Welcome to Day 11. for one of our short powerful devotions from the 31 Bible Verses About Practicing The Presence Of God. This short devotional is based on Luke 10:41-42.
Read Luke 10:41-42.
Do you know the story of Mary and Martha?
I have read this story in the Bible many times but this time when I read it while compiling a list of bible verses for our topical bible study about Practicing The Presence Of God, Luke 10:42 stood out to me like a neon sign! It says, "but one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen the good part..."
Mary and Martha, along with their brother Lazarus, resided in the town of Bethany, and they shared a close friendship with Jesus. In the passage we are exploring today from the book of Luke, Jesus came to visit their home, likely accompanied by a sizable group of followers. As hospitality held great significance during that time, Martha was eager to serve and honor her guests, which might explain her anxiousness.
Once the group had gathered at Mary and Martha's house, Jesus began to teach them. His followers regarded Him as their Rabbi and were always eager to learn from Him. However, amidst the commotion, Martha became very distracted, prompting Jesus to gently call her out on it.
The Hebrew word used to describe Martha's distraction is "periespato," which conveys the idea of being pulled or dragged in different directions. The issue wasn't with Martha's desire to serve and provide hospitality, but rather her worry and preoccupation.
While taking care of guests is undoubtedly important, Jesus emphasized that true hospitality involves honoring them with one's presence. In this case, Jesus Himself was the guest, making His presence a momentous occasion. Martha had overlooked the most crucial aspect of hospitality, which is to listen to and enjoy the company of the guest.
In summary, the story of Mary and Martha reminds us of the significance of being present and attentive to our guests, especially when one of them is Jesus Himself. It teaches us that genuine hospitality involves not just serving but also cherishing the presence of those we welcome into our lives.
Join me below for a short devotional as we examine our hearts and lives to make sure that we have our priorities right, that we do the one thing that is needed, sitting at the feet of Jesus. Also, make sure to join me in prayer at the bottom of the post.
Short Devotional: Sitting with Jesus
What lessons can we learn from Mary and Martha?
Martha was right to be a good hostess and to look after her visitors well. However the fact that Jesus says Martha was worried and distracted seems to suggest that she was too concerned with the culture of serving and how her gift of hospitality may be scrutinized.
Mary was not concerned with hospitality, she was enjoying the presence of Jesus so much that she didn't want to miss anything that He said.
Be like Mary!
I know that we all have busy lives and that we do have responsibilities. We can't just not serve our families or forget about our work responsibilities. But we need to make time to enjoy the precious presence of our savior throughout the day.
Have you read our anchor post for this set of devotionals, Practicing The Presence of God? We talked about Brother Lawerence in it. He has some wise advice on how to practice the presence of God in your everyday tasks. You can read his story here.
Jesus’ words to Martha could also be viewed in a different light. Maybe instead of Jesus rebuking Martha, He was actually inviting her to sit at His feet too and to enjoy His presence. Jesus is gently telling Martha not to be worried and distracted, that she only needs to be concerned with one thing. The one thing that Martha needs is to receive the gracious presence of Jesus, which would deepen her faith and make her strong.
Unless we sit at Jesus' feet and spend quality time communing with Him, our lives are fruitless and powerless.
Jesus is our powerhouse. He fills us with His wisdom and grace through the Holy Spirit.
Just as Mary sits at Jesus' feet, we need to actively do it too.
We need to have hearts that seek God and have one that passionately desires to sit at His feet.
What distracts you when you attempt to sit at the feet of Jesus?
We all face distractions, but let's ask God to grant us spacious moments with Him.
You may be surprised to find that windows of time can unexpectedly open up for you. Perhaps you'll have to patiently wait in the car, during which you can use that time for prayer. Or during your lunch break, take a few minutes to worship at the feet of Jesus. These seemingly small moments can become precious opportunities for connecting with God.
Spend some time today unpacking what God is saying to you about sitting at His feet. To help you with that, I have created a free printable with 31 scriptures on Practicing The Presence Of God, and a guided prayer journal.
Dive deeper into our 31-day journey of discovering what God reveals about living in His presence with our printable devotional journal!
I've crafted a 31-Day Bible Study printable, featuring 31 powerful scriptures on Practicing The Presence Of God. This printable includes a guided prayer journal, an insightful workbook, and thought-provoking discussion questions designed to deepen your connection with each verse and uncover God's personal message to you.
Don't miss out on this transformative experience! (There is a sample in our Resource Library, so you can try before you buy❤️)
Today's devotional is based on Luke 10:41-42 which is from our Practicing The Presence Of God: 31 Presence Of God Scriptures Plan.
What is God saying to you through this verse?
What burdens do you need to surrender to God and trust Him with?
Write out your prayer request.
What are you grateful for today? Count your blessings!
Write out the scripture verse, it helps you to memorize the scripture and store up God's truth in your heart. Then in the last section of the prayer journal, there is space to record what God is speaking to you through our bible verse today, Luke 10:41-42.
Scripture Prayer
We are called to pray without ceasing. That means we can talk with God at any time and in any place. This is a great way to practice the presence of God. Praying scripture is a powerful way to pray so join me in praying Luke 10:41-42.
Thank you, Father, for desiring me to sit at Your feet and savor Your presence. Grant me the wisdom to prioritize and set aside time for worshiping at Your feet. In the secret place of Your presence, I find safety and fullness, as Your presence strengthens my faith and empowers me to make daily decisions. Amen.
Related Resources:
1. You will find Practicing The Presence Of God: 31 Presence Of God Scriptures HERE. It will have the list of 31 Bible verses that we are using for 31 days that our short powerful daily devotionals are based on.
2. Do you long for resources to help you grow in faith and know God's hope, peace and strength for your busy life every day? The lifetime access Devotional Bible study bundle is perfect for you (includes current and all our future resources too!)
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xx Karen.
