I LOVE M&Ms(R), and if you do too, and you happen to have a big bag of peanut ones to share with me, then I'm your friend! But this devotional is NOT about M&Ms(R)--so put the bag away, and eat them later!
Can Mary and Martha join us too? 'Cause you see, that's REALLY who this devotional is about--the M 'n M friends of Jesus, who loved Him, cared for Him, and entertained Him often in their home. Mary and Martha, so different--and how well we know--for they war within each of us! Spiritually-split personalities--usually out of balance, if you're like me--and it will take a Master Psychologist to figure us all out! Let's stop at the home of Mary and Martha, just down the road from The Well. Like Peggie's Place, it's a home that loves company--and I'm sure we are welcome!
A Helping Word...or Two!
Mania in the Kitchen!...That's Martha--"busy and troubled about many things," and scurrying to make a marvelous meal for her Master! She loves Him--but there's no time to talk; there's WORK to be done! So Martha works on and on, grumbling under her breath at her insensitive sister, mashing the potatoes, slicing the meat, making the salad--all alone!
Life is like that--at least, MINE is, and I suspect the same of yours! How well I know--for THIS Martha had a computer breakdown this week! The wheels of technology ground to a halt, Martha unplugged the computer, and headed down the road to computer support. We work endlessly at what we do--be it ministry, a career, homemaking, education--rattling and rumbling along until there's a breakdown. It may not be a computer--it may be our health, our family, our work, our emotions--or our spirit! And THAT'S a bummer--for when our spirit cracks, we're in deep trouble, and we know what we must do! We must head for the "closet"--it's time to become Mary, to quiet our spirits in His presence, to sit at His feet, to obtain that balance of work and worship we so desperately need!
Busy Martha, STOP your dizzy little world! Take time to talk to the Lord; take time to read His Word--your day will go SO much better! You'll be blessed--and so will He! "Lord, find us in that busy place, and draw us to Thy feet!"
"...in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength (Isaiah 30:15 KJV)."
Meditation in the Closet!...That's Mary--sitting at the feet of Jesus, drinking in His every Word! Loving Him, learning from Him, leaning on Him. There's plenty of work to be done, but Mary has her priorities straight--FIRST she must talk to HIM; then she will concern herself with the work!
Life SHOULD be like that! Deep within us, our spirit hungers and thirsts for communion with the Lord--but we smother it with the work of the day, the need of the hour. And yes, there ARE urgent needs in our 90s lives that fill our calendars--appointments, schedules, plans, daily needs of ourselves and our families. God knows that--but how He waits for us to say, "Lord, I need to be in Your presence first--I'm taking TIME I don't think I have--but I MUST be with You." Will He honor that? I believe He will--and when our spirits become calm in His presence, we are then fully empowered to face the challenges of the day.
Blessed Mary, may we be more like you--taking time to sit at the Master's feet, still in His presence; to listen to His voice deep within us, calling us to that quiet place--to find a "closet place" where we can commune alone with our Savior and Lord. "Lord, draw us to that place of solace and strength--the place where YOU wait for us!"
"One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple (Psalm 27:4 KJV)."
Master of the Cross!...That's Christ--the most perfect example of spiritual time management the world has ever known! Our Lord was BUSY--He worked in the temple, He worked on the highways, He worked on the sands and shores--busy about the Father's business. And yet, Scriptures reveal He took time to commune with the Father - He slipped away from the multitudes; He sought time alone with God. The Creator of the human body understood the necessity of rest for body, soul, and spirit--rest and renewal in the presence of His Father. Can we do less?
Life IS a balance--the CROSS beams illustrate it so perfectly--a relationship upward toward our Father, a relationship outward toward our world. The latter survives because the former is sustained! And that's the secret--"Lord, help us learn it, and learn it well!!"
"...Show me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths (Psalm 25:4 KJV)."
Busy Martha, blessed Mary--and then, there's ME, the "bonkered mama," trying to make it all happen--survive the schedule, stretch the time, and then scream--"I can't DO this; I'm only one person!" Ever been there? We all have, stressed out with the pressures of daily commitments and crashes--be it computer or car (HOPE not...grin..), but we live from one crisis to the other--the mania in the kitchen leaves little time for the meditation in the closet--and we wonder why we crash! Let's be honest--we're overwrought, overworked, and underfed! We need refreshing and renewal at the Master's feet. It's there--available for us, if we'll only take time--time for quiet and communion with our Lord. "Lord, forgive us--the kitchen work will wait; we want to worship YOU--will You help us?"
Copyright 2002 by Peggie C. Bohanon, Springfield, MO, USA.
Please do not copy without permission.
And that's just a word or two--from my heart to yours!
His Healing Word
"When thou saidst, Seek ye my face, my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek (Psalm 27: 8 KJV)."
"Lord, sometimes we really ARE like Mary--we sit at Your feet; we worship and love You. But so often we're so busy--we fail to take time to gain the peace and quiet we find in Your presence. That's our strength for the day--Lord, help us learn the valuable lesson of balanced Christian living. Let us first kneel at YOUR Cross in worship, then rise to meet the work-a-day world we face in Your strength and power! In Jesus' Name, Amen."
