Psalm 27:13-14 NIV — I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Romans 8:18-30  NIV —  I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

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Take some time today to listen to Still God by Anne Wilson. Pay attention to the words Anne uses to remember that no matter what, God is still our unchanging God.

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John‬ ‭10‬:‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬ —My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Join us as we wrap up the week on Martha and Mary. Deborah reminds us of Mr. Fred Rogers when he said, “listening is where love begins.” 

Do you notice something different about Deborah and I, other than our color choices?

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‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

A key takeaway from our week on Martha and Mary is that we can’t pour from an empty cup. 

We must be intentional in scheduling time to sit with Jesus. Do you schedule time to sit with Jesus? Do you sit with Jesus daily? I intentionally schedule my time to sit with Jesus in the morning before starting my day. We should also learn to set boundaries, meaning, know when to say “yes” and when to say “no” or “not now.” I have personally found that if I wait till the end of my day to have my quiet time, it is harder for me to set and keep boundaries. Once boundaries are set, allow some flexibility so when things don’t go as planned, we don’t start serving with a bitter heart. 

In Psalm 23, we know that Jesus is with us in our green pastures, quiet waters, darkest valleys, and in the presence of our enemies. For most, it is easier to sit with Jesus in the dark valleys, rather than in our quiet waters. If we are faithful in sitting with Jesus during the good times and the bad, walk with Jesus daily, intentionally remaining in Jesus and keeping our cups full, we will serve where God wants us and we will serve with a grateful heart. 

I pray this week leaves your cups running over in love and gratitude. 

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for always being there to fill my cup. Help me to be intentional in both sitting and serving. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Joy is a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. According to Galatians 5:22, joy is a fruit of the spirit. When serving, ask yourself, does this bring me joy? When taking care of our temples in both sitting with Jesus and serving, we can strive to cultivate a spirit of joy.

How do we take care of our temples? We can start by enjoying things God has placed on our hearts. For instance, I enjoy cooking, baking, exercise, planting, and reading. These things are like oxygen for my Mary soul. If I am not careful, I can allow Satan to use them against my Martha mind. Busyness isn’t what God wants for us and Satan knows this.

How do we keep our calendars clear for what God has for us? We abide with Jesus, which means to remain; continue; to stay. We seek God’s will and listen for His instruction. We intentionally make time to cultivate joy. In the book of John, chapter 15, verse 11, Jesus instructs us to abide or remain so that our joy may be complete.

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for placing things on my heart that I enjoy to do and are like oxygen to my Mary soul. I seek Your will over my calendar. May I always make time for You and the service You have for me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭9-10 ‭NIV‬‬ — Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

We don’t have much content on Martha and Mary. I would like to think that serving was a spiritual gift of Martha’s. I am sure through her busyness, she felt as though she was stewarding well. ‭‭Are you stewarding your gifts for God’s glory? Or are you grumbling through, maybe even neglecting your gifts? Looking closer at the story, Martha was grumbling. Peter instructs us that we should not only faithfully steward our gifts, but also offer hospitality without grumbling. 

I want us to take a look at some key words in 1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

In order to steward our gifts well, we must first gain strength from God. How do we gain strength from God? By sitting with God and listening as Mary did. My pastor recently quoted Mr. Fred Rogers when he said, “listening is where love begins.” He also said, we serve others because we love Christ. Next time we neglect a gift or grumble through our service, let’s think about who we are serving. 

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for the spiritual gifts You have given me. Help me to listen with love and serve through Your love. When I start to grumble, remind me who I am serving. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

‭‭Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭38‬-‭42‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “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.”

Take a moment to think about the backstory to today’s verses. Yesterday we read about Lazarus’ death and resurrection in John 11:1-37 NIV. Between Martha, Mary, Jesus, and friends, they experienced many different emotions of sadness, grief, confusion and anger. Just days later they experienced hope, relief, joy and celebration. 

Take a moment to think about how you handle all those emotions spiritually, mentally, and physically. Do you tend to slow down and process them? Do you fill your day with busyness, to avoid your emotions or put them off to process another day? Even Jesus wept with Martha and Mary. 

Now let’s take a moment to look at what we know about Martha and Mary.

Martha

• Martha opened her home to Jesus, His disciples, and friends.
• Martha was distracted by all the preparations. 
• Martha complained to Jesus about how Mary left her to do all the work.
• Martha was worried and upset.
• Martha seemed to be bitter.

Mary

• Mary sat at the feet of Jesus.
• Mary listened to Jesus and what He had to say.
• Mary made a good choice.
• Mary can’t be stripped of her time with Jesus.
• Mary seems to be content.

As we go about this week together, may we find a healthy balance and know when to be a Martha and when to be a Mary. 

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for both weeping and laughing with me. Thank You for renewing my hope and giving me a spirit of joy. Help me to find a healthy balance between my Martha mind and my Mary soul. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.