Bible League: Living His Word But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.— Luke 10:40 NIV Jesus and His disciples were spending some time in the house of Martha and her sister Mary. Martha took it upon herself to take care of all the preparations that had to be made, but Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to Him. Martha complained to Jesus, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" Jesus answered her by saying, "Martha, Martha... you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:40-42). Are you like Martha, always ready to serve? Are you always ready to take care of any preparations that have to be made? There's nothing wrong with that. It's good to be a servant. In fact, all of us are called to be servants (Luke 22:24-30). Our lives should be lives of self-sacrificial service. The Apostle Paul tells us, "I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship" (Romans 12:1). The problem with Martha, then, was not her service. The problem with Martha was that she allowed her service to distract her from what was really important. Martha got so caught up in the preparations that she was unable to appreciate the better thing that was in her house. She was missing out on the Lord Jesus' presence and His teaching. It didn't have to be that way. She could have done both. She could have listened to the Lord as she got things ready. She could have refused to allow fretting and worrying about the preparations to distract her from appreciating the better thing. Let us examine ourselves and follow Jesus' admonition. Refuse to allow fret and worry to have a place as you serve the people you're called to serve. The Lord may not be sitting in your living room right now, but you can commune with Him just the same. You can commune with Him while you do your work. Indeed, it is your communion with the Lord, the Lord your help (Psalm 121:1-2), that will make everything you're doing that much easier. Bible in a Year Old Testament Reading1 Kings 1, 2 1 Kings 1 -- David in Old Age Anoints Solomon as King NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB 1 Kings 2 -- David's Charge to Solomon; David's Death NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Luke 22:54-71 Luke 22 -- Preparing the Passover; Jesus Arrested, Disowned by Peter NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Using a dull ax requires great strength,so sharpen the blade. That's the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed. Insight Trying to do anything without the necessary skills or tools is like chopping wood with a dull ax. If your tool is dull, you should sharpen it to do a better job. Similarly, if you lack skills, you should sharpen them through training and practice. In each situation, sharpening the ax means recognizing where a problem exists, acquiring or honing the skills (or tools) to do the job better, and then going out and doing it. Challenge Find the areas of your life where your “ax” is dull, and sharpen your skills so you can be more effective in God's work. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Songs 5:13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers.Lo, the flowery month is come! March winds and April showers have done their work, and the earth is all bedecked with beauty. Come my soul, put on thine holiday attire and go forth to gather garlands of heavenly thoughts. Thou knowest whither to betake thyself, for to thee "the beds of spices" are well known, and thou hast so often smelt the perfume of "the sweet flowers," that thou wilt go at once to thy well-beloved and find all loveliness, all joy in him. That cheek once so rudely smitten with a rod, oft bedewed with tears of sympathy and then defiled with spittle--that cheek as it smiles with mercy is as fragrant aromatic to my heart. Thou didst not hide thy face from shame and spitting, O Lord Jesus, and therefore I will find my dearest delight in praising thee. Those cheeks were furrowed by the plough of grief, and crimsoned with red lines of blood from thy thorn-crowned temples; such marks of love unbounded cannot but charm my soul far more than "pillars of perfume." If I may not see the whole of his face I would behold his cheeks, for the least glimpse of him is exceedingly refreshing to my spiritual sense and yields a variety of delights. In Jesus I find not only fragrance, but a bed of spices; not one flower, but all manner of sweet flowers. He is to me my rose and my lily, my heartsease and my cluster of camphire. When he is with me it is May all the year round, and my soul goes forth to wash her happy face in the morning-dew of his grace, and to solace herself with the singing of the birds of his promises. Precious Lord Jesus, let me in very deed know the blessedness which dwells in abiding, unbroken fellowship with thee. I am a poor worthless one, whose cheek thou hast deigned to kiss! O let me kiss thee in return with the kisses of my lips. Daily Light on the Daily Path Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,Romans 8:6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 1 Corinthians 7:15 Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 2 Timothy 1:12 For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. Isaiah 26:3 "The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You. Isaiah 32:17,18 And the work of righteousness will be peace, And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever. • Then my people will live in a peaceful habitation, And in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places; Proverbs 1:33 "But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil." Psalm 119:165 Those who love Your law have great peace, And nothing causes them to stumble. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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