Lori Hatcher's Blog: Refresh Blog, page 62
February 15, 2017
What Your Suitcase Is Trying to Tell You -- Tips to Prioritize Your Life
Have you ever put your suitcase on the scale at the airport and discovered it was overweight?
I recently helped my daughter and her husband pack for an overseas move. The airline allowed two checked bags each weighing less than 50 pounds. Even half a pound over the limit would cost them dearly.
As they prepared to fill their suitcases, they made three piles—YES, NO, and MAYBE. In the YES pile they put necessities—clothing, personal care items, and important paperwork. In the NO pile they put the non-essentials—books they weren’t really interested in reading, older clothes they didn’t wear any more, and a game they had never played. In the MAYBE pile they put items they liked, but weren’t vital to day-to-day living—a souvenir coffee mug, decorative tableware, and some food items.
They packed the important item in the suitcases first and filled most of the space in the suitcases, then they filled in the remaining space with items from the MAYBE pile. The NO pile went straight to the trashcan.
My days are very similar to my kids’ suitcases. And I’ve realized I can use the same principles they applied to their suitcases to decide how to spend them.
First, I can only cram so much into a day before I get into trouble. Overfilling my calendar is always counter-productive. It guarantees that I’ll eventually crash and burn. Exhaustion, frustration, and inefficiency are common side effects of over-loaded days.
Second, I must choose wisely what I put into a day. Some activities, like reading my Bible, caring for my family, working, and attending church, are vital. I can include other activities, like talking with a friend, surfing the Internet, or reading a book after I’ve completed my most important responsibilities. Other pursuits are simply time wasters I’d be better off tossing aside.
Third, sometimes, despite my best efforts, my days become overweight. When my kids were packing their suitcases, they knew it would be wise to check the weight before we got to the airport. I pulled out the bathroom scale, and, as we suspected, the biggest suitcase was seriously overweight.
“I guess we’re going to have to leave some stuff behind,” my son-in-law said. He removed a few of the MAYBE items, but it was still too heavy.
“Why don’t we try to redistribute the weight?” I suggested. We pulled a few books out of the suitcase and exchanged them for clothing and shoes from another. When we weighed the suitcase again, we were delighted to find it was a few pounds lighter. The true test, however, would come at the airport.
Some of my days resemble my son-in-law’s suitcase. In order to be able to manage them, I must remove some things altogether and redistribute others. The litmus test I use to determine what has to go comes from Oswald Chambers: “The great enemy of the life of faith in God is not sin, but the good which is not good enough. The good is always the enemy of the best.” It’s easy to fill my days with good things, but when the good things begin to crowd out the best things, I know it’s time to reevaluate and reorder my priorities.
When I pray, he shows me what to remove and what to consider delegating to someone else. This frees me up to spend my time on what’s best in my life right now—the tasks God has called me and only me to do.
Now back to the luggage. When our turn came at the baggage counter, my son-in-law hoisted the biggest suitcase on the scale, and we held our collective breath. For a few seconds the red numbers jumped around—51.2, then 49.8, then 50.9. Finally it blinked three times and was still—50.0!
Whew! Not an ounce to spare. Our happy smiles and high fives made the ticket agent grin as she slapped a sticker around the handle and waved us on.
What about you? Are your days overloaded? Or perhaps you’ve filled them with good things that are squeezing out the best God has for you. Prayerfully ask the Lord to help you evaluate how you’re filling your days. Commit to make the necessary changes, and live each day seeking God’s best.
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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher
I recently helped my daughter and her husband pack for an overseas move. The airline allowed two checked bags each weighing less than 50 pounds. Even half a pound over the limit would cost them dearly.
As they prepared to fill their suitcases, they made three piles—YES, NO, and MAYBE. In the YES pile they put necessities—clothing, personal care items, and important paperwork. In the NO pile they put the non-essentials—books they weren’t really interested in reading, older clothes they didn’t wear any more, and a game they had never played. In the MAYBE pile they put items they liked, but weren’t vital to day-to-day living—a souvenir coffee mug, decorative tableware, and some food items.
They packed the important item in the suitcases first and filled most of the space in the suitcases, then they filled in the remaining space with items from the MAYBE pile. The NO pile went straight to the trashcan. My days are very similar to my kids’ suitcases. And I’ve realized I can use the same principles they applied to their suitcases to decide how to spend them.
First, I can only cram so much into a day before I get into trouble. Overfilling my calendar is always counter-productive. It guarantees that I’ll eventually crash and burn. Exhaustion, frustration, and inefficiency are common side effects of over-loaded days.
Second, I must choose wisely what I put into a day. Some activities, like reading my Bible, caring for my family, working, and attending church, are vital. I can include other activities, like talking with a friend, surfing the Internet, or reading a book after I’ve completed my most important responsibilities. Other pursuits are simply time wasters I’d be better off tossing aside.
Third, sometimes, despite my best efforts, my days become overweight. When my kids were packing their suitcases, they knew it would be wise to check the weight before we got to the airport. I pulled out the bathroom scale, and, as we suspected, the biggest suitcase was seriously overweight.
“I guess we’re going to have to leave some stuff behind,” my son-in-law said. He removed a few of the MAYBE items, but it was still too heavy.
“Why don’t we try to redistribute the weight?” I suggested. We pulled a few books out of the suitcase and exchanged them for clothing and shoes from another. When we weighed the suitcase again, we were delighted to find it was a few pounds lighter. The true test, however, would come at the airport.
Some of my days resemble my son-in-law’s suitcase. In order to be able to manage them, I must remove some things altogether and redistribute others. The litmus test I use to determine what has to go comes from Oswald Chambers: “The great enemy of the life of faith in God is not sin, but the good which is not good enough. The good is always the enemy of the best.” It’s easy to fill my days with good things, but when the good things begin to crowd out the best things, I know it’s time to reevaluate and reorder my priorities.
When I pray, he shows me what to remove and what to consider delegating to someone else. This frees me up to spend my time on what’s best in my life right now—the tasks God has called me and only me to do.
Now back to the luggage. When our turn came at the baggage counter, my son-in-law hoisted the biggest suitcase on the scale, and we held our collective breath. For a few seconds the red numbers jumped around—51.2, then 49.8, then 50.9. Finally it blinked three times and was still—50.0! Whew! Not an ounce to spare. Our happy smiles and high fives made the ticket agent grin as she slapped a sticker around the handle and waved us on.
What about you? Are your days overloaded? Or perhaps you’ve filled them with good things that are squeezing out the best God has for you. Prayerfully ask the Lord to help you evaluate how you’re filling your days. Commit to make the necessary changes, and live each day seeking God’s best.
If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe? I'll send you twice-weekly 5-minute devotions to help nourish your soul.
Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life.
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If this post was meaningful to you, would you consider sharing it with a friend by clicking on one of the buttons below? Did you know you can receive bi-weekly Hungry for God posts sent directly to your email inbox? Visit http://www.lori-benotweary.blogspot.com and click on the link in the right hand corner to Subscribe Via Email.
Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher
February 12, 2017
Two Ways the Holy Spirit Speaks to Us
Have you ever heard God speak?
If you’re a Christian, you have the ability to hear God speak every day, because the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, lives inside you. Ephesians 1:13-14 describes this:
“Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession . . .”
The Holy Spirit speaks to us in different ways, but today I’d like to focus on two, found in John 16:8: “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness . . .”
First, the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin. This is how he calls us to himself for salvation and how he enables us live a godly life after salvation. To be saved, we must first become aware of our sinfulness and our need for a savior.
Oswald Chambers described it this way:
"Conviction of sin is one of the rarest things that ever strikes a man. It is the threshold of an understanding of God. Jesus Christ said that when the Holy Spirit came He would convict of sin, and when the Holy Spirit rouses the conscience and brings him into the presence of God, it is not his relationship with men that bothers him, but his relationship with God."
To be a child of God, we must first realize the depth of our sinfulness and how our sin separates us from God. Once we understand this, we can confess (agree with God about our sin), repent ( want to change), and accept God’s offer of forgiveness and cleansing through Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross on our behalf. Romans 10:9 puts it this way:
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Once we are saved, the Holy Spirit’s job changes. Now, he convicts us of sins that hinder our relationship with God and each other.
The Holy Spirit is not our conscience, although sometimes he uses our conscience. When the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, he applies the truth of God’s Word to our present situation or behavior. If our thoughts or actions don’t agree with Scripture, he alerts us. We feel a check in our spirit, or a sense that what we’re doing isn’t right. It’s a warning designed to steer us away from dangerous or ungodly thoughts or actions.
The second way the Holy Spirit speaks to us is to convict us of righteousness. Unlike the first example, where he points out behaviors that are harmful, when he convicts us of righteousness, he nudges us toward good and helpful behavior, behavior that is part of his will for us. Ephesians 2:10 reminds us of our purpose:
“For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Sometimes the Holy Spirit will bring someone to mind. Perhaps we need to pray for them or reconnect. Other times the Holy Spirit will plant a thought in our minds. Send Jackie a card. She’s been discouraged since her sister died. Or Sarah just had a baby. I bet she could use a meal and an offer to babysit.
Sometimes we wonder if what we’re sensing is really coming from the Holy Spirit. The most dependable litmus test is to compare what we think we’re hearing to Scripture. The Holy Spirit will never tell us to do anything that contradicts the principles in God’s Word.
When we sense the Holy Spirit instructing us, it’s important to obey. James 4:17 warns us,
“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.” A favorite Bible teacher of mine often said, “To delay is to disobey.”
The more we grow in Christ, the better we’ll become at discerning the voice of the Holy Spirit. A sure sign God is speaking to us is that the words we’re “hearing” in our hearts come directly from the Bible. This is why it’s so important to learn and memorize Scripture—so the Holy Spirit has a wealth of material to draw from.
I’m often humbled and comforted that the God of the universe has not only invited us to have a relationship with him, but desires to talk with us every day. Many times, that conversation begins with a whisper from the Holy Spirit in our hearts. I love this promise of Jesus:
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come” (John 16:13).
The Holy Spirit’s job is to convict us of sin so we can become more like Jesus. He also convicts us of righteousness so we can be his ambassadors in the world today. What a comfort. What a privilege.
Now it’s your turn. How have you sensed the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts. If you’re reading by email, click HERE to visit Hungry for God online, scroll to the bottom of the post, and leave a comment there.
And if you'd like to learn more about how to know God's speaking to you, CLICK HERE to read my viral blog post, "How to Know It's God Speaking to You." More than 104,000 readers have read this post so far.
If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe? I'll send you twice-weekly 5-minute devotions to help nourish your soul.
Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life.
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If this post was meaningful to you, would you consider sharing it with a friend by clicking on one of the buttons below? Did you know you can receive bi-weekly Hungry for God posts sent directly to your email inbox? Visit http://www.lori-benotweary.blogspot.com and click on the link in the right hand corner to Subscribe Via Email.
Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher
If you’re a Christian, you have the ability to hear God speak every day, because the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, lives inside you. Ephesians 1:13-14 describes this:
“Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession . . .”
The Holy Spirit speaks to us in different ways, but today I’d like to focus on two, found in John 16:8: “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness . . .” First, the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin. This is how he calls us to himself for salvation and how he enables us live a godly life after salvation. To be saved, we must first become aware of our sinfulness and our need for a savior.
Oswald Chambers described it this way:
"Conviction of sin is one of the rarest things that ever strikes a man. It is the threshold of an understanding of God. Jesus Christ said that when the Holy Spirit came He would convict of sin, and when the Holy Spirit rouses the conscience and brings him into the presence of God, it is not his relationship with men that bothers him, but his relationship with God."
To be a child of God, we must first realize the depth of our sinfulness and how our sin separates us from God. Once we understand this, we can confess (agree with God about our sin), repent ( want to change), and accept God’s offer of forgiveness and cleansing through Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross on our behalf. Romans 10:9 puts it this way:
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Once we are saved, the Holy Spirit’s job changes. Now, he convicts us of sins that hinder our relationship with God and each other.
The Holy Spirit is not our conscience, although sometimes he uses our conscience. When the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, he applies the truth of God’s Word to our present situation or behavior. If our thoughts or actions don’t agree with Scripture, he alerts us. We feel a check in our spirit, or a sense that what we’re doing isn’t right. It’s a warning designed to steer us away from dangerous or ungodly thoughts or actions.
The second way the Holy Spirit speaks to us is to convict us of righteousness. Unlike the first example, where he points out behaviors that are harmful, when he convicts us of righteousness, he nudges us toward good and helpful behavior, behavior that is part of his will for us. Ephesians 2:10 reminds us of our purpose:
“For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Sometimes the Holy Spirit will bring someone to mind. Perhaps we need to pray for them or reconnect. Other times the Holy Spirit will plant a thought in our minds. Send Jackie a card. She’s been discouraged since her sister died. Or Sarah just had a baby. I bet she could use a meal and an offer to babysit.
Sometimes we wonder if what we’re sensing is really coming from the Holy Spirit. The most dependable litmus test is to compare what we think we’re hearing to Scripture. The Holy Spirit will never tell us to do anything that contradicts the principles in God’s Word. When we sense the Holy Spirit instructing us, it’s important to obey. James 4:17 warns us,
“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.” A favorite Bible teacher of mine often said, “To delay is to disobey.”
The more we grow in Christ, the better we’ll become at discerning the voice of the Holy Spirit. A sure sign God is speaking to us is that the words we’re “hearing” in our hearts come directly from the Bible. This is why it’s so important to learn and memorize Scripture—so the Holy Spirit has a wealth of material to draw from.
I’m often humbled and comforted that the God of the universe has not only invited us to have a relationship with him, but desires to talk with us every day. Many times, that conversation begins with a whisper from the Holy Spirit in our hearts. I love this promise of Jesus:
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come” (John 16:13).
The Holy Spirit’s job is to convict us of sin so we can become more like Jesus. He also convicts us of righteousness so we can be his ambassadors in the world today. What a comfort. What a privilege.
Now it’s your turn. How have you sensed the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts. If you’re reading by email, click HERE to visit Hungry for God online, scroll to the bottom of the post, and leave a comment there.
And if you'd like to learn more about how to know God's speaking to you, CLICK HERE to read my viral blog post, "How to Know It's God Speaking to You." More than 104,000 readers have read this post so far.
If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe? I'll send you twice-weekly 5-minute devotions to help nourish your soul.
Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life.
Enter your email address and VALIDATE the Feedburner email sent to your inbox.
Delivered by FeedBurner
If this post was meaningful to you, would you consider sharing it with a friend by clicking on one of the buttons below? Did you know you can receive bi-weekly Hungry for God posts sent directly to your email inbox? Visit http://www.lori-benotweary.blogspot.com and click on the link in the right hand corner to Subscribe Via Email.
Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher
February 8, 2017
An Alternative to Complaining
Oh, how we love to complain.
It's our default setting whenever something doesn't go our way. And we're not alone.
I’ve been reading through the book of Exodus in my quest to read the Bible in a year. Almost without fail, every time the children of Israel had a need, they complained about it. They fretted. They whined. They lamented that God had abandoned them, and grumbled about how much better things were back in Egypt.
Most of us probably aren’t wishing we were back in Egypt, but we often wish for “the good old days.” Oh, how we complain, fret, and whine.
Frightening circumstances and overwhelming odds? The Israelites complained against Moses.
Bitter water to drink? The Israelites complained against Moses.
No food to eat? The Israelites complained against Moses.
Absent in each of these wilderness crises, however, is what should have been their default response—prayer. It never occurred to the Israelites, with the exception of Moses, to take their needs to God.
Oh, how I often walk in their fretful sandals.
I can learn a valuable lesson from my shortsighted compatriots and from their leader, Moses. He saw their complaining, fretting, and whining for what it was—not a statement against their circumstances, but a complaint against God.
“The Lord hears your complaints which you make against Him,” he said. “And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord” (Ex. 16:8).
Yikes.
Every complaint I make isn’t really against my circumstances, but against the Lord. My grumbling goes straight from my mouth to God’s ears.
In contrast, Moses had a different type of conversation with God. “So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him . . .” (Ex. 15:24). Every time Moses saw a need, he asked God to meet it. And God did. Gladly and generously.
James 4:2 bluntly states the obvious: “You do not have, because you do not ask God.”
Moses got it. So should we.
That situation that’s making us whine and complain? What if we take it to the Lord and see what he will do?
Father, I confess the sins of grumbling and complaining. Please forgive me. Help me, instead, to bring everything to you in prayer, and then trust you to answer according to your wisdom and grace. Help me complain less and pray more. In Jesus’ name I ask, Amen.
If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe? I'll send you twice-weekly 5-minute devotions to help nourish your soul.
Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life.
Enter your email address and VALIDATE the Feedburner email sent to your inbox.
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If this post was meaningful to you, would you consider sharing it with a friend by clicking on one of the buttons below? Did you know you can receive bi-weekly Hungry for God posts sent directly to your email inbox? Visit http://www.lori-benotweary.blogspot.com and click on the link in the right hand corner to Subscribe Via Email.
Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher
It's our default setting whenever something doesn't go our way. And we're not alone.I’ve been reading through the book of Exodus in my quest to read the Bible in a year. Almost without fail, every time the children of Israel had a need, they complained about it. They fretted. They whined. They lamented that God had abandoned them, and grumbled about how much better things were back in Egypt.
Most of us probably aren’t wishing we were back in Egypt, but we often wish for “the good old days.” Oh, how we complain, fret, and whine.
Frightening circumstances and overwhelming odds? The Israelites complained against Moses.
Bitter water to drink? The Israelites complained against Moses.
No food to eat? The Israelites complained against Moses.
Absent in each of these wilderness crises, however, is what should have been their default response—prayer. It never occurred to the Israelites, with the exception of Moses, to take their needs to God.
Oh, how I often walk in their fretful sandals.
I can learn a valuable lesson from my shortsighted compatriots and from their leader, Moses. He saw their complaining, fretting, and whining for what it was—not a statement against their circumstances, but a complaint against God.
“The Lord hears your complaints which you make against Him,” he said. “And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord” (Ex. 16:8).
Yikes.
Every complaint I make isn’t really against my circumstances, but against the Lord. My grumbling goes straight from my mouth to God’s ears.
In contrast, Moses had a different type of conversation with God. “So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him . . .” (Ex. 15:24). Every time Moses saw a need, he asked God to meet it. And God did. Gladly and generously. James 4:2 bluntly states the obvious: “You do not have, because you do not ask God.”
Moses got it. So should we.
That situation that’s making us whine and complain? What if we take it to the Lord and see what he will do?
Father, I confess the sins of grumbling and complaining. Please forgive me. Help me, instead, to bring everything to you in prayer, and then trust you to answer according to your wisdom and grace. Help me complain less and pray more. In Jesus’ name I ask, Amen.
If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe? I'll send you twice-weekly 5-minute devotions to help nourish your soul.
Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life.
Enter your email address and VALIDATE the Feedburner email sent to your inbox.
Delivered by FeedBurner
If this post was meaningful to you, would you consider sharing it with a friend by clicking on one of the buttons below? Did you know you can receive bi-weekly Hungry for God posts sent directly to your email inbox? Visit http://www.lori-benotweary.blogspot.com and click on the link in the right hand corner to Subscribe Via Email.
Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher
February 5, 2017
You've Got a Friend
August 8 is National Friend Day, but I couldn’t wait that long to celebrate friendship.One of the most powerful expressions of friendship I’ve ever experienced took place when my husband and I were 2,500 miles away from home leading a youth mission trip to Mexico. We’d only been in the country a day when we got the call telling us my husband’s oldest sister, Kay, was on life support after a massive brain aneurysm. She died the next day.
David knew if we came home, so must the team. We’d leave behind missionaries and their children, 50 people, who were depending on us. There was no Plan B, so we chose to stay.
Deciding not to come home for Kay’s memorial service was one of the hardest decisions my husband has ever made, but he knew it was what Kay would have wanted. “I’m proud of you, Brother,” she’d told him the day before we left on the mission trip.
At the hour our family gathered in South Carolina for Kay’s memorial service, we excused ourselves from the mission conference to hold our own private memorial. We cried, prayed, and remembered. We laughed a little as we remembered Kay’s quirky sense of humor and told stories that made us smile through our tears.
What we didn’t know at the time was that many of our closest friends had gathered where we couldn’t be—at Kay’s service. If we’d been there, they would have rallied around us. Because we couldn’t be, they were there in our place—honoring Kay, loving our family, sharing our tears.
Margaret Feinberg, in her book, Fight Back with Joy, says, "We need people who will reach out and hold our hands whenever we find ourselves walking in the dark."
Upon our return, someone showed us the guest book from the service. It read like the Sunday School role from our beloved class. We were overwhelmed that friend after friend after friend had taken time off work that day to stand in our place at the memorial service.
We'll never forget selfless, sacrificial acts like this one. Being the recipient of such love gifts makes us humble, grateful, and eager to minister to others like others have ministered to us.
We know, ultimately, that our friends are able to love us well because they have the love of Christ in their hearts. "We love because he first loved us," 1 John 4:19 explains. Feinberg agrees. "They become peepholes through which we glimpse the kingdom of God, inspiration to become the best possible versions of ourselves even in the most difficult circumstances."
I pray you have at least one friend who loves you with the love of Christ, but even if you don't, I hope you have Christ, the friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Do you have a friend who has loved you with Christ-like friendship. Leave a comment in the box below and join the conversation. If you’re reading by email, CLICK HERE to visit Hungry for God online, scroll to the bottom of the post, and leave a comment there.
“Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
Claire Ryann and her daddy have a great understanding of what it means to be a friend. I hope this little song makes you smile.
If you’re reading by email and can’t see the video of Claire Ryann and her dad singing “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” Click HERE.If this post was meaningful to you, would you consider sharing it with a friend by clicking on one of the buttons below? Did you know you can receive bi-weekly Hungry for God posts sent directly to your email inbox? Visit http://www.lori-benotweary.blogspot.com and click on the link in the right hand corner to Subscribe Via Email.
Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher
February 2, 2017
Today Only! FREE Kindle Version of Hungry for God
Happy Friday, everyone. I want to share the great news that my publisher is giving away (as in FREE) the Kindle version of my 5-minute devotional,
Hungry for God ... Starving for Time.
This offer is FOR TWO DAYS ONLY -- Thursday, Feb. 2 and Friday, Feb. 3. At midnight, it's GONE. Here's the link: http://amzn.to/2k23gdd
So if you don't have an electronic copy of my book yet, click on over and grab one, then forward this email or post on social media to share the news with friends and family who need a resource that helps them connect with God in just 5 minutes a day, wherever they are. It could be the nicest thing you do for someone today.
Thanks for sharing the love!
~Lori
If this post was meaningful to you, would you consider sharing it with a friend by clicking on one of the buttons below? Did you know you can receive bi-weekly Hungry for God posts sent directly to your email inbox? Visit http://www.lori-benotweary.blogspot.com and click on the link in the right hand corner to Subscribe Via Email.
Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher
February 1, 2017
Skunks and the Power of Sin
If you've ever smelled a skunk, you’ve never forgotten it. I have some powerful memories associated with skunk stink. Like the day the neighbor’s dog chased one up a tree. They bathed him in gallons of tomato juice because someone said it would remove the smell, but it didn’t. Rex was never the same.
Or the time we hit a skunk on the highway. Thankfully we were driving a rental car. Sorry, Hertz.
The most pungent memory I have of skunk stink, however, dates back to a summer night when I was ten. Because we lived near a creek, we’d often smell skunks in the evenings, after the sun went down. The striped fellows are nocturnal and would often prowl the area around the creek hunting for food. Our garden was often the target of their late-night raids.
One hot night in August we not only smelled the stinky fellow, but we heard him—ripping down the cornstalks in our little garden. Dad turned on the porch light in a feeble attempt to frighten him away, but it was useless. I wondered later if the light might have helped the skunk better spot the juiciest ears, because he kept on munching. Dad didn’t dare go outside and risk being sprayed by the odorous creature.
“We’ll just have to wait ‘til morning to see what’s left,” he said with a shake of his head. As I lay in my bed, I swear I could hear that skunk licking his lips as he feasted on the corn I had hoped to enjoy.
The next morning Dad was the first out the back door. I watched as he unlatched the gate and headed to the corner of the garden where the corn stalks used to stand. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks and started backing up. How someone can move slowly and quickly at the same time, I’m not sure, but Dad did. Like rapid slow motion, he backpedaled until he was safely on the back porch again.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, craning my neck to see what he had seen.
“Skunk,” he said, wiping his hand across his forehead and pointing. “He must’ve tried to go under Mrs. Sousa’s chain link fence and got stuck.”
In true Winnie the Pooh fashion, that’s exactly what had happened. The fencing was flexible, but the posts were cemented into a concrete footer that stretched the length of the yard. It was an easy way into the garden, but with a belly full of fresh corn, not an easy way out.
I remembered this event recently when I read Proverbs 29:6:
“An evil man is snared by his own sin, but a righteous one can sing and be glad.”
I don’t know how many times mankind has been trapped, just like that engorged skunk, by the after-effects of our uncontrolled cravings. The desire for self-esteem, power, prestige, money, love, affirmation, respect, sexual fulfillment, or possessions isn’t wrong, just like food to fill a hungry skunk’s belly isn’t wrong. But when we seek to satisfy these desires in the wrong way, we grant them the power to control us. Instead of allowing God to meet our needs according to his plan and purpose for our lives, we take matters into our own hands, often with disastrous results.
James 1:14 warns us, “Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”
Thankfully, the animal control officer arrived quickly with a very long pole with a hook at the end. He gently lifted the fence enough for our bloated visitor to wriggle free and waddle away without incident.
When we become trapped by the consequences of sin, however, we don’t usually find such an easy solution. The effects can be far-reaching and devastating.
If you’re trapped today, there’s only one way to break free. You can’t do it in your own power. You have to call on Jesus. Confess your sin. Tell him you don’t want to live this way anymore. Invite him into your life, and ask him to change you from the inside out.
This is your only hope. But it is a good hope. A true hope. A hope that has changed the lives of millions down through the ages.
The hope Jesus offers can free you from the trap of alcohol, drugs, sex, pride, pornography, homosexuality, selfishness, bitterness, loneliness, gossip, and envy. Whether you’re trapped by a “big” sin or a “little” sin, Jesus is the only answer.
I hope you’ll call on him today.
Lord Jesus, I need your help. I can’t live like this any longer. I need the peace, freedom and restoration only you can give. I confess the sin of ___________ and ask you to remove it from my life. Change me and make me more like you. Show me what to do next and give me the strength to do it. In the strong name of Jesus I ask, Amen.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor. 5:17).
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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher
January 29, 2017
How Do We Magnify the Lord?
When the theological clouds part, and I finally understand something that has plagued me for years, it’s a good day. Last Sunday was a good day. My pastor, who is also my husband, was warming up for his sermon. Like a batter in the batter’s box, he was tossing a few spiritual pitches to his listening congregation. One of those lobs was Psalm 34:3:
“O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.”
Without knowing, he’d tossed me a theological curve ball. A conundrum of sorts. This verse has always bugged me. How, I’ve wondered, can mere mortals magnify the God of the universe?
God is loftier than the highest heavens. He is wiser than the most learned teacher. He is more powerful than the greatest army. He embodies every characteristic we desire but fall woefully short of. He is faithful, kind, patient, tender, creative, loving, and just. He is everything we are not, and he never sleeps, falters, or fails. How can I magnify God? How can I make him any bigger than he already is?
And then, as if he was reading my thoughts (which I’ve heard pastors can do), my husband said the words that parted the curtain of my understanding. “A magnifying glass doesn’t make an object bigger. It just brings it closer so others can see it better.”
That’s it. When I share how God has answered my prayers, met my needs, and cleansed my sin-sick soul, I bring God closer so others can see him better. And that's what I want to do more than anything else.
How about you? What are some ways you can magnify God so others can see him better? Leave a comment in the box below and share your thoughts. If you're reading by email, click HERE to visit Hungry for God online, scroll to the bottom of the post, and leave a comment.
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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher
January 25, 2017
Feeling Grateful on National Squirrel Day
“Lori!” Vangie said, hurrying through the door, her eyes wide. “There’s an animal in the backyard. He’s grey, and has big eyes and a fluffy tail. And he runs like this. ” She moved her arm up and down like a roller coaster. “Does he bite?” My puzzled frown turned into a smile, and a laugh escaped before I could smother it.
Vangie was from the Philippines and had been living with my husband and me for several weeks. Every day since her arrival, she’d found something new to marvel at. Today it was a squirrel.
Since the furry rodents are indigenous to the United States, and this was Vangie’s first visit here, she’d never seen one before. Once I assured her they were harmless, she added squirrel to her never-ending list of funny American words and went back outside to study it further.
Vangie found other aspects of everyday life in America equally fascinating. My oven, for example. Most Filipino homes don’t have ovens, so baking was quite mysterious to her. The day I let it slip that I knew how to bake bread from scratch elevated me to rock star status in her eyes.
She’d never had a birthday cake, either, something I didn’t know until I’d whipped up a simple Betty Crocker mix for her 25th birthday. Her awe and delight made me ashamed for all the birthday cakes I’d taken for granted over the years.
I didn’t realize she’d grown up without hot water until I came home one day to find all my dishes washed and half the bottle of dish detergent gone. “You cook, and I’ll clean,” she’d said to me earlier that day, eager to help around the house.
When I watched her tidy the kitchen after dinner, I noticed she wet each dish individually, saturated the dishcloth with dish soap, scrubbed it clean, then rinsed the suds off with cold water. I asked her why she washed dishes this way.
“When you don’t have hot water, you have to use lots of soap,” she said. Showing her the left hand faucet revolutionized Vangie’s dishwashing.
January 21 was National Squirrel Day, and as I watched the squirrels race across my back fence, they reminded me of Vangie. I’ve never forgotten her child-like sense of wonder about simple things like birthday cakes and hot water.
Her delight and enthusiasm made me think of all the things I take for granted.
Clean water to drink, cook with, and bathe in. After two mission trips to Mexico, I should never take this for granted.
The ability to sleep without fear. Not everyone in the world, or even in this country, rests peacefully with little concern for safety.
Choices about what to eat. Many in the world are grateful simply to have food. My “leftovers” would be someone else’s feast.
Washcloths. I’ll never forget the Operation Christmas Child story I heard about a little boy who received an OCC shoebox for Christmas. When someone asked him what his favorite item in the box was, he responded, “The washcloth. I’ve never had one of my own before.”
Screens. I live in the Southern United States, where the insects are plentiful, and mosquitoes are vicious. I can’t imagine living without screens (or windows for that matter). More than 40 percent of the world’s population, however, lives in malaria-risk areas. Over one million people worldwide, mostly children, die from malaria each year, which is just one of the diseases transmitted by the insects. I should never take my screens for granted.
The apostle Paul said, in his letter to the Philippians, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:12-13). Contentment and gratitude are beautiful things. They bring glory to God our father. May we never cease to be in awe of the good gifts he has given us.
I’ve shared only a few of the things for which I am grateful. I’d love for you to add to my list by leaving a comment in the box below. If you’re reading by email, CLICK HERE to visit Hungry for God online, scroll to the bottom of the post, and leave a comment.
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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher
January 22, 2017
It's All a Matter of Perspective
Standing at the kitchen counter, I felt a tug at my pants leg. Fully aware that my tiny granddaughter stood at my feet, I continued spreading peanut butter on a slice of bread. The tug became more insistent.
“Just a minute, Caroline. Gigi can’t pick you up right now.”
Caroline (lightly dusted with flour from Mommy's baking)A frown creased her little brow. Whimpering, she grabbed both pants legs, arching her back as if to will herself higher.
“I know you’re hungry. Hang on. I’m making you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”
My words only fueled her distress. With a final swipe of the knife, I added jelly to the sandwich, then smooshed the two pieces of bread together, completing the PB&J marriage. A wail at my feet signaled the end of Caroline’s patience.
I understand Caroline’s frustration.
From her limited perspective, nothing was happening. My back was turned, and I was clearly occupied with something other than her. To make matters worse, she had a need I wasn't responding to.
Or so she thought.
If Caroline had been a little taller, she’d have seen the truth—that I wasn’t ignoring her. Not only that, but I was actively working on her behalf.
I’m a lot like Caroline.
I’ve learned where to go when I have a need, and that’s a good thing. I approach my heavenly Father with a gentle tug and a whispered prayer or plea. If he doesn’t respond immediately, I become more insistent.
Some days his silence makes me feel as though he’s turned his back on me and is deliberately ignoring my urgent demands. Other times, I must confess, I launch a full-blown tantrum, complete with thrashing and wails.
Like Caroline, I have a limited perspective.
Tethered to earth by my mortality, I cannot see into the spiritual realm, where God is always at work. I forget he is my advocate, my provider, and my deliverer. Spiritual amnesia robs my memory of all the times he’s come to my rescue, and I panic, forgetting that his timetable is different from my own.
This is when I must rest in what I know, not in what I see. God’s Word tells me the truth—that he knows me, loves me, and promises to care for me all the days of my life.
“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you” (Isa. 46:4).
What are you struggling with today? Trust God with it.
May this be our prayer:
Father, help me trust you when I cannot see you. Help me remember all you’ve done for me in the past and wait patiently when your answer is long in coming. Grow my faith as I learn to depend on you. In the strong name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher
“Just a minute, Caroline. Gigi can’t pick you up right now.”
Caroline (lightly dusted with flour from Mommy's baking)A frown creased her little brow. Whimpering, she grabbed both pants legs, arching her back as if to will herself higher. “I know you’re hungry. Hang on. I’m making you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”
My words only fueled her distress. With a final swipe of the knife, I added jelly to the sandwich, then smooshed the two pieces of bread together, completing the PB&J marriage. A wail at my feet signaled the end of Caroline’s patience.
I understand Caroline’s frustration.
From her limited perspective, nothing was happening. My back was turned, and I was clearly occupied with something other than her. To make matters worse, she had a need I wasn't responding to.
Or so she thought.
If Caroline had been a little taller, she’d have seen the truth—that I wasn’t ignoring her. Not only that, but I was actively working on her behalf.
I’m a lot like Caroline.
I’ve learned where to go when I have a need, and that’s a good thing. I approach my heavenly Father with a gentle tug and a whispered prayer or plea. If he doesn’t respond immediately, I become more insistent.
Some days his silence makes me feel as though he’s turned his back on me and is deliberately ignoring my urgent demands. Other times, I must confess, I launch a full-blown tantrum, complete with thrashing and wails.
Like Caroline, I have a limited perspective.
Tethered to earth by my mortality, I cannot see into the spiritual realm, where God is always at work. I forget he is my advocate, my provider, and my deliverer. Spiritual amnesia robs my memory of all the times he’s come to my rescue, and I panic, forgetting that his timetable is different from my own.
This is when I must rest in what I know, not in what I see. God’s Word tells me the truth—that he knows me, loves me, and promises to care for me all the days of my life.
“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you” (Isa. 46:4).
What are you struggling with today? Trust God with it.
May this be our prayer:
Father, help me trust you when I cannot see you. Help me remember all you’ve done for me in the past and wait patiently when your answer is long in coming. Grow my faith as I learn to depend on you. In the strong name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher
January 18, 2017
Hope for Grey Days
Some days I look out my back window and see a glorious pink sunrise over the pond beyond our property. Canada geese honk and take flight. A dog barks, reminding its master that breakfast is late. Squirrels chatter to each other from the treetops, and far in the distance a red-tailed hawk hunts breakfast.Not today, though.
Today a cold fog hides it all from my view. The sky is grey, and the air is damp with moisture. A mist blankets the landscape, limiting my vision to what is directly in front of me. Birds squabble at the feeder outside my window while squirrels scavenge for dropped seeds on the ground. Beyond our fence, I hear the rustle of woodland noises, but I cannot see movement.
I recognize that this morning is a snapshot of life. Some days the sun’s rays shine a heavenly spotlight on what is ahead of me. Other days the sun hides behind ash-colored clouds and shrinks my field of vision.
On grey days, it’s important to realize that our limited perspective doesn’t change the reality of what is. Experience tells me that though I cannot see what lies behind the fog, it is still there. The only thing that has changed is my ability to see it.
This is why “we walk by faith, not by sight.” When circumstances blur our vision and keep us from seeing clearly, we must rely on our spiritual eyes to see what our physical eyes cannot.
The prophet Elijah’s servant suffered from circumstantial blindness Iike I sometimes do. Surrounded by an enemy army, all he saw was what was directly in front of him. It was big, and it was scary.
Elijah, however, had 20/20 vision.
He prayed, “‘O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.’ Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17).
“Don't be afraid,” the prophet told his servant, “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them’” (v. 16).
If today is a grey day for you, and you feel blinded by the fog, rest in the knowledge that your inability to see doesn’t change the reality of what is. God is present in your circumstances. He surrounds you with his care and protection. He has an army at his disposal to work his good and perfect will in your situation. Those who are with you are more than those who are with them.Think on this today.
Father, our vision is limited. Sometimes we are frightened by what we don’t understand. Help us remember that you know the end from the beginning and have all the days of our lives cradled gently in your strong, capable hands. Increase our faith. Help us trust you when we are afraid and seek you when we are confused. Be our advocate and our protector, and help us glorify you in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in. Help us walk by faith, not by sight. In the strong name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher
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