Renews Us Day by Day by Lori Hatcher

It is my joy to introduce you to Lori Hatcher. Lori is a Christian author and has just released a new book, Refresh Your Hope. I am pleased to have her as my guest this week. Be encouraged through her words “Renews Us Day by Day.”

Everyone in our small church wanted to sit by Steve Bradley when they worshipped. Not because he had the finest singing voice around, although his midrange baritone was certainly acceptable. We liked sitting near him because he sang passionately, joyfully, and loudly.

Those of us with less-than-perfect voices could sing as loudly as we wanted if we sat beside Steve. We had no fear someone would hear us sing off-key. His worship covered our shortcomings. One day, in appreciation and love, we presented him with a T-shirt that said, Real Men Sing Loud.

Thirty years have passed since those glorious days, but Steve’s still singing. Not as loudly, because a stroke has weakened one side of his body. A damaged valve in his heart awaits replacement, and age has stolen his youthful vigor. A bout with Covid set him back, and the aches and pains of his eighty-something-year-old body make it harder to raise his hands in praise. Although his outer man is wasting away, his inner man grows stronger every day.

Steve embodies what the apostle Paul wrote about in 2 Corinthians 4:16: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”

I suspect if Paul and Steve sat down together over a cup of coffee, they’d find a lot to talk about. One topic might be the challenges of living in a deteriorating body. Paul, too, felt the frustration of wanting to do more, yet being “limited” by his physical frailties.

Paul wasn’t eighty years old when he penned his letters to the Corinthians, but he was already experiencing the effects of his labor for Christ. Listen to his testimony:

I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. (2 Corinthians 11:23–26)

In verses 27 through 29, we read more about Paul’s physical deprivations: “I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak?”

Paul’s faithful service to God’s kingdom had taken a significant toll on his physical body.

Yet, Paul declared, and Steve’s actions do, too, we press on, knowing that as our bodies grow weaker, our spirits grow stronger.

Despite his physical challenges, Paul continued to faithfully serve God, and so does Steve. He teaches Bible studies, often leaning on his cane or the lectern for support. He meets with couples for marriage and family counseling. He mentors the young (and not-so-young) men in his church. He corresponds by email with many of his past Bible college students, former church members, and family.

And he prays. Oh, how he prays. He asks God to raise up a generation of Christians who will proclaim the Word of God fearlessly. He begs God to draw his loved ones into deep and rich relationships with himself. He intercedes for his church, his country, and the world.

The closer Steve draws to death, the more alive he becomes. The years he’s invested in the study and practice of God’s Word bear increasing fruit both in his heart and in the hearts of those he’s influenced. As the veil between this life and the next grows thin, God’s face becomes more and more clear. He longs for heaven, yet he knows God still has work for him to do here.

Outwardly he is a frail, elderly man. Inwardly he is a mighty warrior. “We have this treasure in jars of clay,” Paul wrote, and Steve would agree, “to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

If we pursue God earnestly every day, we, too, can experience what Paul testified of and Steve lives. Our souls will grow stronger even as our bodies weaken. As I ponder my own mortality, this truth gives me hope. God can and will accomplish His work in my life no matter how old and decrepit I become.

As the apostle Paul did, my friend Steve spends himself for the gospel’s sake. He has determined to serve the Lord faithfully as long as he has life and breath in his body. Because he has, his spirit grows stronger every day, and his life testifies to the glory and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.One day we’ll stand before God in heaven and sing praises to His name. I hope I get to stand next to Steve.

Take Heart: Although our physical bodies will grow frail, our souls will grow ever stronger.

From the Heart: Father, each year I grow increasingly more aware that my body is aging. I can’t do everything I used to do (at least not without pain). I grow tired more easily. I can’t stay up half the night without feeling the effects the next day. Thank you for the hope that even as my body weakens, my soul will continue to grow stronger. Thank you for the work you are doing in and through me every day. In Jesus’s name I pray, amen.

About Lori

Lori Hatcher is an author, blogger, pastor’s wife, and women’s ministry speaker. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications including Our Daily Bread, Guideposts, Revive Our Hearts, and Crosswalk.com. A contest-winning Toastmasters International speaker, Lori uses high-impact stories to impart transformational truth. Find out more about Lori and her well-loved 5-minute devotions at LoriHatcher.com.

This devotion is an excerpt from the book, Refresh Your Hope, 60 Reasons to Trust God with All Your Heart and is used with permission. Requests for permission to quote this book should be directed to: Permissions Department, Our Daily Bread Publishing, PO Box 3566, Grand Rapids, MI 49501, or contact by email at permissionsdept@odb.org