With daughters spaced two years apart, I get a front-row seat to what a relationship between sisters can look like. I’m also aware of how their personality differences dictate their responses in certain situations. And whether or not you have children, you probably know people who thrive on serving and others who just immerse themselves in the moment.

That’s interesting to keep in mind as we look at a very familiar Bible story. In Luke 10:38-42, Jesus and His followers visit the house where Mary, Martha, and Lazarus live. In a panic to get everyone served, Martha throws herself into preparations around her home. Mary, on the other hand, sits quietly at Jesus’ feet, listening to Him teach.

Martha is frustrated that her sister isn’t helping her, so she appeals to Jesus, wanting Him to send Mary to assist. However, Jesus gently tells Martha that Mary has wisely chosen to spend her time with Him.

Maybe you’ve considered this before, but are you naturally a Mary or a Martha? I’m totally in the Martha camp. When there are things to be done, everyone needs to join in and get busy. We can all sit down and relax when everything is ready…although not really because then it will all have to be cleaned up!

I’m a doer and a list maker. I think that’s partly because I feel I will earn approval if I work hard and meet expectations. And when I have visitors in my home, I want everything to be just right. Can you relate? I wonder if Martha thought she would win Jesus’ and/or the disciples’ approval by working so hard.

I’ve read whole books that have been written about this story, but today, I have just four ideas that I hope will encourage us all.

Jesus sees us in our busyness.

In verse 40, Mary questions Jesus, asking, Lord, do you care? The answer to that is yes. He saw Martha’s troubled heart. He was aware of the work she was trying to accomplish. God had made her with the desire to achieve. And when we’re overwhelmed and trying to do it all on our own, He sees us, too, and has compassion.

We can get caught up in running around and doing all the things. And they can be all good things! He sees our heart and knows our intent, yet He longs most of all for us to fellowship with Him.

Don’t compare our service to what someone else is doing.

Martha was busy, but not too busy to notice that her sister wasn’t helping! She was in her zone, but she thought Mary needed to step it up and shoulder some of the work.

There’s plenty in the service of the Lord for all of us to do. God’s given each of us gifts that we can use to serve Him. Maybe you can’t sing in the choir, but you love helping in the nursery. Or perhaps you like to organize meals for a new mom or are called to lead a ladies Bible study at church. But let’s not measure ourselves against others, whether to make ourselves feel better or worse about what we’re doing.

Make Jesus the priority, not our acts of service.

What did Jesus say to Martha in verse 41? “And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:“

Martha was focused on the work and all the things that needed to be done. And just like her, if we’re so busy serving that we don’t have time to be with Jesus, we’re too busy. It’s all about our relationship with Him, That’s not grown through serving, but through spending time in His Word and in prayer. We’re not fit for service if we’re not taking time to be with Him.

As we serve, it could also be helpful for us to check our motives. Was Martha rushing around because she wanted to serve Jesus well or because she wanted to impress all these people who were in her home? We can’t know, but I could relate if it was the second motive! It might be helpful to ask ourselves if we’re serving because we love Jesus or so that everyone else will notice our efforts.

Don’t let our service distract us from our worship.

How sweet it is to just be with God. While His followers didn’t know it, Jesus wasn’t going to be with them for years and years, but for just a short time. Being able to listen to, learn from, and worship Him that day was a privilege.

Sometimes we don’t see the value in stillness. With busy schedules, it’s all too easy to rush through our devotional time and fail to really worship the Lord on a regular basis.

I’d love to know how this story ended. Did Martha set aside what she was doing and join Mary at Jesus’ feet? Did Mary eventually get up and help Martha serve their guests? I guess we’ll have to find out when we get to Heaven! But I do know that Jesus invites each one of us to spend time with Him and learn from His Word.

Related posts:

• What Mary Teaches Me About Worship
• What Hannah Teaches Me About Prayer
• What Ruth Teaches Me About Trusting God

Easter’s going to have a little different feel to it in 2020.

We haven’t shopped for a new Easter dress or spring shoes. Easter baskets will mostly be filled with whatever I can grab during a weekly grocery store run. [Yes, I still do Easter baskets for my teenage daughters 🙂 ] And we won’t be headed out to our normal Easter service at church on Sunday morning.

With all that’s going on in our world, I want to make sure that the celebration and significance of Easter don’t get lost in the shuffle. I want to be mindful this week to focus my mind on Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.

And what better event is there to focus on when what we all need today is a major dose of hope? It’s easy in our current environment, where most days feel very long and very much the same, to be discouraged or fearful.

As I thought about how hope plays into the Easter story, this passage came to mind.

“Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh…That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” ~Ephesians 2:11-13

It’s interesting to note some parallels between our condition without Christ and the current crisis we’re facing.

We were hopeless.

That’s what everyone single one of us was before Christ came to earth, took our punishment for sin by dying on the cross, and then rose from the dead.

There’s no greater story of redemption and hope. After Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, it looked like this narrative of mankind was headed for a really bad ending. We had no hope of bridging the gap between a holy God and our sinful selves.

Right now, our best hope for living this day-to-day reality that’s so foreign to what we’ve known is to look to God. He alone is the source of true hope.

We were incapable of saving ourselves.

There was nothing you or I could do in our sinful state to save ourselves and get to heaven. God had to initiate salvation. Only He could find a way to reconcile us to Himself and allow us to spend eternity in His presence.

We can’t make COVID-19 and its related problems go away. Hopefully, medical solutions will come soon, but even that will only happen as God gives men and women the ability to figure it out.

God had a plan.

In Genesis 3:14-15, God laid out His plan for our salvation. His Son, Jesus Christ, would be the Savior who would provide a way for man to have forgiveness of sin.

And God has a plan today. Not only does He have a plan for each of us individually through this time, but for our churches and our nations. I couldn’t begin to tell you what it might be, but I trust that He is working in every situation.

It was all in His timing.

Why wait so long between the sin of Adam and Eve in the garden and the coming of the Messiah? I don’t know. But His timing is always perfect. Everything related to Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection was done on His timetable.

Why has the coronavirus afflicted our world in the spring of 2020? I certainly don’t know that either. But we know that it’s all in God’s timing.

There was a purpose to everything He did.

You’ve likely heard sermons about all of the Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in the life of Jesus. God orchestrated both the writing and the fulfillment of those prophecies. Nothing was accidentally included; they all had a purpose.

I’m reminded that “The Lord is righteous in all His ways and holy in all His works.” [Psalm 145:17] Everything the Lord does is right and good. He has a purpose for what is happening each and every day.

Victory was waiting in the wings.

Things looked fairly dark that morning as Jesus was led away to be crucified. I would guess that little hope was felt among his followers as they watched Him being nailed to a cross. Yet just three short days later, how their outlook would change.

I don’t know exactly what victory will look like in our current situation. Right now, just a return to what was our normal lives and routines sounds good! Maybe it will also be the lessons we’re learning as so much has been put on hold.

By the blood of Jesus Christ, we who were far off are now drawn close to Him. Let’s immerse ourselves this week in the hope that Easter brings. Eternal life in heaven with our Lord. Peace, grace, and comfort here on earth. His presence to guide us. May we ever give thanks for what Jesus accomplished on our behalf that first Easter!

Related posts:

• 7 Truths to Meditate On as We Prepare Our Hearts for Easter
• 5 Simple Easter Bible Verses to Teach Your Children
• Before You Go Ahead, Turn Around and See

Often our inadequacies stare us right in the face.

Wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, employee, church member…the list is long. We have many roles to fill, many things we’re expected to do, to schedule, to handle.

And no matter how well we keep all the balls up in the air, at some point, one’s going to drop. And we can so easily get down on ourselves because we’ve failed again.

If you’re like me, you might jump to the assumption that I’m not loved because I’ve messed up.

Yes, I tell myself, I have to perform in order to be worthy of love. It’s important that I get it all right.

But that’s now how it works, at least not in God’s economy.

Because God loves us whether or not we spent thirty minutes reading our Bible this morning. His love isn’t based on our not missing a church service for the past three years. And He loves us even when we worry first and trust Him second.

Because if God’s love was based on our performance, it wouldn’t be love.

Does God want us to read our Bibles and go to church and totally trust Him? Yes, because He knows it will help us grow in our faith and ultimately be a better, Spirit-filled person.

But He loves us whether or not we do those things.

I had a conversation about this with my husband recently. Since our talk, I’ve written the following in my journal each morning.

I am loved because God loves me.

End of sentence. No if’s, and’s, or but’s.

What did I do to deserve that love? Nothing. What can I do that will cause Him to love me more? Nothing. What will make Him love me less? Nothing.

“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” ~1 John 4:10

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” ~Ephesians 2:4-5

I’m not enough. You’re not enough. The woman at church with the perfect hair and adoring husband and obedient children – she’s not enough, either.

No matter how many good deeds we do or how often we pray or the sum of money we give, we will never be enough.

But we don’t have to be enough to be loved by God.

I just am. You just are.

Loved by God.

Related posts:

• 5 Truths About God’s Love for Me
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Way back in January, I decided to choose an audio program to help me listen to the whole Bible in a year. I chose the Bible in One Year 2019 plan in the YouVersion app on my phone. It includes a portion from Psalms or Proverbs, then a New Testament and Old Testament passage each day. I usually listen while I’m getting ready in the morning – putting on makeup, doing my hair, etc.

I’ve been in Ezekiel lately, and I’ll be honest, there are days it’s hard to focus. But one morning last week, I heard the following verse, and it caught my attention.

“Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it.” ~Ezekiel 36:36

The Israelites had been through some tough times. They mostly brought these difficulties on themselves because they followed false gods and refused to obey God’s commands. Yet in this passage, God promises to restore what has been lost.

While we live in a totally different culture than those Israelites, we, too, face troubling things – some of our own making, others not. So today, do you have any ruined places in your life? Are there parts of your life that feel desolate?

Maybe it’s a dream you’ve held on to for a long time that’s finally collapsed. Perhaps you’ve been hurt emotionally and are having a hard time recovering. It could be that some area of your life has been devastated and you don’t think it will ever be repaired. When you look around, there’s only a pile of rubble left.

What about desolate ground? Are there relationships that used to be sweet that aren’t anymore? Maybe a place where you used to be flourishing is now empty and barren. As you look ahead to 2020, your outlook is dreary and bleak. For some reason, you could feel isolated and abandoned.

If any of those thoughts resonate with you, do you know what we can find in this verse that Ezekiel penned?

Hope.

God is the builder of ruined places. If it were left up to us, we’d only flounder around and make a bigger mess of things. But our all-wise God says that He will build the ruined places. And we know we can trust Him to do it well.

“Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.” ~Psalm 3:2-3

Then I love the thought of God planting in ground that was seen as desolate. He can take what is abandoned and barren, and cause new life to grow. Will it be exactly what was growing there before? Maybe, maybe not. It could be even better. It could be that what was there before was not best for us. The old growth needed to be uprooted so that a new thing could grow.

“The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.” ~Lamentations 3:24

What God chooses to do is always as a testimony for His honor and glory. He rebuilt and replanted for the Israelites so that the heathen around them would know that He had done it.

If you’ve lost hope today, take heart. The God we serve can rebuild from the ruins, and make something that’s even more glorious. He can cause beautiful things to regrow from ground we thought could never be used again.

“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” ~Romans 15:13

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• 3 Reasons You Can Have Hope Today
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God’s blessings are many in my life these days. I’m so grateful. My family is in good health, and our needs and many of our wants are being met.

Yet even in the midst of good times, I can struggle. Emotional, mental, and spiritual battles aren’t necessarily seen on the outside. And many friends are going through hardships that have me praying to God on their behalf.

I’m still doing my study through Psalms in which I’m writing down specific things I learn about God from each chapter. I came to Psalm 91 last week and started digging into verse 4.

“He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.“

We can find comfort and consolation in this verse!! I’m sure I won’t do it justice, but here are three thoughts to encourage us.

God protects us.

As birds protect their young from harm, so God protects His children. No matter what threatens us, He is there. Whether it’s an illness, a financial problem, or a broken relationship, God is able to shelter us and keep us safe.

His power allows His care to extend into every area of our lives. His mercy and tenderness cause Him to draw us close to Himself. There’s no better place to be when life’s storms are raging.

MacLaren’s commentary on this verse says “…protection consists, not in averting the blows, but in changing their character.” I love this thought because we know that God’s protection doesn’t mean we’ll never suffer. But through every struggle, He is right there beside us and can use it for our good.

God is our refuge.

We can find safety and security when we run to God. When I’m missing my daughter and loneliness creeps in; when I get a bad medical diagnosis; when some aspect of the future worries me, I can find the haven I need in Him.

I’ve found that it’s usually the hard times, the difficult trials that drive me closer to God. He is always available as our refuge, but it’s up to us to flee to it. When doubt and temptation assault us, His presence is exactly what we need. It is where we will find the peace that can seem so elusive.

The verse says that while we’re under His wings, we can trust. We may not understand all that is happening around us, but we can trust in His grace.

God’s faithfulness surrounds us.

It encircles us on every side. It is the shield that protects us from danger.

Because of the truth of who God is, we know we can trust Him. Since He is faithful, we don’t have to wonder if He will really come through for us this time.

His faithfulness is our defense against the enemy, Satan. When he tries to get us to doubt God, we can stand on the truth that His Word has never and will never fail us.

Whether you’re in peaceful waters or riding out a storm, meditate on what we learn about God from this verse. He will protect you, be your refuge, and surround you with His faithfulness.

Related posts:

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Have you been disappointed lately? I was reflecting on some disappointments I’ve experienced and recalled writing about this one when it happened. It was several years ago, but I still remember it vividly. (It involves a long travel delay and our 25th wedding anniversary.)

We’re never too old or too mature to experience unfulfilled hopes and unmet expectations. No matter our age or stage, life continues to deliver disappointments.

That sounds really dreadful (!), but hopefully we can learn some lessons from the story of Elisabeth, wife to Zacharias and mother to John the Baptist, in Luke 1. If disappointments are going to come anyway, hopefully we can grow through them!

I admit to making some assumptions here. Scripture never specifically says that Elisabeth was disappointed. But it would make sense that in the midst of a culture that placed a high value on producing children – especially sons – and continuing the family line, Elisabeth experienced disappointment when she didn’t bear a child.

Children were seen as a blessing from God. Barrenness was seen as a curse or a punishment. At least at some point, I can see Elisabeth feeling like she’d failed at her primary responsibility.

Our disappointment may not be related to having a family…or it may. I’ve been there myself. But regardless of the nature of our disappointment, I hope we can take to heart some of the lessons below.

Suffering disappointment doesn’t mean we’re out of fellowship with God.

“And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” ~Luke 1:6

Elisabeth’s barrenness didn’t come about because she was living in sin. Scripture says she was righteous and blameless. Obviously she wasn’t perfect, but she sought to follow God and obey Him.

This reminds us that some difficulties we experience are just part of life. All are God-allowed – and certain disappointments can be a result of our own foolish decisions. Regardless, God knows and cares about each one.

Humility is often grown in the soil of disappointment.

“And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.” ~Luke 1:7

Years and years went by with no son or daughter for this Godly couple. How difficult it must have been to see their relatives and friends growing families, yet realizing as time went by that that likely wouldn’t be their story.

If everything is going great and all our needs and wants are met, we can be tempted to slide over into self-reliance and pride. A humble spirit comes a lot more easily when we’re in or have been through a situation that we can’t control.

In the midst of disappointment, keep on praying.

“But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.” ~Luke 1:13

We have no idea how many times Zacharias and Elisabeth had prayed for a child over the years. But we do know that in His own time, God chose to answer that prayer. Not only did He answer, but Elisabeth became the mother to the greatest prophet born of women. [Luke 7:28]

Continue to have faith through a season of disappointment.

As far as we know, Elisabeth didn’t get the angel experience that Zacharias did. Likely she found out from Zacharias sharing the story in writing since he was unable to speak after his encounter with the angel. Yet in spite of her receiving the news second hand, we don’t see any indication of a lack of faith. Perhaps seeing what had happened to Zacharias due to his unbelief led her to accept the news right away!

If God fulfills our desire and alleviates the disappointment, recognize His hand and thank Him for it.

“And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.” ~Luke 1:24-25

God chose to give Elisabeth a son and she acknowledged it as a gift from Him. What had been a reproach would be no longer. She rejoiced in God’s notice of her, and gave Him glory for this display of His power.

Whatever your situation, rejoice in the good news of others.

“And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.” ~Luke 1:41-45

Elisabeth’s news was uber exciting! She was way past child-bearing years, but she was finally going to have a baby. Then here comes her young cousin Mary with the news that she is going to bear the Messiah, the long-awaited Savior!

What is Elisabeth’s response? She rejoices with her. If there were any feelings of being overshadowed, we don’t see them. She is only full of excitement for what is going to take place in Mary’s life.

It can be easy (at least speaking for myself) to outwardly rejoice in someone else’s good news while wishing on the inside that my own situation was different. But with the Holy Spirit’s help, we can be genuinely happy for the other person as we trust that God is in control and working what is best for us in our own lives.

When disappointments come, may God give us the grace to walk through them in a way that brings honor and glory to Him.

Related posts:

• What Ruth Teaches Me About Trusting God
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Why would I be talking about change today? Because our younger daughter started 11th grade on Monday. And this weekend we’ll drop our older daughter off for her freshman year at college.

This will be a big life change for us. But whether we’re experiencing a major change or a minor one, we tend to want something comforting and familiar to hang on to. Situations like these are when all that I know about God theoretically needs to become really practical in my life.

What I believe about God colors everything. And there’s only one way to know what to believe about God and that’s by learning about Him through His Word.

Recently I started going through the Psalms and writing down characteristics of God I found there. Since I’m adjusting to change this week, I’ve chosen a few of the ones that are encouraging me to share with you.

God is omnipresent.

“Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.” ~Jeremiah 23:23-24

God is here at home with me, and He will be there, nine hours away, with our daughter. When either one of us is hurting or lonely – or happy and excited! – He will be there to guide us through all of those moments.

While I may think that my physical presence offers her protection or makes her immune to hard things, it doesn’t. But God’s presence can provide all she needs.

God is sovereign.

“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:” ~Isaiah 46:9-10

God knows and does what’s best. He will accomplish His purposes in our daughter’s life and in mine. Only He can write the story that will result in a life that brings glory to Him. She is in far more capable hands with Him than she is with me! All that happens to her is orchestrated by God.

God is good.

“O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” ~Psalm 34:8

God is good. Because I know this to be true, I can trust that what happens in our daughter’s life is ultimately good…even when it looks hard from here. And I know that it’s best for me to step back and see what good things God will do in our family as we move on into the next stage of life.

God is faithful.

“Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;” ~Deuteronomy 7:9

Every promise that God has made He will keep. I won’t be as available to help our daughter as I have been in the past, but God will be faithful to her. We can both grow in our faith by learning to trust and rely on Him more.

God is our refuge.

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” ~Psalm 91:1-2

In spite of knowing all that is good about our daughter leaving home, I’m going to have moments when I need a place of safety, shelter, and comfort – more in an emotional sense than a physical one. God can give me those, along with peace in the midst of these changes.

God is love.

“The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” ~Jeremiah 31:3

God loves me and my daughter. As much as I love her, His love is even greater. He empathizes with my situation. After all, didn’t God make the greatest sacrifice of all when He sent His Son to die on the cross for our sins? That same amazing love extends to each one of us.

What characteristic of God do you need to be reminded of today? God is so much more than I’ve listed here. He is holy, righteous, and just. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and unchanging.

Whatever trial you’re in – a broken relationship, illness, a financial burden, or just a season of life change like mine – God can meet our every need.

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