I just sat down to ask the Lord what was on his mind. A number of years ago I realized he already knew what was on my mind. Though I do pray about all the things my life touches I perhaps am learning to spend more time asking Him what’s on His mind.

As soon as I sat I heard come and sit at my feet. Immediately I thought of the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10.

It’s the story how Martha is busy serving and Mary is sitting at Jesus feet. Martha goes to Jesus to convince Him that Mary should be serving and not sitting, That’s pretty funny that Martha tries to convince Jesus that he needs to straight out Mary. If we are willing to admit it there are times when we pray and we try and convince the Lord to “enlighten” other people to what they should and should not be doing.

Martha is busy, busy serving and this is a trap we all can fall into. We can get so caught up in busyness that just like Martha we get distracted.

Here’s the account in Luke 10:

• 38-40 “Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

Christmas is such a beautiful time of year. Yet it can easily become the season that we fall into  the Martha trapdo this and do that. Perhaps as we approach 2021 we can all purpose in our hearts to follow the response that Jesus gave to Martha.

Luke 10:41-42 “And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

How true is that? We get caught up in doing and doing we can easily be ensnared with being worried and troubled by even the smallest thing. We need to break the cycle of “habitual living”.

We need to follow the counsel of Eli who gave these instructions to Samuel when Samuel was hearing God call him.

1Samuel 3:9 “ Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.”

A short period of time goes by and this occurs in verse 10.

• :10 “Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”

It takes desire and discipline to learn how to stop the busyness of our lives and sit with Jesus and say, “speak”, for your son, daughter is here and we are willing to listen and then to live out what is being said to us.

A good word for 2021 - “Come sit at my feet”.

It has been less than a week that our “Homeless Shelter” has been open and already my heart has been broken on 2 different evenings. I serve from 11:00pm to 7:00am. For the most part it is quiet until about 6:00am. It is during this time that these extraordinary people will often wake up to use the bathrooms and sometimes they just can’t sleep. Our guests will often begin talking to our  staff. The other time they will talk is in the morning just before they leave.

As they share it often brings tears to your eyes. When you truly listen to these precious people it’s hard not to break down as they share their tragic stories. As I listen I can feel the Holy Spirit working on my heart. He continues to place more compassion, grace and mercy into my life while continuing to remove an attitude of judgement amongst other carnal attitudes and opinions.

You have to wonder how we would have responded and where we would be today if the circumstances that occurred in their lives occurred in our lives. While they are talking there is also another voice taking the opportunity to speak. One thing I have heard very clearly that I have heard before is, “put away your rocks.” 

In John 8:2-5 we find the story of how the religious leaders brought a woman to him who was caught in adultery and they wanted to stone her.

• 2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?”

If you remember the story Jesus bent down and started writing something on the ground. I wonder what awe was writing? It says they continued to ask what he would do. Then he said to them:

• Verse 7 “So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 

Jesus continued to write and then they one by one began to leave.

• Verses 8-9 “And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last.”

Essentially they put away their rocks. May I encourage each of us to allow the Holy Spirit to take us to a deeper place where we don’t even pick up our rocks…

Musing: Giving your life away

I truly hope you have discovered the joy of giving your life away. If Jesus came to serve shouldn’t we do likewise?

Jesus served:

• Matthew 20:28 “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Yes, I know there are seasons in our lives that we might not be serving but there are also seasons that we are being called to serve. 

Paul served:

• Philippians 2:17 Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.

Have you heard the Macedonian Call? It is calling to each of us.

• Acts 16:9 “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

Can you hear “Come over to Macedonia (name your location) and help us.”

Have you heard that you are in needed as Jesus told his disciples that the donkey for him to ride on was needed?

• Luke 19:31O “And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it.’ 

Are you looking for joy? Perhaps we need to consider:

John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

Giving your life away is our calling…