martha, martha, martha
This morning I was reading my devotions and I hit the story of Lazarus.
Does God's word ever amaze you with the way it is able to show you something brand new in a story you have already read.
Recently, I have been posting a prayer focus everyday on Facebook. I have gone through several different portions of scripture. As I was finished the love passage in Corinthians, I got the the portion that says "love always perseveres."
I looked up the word persevere and found that it means, to continue in a course of action even in the face of difficulty, with little to no prospect of success.
At the moment I was writing that I was also in a season of prayer about something rather particular in my life. Something about reading that definition was like an intense gut punch to me. It sent me straight to the floor in tears. The thing I was praying about was, and continues to be something that seems difficult and that has little to no prospect of success. There are many things in my life that have felt this way.
Ok, back to Lazarus. What stuck out to me this time as I read the story, was Martha. For many years I fancied myself a Mary, and perhaps I was. I have a very laid back temperament and tendencies and so to me that indicated, Mary. Maybe it's just really that I am both but of late, I have had eyes to see the deep Martha lines running through my heart.
When we typically think of Mary and Martha we get the image of the intense type A perfectionist in the kitchen while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus. I suppose that might be true but as I my eyes have opened to this I have also grown in compassion to Martha's story. I think Martha was probably given, generous and kind. Whatever her personality she was someone who poured herself out in service. It stands out to me that what Jesus was trying to say when He corrected her was, "Don't get so busy serving me that you forget to draw near to me and hear my voice."
This hits close to home for me. One of the biggest struggles I have had to balance my whole adult life is that very thing. When we don't draw near to the Lord we don't get filled up and our service becomes weak, weary and often frustrated. Like Martha was when scolded Mary for not helping.
As I have started to really identify with Martha, her roll in the story of Lazarus resurrection took a new emphasis for me today.
Let's recap:
Lazarus gets sick.
Jesus says....nope we will wait a bit.
Lazarus dies.
Jesus says, k time to go.
When Jesus get's there He is met by the ever pragmatic Martha.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[d] Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
This morning when I read those words, I felt for Martha. I understood her heart and her perspective. She stated facts, she stood on the truth of her faith and she trusted that God was good. She was strong for her family. She held things together as their world was falling apart. She was a realist, even pointing out that decomposition stinks and if the stone was rolled away it would smell. Yes, once again I found how very much I could relate to Martha.
I like Martha am generally very strong. I rise to the occasion when life falls apart. When others crumble, I tend to rush in and smooth the rough edges and sooth the distressed hearts. I know that my God is good. I trust Him when the world falls apart.
But Martha and I can't always see that just when something seems the MOST impossible, may be the moment that God shaping up to do something so amazing people cannot help but see the power of God. Something that may seem to have "no prospect of success."
But steady, strong, realistic, reliable Martha, saw the hand of God. After she speaks to Jesus about the odor He says the most amazing thing. Its something that I think He is constantly saying to me.
"Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the Glory of God?"
Then He did the impossible.
His timing made ZERO sense. His plan made even less. He allowed Martha and her family to walk through something very painful and then at the end of it all, He blew their minds and brought incredible glory to God.
I think He is trying to do the same thing and my life. Just like Martha, I cannot help but point out all the human reasons why something simply wont work. I cant help but point out what "stinks" about the situation. But also like Martha there is a very real part of me that knows that God is faithful and capable.
I think as I read this this morning the Lord was trying to say, "Linda, haven't I told you that I've GOT this? You can trust me already." It sounded a little like "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the Glory of God."
I want to see your glory Lord.
I know that you can and I trust that you will.
In your time...In your way...In the face of difficulty with little to no prospect of success.
So I WILL persevere.
Does God's word ever amaze you with the way it is able to show you something brand new in a story you have already read.
Recently, I have been posting a prayer focus everyday on Facebook. I have gone through several different portions of scripture. As I was finished the love passage in Corinthians, I got the the portion that says "love always perseveres."
I looked up the word persevere and found that it means, to continue in a course of action even in the face of difficulty, with little to no prospect of success.
At the moment I was writing that I was also in a season of prayer about something rather particular in my life. Something about reading that definition was like an intense gut punch to me. It sent me straight to the floor in tears. The thing I was praying about was, and continues to be something that seems difficult and that has little to no prospect of success. There are many things in my life that have felt this way.
Ok, back to Lazarus. What stuck out to me this time as I read the story, was Martha. For many years I fancied myself a Mary, and perhaps I was. I have a very laid back temperament and tendencies and so to me that indicated, Mary. Maybe it's just really that I am both but of late, I have had eyes to see the deep Martha lines running through my heart.
When we typically think of Mary and Martha we get the image of the intense type A perfectionist in the kitchen while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus. I suppose that might be true but as I my eyes have opened to this I have also grown in compassion to Martha's story. I think Martha was probably given, generous and kind. Whatever her personality she was someone who poured herself out in service. It stands out to me that what Jesus was trying to say when He corrected her was, "Don't get so busy serving me that you forget to draw near to me and hear my voice."
This hits close to home for me. One of the biggest struggles I have had to balance my whole adult life is that very thing. When we don't draw near to the Lord we don't get filled up and our service becomes weak, weary and often frustrated. Like Martha was when scolded Mary for not helping.
As I have started to really identify with Martha, her roll in the story of Lazarus resurrection took a new emphasis for me today.
Let's recap:
Lazarus gets sick.
Jesus says....nope we will wait a bit.
Lazarus dies.
Jesus says, k time to go.
When Jesus get's there He is met by the ever pragmatic Martha.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[d] Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
This morning when I read those words, I felt for Martha. I understood her heart and her perspective. She stated facts, she stood on the truth of her faith and she trusted that God was good. She was strong for her family. She held things together as their world was falling apart. She was a realist, even pointing out that decomposition stinks and if the stone was rolled away it would smell. Yes, once again I found how very much I could relate to Martha.
I like Martha am generally very strong. I rise to the occasion when life falls apart. When others crumble, I tend to rush in and smooth the rough edges and sooth the distressed hearts. I know that my God is good. I trust Him when the world falls apart.
But Martha and I can't always see that just when something seems the MOST impossible, may be the moment that God shaping up to do something so amazing people cannot help but see the power of God. Something that may seem to have "no prospect of success."
But steady, strong, realistic, reliable Martha, saw the hand of God. After she speaks to Jesus about the odor He says the most amazing thing. Its something that I think He is constantly saying to me.
"Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the Glory of God?"
Then He did the impossible.
His timing made ZERO sense. His plan made even less. He allowed Martha and her family to walk through something very painful and then at the end of it all, He blew their minds and brought incredible glory to God.
I think He is trying to do the same thing and my life. Just like Martha, I cannot help but point out all the human reasons why something simply wont work. I cant help but point out what "stinks" about the situation. But also like Martha there is a very real part of me that knows that God is faithful and capable.
I think as I read this this morning the Lord was trying to say, "Linda, haven't I told you that I've GOT this? You can trust me already." It sounded a little like "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the Glory of God."
I want to see your glory Lord.
I know that you can and I trust that you will.
In your time...In your way...In the face of difficulty with little to no prospect of success.
So I WILL persevere.
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