in your presence

"While they were traveling, he entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him to her home. She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord's feet and was listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, 'Lord, don't you care that my sister has let me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.' The Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worry and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.'"

Too often the description of Martha being distracted, worried and busy about many things could describe me. It's hard for me to sit still, to not make a to do list and start crossing things off. I enjoy the busy because in the busy I feel fulfilled, like I am contributing to something. I feel lazy or less than when I'm not busy with accomplishments.

Just before this Jesus sent out seventy-two people who went with the power of the Holy Spirit and watched even demons submit to the Lord by his name. Jesus told them not to rejoice in all that they had done but "rejoice that your names are written in heaven.'"

Rejoice in the salvation from Jesus.

Psalm 16, one of my favorite passages in Sceipture, says this:

My heart is glad

And my whole being rejoices;

My body also rests securely.

For you will not abandon me to Sheol;

You will not allow your faithful one to see decay. 

It is so easy to get caught up in what we are doing for Jesus. Easy to make a list of the Bible studies we lead, the Gospel conversations we have, the widows and orphans and poor and needy we serve, the people we pray for, the amount of scripture we have memorized. But do we know Jesus? Do we love him? Do we praise him that he is who keeps us? And that he will continue to keep us even if we never do another good thing in our life?

Right in between talking to the seventy-two and Martha, Jesus talks to an expert in the law who wants to know how to get eternal life. He wants a list. We all do don't we? We want to know what we can and can't do so we can follow that and somehow point back to ourselves for our salvation.

What conclusion does this man and Jesus come to? We are to love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and strength and mind.

This is what Mary was doing. She was loving Jesus. She was drinking deeply from her fountain. 

"In your presence is abundant joy." Psalm 16:11

Are you sitting in the presence of Jesus, learning to love him? Or are you busy with to-dos hoping to prove yourself? Let the beauty of Jesus capture your heart. Let his glorious presence be your hearts desire.