refreshment at the feet of Jesus are vital to our well being.
"Pray for the Holy Spirit to give you a deep love for God's Word". Dr. Stanley gleans this lesson from the life of Mary of Bethany. Her sister Martha was perhaps more like a "Martha Stewart". She welcomed Jesus into her house (we tend to welcome guests when our houses are immaculate and we are happy with our decorating and entertaining skills). Everything had to be just so for Martha. Jesus observed that Martha was "worried and troubled about many things". Jesus is very aware that the physical things we take pleasure in and enjoy doing are temporary and are not a source of real peace.
I don't think we realize how busy we are with material things in our culture. However, we find it difficult to pull ourselves away from the pressures of our lifestyle, to remove ourselves from the fray, to make time for spiritual refreshment. Mary evidently had things to take care of also, but deliberately chose to sit at Jesus' feet. He pointed out to Martha that "one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her".
Joshua was confronted with a situation where many kings came together to fight against Israel--"as many people as the sand that is on the seashore". God told Joshua up front, "Do not be afraid because of them". God went on to say He would deliver all of them slain by the same time tomorrow. We win or lose many battles in our minds before our feet ever touch the battlefield. Like Martha, we find ourselves "worried and troubled about many things". His Word will tell us the truth about upcoming "battles" if we will only take the time to listen, and we can trust in God to "command our victories".
Psalm 44, fits perfectly with these scenarios. God is the One who gives us victories--our trust should never be in our own resources, but in God. He saves us from our enemies (we are no doubt our own worst enemy and He saves us from ourselves when we choose to sit at His feet and listen to what He is saying). How we need the comfort and hope that is only available through a relationship with Him! Israel could have never defeated the multitude that came against them. Yet, "Joshua and all the people of war with him came against them suddenly by the waters of Merom, and they attacked them". This was after they received God's perspective on the outcome.
Proverbs 14:1, also offers a bit of wisdom about women (Marys and Marthas). "The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands". Jesus must be the foundation of our "house" or it will come down. What we do with our hands--how we spend our time--determines whether we are building our house or pulling it down. Many have lost their homes to natural or financial disasters. When we know God and our hope is on things above, we are much less likely to be devastated by such events. The comfort and hope that results from such a relationship is "that good part" that cannot be taken away from us. We will have opportunities today to either worry and be troubled about many things or to choose a spiritual perspective that begins at the feet of Jesus.
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