Mary

My mind has been really taken up with the idea of God being our focus and our desire! A few weeks ago I spent some time with the Lord with this on my mind. I guess sometimes I think that we all spend so much time with God focused on our needs, on getting through with our reading or study for the day, or on our thoughts and feelings that we barely recognize God Himself. So, anyway, as I began praying, I asked God if He had anything that He wanted to say to me.

The days are coming and swiftly when there will no longer be a woman who sits alone to seek My face.

Well, this really stopped me, and I didn't know what that meant. I mean, surely as long as God's people remain in the world there will be those who see His face and long to hear His voice.

So few Marys, so many Marthas. They are trading in the glory of the Lord for their own glory.

Of course, with my mind where it had been, seeking God as the focus of our desires, I worried that these words were mere echoes of my own heart and not truly from the Lord. And they may have been. But I am sharing them with you in case they may speak to your heart as they did to mine. As I prayed to recognize the truth, I recommend you do the same.

As I thought on those words, I responded that even though I tend to have more of a Mary-spirit, my desire being to seek Him for Himself, I still get too caught up in other things, even in good, spiritual, godly things. Even when I take the time to see Him, I usually spend most of my time in studying the word and writing my thoughts and insights. In realizing this I felt such conviction for allowing ANYTHING to come before Him. It occurred to me that I let just about everything in my life come before Him.

I confessed my idolatry and my carelessness, asking God to forgive me for allowing everything to push Him out. For even allowing my Bible study to push Him to the side.

But you know, as I thought about it, even if I were to push all of the world out of my life, there would still be so much of the 'good' that I 'ought' to be doing as a Christian. Sometimes it just seems so overwhelming. Just imagine trying to pray daily for all the needs and the situations in your life, your family and friends needs, the crises of the world, the unsaved, etc. Sometimes it seems as though you could spend hours before the Lord interceding for all the needs, and still not cover it all.

One Thing ...

I heard that phrase in my heart and it reminded me that Jesus said to Martha in regards to Mary, "Only one thing is necessary." He continued, "Mary has chosen the best part." So my heart cried out, "Lord, please help me to choose the best part!"

And I cried out to the Lord that there would NEVER be a time when there is no one who will sit at His feet and seek Him for Himself! I asked Him to call forth Marys to seek His face, to set aside the things of this world together with the 'good' things of the faith. That He would draw out those who will pour out their lives in devotion rather than service alone, or rather that they would pour out their lives in service that flows from their devotion and passion for Him and His glory.

It can be so difficult to understand and then to help others to understand the value of the Marys. They seem so self-centered, even as Martha believed, wanting only to enjoy His presence. Churches and pastors do not want Marys. They prefer Marthas, believing there is so much work and ministry to be done. Books have been written, sermons preached, groups formed, all to get God's people busy and involved in ministry.

Oh, I know, and I firmly believe that God has given the church the mandate to "go and make disciples." There is work to be done! There is service to be rendered. And, in truth, there are SO MANY who do not serve and do not seek, many who are content to just show up on Sunday. I long to see those who are just visiting on Sundays desiring Him, hungering for His Word, thirsting for His face, and finding their place in serving Him. I LONG to see the church drinking deeply from His presence and His beauty and then going forth in that passion to fill the world with the knowledge of Him and His glory.

And I felt the Lord saying:

Encourage the Marthas. Bring them to My feet. Bid them to be refreshed and renewed in My presence.

Draw out the Marys. Give them courage to SIT, courage to stand against the pressure to do and to serve. Remind them that they have chosen the best part, they must not let it be taken from them.

And, again, I do not believe that this is a mandate from the Lord for us to be idle. Rather it is His call for us to love Him first and foremost with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. He is calling us to seek Him first, to fill our hearts and lives fully with His presence, and then to go forth from that filling charged and ready to give our lives to bring all glory and honor to His Name! It is service that comes from a heart overflowing with love for Him and His love for the world. It stands in stark contrast to being "cumbered about much serving." It may be an answer to the burnout that many experience as they go about doing so much in their own strength.

Love,
Ev

The One Thing that is our First Love!