SAD AND BROKENHEARTED

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Hebrews 12:1, 2

King James Version

Helen H. Lemmel wrote the inspiring hymn “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”.  If we would do what we sing in this beautiful hymn, we wouldn’t have so many problems.  The words in this hymn are so true because keeping our eyes on Jesus does make things a lot better.  “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 are sad, brokenhearted and going through a dark valley, tell Jesus.  He will pick you up and carry you until the pain goes away.  It is always safe to trust Jesus because what He says, He will do.  We have a faithful, compassionate and loving Saviour Who loves us so much He died for our sins on the cross.  Jesus doesn’t want you to be sad.  He is waiting for you to come to Him with His arms open wide.   O how Jesus loves you!

Joanne Lowe

October 31, 2019

WHAT ABOUT HIS RIGHTS

“Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.  Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.  And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.  And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!  And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.  And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.”

Matthew 27:26-31

King James Version

I used to think I had a right to be angry and to stay angry when someone hurt me but I don’t have the right to be angry and neither do you.  The only One Who has a right to be angry about what we did to Him is Jesus and yet even after enduring excruciating pain and being beaten beyond recognition, Jesus forgave us while still hanging on the cross with the blood flowing down His body.

We read in the Bible “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots” (Luke 23:34).  How could Jesus forgive us after all the abuse that He suffered and how can He forgive us now after the way we treat Him?  The reason is because Jesus is a loving compassionate and forgiving Saviour and He loves us unconditionally and He has commanded us to love one another unconditionally.

Can you honestly say that you always love others unconditionally?  I can’t say that because there are times when people hurt me that I have to ask Jesus to help me keep my big mouth shut and not say or do something to hurt the one who has hurt me.  This is why I have said many times “Don’t look to me or to your pastor or to your Sunday school teacher.  Keep your eyes on Jesus and on Him alone because He will never hurt you or fail you”.

Let’s stop judging one another and saying and doing things that we know will hurt someone and start loving others unconditionally as Jesus has commanded us to love each other.  Loving one another unconditionally is not an option.  It is a commandment from Jesus.  He didn’t say He wished we would love each other unconditionally.  He said that it was His commandment.  “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34).

Heavenly Father, please forgive me for the times I have hurt You because I didn’t love unconditionally as Jesus has commanded me to love others.  I’m sorry for hurting You and hurting Your Son.  Heavenly Father, You are a tender loving and compassionate Father.  Thank You for loving me even when I hurt You.  I pray for all who are discouraged, lonely, heartbroken and going through dark valleys.  Please encourage and comfort them as You have done for me so many times.  Thank You.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

October 30, 2019

GIVE HIM PRAISE

“After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.  Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

John 19:28-30

King James Version

Marvin P. Dalton wrote the greatest hymn that I believe has ever been written “Oh What A Savior”.  “Once I was straying in sin's dark valley No hope within could I see They searched through Heaven And found a Savior To save a poor lost soul like me.   O what a Savior, O hallelujah His heart was broken on Calvary His hands were nail scarred His side was riven He gave His life-blood for even me.”

Every time I sing this inspiring hymn, I am awed that the Saviour of the world loves me so much that He died for me.  When I hear someone singing it, I stand up and raise my hands to Jesus while the tears roll down my face.  Think about it!  Our precious Saviour had never done anything wrong yet He allowed them to beat Him beyond recognition, spit on Him, curse Him and mock Him and pound nails into His precious hands when He died for our sins on the cross.

I believe with all my heart that every time they pounded a nail into His hands that He felt that pain in His heart.  Yes, our precious Saviour was beaten and humiliated for you and for me and died for our sins on the cross and endured a pain and agony that you and I will never know but I believe that He died of a broken heart.  All He had ever done was love people and they crucified Him.  If you have ever had somebody who you thought was your friend say cruel words about you, then you have just a fingernail’s grasp of the pain, humiliation and suffering that Jesus endured because of your sins and my sins.

Would you please join me in praising the “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS”. “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus.  Precious Saviour, thank You for dying for my sins on the cross.  One day I will have the privilege of seeing You face to face.  What a happy and joyous day that will be.  I love You, dear Jesus.  Heavenly Father, I pray for all who are lonely, discouraged, brokenhearted and going through dark valleys, please comfort and encourage them as You have done for me so many times.  Thank You.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

October 29, 2019

GOD’S LAP

“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

God not only has a big heart, a heart big enough to love everyone in the world, our Heavenly Father’s lap is big enough to hold everyone in the world at the same time.  We have a tender compassionate and loving Heavenly Father Who loves us so much He gave His beloved Son to die on the cross for our sins.  What a privilege is ours to be loved by our Heavenly Father.

Some homes have pictures of their loved ones on the wall.  God has all of our pictures in His heart.  He really loves us and wants us to be happy.  If you are hurting today, allow Him to set you on His lap of love.  He will encourage you and reassure you that He loves you and cares about you.  What are you doing to prove to God that you love Him?  The best way to show our Heavenly Father how much we love Him is to serve His beloved Son with all of our heart.

Are you serving Jesus?  If you want to serve Jesus, you will have to shut off the television and get out of your comfort zone and tell everyone you see that Jesus loves them so much He died on the cross for their sins so they can be saved.  You may not be able to sing like I can’t sing but you can hug people for Jesus.  If you don’t feel comfortable hugging people, you can hug them with your loving words and loving actions.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much You gave Your beloved Son to die on the cross for our sins so we can be saved.  I pray for every man, for every woman, for every boy and for every girl who has not invited Jesus into their heart.  May today be the day they open the door of their heart and let Jesus come in to be their Saviour.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

October 28, 2019

GOD’S HEART

“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.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

John 3:16, 17

King James Version

One day God looked down from Heaven and saw we were in a mess and needed someone to save us so He opened His heart of love to us and gave His beloved Son to die on the cross for your sins and for my sins.  Pastor J. Wilbur Chapman wrote the hymn “One Day” about our precious Saviour and the sacrifice He made for you and for me on the cross.  I’m so glad God loves us so much that He gave His Son so we can be saved.

I love these words in this hymn and I’m so glad the words are true.  “One day when Heaven was filled with His praises, One day when sin was as black as could be, Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin, Dwelt among men, my example is He!”  Yes, Jesus is our example of unconditional love.  When Jesus was hanging on the cross with the blood flowing down His body, He asked His Father to forgive us.

We read in the Bible “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots” (Luke 23:34).  John W. Peterson wrote the beautiful cantata “No Greater Love”.  It is true.  There is no greater love than the love Jesus has for you.  Jesus loves you more than your family and friends love you.  There is nothing you can do that would make Him stop loving you.  Jesus loved you yesterday.  He loves you today and He will love you for all eternity.  We read in the Bible “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).

We know how much God and Jesus love us.  They have proved Their love for us.  How much do we love Them and what are we doing to prove to them that we love Them?  May God help us to serve them with all our heart so they know we love Them.  What a Saviour!  What a Friend, this Jesus of Nazareth!  Thank God for the old rugged cross and for the unconditional love Jesus gave us when He died on the cross for our sins.

Joanne Lowe

October 27, 2019

THE GARDEN OF LOVE

“Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.  And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.  And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”

Matthew 26:36-39

King James Version

What an amazing compassionate and unconditional love Jesus showed for you and for me that day in the garden of Gethsemane.  God did not make Jesus go to the cross and die for your sins and for my sins.  Jesus made the choice to leave His home, His Father and all that He had to come to earth and die on the cross for our sins.  Jesus loves His Father and He wanted to finish the mission His Father had given Him.

Rev. Charles Weigle wrote one of my favorite hymns “No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus”.  Every time I sing these words or hear them I’m amazed that Jesus loves me so much.  “No one ever cared for me like Jesus; There's no other friend so kind as He. No one else could take the sin and darkness from me; O how much He cared for me.”  Thank God for the unconditional love our Saviour has for us.

After all that Jesus has done for us, the least we can do for Him is serve Him and tell everyone we see about our precious Saviour.  Jesus may not call us to go to another country but He is calling all of us to serve Him where we live.  Are we telling others how much He loves them?  Do they know how much Jesus loves them by our loving words and actions?  Does Jesus have first place in our heart, in our time and in our life?  If not, we are hurting Him and breaking His heart.

Joanne Lowe

October 26, 2019

GOD’S FAITHFULNESS

“It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:22, 23

King James Version

Pastor Thomas Obadiah Chisholm wrote one of my favorite hymns “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”  “Great Is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father! There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.”  God doesn’t turn His emotions off and on like we do.  He loved us yesterday.  He loves us today and He will love us forever.  We can trust Him to always be the tender loving compassionate Father that He is now.

We know that God is faithful to us but how faithful are we to Him?  Do we put His beloved Son first in our heart, in our life, in our time and in everything we do?  If we want to make our Heavenly Father happy, we will serve Jesus and put Him first in our life.  God really loves His Son and He is proud of Jesus. 

We read in the Bible “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16,17).

May God help us to be faithful in serving Jesus and stay on the battlefield for Jesus just as He stayed on the cross for us.

Joanne Lowe

October 25, 2019

SAFETY

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

Psalms 17:8

King James Version

Pastor William O. Cushing wrote the beautiful hymn “Under His Wings”.  “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.”  My heart rejoices because the words in this comforting hymn are true.

There is safety and comfort under the wings of our loving Heavenly Father. When it feels like everyone has turned against you and satan attacks you with lies and discouragement, our Heavenly Father will comfort and protect us.  O how our Heavenly Father loves us.  He loves us so much He gave His beloved Son to die on the cross for our sins.

We read in the Bible “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).  There is no greater love than the love that God and Jesus has for us.

John W. Peterson wrote a beautiful cantata about our precious Saviour “No Greater Love”.  Think about it.  Jesus left His home, His Father and all that He had to come to earth and die on the cross for our sins.  Every time I think about Jesus enduring all the pain and suffering for my sins, I am humbled that He loves me so much He died for me.

If you ever think nobody loves you, remember the cross and the unconditional love Jesus has for you when He allowed them to beat Him beyond recognition, spit on Him, curse Him, mock Him and crucify Him for your sins.  You are loved by the Saviour of the world.  No one loves you like Jesus loves you and nobody ever will. 

“What a Saviour!  What a Friend, this Jesus of Nazareth!”  “All hail, King Jesus!”  “Worthy is the Lamb of God”.  Please lift your hands and voices and join me in praising “The King of Kings and Lord of Lords”.  It is a privilege to be loved by the Saviour of the world.  We know He loves us because He proved He loves us when He died on the cross for our sins.  What are you doing to prove to Him that you love Him?

Joanne Lowe

October 24, 2019

NEVER

“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

King James Version

One of my favorite hymns that A. A. Luther wrote is “JESUS NEVER FAILS”.  I’m so glad the words in this beautiful hymn are true.  “Earthly friends may prove untrue, doubts and fears assail; One still loves and cares for you, one who will not fail. Jesus never fails, Jesus never fails; Heav'n and earth may pass away, but Jesus never fails.”

There are times when our friends say and do things that hurt us and there are times when we say and do things that hurt them but Jesus will never say or do anything that will hurt us.  No matter how many times we fail Him and hurt Him, our precious and compassionate Saviour loves us.  He loved us yesterday.  He loves us today and He will love us forever.

May God help us to love one another unconditionally as Jesus has commanded us to love one another.  Can you say that you always love others unconditionally?  I can’t say that I always love unconditionally and it hurts Jesus and breaks His heart.  We read in the Bible.  “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another” (1 John 3:11).

Heavenly Father, please forgive me for the times that I don’t love others unconditionally.  I’m sorry.  Dear Father, I pray for every pastor who is preaching the good news of our risen Saviour.  Please encourage them and let them know how much You love them and appreciate their service to You.  I pray for my Pastor, Pastor Davis.  I place him in Your arms of protection.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

October 23, 2019

NO MORE

“But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?  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 14:61, 62

King James Version

Jim Hill wrote one of my favorite hymns “What A Day That Will Be”.  I love the words in this beautiful hymn.  “There is coming a day when no heartaches shall come No more clouds in the sky, no more tears to dim the eye. All is peace forevermore on that happy golden shore, What a day, glorious day that will be.  What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see, And I look upon His face, The One who saved me by His grace; When He takes me by the hand And leads me through the Promised Land, What a day, glorious day that will be.”

Just think, one day our precious Saviour is coming back for us and there will be no more heartaches and no more tears.  We will have peace instead of violence and wars.  It really will be a glorious and happy day when Jesus comes back for us.  I wish He would come today but I’m being selfish.  There are so many people who need to give their heart to Jesus so they won’t miss out on spending eternity with the One Who loves them so much He died for their sins on the cross.

You may have given your heart to Jesus but have you given your life to Him?  Does Jesus have first place in your heart and in your time?  If Jesus does not have first place in our heart, in our time and in our thoughts, we are hurting Him and breaking His heart.  Jesus earned the right to be first in our life, in our heart and in our time when He allowed them to crucify Him on the cross for our sins.  May God forgive us if we are hurting our precious Saviour if we put things and people ahead of Him.

Joanne Lowe

October 22, 2019

NEVER

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

Hebrews 13:8

King James Version

A. A. Luther wrote one of my favorite hymns “JESUS NEVER FAILS”.  The words in this beautiful hymn are so true.  “Earthly friends may prove untrue,  doubts and fears assail; One still loves and cares for you, one who will not fail. Jesus never fails, Jesus never fails;  Heav'n and earth may pass away, but Jesus never fails.”

Not only will Jesus never fail us, we have the assurance from Him that He will always love us.  We read in the Bible “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).  

Our precious Saviour loved you yesterday.  He loves you today and He will love you tomorrow and for all eternity.  There is nothing you can do that would make Him stop loving you.  Jesus doesn’t turn His love off and on like we do.  Jesus is a forgiving and compassionate Saviour.

Joanne Lowe

October 21, 2019

THE LIGHT OF OUR HEART

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

John 8:12

King James Version

Philip P. Bliss wrote one of my favorite hymns “The Light of the World is Jesus”.  I love these words.  “No darkness have we who in Jesus abide; The Light of the world is Jesus! We walk in the light when we follow our Guide! The Light of the world is Jesus!”

Not only is Jesus the light of the world, He is also the Light of our heart.  No matter how many times satan tries to discourage us and people say cruel words to us and we get discouraged and feel like giving up, Jesus is faithful to shine His light a little brighter in our heart.  Jesus defeated satan on the cross so no matter how many times satan attacks us, we can depend on Jesus to help us.  We have a faithful compassionate and loving Saviour Who loves us so much He died for us.

We have this assurance in the Bible.  “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).  So don’t despair when satan attacks you or when people say cruel things to you and about you, just lean on Jesus and let Him shine His light of love brighter in your heart.

Joanne Lowe

October 20, 2019

PLEASE AND THANK YOU

“Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.  And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”

Deuteronomy 11:18, 19

King James Version

I don’t know about you but I don’t always say please and thank you to God when I am praying and I’m sure it hurts Him and breaks His heart.  The verses for this devotion instruct us to teach our children about God but I think we forget to teach our children to say please and thank You to God for what He does for them.

We help them with their homework, we buy clothes and other things that they need but we neglect to teach our children how much God loves them and all that He has done for them.  We can buy our children expensive clothes and toys and take them where they want to go but if we aren’t teaching them to say please and thank You to God, we are not only hurting God we are also not doing what He has told us to do.

The best way to teach our children to say please and thank You to God is for them to hear us pray and thank God for what He does for us and for Who He is, a loving and protective Father.  Think how you would feel if your children thanked you and told you they love you without asking for anything.  You’d feel pretty good, wouldn’t you?  Let’s make a special effort to thank God for all He has done for us without asking Him for anything.

Heavenly Father, I love You so much.  Thank You for all You have done for me and for giving me the privilege of serving Your Son. Dear Heavenly Father, You are so precious to me and You take such good care of me.  I appreciate all You have done for me.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

October 19, 2019

GOD’S LOVE LETTER TO US

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

Psalms 119:105

King James Version

Richard W. Adams wrote the hymn “THE BIBLE IS A BRILLIANT LAMP”.  The words in this hymn are so true.  “The Bible is a brilliant lamp, Given to light up our way, To show our feet the way to tread, To turn darkness into day.  To teach to us the Father’s love, And the Evil One’s cruel hate, To show the path round many snares, The way to the pearly gate.”

God has written a love letter to us.  What have we done for Him?  The best way to show our Heavenly Father that we love Him is to be kind and loving to His beloved Son.  Does Jesus have first place in our heart or have we allowed people and things to take first place in our heart?  After all that Jesus has done for us, He deserves to have first place in our heart and in everything we do.

When is the last time you spent time with Jesus just telling Him that you love Him and appreciate Him?  Have you hugged someone for Jesus today?  You may not be comfortable hugging people but you can hug them with kind and loving words.  Most important of all, tell everyone you see how much Jesus loves them.  

I think we sometimes forget that He loves us unconditionally and will always love us.  How much do we love Jesus and what are we doing to prove to Him that we love Him?  If we can stay up all night watching television, we can stay up all night telling Jesus how much we appreciate Him.  We can thank Him all night for what He has done for us but it wouldn’t be long enough to express our appreciation to Him.

Joanne Lowe

October 18, 2019

STILL LEARNING

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Proverbs 3:5, 6

King James Version

Pastor John Stallings wrote one of my favorite hymns “LEARNING TO LEAN”  “ Sad broken hearted, at an alter I knelt. I found peace that was so serene. And all that He asks is a child like trust, And a heart that is learning to lean Learning to lean, Learning to lean, I'm learning to lean on Jesus. Finding more power than I've ever dreamed, I'm learning to lean on Jesus.”

I don’t know about you but I’m still learning to lean on Jesus.  I think we sometimes carry heavy burdens that we don’t have to carry because we don’t lean on Jesus and trust Him to take care of us.  I believe we hurt Him and break His heart many times because we don’t lean on Him.  May God help us to lean on Jesus.  Our loving Saviour is waiting with His arms open wide for us to run into them so He can comfort us.

If you are lonely, hurting, discouraged and broken hearted, tell Jesus.  He really loves you and He wants you to be happy.  Don’t let satan defeat you and try to keep you from serving Jesus.  It would make satan very happy if we stop serving Jesus.  We must not let that happen!  We must stay on the battlefield for Jesus just as He stayed on the cross for us.

O how I love Jesus!  He is the Joy of my heart, the reason I get out of bed in the morning and the reason I’m living.  What a Saviour!  What a Friend, this Jesus of Nazareth!  He is the “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” and wonder of wonders, not only does He love you, He also loves me.

Joanne Lowe

October 17, 2019

NO PAYMENT NEEDED

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

Isaiah 1:18

King James Version

I recently upgraded my account with my internet provider and they have quoted me three different prices that I now owe.  I am so glad when Jesus died on the cross for us, our sin debt was paid in full.  There is no payment needed as Jesus paid the price for our sins. Our sin debt was a debt that you and I could never have paid.

When Jesus said “It is finished” when He was crucified for you and for me with the blood flowing down His precious body, He paid the price for every sin we have ever committed or ever will commit.

Bill and Gloria Gaither wrote the beautiful and inspiring hymn “It Is Finished”.  “The earth shakes with the force of the conflict; The sun refuses to shine. For there hangs God’s Son in the balance, And then through the darkness He cries: “It is finished!” The battle is over! It is finished! There’ll be no more war! It is finished! The end of the conflict! It is finished and Jesus is Lord!”

No, Jesus will never be beaten beyond recognition again.  He will never have the nails pounded into His hands again and He will never have to die again but He is still being abused by you and by me.  Every time we say something hateful to someone or refuse to forgive the ones who hurt us, we are hurting Him and breaking His heart.

Jesus has suffered enough for you and for me.  It is time that we start loving one another unconditionally as He has commanded us to love each other.  May God have mercy on us and forgive us if we are hurting His beloved Son.  How dare you and I ask our Heavenly Father for anything if we hurt His Son by refusing to forgive those who have hurt us?  If God hadn’t forgiven you and me for our sins, we would be on our way to hell for all eternity. Will we be able to look Jesus in the eyes when He comes back for us or will we have to hang our head in shame?

Joanne Lowe

October 16, 2019

GOOD NEWS

“After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.”

Revelation 7:9, 10

King James Version

Eliza E. Hewitt wrote a beautiful hymn “BEAUTIFUL ROBES”.  “We shall walk with Him in white, Where faith yields to blissful sight, When the beauty of the King we see; Holding converse full and sweet, In a fellowship complete; Waking songs of holy melody.”

There is good news.  One day there will be no more heartache, sorrow or crying and we will not only see Jesus face to face, we will also walk with Him and talk with Him.  What a privilege  will be ours to see Jesus and know that we will be with Him for all eternity.  

Think about it!  We are going to have the privilege of seeing Jesus face to face and there will be no more death or crying.  I’m going to give Him a big hug and tell Him how much I love Him and appreciate Him.  Are you shouting with happiness yet?

I will never understand how people can get excited and shout for their favorite football team but never cheer for Jesus.  If ever someone deserves to be praised and adored, it is Jesus!  May God help us to lift up our voices and give Jesus the praise and the recognition He so richly deserves.

Joanne Lowe

October 15, 2019

WE DON’T KNOW

“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

King James Version

I got my hair cut on Friday and I really like it so I called the lady who cut my hair on Saturday and said “Hi, I want to thank you for the hair cut.  I really like it”.  She said “Thank you”.  It sounded like she was crying.  We don’t know the heartaches and dark valleys that people are going through.  Only Jesus knows what is going on in someone’s heart but we can encourage them.

There are times when I get impatient and in a hurry when I am ready to check out at Walmart and there are a lot of people ahead of me in line.  As I was thinking about writing this devotion, God spoke to my heart and reminded me that we need to be patient with others and be an encouragement to them.

We don’t know what’s going on with the people who are ahead of us in the checkout lane.  They may have sick children at home or have recently lost a loved one or are worried about their job and wonder if they can support their family.  May God help us to realize that the people ahead of us in line have dark valleys in their life just as we do.

Heavenly Father, I pray for all who are going through dark valleys, for those who have lost a loved one, and for the ones who are wondering how they are going to feed their children.  May we always remember that You are a compassionate and loving Father and that we can trust You to feed us and take care of us.  I love You, dear Father.  Thank You for the privilege You have given me to serve Your beloved Son.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

October 14, 2019

WHEN WILL WE LEARN

“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

King James Version

Rev. Charles Albert Tindley wrote one of my favorite hymns “Leave it There”.  If we would do what the words in this hymn tell us to do, we would be a lot happier.  “Leave it there, leave it there, Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there; If you trust and never doubt, he will surely bring you out. Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.”

I have been very discouraged and heartbroken over something that happened several days ago.  Instead of crying out to Jesus and letting Him take the pain and heartache away, I allowed satan to try and stop me from serving Jesus.  However, it didn’t work and it will never work.  We read in the Bible.  “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

When will we learn to give our burdens to the Lord instead of trying to put on a cheerful face?  Jesus said “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).

Jesus wants us to be happy instead of being discouraged.  The next time satan attacks you, cry out to Jesus and He will help you.  Jesus will pick you up in His loving arms and carry you through all the dark valleys in your life and set you once again on the mountain top of happiness.  What a Saviour!  What a Friend, this Jesus of Nazareth!

Joanne Lowe

October 13, 2019

JESUS CARES

“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

1 Peter 5:7

King James Version

Pastor Elisha A. Hoffman wrote “I Must Tell Jesus”.  I’m so glad the words in this beautiful hymn are true.  “I must tell Jesus all of my trials; I cannot bear these burdens alone; In my distress He kindly will help me; He ever loves and cares for His own.”

Yes, Jesus cares when satan attacks us with lies and we get discouraged and feel like giving up and going to bed and staying there. Jesus knows how it feels to be lonely, brokenhearted and discouraged.  When He was here on earth, people made fun of Him and rejected Him and then they crucified Him on the cross because of our sins.

Jesus died the most painful death that anyone has ever suffered or ever will suffer.  Our loving Saviour walked that long lonely road to Calvary and was rejected, beaten beyond recognition, mocked, spat on and He died alone for you and for me.  God had to turn away from Jesus because Jesus had taken our sins on Him and God is a Holy God and He can’t look on sin.  Yes, Jesus endured all that agony and pain and died alone for you and for me.

John W. Peterson wrote the beautiful hymn about our precious Saviour, “No Greater Love”.  Indeed there is no greater love than the love that Jesus has for you and for me and one happy day He is coming back for us.  How I long for that day!  If you have never invited Jesus into your heart to be your personal Saviour, I urge you to do it now before it is too late.  One day it will be too late to invite Him into your heart.  Don’t miss out on spending eternity with the One Who loves you so much He died for you.

Joanne Lowe

October 12, 2019

PEACEMAKER OR TROUBLEMAKER

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

Matthew 5:9

King James Version

We are either a peacemaker or we are a troublemaker.  Are we hurting God and breaking His heart because we are being troublemakers instead of peacemakers?  We should be encouraging one another instead of discouraging one another.  

“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).

Heavenly Father, I pray that I will be a peacemaker instead of a troublemaker.  If there is anything in my heart that hurts You, please forgive me.  I never want to hurt You and yet I know that I do at times.  Please comfort and encourage all those who are hurting an discouraged.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

October 11, 2019

HIS PRECIOUS NAME

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 9:6

King James Version

Pastor William C. Martin wrote one of my favorite hymns “The Name of Jesus”.  I love these words in this beautiful hymn.  “That name I fondly love to hear, It never fails my heart to cheer; Its music dries the falling tear, Exalt the name of Jesus!”

No matter how many times satan tries to discourage me so much that I stop serving Jesus, just saying the precious Name of Jesus gives me the desire to keep serving Him.  Don’t let satan lie to you and tell you Jesus doesn’t love you because Jesus not only loved you yesterday, He loves you today and He will love you forever.

We can’t stop satan from attacking us but we can cry out to Jesus and ask Him to help us. Our precious Saviour is waiting for us to ask Him for help.  He will pick us up in His arms and carry us through all the dark valleys in our life and will set us once again on the mountain top of happiness.

Heavenly Father, I pray for all who are lonely, hurting and discouraged.  Please comfort and encourage them as You have done for me so many times.  I love You, Heavenly Father and I appreciate all You have done for me.  Thank You for adopting me into Your family and for giving me the privilege of serving Your Son.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.

Joanne Lowe

October 10, 2019

A FEW DAYS

“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

King James Version

Charles H. Gabriel wrote the hymn “Where The Gates Swing Outward Never”.  “Just a few more days to be filled with praise, And to tell the old, old story; Then, when twilight falls, and my Savior calls, I shall go to Him in glory.”

We only have a few days to tell others about Jesus and His unconditional love for them. However, we can talk all day about Jesus and what a difference He makes but if they don’t see the difference He makes in our heart and life, they are not going to believe us. Remember, “actions speak louder than words”.  

It is so very important that our children and grandchildren see the difference Jesus has made in our heart and life.  What about you? When your children and grandchildren see the things you do and hear the words you say, do they know you love Jesus?  May God have mercy on us if our children and grandchildren don’t accept Jesus as personal Saviour because of our words and our actions.

Joanne Lowe

October 9, 2019