Lori Hatcher's Blog: Refresh Blog, page 79

What Better Way to Celebrate FREEDOM than with FREE Books?

I love my country. 

In recent days it's made me proud and it's made me sad, but nothing will ever change my opinion that it's still the greatest country on earth. 

On this, America's 239th birthday, I want to share a few of my favorite patriotic pictures. AND share a very special offer -- five FREE books, all written by Christians, from a Christian worldview. 

The fact that we can write, publish, and distribute books that share our faith and encourage others in their faith journey is one of the greatest evidences that the freedom our forefathers fought and died for still lives in our country. 

May God continue to preserve this most precious of all freedoms. 

And may we never, ever take it for granted.







My publisher, Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, has made 100 copies of my book, Hungry For God ... Starving for Time, Five-Minute Devotions for Busy Women, available FREE on Book Grabber today. I'd love for you to download a copy, then pass this offer on to your friends.

Here's the link: https://bookgrabbr.com/books/3199 

AND to sweeten the FREEDOM celebration even more, here are FOUR other Lighthouse Publishing books, also available FREE today:


Andrea's Merrell's Praying for the Prodigal:  https://bookgrabbr.com/books/3163   
Lori Roeleveld's Running From a Crazy Man:  https://bookgrabbr.com/books/3153      
Amy Sullivan's When More Is Not Enough, How to Stop Giving Your Kids What They Want and Give Them What They Need :  https://bookgrabbr.com/books/3207    
Nan Jones' Perils of a Pastor's Wife:
 https://bookgrabbr.com/books/3195   


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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

Why Do I Write, Even If I Wonder if Anyone's Reading?

What makes you think anyone would want to read anything you write? 

You think that’s original? Ann Voskamp’s already said it—better. And with pictures. 

Other bloggers write long posts about big issues. Who are you kidding? You’re not even in the same league. 

Have you ever had a morning when you were defeated before you even got out of bed? When the voices whispered so persistently you couldn’t even mount a protest? When you questioned your calling, your ministry, maybe even your existence? Any success you may have enjoyed in the past was just a colorless memory, like an old black and white newsreel, and the motivation to do the next thing just wasn’t there?

Times like these don’t come often to me, but on hormonal days when the sun doesn’t shine and my feelings are tender, they have the power to get me down. Like cockroaches too cowardly to come into the light, they scuttle along the baseboards of my mind hindering my progress and distorting my perspective.

Here in the South where Palmetto bugs are four inches long and big enough that we can hear their footsteps, we keep a can of Raid nearby at all times. Similarly, we should keep our spiritual insecticide within arms’ reach.

The insecticide for cockroach comments like the ones I listed above? The Word of God.

When I reached for it, the Word was alive and powerful. Like sitting down with an encouraging friend, my time in God’s Word was just what I needed to banish the dark clouds of doubt and discouragement.

As I read in The One Year Bible, I read the story of Elijah. A bold prophet who had stood up to evil King Ahab, called fire down from heaven, and slayed the evil prophets of Baal, Elijah was riding the wave of the miraculous. Convinced that the supernatural events he had witnessed would win over Ahab and his wicked wife Jezebel, he was shocked to receive this message from the royal palace:

So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of (the prophets) by tomorrow about this time (1 Kings 19:2).

Frightened and confused, Elijah ran.

Far far away.

And prayed that he might die. 

 “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life . . .”

You know what God did? He didn’t scold him, nor did he pity him. He fed him. He granted him sleep. He listened to his complaints, and then, as only God can do, he reminded Elijah of three things:

1. I am God. 

2. You are not. 

3. You are not alone. 

Through a tornado-like wind, he showed Elijah his power. Through a ground-shattering earthquake, he demonstrated his control. Through a raging fire, he reminded Elijah of his judgment.

And then, in a still, small voice, he showed Elijah that he was quietly, sometimes imperceptibly, at work in Israel.

“You are not alone, Elijah,” God said. “There are 7,000 men whose knees haven’t bowed to Baal.”




“Now get up, dust yourself off and get going. I have work for you to do.” 

In January, my friend Jean emailed me:

“My dear friend who is in prison wrote me and said:

Each morning I start my day with three daily devotionals. Hungry for God, Starving for Time is unequivocally my favorite. When information is enveloped in narrative, I tend to remember what I’ve read. Lori’s antidotes are comedic, metaphorically graphic, and rich with a message universally relevant to a believer’s intent to incorporate God’s wisdom into their daily walk. Thank you so much for the book. It has had an impact already. I share it with Lorena (her cell mate) and she appreciates it equally.”


In February, my friend Debbie brought five copies of my book, Hungry for God … Starving for Time, to Kenya. She gave one to Sister Freda, a brave, dedicated sister in Christ who has founded a preschool, clinic, a girls high school, and a nursing school.

In May, I received this email from Andrea, a young woman ministering to Navy wives in Japan through Cadence International:

I have been enjoying your devotional book. I think it is something the women could benefit from … Thank you for being willing to donate copies to our ministry. 

And recently I found these kind words in my Inbox from Sharon, a woman I met at one of my Praying with Power conferences who works with Women at the Well Ministries of PA:

My one new idea from your seminar was to pray first, and read the Bible second, looking for answers in my reading. It’s taking a while to get used to making this change, but I am gaining insight and answers from this switch. Yes, you can teach old dogs new tricks if they want to learn! 

I have especially enjoyed the two devotions that came out this week. The post on sex and violence spoke to my heart, and reconfirmed some of the limitations I place on things we read and watch. Thank you for your prayers and your ministry of encouragement. I look forward to another time when we can meet. In the meantime, keep writing those great devos! 

God, in his still, small voice, used Elijah and these women to remind me, 

He is God,

I am not, 

and I am not alone. 

Author/speaker Alton Gansky says this,

"When you write for God, and you really mean it . . . your work may never show up on the shelves of Lifeway. It may never find its way into bound print at all. But when you write for God, when you write with the heart of a servant . . . you may find that your words are only meant for the guy sitting next to you. If you can accept this . . . live with it . . . grasp it . . . then you can truly write for God."

Why do I write, even when I’m afraid no one’s reading? 

Because God has called me to.

What has God called you to? Are you questioning your calling, your ministry, perhaps even your existence? Struggling soul, be faithful, even when the voices cry loudly, no one appreciates you, and you want to quit. Press on. The harvest is coming.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9).








You want to connect with God, but in the craziness of life, it’s just not happening. You want practical, biblical answers to situations you face every day, but you don’t have hours to pore over Scripture.

You need a resource that answers the questions you’re afraid to ask out loud. Questions like:

• Is my situation hopeless?
• If God already knows what he’s going to do, why bother to pray? 
• Why have you allowed this to happen to me? 
• No one appreciates what I do. Why shouldn’t I quit? 

Each devotion begins with a Facetime question and ends with a biblical answer wrapped in a modern day parable. Like a spiritual power bar, Hungry for God … Starving for Time is packed with enough scriptural nutrition to get you through the day. Wherever you are—in break rooms, carpool lines, or wherever you can snatch five minutes of quiet reflection—Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is for you.



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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Hungry for God is on Facebook! Will you take a moment and LIKE my page? CLICK HERE to help HFG share 5-minute devotions.
 

 

 

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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

How Christians Should Live in Light of the Supreme Court Decision

Yesterday my pastor stood in the pulpit and said, “I may have to go to jail one day.” 

“And we may have to do church much differently than we’ve ever done it before, he said. "The time may come in our country when we have to choose between obeying man and obeying God. One thing I can say for certain—we will never, ever compromise the Word of God.”

I love that man. 

And the timelessness of God’s Word comforts me, speaks truth to my troubled heart, and reminds me that this season has not caught God by surprise. He inspired Peter, millennia ago, to write these words with us in mind:

Dear friends, 

Do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

Christ was born into a government that killed the innocent to preserve a kingdom. 

If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.

The disciples were beaten, jailed, and run out of town. 

“Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine!”

However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.

“But Peter and the other apostles answered and said, ‘We ought to obey God rather than men.’”  

For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"

“Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-- who is forever praised. Amen.

“Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done (Romans 1:24-28).

“On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. . . . But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison. Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went” (Acts. 1:1, 3-4).

“When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed.

So there was great joy in that city.”

So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good” (1 Peter 4:12-19).

We can take comfort from the past, knowing that Christ will continue to build his church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. 

“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58).


What truth from Scripture comforts you when the events of this world make you afraid? Why not share them in the comments so others can be encouraged? If you're reading by email subscription, click here to visit Hungry for God and comment.






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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

When You Don't Like What You See in the Mirror

“It is an observable fact that most people don’t like themselves, in spite of being, for the most part, decent enough human beings . . .” says Phillip Lopate, in Writing Creative Nonfiction.


I thought about Lopate’s quote today, because I looked into the mirror of God’s Word and saw something I disliked. It wasn’t the smile lines around my mouth, the crows’ feet near my eyes, or the less-than-perfect skin on my face.

I looked into the mirror and saw King Ahab. Eeew.

It’s a curious thing, how when we look into the perfect law of God, we see the juxtaposition of our shortcomings and sins. We see who we could and should be side by side with who we are and aren’t. I suspect this is why, in Galatians 3:24, Paul called the law a “schoolmaster”: “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”

With no standard to compare ourselves, we look pretty good—better than some of our neighbors, and certainly not as bad as others. But when we look into God’s law, which is really just a template for his perfection, we fall woefully short.

This is how God and his law used wicked King Ahab to show me my sinful family resemblance.

Ahab was rich. The king of Samaria, he had a beautiful palace, all the money he needed, land, horses, and a wife. Oh, boy, did he have a wife, but that’s a subject for another post.

Instead of being thankful for all God had blessed him with, Ahab turned his lustful eyes over the wall onto his neighbor’s vineyard. Now Ahab didn’t need Naboth’s vineyard. He had vineyards galore. And gardeners to tend them and servants to pick their fruit.

But Ahab was greedy. He wanted what he didn’t have. Sometimes I wish for what I didn't have, too.

Where does this continual lust for more come from? I hate to blame everything on our sinful natures, but the apostle James connected the dots on this one:

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight” (Jas. 4:1).

Our lust for more and our discontentment with what God gives us comes from our human nature—a nature that, left to itself, will never, ever be satisfied. So what’s the antidote when our coveting eyes glance over at our neighbor’s smiling family, intact marriage, pain-free body, etc., etc., etc. . . .?


“. . . be content with what you have,” Hebrews 13:5 tell us, “because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”

If Ahab had been thankful instead of greedy and ungrateful, I think he'd have been much happier. Could this be true of us as well?

Forgive us, Father, for allowing what we don’t have to steal the joy from what we do. Thank you that the boundary lines have fallen for us in pleasant places. We have a good inheritance. Help us remember if we seek first the kingdom of God and your righteousness, everything we need will be added to our lives. And you will send no sorrow with it. Thank you for the perfect law of liberty that promises us freedom from lust and greed and discontentment. And thank you for your Son, who promises never to leave us or forsake us. Truly, Father, what more do we need?

If you’re struggling with covetousness today, will you join me in listing God’s good gifts and saying thank you? It will do much to banish the sin of grumbling greed from our hearts.



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Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life. 

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Hungry for God is on Facebook! Will you take a moment and LIKE my page? CLICK HERE to help HFG share 5-minute devotions.


You want to connect with God, but in the craziness of life, it’s just not happening. You want practical, biblical answers to situations you face every day, but you don’t have hours to pore over Scripture.

You need a resource that answers the questions you’re afraid to ask out loud. Questions like:

• Is my situation hopeless?
• If God already knows what he’s going to do, why bother to pray? 
• Why have you allowed this to happen to me? 
• No one appreciates what I do. Why shouldn’t I quit? 

Each devotion begins with a Facetime question and ends with a biblical answer wrapped in a modern day parable. Like a spiritual power bar, Hungry for God … Starving for Time is packed with enough scriptural nutrition to get you through the day. Wherever you are—in break rooms, carpool lines, or wherever you can snatch five minutes of quiet reflection—Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is for you.


 

 

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

Today I'm Proud to Be a Christian

There have been times when I’ve been ashamed of my family.

My faith family, that is.

Squabbles, scandals, and division. Disputes over denominational differences. Competition rather than cooperation. “Black churches” and “white churches.” These have broken my heart and made me ashamed.

But this week, I’m proud. PROUD to call myself a Christian.

I’m so proud, of Debbie Dills, an ordinary believer whom God called to do an extraordinary thing. Early Thursday morning she watched FOX and Friends’ coverage of the church shooting. On her way to work, providentially running late, she spotted Dylann Roof’s car.

“I got a little nervous,” she told FOX news afterward, “I’ll be honest with you. I’m not a hero, and I’m not brave.”

She pulled off onto an exit ramp, phoned her boss, and told him what she’d seen. He called police, who asked Debbie to get back on the highway, catch up with Roof, and confirm the license plate number.

Would you chase after an armed man who had just killed nine people in cold blood? And get close enough to read his license plate and confirm his identity?

But with courage that only came from God, Debbie got back on Highway 74, chased Roof down, phoned in his license plate number, and tailed him until police arrived.

"I’m not the hero,” she’s quick to admit. “God’s the hero. He just used me. . . . I hope he’s pleased with me. I want him to be pleased with me more than anything else.”





I’m so proud, of Marcus Stanley, a black rapper and survivor of black gun violence. He looked past the horror of Dylann Roof’s crime into the darkness in his soul. He posted a message on Roof’s Facebook page calling him to repentance and salvation.

“Give your heart to Jesus and confess your sins with a heart of forgiveness.” Marcus wrote. “He is the only one who can save your soul and forgive you for the terrible act you have done.”

I’m so proud of the families and loved ones of those who died in Charleston. Wracked with grief, they followed the example of their Savior, who interceded for his killers by saying, “Forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.”

Through tears, Ethel Lance’s daughter said to Roof, “I forgive you. You took something very precious from me, and I will never talk to her ever again. I will never be able to hold her again. But I forgive you. And have mercy on your soul."

I’m so proud that when some called for a race riot in Charleston, Pastor Norvel Goff, standing in the pulpit of Emanuel AME church, said, “A lot of folk expected us to do something strange and break out in a riot. Well, they just don’t know us. They just don’t know us because we are a people of faith, and we believe that when we put our forces and our heads together, working for a common good, there is nothing we cannot accomplish together in the name of Jesus.”

I’m so proud that Emanuel AME opened their doors in faith and commitment as they’ve done every Sunday since the church’s founding. And of the hundreds from all over the state and nation who sat in sweltering heat and crowded conditions inside the church for Sunday school and service.

The church met for Sunday morning services to send a “message to the demons in Hell.”

Perhaps this is what Jesus foresaw when he told Peter, “upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Mat. 16:18).

I’m so proud of the hundreds who held vigil outside the courthouse while Dylann Roof’s arraignment hearing took place. Black and white, young and old, they held hands and sang hymns in support of the bereaved families inside.


And I’m so proud, of St. Andrews Evangelical Church, a mostly-white assembly in my hometown of Columbia, whose congregation walked down the street and surprised a mostly-black church by joining them in worship. “It was crowded, hot, emotional, and awesome,” one church member wrote.

Perhaps this is what Paul foresaw when he said, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28).

There have been times when I’ve been ashamed of my faith family. Ashamed to reveal that I’m a Christian “like them,” but not today.

Today, I’m proud.


“The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned” (Mat. 4:16).




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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

The Emanuel AME Shooting -- When Did the Church Become the Most Dangerous Place In Town?

Wednesday night, Dylann Roof sat in prayer meeting at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC.

One hundred miles away in Columbia, I sat in a church prayer meeting, too. While our pastor led six of us in a Bible study, the door opened and a visitor walked in. We were surprised. Young people don’t attend church much anymore, and only the devout come out on a steamy night in June to pray.

We welcomed him and shared our pizza. We were glad he had found his way to the house of God. When the study ended and we bowed our heads to pray, he bowed with us.

“Please come back,” we said as he left, “our doors are always open.”

Today my heart is breaking for the nine prayer warriors who lost their lives at Emanuel AME Church while praying and studying God’s Word—in God’s house.

The sacred has been defiled. The defenseless have been destroyed. The darkness has dealt an evil blow to the body of Christ.

My heart aches because those who lost their lives in Charleston are my brothers and sisters. They are part of my family. They knelt to pray like I kneel to pray. They studied God’s Word like I study God’s Word. They had a right to assemble unmolested like I have a right to assemble unmolested. They welcomed a stranger in the name of Jesus like I welcome strangers in the name of Jesus.

My sadness is deep because this tragedy has occurred in my country. In my state. One hundred miles from my home. In South Carolina’s Holy City.

President Obama, in a statement following Roof’s arrest, said, “Any death of this sort is a tragedy, any shooting involving multiple victims is a tragedy. There’s something particularly heartbreaking about death happening in a place we seek solace, and we seek peace, in a place of worship.”

He spoke truth. In times past people ran to the church for safety. Wednesday night people ran from the church in horror.

Last night a visitor sat among my small group of believers gathered to study and pray. One hundred miles away, another visitor sat among a small group of believers gathered to study and pray. My brothers and sisters went home to rest safely in their beds. My Emanuel brothers and sisters went home to rest safely in the arms of their Savior.

When did the church become the most dangerous place in town?

Maybe it has always been.

The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, fingered the mastermind behind the shooting long before Charleston police fingerprinted Dylann Roof:

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (6:12). 

How did my brothers and sisters in Charleston spend the last hour of their lives? Studying God’s Word. Praying for the lost. Welcoming strangers.

May their courage make us brave. May their commitment make us strong, and may their example cause us to live each day in wholehearted pursuit of our Savior.

“Therefore,” Paul instructs us, “put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” (Eph. 6:13).






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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

The Emmanuel AME Shooting -- When Did the Church Become the Most Dangerous Place In Town?

Wednesday night, Dylann Roof sat in prayer meeting at Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC.

One hundred miles away in Columbia, I sat in a church prayer meeting, too. While our pastor led six of us in a Bible study, the door opened and a visitor walked in. We were surprised. Young people don’t attend church much anymore, and only the devout come out on a steamy night in June to pray.

We welcomed him and shared our pizza. We were glad he had found his way to the house of God. When the study ended and we bowed our heads to pray, he bowed with us.

“Please come back,” we said as he left, “our doors are always open.”

Today my heart is breaking for the nine prayer warriors who lost their lives at Emmanuel AME Church while praying and studying God’s Word—in God’s house.

The sacred has been defiled. The defenseless have been destroyed. The darkness has dealt an evil blow to the body of Christ.

My heart aches because those who lost their lives in Charleston are my brothers and sisters. They are part of my family. They knelt to pray like I kneel to pray. They studied God’s Word like I study God’s Word. They had a right to assemble unmolested like I have a right to assemble unmolested. They welcomed a stranger in the name of Jesus like I welcome strangers in the name of Jesus.

My sadness is deep because this tragedy has occurred in my country. In my state. One hundred miles from my home. In South Carolina’s Holy City.

President Obama, in a statement following Roof’s arrest, said, “Any death of this sort is a tragedy, any shooting involving multiple victims is a tragedy. There’s something particularly heartbreaking about death happening in a place we seek solace, and we seek peace, in a place of worship.”

He spoke truth. In times past people ran to the church for safety. Wednesday night people ran from the church in horror.

Last night a visitor sat among my small group of believers gathered to study and pray. One hundred miles away, another visitor sat among a small group of believers gathered to study and pray. My brothers and sisters went home to rest safely in their beds. My Emmanuel brothers and sisters went home to rest safely in the arms of their Savior.

When did the church become the most dangerous place in town?

Maybe it has always been.

The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, fingered the mastermind behind the shooting long before Charleston police fingerprinted Dylann Roof:

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (6:12). 

How did my brothers and sisters in Charleston spend the last hour of their lives? Studying God’s Word. Praying for the lost. Welcoming strangers.

May their courage make us brave. May their commitment make us strong, and may their example cause us to live each day in wholehearted pursuit of our Savior.

“Therefore,” Paul instructs us, “put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” (Eph. 6:13).






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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

I'm Only One Person. What Can I Do?

Sometimes the world’s problems seem very big, and I feel very small. 

I hear of gruesome beheadings of Christians. I see children die in gang-related crossfire. I hear of babies who perish at the hands of abortionists. I see a generation of young people turning its back on biblical truth and moral conservancy.

And I think, I'm only one person. What can I do? 

In October of 1943, Adolf Hitler ordered the arrest and deportation of some 7,800 Jewish citizens from the country of Denmark. The courageous Danish resistance movement, along with a great number of ordinary citizens, undertook an unprecedented rescue attempt.

In an era long before cell phones, text messages, and emails, the Danes warned their Jewish countrymen of the impending roundup. Some even resorted to paging through local phone books and calling everyone with a Jewish-sounding name.

And despite grave risk of personal danger and arrest, they didn’t stop with warnings. Many citizens hid Jews in their homes until a rescue plan was in place and then spirited their countrymen to the Danish coast.


Once the Jews arrived, hundreds of fishermen, using commercial and private boats, ferried them across the Oresund Strait to the neighboring country of Sweden, which had offered them asylum. “As a result of the rescue, and the following Danish intercession on behalf of the 464 Danish Jews who were captured and deported to Theresienstadt transit camp in Bohemia, over 99% of Denmark's Jewish population survived the Holocaust,” Leo Goldberger writes in his book, The Rescue of the Danish Jews, Moral Courage Under Stress.

Ordinary people, obeying their consciences and taking stands for what was right, rescued 99 percent of the Jews in their country destined for genocide.


What if anyone of them had thought, I am only one person. What can I do?

Martyred Christians, innocent children, deceived young adults, and unborn babies. Who will be their champion? It only takes one to raise the battle flag—to pray, to speak, to write. To give, to work, to go. The pages of history remind us that God raises armies one soldier at a time.

Perhaps instead of asking What can I do?, we should be saying,

Here am I. Send me.




You want to connect with God, but in the craziness of life, it’s just not happening. You want practical, biblical answers to situations you face every day, but you don’t have hours to pore over Scripture.











You need a resource that answers the questions you’re afraid to ask out loud. Questions like:

• Is my situation hopeless?
• If God already knows what he’s going to do, why bother to pray? 
• Why have you allowed this to happen to me? 
• No one appreciates what I do. Why shouldn’t I quit? 

Each devotion begins with a Facetime question and ends with a biblical answer wrapped in a modern day parable. Like a spiritual power bar, Hungry for God … Starving for Time is packed with enough scriptural nutrition to get you through the day. Wherever you are—in break rooms, carpool lines, or wherever you can snatch five minutes of quiet reflection—Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is for you.



If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe? I'll send you twice-weekly 5-minute devotions to help nourish your soul. 
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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

What Does God's Voice Sound Like?

I’d sometimes hear people talk about “hearing God’s voice,” and wonder if they were a little off. Or fanciful. Sure you heard God’s voice, I’d think, and then mentally pat them on the head like a small child describing the unicorn in her bedroom.

What I’ve discovered, however, is that God does speak to his children if we take time to listen. If we position ourselves to hear from him. If we slow down long enough to recognize his voice.

As the result of attending a Bible study by Becky Tirabassi called  Let Prayer Change Your Life  and many years of maturity, I've learned to recognize God's voice. But it didn't happen overnight.

When I first heard Becky Tirabassi say she prayed for an hour a day, I thought, Are you crazy? I fall asleep after ten minutes.

At the time, my prayer life consisted of half-coherent prayers mumbled as I was falling asleep each night. Dear God, thank you for this day. Please keep my children safe and bless those I love. Help us zzzzzzzzzz. 

Or arrow prayers when I needed help. Lord, the car’s making a funny noise, and I don’t know how we’re going to pay for a repair. Please help it be something minor.

My prayer life was sporadic, haphazard, and ineffective. Occasionally something would happen that related to something I’d prayed about, but deep down inside, I’d wonder if it was just a coincidence—if it would have happened anyway.

As a result of applying the principles I learned in the study, however, my morning prayer time has gone from snoozy to spectacular.

Now the time I spend in prayer and Bible reading is the most precious part of my day. The principles I’ve learned to put into practice have unlocked a world of communication between me and the Lord I never dreamed possible.

Here’s an example of one of my recent conversations with God:

Early one morning I was praying for my daughter, who recently moved to Japan, far away from everyone and everything she loves (except that new husband of hers, who’s in the Navy). I thought about Amy, a young woman ministering to Navy wives in Japan. She has reached out to my daughter and befriended her.

I wonder if Amy needs any financial support? I thought. My husband and I often donate to ministries, individuals, and mission projects in addition to our local church.

As I considered talking with my him about donating to her ministry, I opened my Bible (I read The One-Year Daily Bible). The passage that day was the story of David making an offering to God on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. “I will not sacrifice to God that which costs me nothing,” David said (2 Sam. 24:24).

As I was closing my Bible, my phone pinged, indicating I had a Face Time message from my daughter. I’m so thankful for Amy, she wrote, . . . I wonder . . . I know she raises her own support. Are you and Dad still looking for missionaries to sponsor?

I couldn’t help but smile. I love it when God speaks so clearly. I appreciate that he confirms his messages to us by repeating them in different ways. Sometimes I’m slow to hear or slow to respond, so I need a few nudges. I’m delighted that I don’t have to depend on my thoughts only, which are sometimes spot on and sometimes way off base.

When God is speaking to me, he’ll often confirm his message through the counsel of wise friends, a Bible passage, or a spiritual song. It's important to remember that God will never speak contrary to Scripture, the final authority for every decision. Sometimes he’ll use circumstances to affirm what I think I hear.

Hearing God’s voice isn’t a big guessing game. Sometimes it’s the clearest conversation I have all day.

If you’d like to learn to hear God’s voice, I suggest you do these seven things: 

1. Find a quiet place to pray. Preferably not when you’re sleepy, distracted, or likely to be interrupted.

2. Ask God to search your heart to see if there is any unconfessed sin in your life. When something comes to mind, confess it and ask God to forgive you.

3. Tell God your concerns and needs. Be honest and transparent. Be specific. I’ve found writing my prayers in a journal helps me stay focused.

4. Read a passage of Scripture. Rather than just opening your Bible at random and reading whatever is on the page, choose a book of the Bible to read through.

5. Sit quietly before the Lord and listen with your heart. Be open to what he might say to you. Write down the thoughts that occur to you during this time.

6. Praise and thank God. When we praise God, we remind ourselves to whom we're praying to. When we thank him, we express gratitude instead of grumbling.

7. As you move through your day or week, have your radar up. Be aware of circumstances around you. Pay special attention to the words of godly friends and mentors. Take notes during church. 

The more you talk with God through prayer, the more he will talk back to you through his Word, his people, and the Holy Spirit who lives inside you.

With practice, you’ll learn to recognize his voice. And the more confident you are that you're hearing from God, the bolder you'll be to act on what he tells you.

And THAT’S when the fun really begins. 

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me,” (John 10:27).

What about you? Do you think God speaks to people? Have you ever heard God’s voice? I’d love to hear your story. Leave a comment in the section below and share your thoughts.

If you're in the Columbia, SC area, you're invited to join me as I teach a group of women how to pray with power during a 5-week Bible study beginning tonight, June 15, at 7 pm at New Testament Baptist Church, 300 Sims Avenue. For more information, contact me at LoriAHatcher (at) gmail.com or just show up this evening. We'd be glad to have you.

If you're out of the Columbia area, I'd love to share Praying with Power with your church or women's ministry group. Click HERE to find out more about my speaking ministry.

For other posts on how to hear God speak, click the links below:

How To Know It's God Speaking to You

Why Praying on the Run Isn't Enough

When You Feel Powerless to Influence Your Children






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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Hungry for God is on Facebook! Will you take a moment and LIKE my page? CLICK HERE to help HFG share 5-minute devotions.
 






You want to connect with God, but in the craziness of life, it’s just not happening. You want practical, biblical answers to situations you face every day, but you don’t have hours to pore over Scripture.

You need a resource that answers the questions you’re afraid to ask out loud. Questions like:

• Is my situation hopeless?
• If God already knows what he’s going to do, why bother to pray? 
• Why have you allowed this to happen to me? 
• No one appreciates what I do. Why shouldn’t I quit? 

Each devotion begins with a Facetime question and ends with a biblical answer wrapped in a modern day parable. Like a spiritual power bar, Hungry for God … Starving for Time is packed with enough scriptural nutrition to get you through the day. Wherever you are—in break rooms, carpool lines, or wherever you can snatch five minutes of quiet reflection—Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is for you. 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

Don't Be a Grumbling Hebrew

Whenever her children would whine or complain, my friend Karen would call them grumbling Hebrews. She was referring, of course, to the Israelites who griped and bellyached all the way to the Promised Land. 

God parted the Red Sea so they could cross and delivered them from Pharaoh’s army. He kept their clothes and shoes from wearing out and provided an ample supply of food every single day. Best of all, he promised to bring them into a land “of milk and honey.” Yet they grumbled and complained the whole way. 

Many times I’m just like these ungrateful wretches. Evidences of God’s love and care surround me, yet I murmur and whine. God has guided my life for many years. He’s delivered me from sin and eternal punishment. He’s provided a home in which to live and food to eat every day, and, if that’s not enough, he promises to take me to heaven when I die. 

Yet I am, so often, a grumbling Hebrew. I look at the 98 percent God has given me, and instead of being thankful, I yearn for the two percent he's withheld. 

What about you? If you are similarly guilty, will you join me in choosing thanksgiving instead of grumbling?

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." (Psalm 100:4-5).



Have you ever wanted to try your hand at writing a Christian devotion? Well here's your chance. 

My friend Marilyn Nutter sends out an invitation once a year to submit devotions for the one-year devotional she edits, Penned from the Heart. A lovely book, PFTH is a compilation of 366 short devotions from writers all over the world. 

I always sigh when I receive Marilyn's invitation. Those of you who have been readers for any length of time know short seldom describes my devotions. And there's the catch -- each devotion is 225 words or less. Oh  my. I can barely write an introduction in 225 words, let along craft an entire coherent and spiritual thought.

But every year, for the sheer discipline, I challenge myself to see if I can do it. The devotion  you just read is this year's attempt. I pray it blesses you and the sweet PFTH readers who will purchase next year's volume.You can read last year's submission to Penned from the Heart, "When Someone You Love Has No Faith," HERE.  

Now how about you? Would you like to give it a try? Scroll to the bottom of this post to read the writers' guidelines (they're simple), and then ask the Lord what he'd have YOU share. And if you submit, let me know so I can be praying for you and those who will read your devotion.




You want to connect with God, but in the craziness of life, it’s just not happening. You want practical, biblical answers to situations you face every day, but you don’t have hours to pore over Scripture.

You need a resource that answers the questions you’re afraid to ask out loud. Questions like:

• Is my situation hopeless?
• If God already knows what he’s going to do, why bother to pray? 
• Why have you allowed this to happen to me? 
• No one appreciates what I do. Why shouldn’t I quit? 

Each devotion begins with a Facetime question and ends with a biblical answer wrapped in a modern day parable. Like a spiritual power bar, Hungry for God … Starving for Time is packed with enough scriptural nutrition to get you through the day. Wherever you are—in break rooms, carpool lines, or wherever you can snatch five minutes of quiet reflection—Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is for you.



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










Hungry for God is on Facebook! Will you take a moment and LIKE my page? CLICK HERE to help HFG share 5-minute devotions.




Writer’s Guidelines for Penned from the Heart – for 2016
Penned from the Heart, published around Thanksgiving by Son-Rise Publications, New Wilmington, PA is a non-denominational, Christian book of 366 devotions and poems which can be started at any time during the year and used in any year. Cut-off date for receiving submissions is July 1st.
Submissions from novice and professional writers are welcomed. Devotions should be 225 words or less. Poems (verse or free-verse) should be no more than 20 lines, counting spaces between stanzas. Devotions should be more than a Bible study or personal experience. Insights, prayers, and anecdotes that proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ or build the body of Christ through encouragement, inspiration, or teaching are encouraged. Readers should find a Take-Away, something to apply to their lives.  
Formal format of opening scripture and closing prayer is not required, but scripture relating to the devotion or poem, should be included in each submission. Please include a title for your devotion or poem. When quoting scripture, please be accurate and indicate the version in this way: NIV, KJV, NASB, MSG (The Message), etc.  Do not rely on your memory—please verify accuracy.  Include a brief bio of no more than 40 words; include email and website if you want to readers to contact you.   It will be helpful to submit your devotion in Arial 10 (Arial 9 bold & italic for scripture passages).
Son-Rise Publications asks for one-time rights for the volume in which your work appears.  Previously published devotions, as well as original works, are accepted if you own the copyright. Reprint rights are given when supplied by the author. Payment for the inclusion of your work in PFTH is a free copy of the volume in which your work appears, and the opportunity to buy other copies at a discounted rate. International contributors and contributors who do not order additional books will receive a complimentary copy but pay mailing cost. PFTH gives authors an opportunity to see their work in print.  Most importantly, it is intended to bring glory to Jesus and encouragement to readers, as writers share His love. Son-Rise is a small publishing house, so distribution for this book is done primarily by its contributors in their home churches, venues in which they serve as speakers, work places, and  friends and family. The books make wonderful gifts and witnessing tools at any time of the year.
For an example of a devotion visit writers’ guidelines at www.marilynnutter.com Penned from the Heart is compiled/edited by Marilyn Nutter. Electronic submissions (only) may be sent to nutter4penned@gmail.com in the body of your emailThank you, Marilyn NutterEditor, Penned from the Heart
nutter4penned@gmail.com 




 

 

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