Obedience is in the small things

The cup on the side of the road didn't look important, but it was.

Out walking with Winston one morning, I noticed the carelessly discarded trash .

And I walked right by.

As I did, the Holy Spirit said to my heart, "You should pick up the cup and put it in the next garbage can." It was trash day, and every house in my neighborhood had a green roll cart by the side of the road. Instead of obeying God's voice immediately, I kept walking. All the while an internal dialogue was going on in my heart.

"Lord," I said, "it's just a cup. Someone else will pick it up."

The words of James 4:17 from my Bible study that morning were simmering just under my consciousness, ready for the Holy Spirit's use, "Anyone, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."

"But Lord," I continued, knowing the words "but" and "Lord" should never be used in the same sentence. "I've already passed it. I'd have to turn around to go back and get it."

The Holy Spirit then reached into the back pocket of my mind, which He has the full freedom to plunder, and pulled out a memory.

"Dr. Falwell used to pick up paper off the ground." Dr. Jerry Falwell, founder of Liberty University and the pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church, was a mighty man of God. Students would tell of small acts of service they'd see him do when he thought no one was watching. Picking stray pieces of paper off the ground was one of them.

And if that mental picture wasn't enough, the Holy Spirit rummaged through my mental concordance and gleefully presented His coupe de grace, Luke 16:10:

 "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much."

"Okay, Lord," I surrendered. I turned around, walked back, picked up the cup, and threw it into the trash can.

Henry Blackaby, in his devotional Experiencing God Day by Day, says "Your life is the sum of the responses you have made toward God. . . Whenever the Lord speaks to you, it will require an adjustment to your life" (102).

He contrasts the examples of the early disciples with that of the rich young ruler. "Why did God use Peter, James, and John so significantly to turn their world upside down? And why were others, like the rich young ruler, never heard from again? Choices! The disciples chose to believe, and their belief was proven by their obedience" (102).

This morning, it was important that I pick the cup up off the side of the road and throw it away. Not for the sake of the litter quotient in my neighborhood, but because the Lord told me to. If I train myself to recognize his voice, and then quickly obey what He tells me to do, even a small, seemingly insignificant act like picking a piece of trash off the side of the road will train me to say "yes" when He calls me to do something big for Him.

 "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much."

I want to be like Peter, James, John, and Dr. Falwell and do great things for God. I suspect you do too.

I wonder what small act of obedience God will call us to today?

And will we obey?

In what small way is God calling you to obedience today? Leave me a comment below and tell me about it.



 

 

This devotion is an excerpt from Lori’s new book, Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women.

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. 

 

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What's That Smell?

Shakespeare once said that "parting is such sweet sorrow."

Anyone with college-age children experiences this sweet sorrow often. They come home for a few days, a spring break, or a summer, and they are off again. Every time they leave, they take a part of us with them.

On this morning, I embraced my daughter tightly, for too long perhaps, by her estimation. With no regrets, I braved her "Aw, Mom!" in response to my lingering hug, knowing it would be too long before I saw her again.

As I waved her off down the road, I noticed the scent of her recently applied fragrance, fresh and sweet, clinging to my jacket. It stayed with me throughout the morning, lingering in the fabric of my clothes and reminding me to pray for her as she traveled. It was an unexpected reminder of my dearly beloved child as I moved through my day.

Second Corinthians 2:14 says that “through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of (Christ)." Because I am a Christian, I carry Christ with me wherever I go. When I exhibit kindness, gentleness, patience, and sacrificial love to those around me, I leave the sweet savor of Christ in my wake. Like the scent of my daughter's fragrance lingered with me long after she was gone, so can the fragrance of Christ remain with those I encounter long after I, His ambassador, am gone.


By the same token, my poor behavior--thoughtlessness, anger, impatience, and selfishness--can cause me to leave behind a stinky scent. Not only does this reflect poorly on me, it reflects poorly on the Savior Whose name I represent.

What about you? As  you move through your day, what type of fragrance do you leave behind? Do the lingering effects of your behavior draw people to you and the God you represent, or repel them?

As representatives of the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley, may we commit to be winsome, compelling, and attractive as we represent our precious Savior. 

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.



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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.
 

 

 

No Freedom of Speech

As we exited the Smithsonian metro station, my daughter and I stumbled upon what was billed as "the largest gathering of nonbelievers." By my estimation, there were between 300 and 500 people huddled under umbrellas around a stage bigger than their gathering. On March 31, in an article entitled"Atheists Rally on National Mall; the 'Reason Rally' Largest Gathering of Nonbelievers," Huffington post reporter Kimberly Winston reported that an estimated 8,000 and 10,000 people attended the event. * 

One of us miscounted. 

As we made our way to the Tidal Basin to enjoy the Cherry Blossom Festival, the voice of the rally's speaker carried clearly across the largely empty grassy area. I only had to listen for a moment to realize two things. First, he was angry. Angry enough to rail at people of faith. Angry enough to curse them. Ironically, I wondered if there was much power in damning people in the name of a God he didn't believe in.  

Second, I realized that although the staging area was ringed with uniformed police officers with fierce-looking canines, the authorities allowed the speaker to rail and curse unmolested. His right to freedom of speech is guaranteed by the First Amendment, and the police officers who guarded this area also guarded his right to say anything he wanted.  

I realized this atheist was exercising a freedom that I as a Christian do not have. 

I cannot curse those who don't believe as I do.
  
I cannot express hate or disdain for those who criticize what I hold most dear. 

I cannot outshout or bully or taunt them. 
 
I cannot exercise the liberty of free speech, because I answer to a higher law.
   
Instead of the First Amendment, which says I can say anything I want, regardless of its destructive power, I answer to the Word of God, which tells me to

"Bless those who curse you."(Mt. 5:44)

"Speak the truth in love." (Eph 4:15) 

and "not let any unwholesome talk come out of (my) mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." (Eph. 4:29)

Can I say angry, bitter, destructive words to those who disagree with me?

Yes.

Should I?

No.

The love of God compels me otherwise.

 "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

  Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness." (Jas. 3:17).

That day, walking away from the "largest gathering of nonbelievers," I chose to exercise my God-given freedom of speech.

 

 I chose to "pray for those who despitefully use you." 

 

 And I did it out loud. 

*(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/24/atheist-rally_n_1377443.html).

This devotion is an excerpt from Lori’s new book, Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women.

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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The Dyslexia of the Divine--How Last is First in God's Economy

"I am so glad I'm not in charge!" I admitted to my husband as I prepared to attend an out-of-town writer's conference. I had anticipated it for months, and the day had finally arrived. I could barely contain my enthusiasm as I imagined three days as the recipient of someone else's planning, teaching, cooking, cleaning, and bedmaking. Instead of teaching the classes, I could be the student, taking in wonderful words of wisdom and instruction without having to lift a finger.

If you are a wife, mother, administrative assistant, event coordinator, or minister (full-time or lay person), you can relate.

The first sign that something was going terribly wrong had come the day before during morning devotions.

In Oswald Chamber's My Utmost for His Highest, my daily reading began with these words from Matthew 20:28:

"The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve."

The next day, the day of the conference, I read these words from Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:15:

"I will very gladly spend and be spent for you."

Chambers writes, "Paul became a sacramental personality; wherever he went, Jesus Christ helped Himself to his life. Many of us are after our own ends, and Jesus Christ cannot help Himself to our lives. If we are abandoned to Jesus, we have no ends of our own to serve."

"But Lord," I argued with Him as I walked my dog, "this is my one chance for someone to take care of me for a change! What about my rest, my enrichment, and my relaxation. What about me?!"

As I rounded the corner for home, a warm sweet breeze wafted over me, caressing my face and making me sigh in delight. His words came just as sweetly to my heart.


"He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed" (Proverbs 11:35).

I left for the conference with a new mission and agenda. I would serve.

"Here am I Lord, send me."

Two days later, I returned from the conference refreshed and satisfied in ways I never could have imagined. I experienced joy as I intentionally looked for ways to serve my sisters and brothers in Christ and met people with whom I never would have interacted if I had gone into the weekend with an inwardly-focused attitude. In the dyslexia of the divine, I came away with blessings I never dreamed of because I let Jesus Christ help Himself to my life. 

"Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all" (Mark 9:35).

 Are you struggling with serving versus being served? I challenge you to take God at His word. Trust Him to refresh you and provide everything you need as you surrender yourself to Him.



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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God Is in the Stops -- when God sets you aside

My 35-year-old Bible study leader went to the doctor for headaches and returned with a diagnosis of brain cancer.

A national and international women's speaker answered the phone at midnight to hear that her godly, mature, Navy officer son had shot and killed a man in cold blood.






A well-educated, popular young man on the fast track to a cushy position in his adopted father's dynasty stands up for what is right and has to flee, leaving friends, family, and job behind.



A prominent evangelist leading crusades all over the Middle East suddenly finds every one of the cities on his tour closed to his ministry efforts.



What do you do when your plans come to a screeching halt and instead of open doors, all you see are brick walls?

What do you do when you're serving God with your heart, soul, and energy, and everything stops because of circumstances beyond your control?

What do you do when God seems to set you aside?

The mighty apostle Paul is the evangelist I referenced in the example above. In Acts 16 we read about him embarking on his second missionary journey with plans to travel the cities of the Middle East. In every city, he shared the gospel, encouraged believers, and strengthened the churches. 

His successful campaign came to a grinding halt when he tried to enter Asia. The Holy Spirit prevented him from going in. Open to consider another city, he and his traveling companions attempted to enter Bithynia. Once again, the Spirit of Jesus blocked his way. Paul was being obedient to the call of God on his life to preach and teach the gospel, but God Himself was opposing him.

WHY?

Since the New Testament hadn't been written yet, Paul didn't have the counsel of written scriptures. Instead, God revealed His will through a dream. Paul saw a vision of a man from Macedonia begging him to "come over to Macedonia and help us." In response, Paul and his team went immediately to the capitol city of Macedonia, Philippi. There he met a group of seekers who eagerly embraced his message of salvation. Among those believers were Lydia, the first convert in Europe, and the Philippian jailor and his family.

The foundation of the churches in Macedonia, Achaia, and later Asia, became the most important achievement in Paul's active ministry. Out of his relationships with these churches came his most important letters -- Thessalonians, Philippians, Corinthians, Ephesians, Colossians, Galatians and Romans.

God's stops are as important as God's instructions to move forward.

When my Bible study leader, Billy, accepted his cancer as a vehicle from which to testify of God's lordship over his life, his faith was so radiant that people everywhere began to ask to hear his story. He was invited to share his testimony at a men's ministry event at our church. Over 500 men attended, including his brother, who did not know the Lord. After hearing Billy speak, his little brother invited Christ to be his Savior. More than anything, he wanted the type of peace, faith, and trust Billy had.

Billy went home to be with the Lord about a year later. I wonder how many men, including his baby brother, will join him in Heaven one day because Billy chose to walk through the open door God gave him instead of trying to kick open the door that had closed?

Carol, the women's ministry leader, chose to trust God in spite of the heartbreak of an incarcerated son. Today, not only does her ministry continue to thrive, it has a deeper, richer quality that resonates of hope. Because of the tragedy that entered her life, she is a living testimony that God walked with her through the deepest valley and brought beauty from ashes.

To learn more about Speak Up for Hope prison ministry, click here.

Carol and her husband have founded a ministry that reaches out to the families of incarcerated men and women. In addition, she supplies Bible study materials for inmates who want to learn more about the Lord in prison.

And the young man who stood up for what was right and found himself banished from his home and family? He one day returned to his homeland to lead an entire nation out of slavery and into freedom and faith. His name was Moses.

When God shuts the door upon your plans, will you try to kick it open, or will you embrace the truth that there is a better door awaiting you if you have the eyes of faith to look for it?






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.