us.  Thank You for the privilege You have given me to serve Jesus.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

July 12, 2018

OUR LIFELINE

“But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.  And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.  But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.  And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”

Matthew 14:27-31 KJV

We are living in a world that is filled with rapes, murders and violence.  Babies are being killed,  Women are being raped.  Children are running in terror to hide because their house is filled with hatred, cursing and violence.  I didn’t say their home because a home is filled with love.

Many years ago we had a mission’s conference at my church.  Foreign and home missionaries showed slides of their work.  What brought tears to my eyes and broke my heart and still does, was seeing the children not having enough to eat and with a look of sadness in their eyes.  I know it hurt Jesus.

We read in the Bible.  “Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.  But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:13,14). 

Several years ago, a little child knocked on my door and said he was hungry and scared.  He told me his parents were yelling and that he was afraid they would hit him again.  That broke my heart.  We can trust Jesus to take care of our children.

Joanne Lowe

July 11, 2018

FAITH

“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”

1 John 5:4 KJV

Pastor John H. Yates wrote an inspiring hymn “Faith is the Victory”.  The words in this hymn are so true.  “Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory! O glorious victory, that overcomes the world.”  We must believe that God will help us and give us victory in our lives.  We have a loving Heavenly Father.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us the victory over the attacks of satan and the snares of the world.  I pray for all who are lonely, discouraged and hurting.  Please comfort and encourage them.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

July 10, 2018

WHAT A HAPPY DAY

“And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”

Mark 14:62 KJV

Jim Hill wrote one of my favorite hymns “What A Day That Will Be”.  “There'll be no sorrow there, no more burdens to bear, No more sickness, no pain, no more parting over there; And forever I will be with the One who died for me, What a day, glorious day that will be.”  We will be with Jesus for all eternity.

Heavenly Father, we give You thanks for loving us so much You gave Jesus to die for our sins.  What a healing balm it is to our weary battle scarred heart to know we will never hurt again.  I love You, Heavenly Father.  I pray for all who are discouraged and hurting.  Please comfort them.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

July 9, 2018

THE MOST EXPENSIVE PRICE

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”

1 Peter 1:18,19 KJV

I have read in the paper about houses that were sold for thousands of dollars but the most expensive house or painting ever sold is only pennies in comparison to the price Jesus paid on the cross for our sins.  The most expensive price was the blood of Jesus that He shed for our sins on the cross.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving Your beloved Son to die on the cross for our sins.  Jesus, thank You for staying on the cross and paying the price for my sins.  I love You so much, Jesus and I long for the day when I will see You face to face.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

July 8, 2018

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE

“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

Andre’ Crouch wrote one of my favorite hymns “My Tribute”.  “How can I say thanks for the things You have done for me? Things so undeserved yet you gave To prove your love for me The voices of a million angels Could not express my gratitude All that I am, and ever hope to be I owe it all to thee.”

The words in this beautiful hymn are so true.  It is impossible to thank God for Who He is and for all He has done for us.  The greatest thing He has done for us is give Jesus to die for our sins.  Our Heavenly Father is a compassionate tender loving Father, Who loves us unconditionally,

Not only does He loves us unconditionally, He also adopts us into His family when we confess our sins, ask Him to forgive us for our sins and invite Jesus into our heart to be our personal Saviour.  Are you a part of God’s family?  Has the redeeming cleansing blood of Jesus been applied to your heart?

Bill and Gloria Gaither wrote one of my favorite hymns “The Family Of God”.  “From the door of an orph’nage to the house of the King, No longer an outcast; a new song I sing. From rags unto riches, from the weak to the strong, I’m not worthy to be here, but praise God, I belong!”

I am not worthy to be a child of God but because of the redeeming blood of Jesus, I have been saved and adopted into God’s family.  God really loves you and cares about you.

Joanne Lowe

July 7, 2018  

WHAT A JOYOUS DAY

“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.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 KJV

James W. Acuff wrote a hymn that brings tears of happiness to my eyes “Just Over in the Glory Land”.  I love these words.  “With the blood washed throng I will shout and sing, Just over in the glory land; Glad hosannas to Christ, the Lord and King, Just over in the glory land.”

How it makes my heart rejoice to know that I will shout and sing praises to Jesus when I get to Heaven.  O what a joyous day that will be when we see Jesus face to face.  Think about it.  We are going to see the One Who loves us so much He died for us.  What a privilege it is to be loved by the Saviour of the world.

Carrie E. Breck wrote one of my favorite hymns that fills my heart with joy.  “Face to Face with Christ, My Savior”.  We are going to see our Saviour face to face. “Face to face—oh, blissful moment! Face to face—to see and know; Face to face with my Redeemer, Jesus Christ Who loves me so.” 

Are you shouting yet?  We get excited about football games and cheer for our favorite teams.  How can we not get excited and cheer for Jesus, the One Who loves us so much He allowed them to pound nails into His precious hands.  What a Saviour!  What a Friend, this Jesus of Nazareth!

Joanne Lowe

July 6, 2018

GOD’S LOVE LETTER

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

Psalms 119:105 KJV

Haldor Lillenas wrote the hymn “THE BIBLE STANDS”.  I’m so glad we have the Bible, God’s love letter to us.  I love these words in this hymn.  “The Bible stands though the hills may tumble, It will firmly stand when the earth shall crumble; I will plant my feet on its firm foundation, For the Bible stands.”

Have you ever gone to your mailbox expecting a letter from someone and it wasn’t there?  We don’t have to wait for the mail to be delivered to read God’s love letter to us.  All we have to do is open our Bible and start reading.  I think there are times when we hurt God because we don’t read His love letter to us.

If you want to make God happy, take the time to read your Bible.  We should do our best to make Him happy. He has done so much for us.  We can shut off the television and spend time with God and read His love letter to us.  We have a tender loving compassionate Father Who really loves us and cares about us.

Heavenly Father, forgive us for the times we hurt You because we don’t read Your love letter.  Thank You for the unconditional love and compassion You have for us. Thank You for allowing me to serve Your Son.  You are a tender compassionate and loving Father and I love You. In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

July 5, 2018

ARE WE FOLLOWING

“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

1 Peter 2:21-24 KJV

Eliza E. Hewitt wrote one of my favorite hymns “Stepping in the Light”.  I love these words.  “Trying to walk in the steps of the Savior, Upward, still upward, we follow our Guide; When we shall see Him, “the King in His beauty,” Happy, how happy, our place at His side.”  Are we following Jesus?

Are we going where He leads us or do we go where we want to go?  Mary Brown wrote another one of my favorite hymns which should make everyone of us search our heart “I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go”.  I think sometimes we sing the words to hymns without thinking about what we are singing.

“I’ll go where You want me to go, dear Lord, O’er mountain, or plain, or sea; I’ll say what You want me to say, dear Lord, I’ll be what You want me to be.”  Are we singing these words from our heart?  We can depend on Jesus.  The question every Christian needs to ask is “Can Jesus depend on me”?

Jesus has proved Himself to be faithful to us.  Are we faithful to Him?  Do we follow Him all the time and tell people about His unconditional love for them or do we just do it when it is convenient for us?  We can fool others but we can’t fool Jesus because He sees our heart and He knows if we are sincere.

Joanne Lowe

July 4, 2018

IT IS WORTH IT

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28 KJV

Evangelist Charles D. Tillman wrote a beautiful hymn “When I Get To The End Of The Way”.  “He loves me too well to forsake me, Or give me a trial too much; His people have been dearly purchased, And Satan can never claim such. By and by I shall see Him and praise Him, In the city of unending day;”

It is worth all the heartaches and trials we go through when we are serving Jesus just to know that we are making Him happy by serving Him and that one day we will see Him face to face.  Are you carrying a heavy burden or going through dark valleys and you don’t think you can go on?  Tell Jesus and He will help you.

When we get discouraged and feel like giving up, we need to remember that when Jesus was here on His mission, He didn’t give up even though He was rejected, cursed, mocked and forsaken.  Jesus loves us so much that He endured all the heartaches and trials so we can be saved.

If Jesus willingly left His Father, His home and all that He had to come to earth and die for us, we should be willing to do all we can do to serve Him and make Him happy.  If ever someone deserves to be praised, it is Jesus.  Please lift up your voice in praises to the One Who loves you so much He died for you.

Heavenly Father, there are so many people who are going through dark valleys and are lonely and discouraged.  You have been so faithful to encourage me when I go through dark valleys.  Please encourage those who are hurting.  Let them know how much You love them.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

July 3, 2018

A DAY OF HAPPINESS AND JOY

“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”

Revelation 22:12 KJV

Ira D. Sankey wrote a beautiful hymn “The King Is Coming”.  I love these words.  “With joy we wait our King’s returning From His heavenly mansions fair; And with ten thousand saints appearing We shall meet Him in the air.”  The day when Jesus returns for us will be a day of happiness and joy.

We are going to have the privilege, happiness and joy of seeing our precious Saviour face to face.  “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Corinthians 13:12).  How I long for the day when I will see Jesus face to face.

I don’t know what dark valleys you are going through but Jesus knows and He cares about you.  He loves you so much He died for you.  Are you shouting with happiness yet?  We shout and cheer for our favorite sports team how much more we should shout and cheer for Jesus Who died for us.

If you have never given your heart and life to Jesus, I urge you to do it now.  Don’t put it off as Jesus could come back for us even while you are reading this devotion.  Don’t miss out on spending eternity with the One Who loves you so much He died for you.  Don’t keep breaking His heart by saying no to Him.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus.  I pray for those who are discouraged, lonely and going through dark valleys.  Please comfort and encourage them.  Jesus, I love You so much.  Thank You for dying for my sins and thank You for never leaving me.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

July 2, 2018

WE KNOW BETTER

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”

1 Peter 5:8 KJV

I have a pinball game on my computer that I play to keep my fingers from becoming stiff because of my arthritis.  I know I have to keep my eye on the ball at all times because the minute that I start thinking about something else or I look at something else, the ball goes in the gutter. 

I have mentioned this in several devotions yet I did it again.  I started thinking about something else instead of concentrating on the ball and I lost the ball.  Jesus has told us to be on the alert for the attacks of satan.  We know better than to allow satan a toehold in our life yet we still do it.

Helen H. Lemmel wrote a hymn telling us to keep our eyes on Jesus “Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus”.  We need to do what these words tell us to do.  “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.”

If you want to be happy and have a life filled with joy and happiness, keep your eyes on Jesus.  I receive emails telling me how wonderful I am because I write devotions.  I thank God that He allows me to tell people about the love of Jesus but I am just a sinner saved by grace.  Keep your eyes on Jesus, not on me.

Heavenly Father, I pray for those who are discouraged, lonely, brokenhearted and going through dark valleys, please comfort and encourage them as You have done for me so many times.  I love You, Heavenly Father, and I appreciate You.  Thank You for the privilege You have given me to serve Jesus.

Joanne Lowe

July 1, 2018