Daily Devotional

The people’s lives that are recorded in biblical history are people just like us.  They struggled with many of the same daily pressures that we deal with today.  They worked hard to provide for their families.  They experienced interpersonal conflict.  They had to deal with family issues.  So, as we look at their lives, what they experienced is very typical of 21st century life.
 
“Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.” – Luke 10:38-39 (NKJ)

Jesus and his disciples had come to the town of Bethany.  Mary and Martha had invited them for dinner.  Martha wanted everything to be just right for their guests.  She desired to spend time listening to Jesus but there was so much work that had to be done.  The preparations were distracting her from what her heart desired to do.  There was still a lot of work to do in the kitchen and her sister Mary was just sitting listening to Jesus.  Martha could use a little help, but her sister was not cooperating.  Out of frustration and stress of the moment, she brings her complaint to the Lord.  Maybe He would make her sister get up and help her.

“But Martha was distracted with much serving…”  

The word “distracted” means to be drawn away…it is used in the passive voice which means Martha’s mind was over-occupied.  Her mind was focused on serving the meal and she was drawn away from her focus on the Lord.
 
“…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.” – Luke 10:40 (NKJ)

With the stress of making everything perfect, Martha began to feel that she was the only one who cared that they had a nice meal.  Her sister didn’t seem to care or else she would be helping.  Now it appeared that the Lord Himself did not care either.  So, Martha brings her complaint to the Lord.  “Lord, don’t you care…?”  A question that was born out of the frustration and stress of the evening.  Lord, don’t you see all that I am doing for you.

The daily pressures of life that come from home, work or our leisure time cause us to wrongly think that our life is going unnoticed by God and that He does not care.  The enemy wants us to think that God is unconcerned.  Our focus is centered on all that we are doing.  We often feel that God does not notice how hard we are working and thus is withholding His blessing.  I will just have to tough it out and do it alone!

Martha could only see that the problem was not her fault but her sister’s.  If she would just decide to help everything would be fine.  The stress in Martha’s life had caused her to blame others for the situation she was in.
 
Stress often causes us to drive away those who would otherwise be glad to help.  We become so insistent that everything be done our way that we stifle everyone else’s creativity.  We are doing this for the Lord so, “Do it right…my way!”
 
“And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” – Luke 10:41-42

The Lord recognized all that was going on.  So, as He spoke to Martha about the situation, He went right to the heart of the problem. “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things…” The Lord dealt with two things that were creating a problem in Martha’s mind…

Jesus first tells Martha that she is being drawn in two directions.  She wanted to hear what He was teaching because she knew it was important.  But she also wanted to provide a nice meal.  She opted to provide the nice meal.  So, she began to focus on the task at hand instead of focusing on the Lord.  She could not completely devote her attention to Jesus.
 
The Lord addresses the second issue.  Martha you are disturbed and troubled by this situation.  She had lost her focus and she was no longer seeing clearly.  All these things that you have built up to be so big in your mind have caused you to choose wrong priorities.  Your sister has chosen what is best and Martha you can choose what is best too.


Prayer:  Lord, so often life overwhelms me.  I do not always see clearly.  Help me to choose what is best so that my life will be lived for Your glory.  Amen

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.