Bible Study About Martha (And Her Family)~Part Two

Today I am sharing another part of the story of Martha (and her family). I read about her in my devotional book.



I have a soft spot for Martha, probably due to the fact that I identify with her so much. I feel like sometimes her positive qualities have been overlooked in studies of her life, because there is always so much focus on her mistakes.

Times have not changed very much, have they? Today, we live in a society that just waits for a celebrity to mess up and make a mistake, because that is what sells magazines and newspapers. And the reading public laps the bad news up like dogs to water, because it makes them feel better about themselves and their own lives.

So today, I am going to focus on another thing that I think Martha did well. I shared with you last week how I thought that she handled herself well even in her complaining. Although her frustrations were misguided, she carried them straight to Jesus. (You can read my thoughts on that by clicking here.)

Well, the part of her story that I am going to share with you today just goes to show you, Martha may have made many mistakes, but she got some things so right. Things that we should all take notice of.

Here is the story as told in Scripture.

John 11

1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." 4 When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." 5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. 7 Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." 8 "But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?" 9 Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. 10 It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light." 11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up." 12 His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. 14 So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." 16 Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."
17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.

Now, Martha and Mary knew that Jesus loved their brother Lazarus as much as He loved them, so when they sent for Him, they expected that He would be swift in getting to them. But as you just read, He took His time.

Here is what happened when Jesus finally arrived in Bethany.

John 11

20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. 21 "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."


Did you notice what she felt and said? Right away, she voices her displeasure in Jesus' taking His time, but then she follows it up with an amazing display of faith by saying, "But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."

Even at a time when she must have been completely heartbroken, she had not lost her faith.

Listen to Jesus' reaction to her.

John 11

23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" 27 "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." 28 And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside.

What she said to Jesus is worth repeating. She said, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

That is one of the boldest displays of faith in the Bible to me. She wasn't wishy- washy with her answer. She was bold! She knew Who she was talking to. She knew What He was capable of. She knew that He loved her and her family. She accepted whatever decision He made concerning her brother. Period.

Oh, in that way, to be a Martha! She was a woman who knew that Jesus loved her. She was so comfortable with Him that she didn't hesitate to tell Him of her frustrations, and she never lost sight of her faith in Him. She knew regardless of her emotions or the outcome of the situation that He loved her.

The last few verses that I will share today are ones that touch me so much. I love the fact that they give us a glimpse of Jesus as simply a friend of this family. A friend that loves them so much.

John 11

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"

I love those words. Jesus knew that He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead. He knew in mere moments they would all be rejoicing. But in that moment, He hurt for the pain that He saw in His friends.

He does that same thing for each and every one of us. He loves us, just like He loved Martha and her family.

John 11:5
"Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus."

John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Bible Study About Martha (And Her Family)

The woman that I read about this week in my devotional is Martha. I love the story of Martha, her sister Mary, and their brother Lazarus.

Scripture says Jesus loved them.

John 11:5
"Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus."



Can you imagine, forever and all time, God's Word saying He loved you by name?
Now obviously we already know that the Bible says God loves all of us.

John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

But the Bible says that Jesus loved them by their names.

He was their friend.

It would be the most amazing feeling to open up the Bible and read the words, "Jesus loved Amy and her family."

Sigh.

Much like the relationship that I have with my friend Kenny, Jesus spent time with them. He enjoyed their company. I can just picture them laughing over funny memories while enjoying dinner together.

He obviously looked forward to spending time with them, as much as they looked forward to spending time with Him.

He definitely had a special relationship with this family, and that in a nutshell is why the story of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus is one of my favorites.

It lets us see Jesus simply as a friend.

A friend that they obviously felt completely comfortable around.

Mary felt comfortable enough to sit at His feet and hang on to His every Word.

And Martha knew that she was safe to go straight to Him with her complaints and frustrations about her sister.

That type of comfort comes only after time spent in getting to know each other.
Of course, the Bible doesn't tell us of all of the times that they were together, and it doesn't tell us everything they did or discussed.
But relationships that are that comfortable don't just happen. They develop over time.

Scripture tells us that Martha opened her home to Jesus.

Luke 10:38
"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him."

From what I have been taught regarding "opening her home" in Bible times, it doesn't mean that she just opened the door and said to Jesus, "Come on in!"
It means she literally invited Him to come inside and make her home, His home. She would have rolled out the red carpet of hospitality for however long His stay would be.

I know myself, if company is coming, I want the house to be clean. I want food to be available, and I want my guests to feel like my home is their home. (And since most of my friends that visit always start yawning and want to go to sleep, I think I definitely make them feel comfortable. I don't know if they always approve of my cleaning and cooking skills, but they definitely know that they can kick their feet up and relax.) ;)

How much more so would I be this way if I knew it was Jesus that would be staying with me. Like Martha, I can see myself working feverishly to make everything perfect for Him.

Martha gets criticized so much for her story as told in Scripture, since she was complaining to Jesus, but let's be honest with one another....Don't we all do this at one time or another?

Martha was human just like the rest of us.
Although Mary chose a very good thing to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to Him as He spoke, Martha was trying to do the same thing in her service to Jesus. She was misguided, maybe, but non the less, she was doing what she thought was her best.

I wonder if Mary was going through something extremely difficult, as opposed to Martha at the time.
I know when I am in great emotional pain, I spend so much more time talking to God. Every time we see Mary in Scripture, she is at the feet of Jesus.
I don't know what was going on in her life, but I know in my own, when I am hurting, I, too, find myself frequently at Jesus' feet.

These are just things I wonder about. Every one of us has our own story. Our own pain. Our own individual relationship with the Lord. We are all in different seasons in our walks with the Lord.

Even though Martha's feelings about Mary were misguided, I love the fact that she carried her frustrations straight to Jesus. Scripture doesn't say that she slammed the cabinet doors, or banged the dishes together. No, Scripture says she went right to Jesus with her complaints.

Luke 10:39-40
She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

Here is Jesus' response to her.

Luke 10:41-42
"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

I can picture Jesus trying not to smile as He gently spoke those words to her.

Remember Scripture says...

John 11:5
"Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus."

He corrected her wrong thinking towards Mary, but oh, how He loved her!
He must have been so pleased that she brought her frustrations straight to Him.
She wasn't gossiping about Mary to any one else who would listen; she went straight to Him.

1 Peter 5:7
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

In that way, oh how I would love to be a Martha!

John 7:24
"Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment."

We need to be careful how we misjudge the women and men and their stories that God shares with us in the Bible. They were all human, just like us. There is so much to learn from their mistakes, as well as their triumphs.

I will share more next week of my study of Martha and her family.

P.S. Thank you for the lovely picture, Dianne.

Bible Study About The Woman Who Lived A Sinful Life

This week I studied about the "Woman Who Lived A Sinful Life" in my devotional. She is a woman just like me. She is a woman just like each and every one of us.

Her story is found in the book of Luke.

Just like all of the women that I have been studying, there is so much to learn from her encounter with the Lord.

I will share the part of her story that spoke so much to me. If you have something to share about her story, I would love for you to leave it in my comments section. I love to learn from the views of other people. God speaks to each and every one of us in a different way; we all have our own story of what God has done in our lives.

Luke 7:36-39
Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table.
When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume,
and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is--that she is a sinner."

Can you imagine the spectacle?......But she did not care. She had only one thing on her mind, and she was not going to let the judgmental, probing eyes of others stop her.

She dropped to his feet and wept. She knew that she was a sinner, a person unworthy of the forgiveness that only He could offer. But, she knew that He offered that forgiveness to her (yes, even her) anyway, and she wept at the reality of it. The reality of how dark her sin was against the light of His forgiveness simply overwhelmed her.

So many times in my own life, I have found myself there, sobbing at the feet of Jesus. Knowing that I am so unworthy of His love, but He loves me anyway. Even when others judge me, treat me harshly, or ignore me, He looks at me with love.

The thought that the Pharisee has about the woman, pointing out, "that she is a sinner," is so true of all of us today, at one time or another. We, as Christians, tend to put "degrees" on sin. We compare our sins to those of others. For example some people might say, "I may have cheated on my taxes a time or two, but I have never killed anyone!" That sort of "sin comparison" is very common among most of us, isn't it? It makes us somehow feel better about our own sins, if we focus on the "much worse" sins of others.

Jesus does not put "degrees" on our sins. He doesn't compare my sins to the sins of others. To Jesus, sin is sin. Period.

I love what Jesus says to the Pharisee, who must have been caught off guard that this Man knew what he was thinking.

Luke 7:40-47
Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Tell me, teacher," he said.
"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"
Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled." "You have judged correctly," Jesus said.
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.
You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.
Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

I want to love much everyday of my life, because I have definitely been forgiven much.

When I am at sitting at the feet of Jesus sobbing and asking for forgiveness, the only place I can look is up!
When I look up, I see Jesus looking at me with nothing but love and forgiveness in His eyes for me.
He says the same words to this "sinful" woman today, that He said to that "sinful" woman so long ago.

Luke 7:48,50
Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

Go in peace. Not go in guilt or regret, but go in peace.

1 Peter 5:7
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

Philippians 4:7
"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Here is the scene of the "Sinful Woman" from the movie "Jesus of Nazareth."
As you watch it, put yourself in her place. Think about what you would say or do while sitting at the feet of Jesus.



"Your sins are forgiven; go in peace." Lord, thank You for those precious words.
They are the only light with the ability to shine through the darkness of my sins.

Bible Study About The Woman Of Samaria- Part Two

Today I am continuing with the story of the Woman of Samaria. She is also referred to as The Woman at the Well.

After Jesus talked with the woman at the well, this is what Scripture says happened.

John 4:28-30
Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people,
"Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?"
They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

She dropped everything and ran to spread the news. She had been face to face with Jesus. The Promised One. The Messiah. Imagine how full her heart must of felt. She was so full, she could not hold it all in. She could not keep the good news to herself. She had to share it with others.

This same woman, only moments earlier, had gone to the well to draw water at a time of day when no other people would be around. Now, we see her running back to find the same people she had been avoiding, to share with them about this Man.

John 4:39-42
Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did."
So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days.
And because of his words many more became believers.
They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."

This is so touching to me. The very people who scorned her for her lifestyle,the ones that gossiped about her, the ones she avoided at the well, are the same ones that she literally led to Christ.

Only moments earlier they probably would not have given her the time of day, but something must have been different about her this time. I wonder if she looked or sounded different to them?. Did she look them in the eye, holding her head up high? Something about her made them take notice and listen.

I believe that Something different about her was a Someone. That Someone was Jesus. Jesus was the difference that made them take notice and listen.

John 4:39 says, "Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, 'He told me everything I ever did.'"

Isn't that just like God. He doesn't need us to be specially trained, educated, popular, beautiful, thin, rich, or any other number of "sociably acceptable" qualities. He simply wants us to be willing. If we give Him our hearts and turn our lives over to Him, He will do the impossible through us. All we have to do is surrender and believe in Him.

I know then, just like today, most of the people that God chose to help bring people to know Him and His Son, are not the same people that we would have "chosen". Most of the time we judge people by what we see on the outside; God, thankfully, does not.

1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Society looked at the woman at the well and saw an immoral person, not worthy of even speaking to. God looked at that same woman and saw a soul that was longing to be filled with the truth and knowledge of Him. He saw a heart eager to know Him, and a heart just as eager to share Him with the same people who scorned her.

I'm so thankful that God acknowledges those that society ignores. He sees in us all that He created us to be. He loves us all. It doesn't matter where we've been, where we're at, or where we're going. He just simply loves us.

Wednesday's devotional found in "Our Daily Bread", reminded me a lot of the story of the Woman of Samaria. If you have the time, it is a wonderful message to read.

It's about an uneducated lay preacher conducting a church service.

It was written by Cindy Hess Kasper; her words are so encouraging. She makes the statement, "Our best may not always measure up to the standards of others. But God takes our inadequacies and humble efforts and uses them for His glory."

2 Corinthians 4:7
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

Cindy Hess Harper ends the passage with this quote, "Do what you can where you are with what you have."

To me that sounds exactly like what the Woman of Samaria did. She went where she could, as soon as she could, and she opened her heart and shared what she had just learned with any one who would listen. Then God did the rest.

Last week I showed you a You Tube clip about the Woman of Samaria. The clip I have for you today is the complete scene of this story in the Bible.
As you watch it, thank God that He loves you. Right now, no matter where you are in your life, He loves you. Let that sink in.

Thank you for letting me share my thoughts with you today.



Thank You, God, for the story of the Woman of Samaria; her desire and willingness to share the news of You with others encourages me. Lord, please help me each day to see others as You see them.

Bible Study About The Woman Of Samaria

The Woman of Samaria is the woman I read about this week in my devotional. She is often referred to as The Woman at the Well.

Her story is found in the Bible in the book of John.

Here are the first verses from John that introduce us to this woman.

John 4:1-9
1.The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John,
2.although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples.
3.When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.
4.Now he had to go through Samaria.
5.So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
6.Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7.When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?"
8.(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
9.The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. )

There is so much that moved me about the story of the Woman of Samaria, that I am having a difficult time even knowing where to begin. So this week I will share a few things that I loved about her story, and I will continue it again next Friday.

I will start by giving you just a little background about water at this time in history. Water was precious; it was often scarce. It was largely the duty of women at this time to go to the well to get the water that was needed for each day. Typically the women would go to the well in the evening, so it would not be so hot while they did this chore. With so many women gathering around the well at about the same time to draw their water each day, you can safely assume that the well was a gathering place of sorts. Probably a lot like your local beauty salon today. (Think Steel Magnolias.)

But if you'll look again at verse six, Scripture says it was the sixth hour.
That means noon. The heat of the day. Needless to say the well would not be crawling with women at that time of day. The Woman of Samaria obviously did not want to be around any of the local women. The kind of life she led was a questionable one, and she did not want to be their "topic of conversation" any more. Their stares, judgments, and harsh words hurt. The stifling heat of the day would be more pleasant than their gossip-filled glances.

When she arrived at the well, she was surprised to see a man there, and not just any man, but a Jew. Jewish people at this time usually went out of their way to avoid even passing by Samaria. My devotional says that, "Jewish people thought that the Samaritan people were half breeds that worshiped at their shrine on Mount Gerizim instead of at the temple in Jerusalem." Upon seeing Him, she probably thought He definitely wouldn't speak to her, because at this time men did not address women in public. And since He was a Jewish man, she probably felt very certain she did not have to worry about being bothered by Him.

So, try to imagine her surprise when she heard this come out of His mouth in verse seven.
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?"

You can see by her response in verse nine that she is confused by His question.

The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?"

Not only was this Jewish man speaking to her, He also wanted her to give him a drink!
The notes in my Bible say that the passage, (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) in Scripture could also be translated, (or do not use dishes Samaritans used).

She must have really been confused, wondering to herself, "Who is this Jewish man?"
Not only is He talking to her, He also wants to drink from the same dish as her.
Both of these actions were unheard of in her culture. There was definitely something different about this man.

I love that Jesus is different than we are. What I mean by that is that He does what we won't do. He doesn't let "traditions" determine what He does or who He will speak to. He loves us all exactly where we are in our lives. It doesn't matter where we come from, what others think of us, or what kind of lifestyle we lead. He loves us all, even though we don't deserve it. He looks at each and every one of us with love and acceptance in His eyes and His heart, even those of us that society over looks or looks down upon.

Read what Scripture says that Jesus did in the book of John while having dinner with His disciples.

John 13:3-5
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;
so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.
After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

He, the One and Only Son of God, got down on the floor and washed their feet.

Think about that for a moment.

During this time it was customary for the owner of the home to have his lowest servant wash the feet of any guests that came into his home.

Jesus was a guest at this dinner, not the lowest servant in the home.

If I traveled to your home today, wearing sandals while walking on dusty roads, would you want to wash my feet?

I would not want to wash any body's dirty feet......especially the filthy feet of grown men! But the Bible tells us that is exactly what Jesus did.

It's humbling to me.

He talked to a woman that others ignored.

He did the dirty job of washing feet that others didn't want to do.

He forgives us of our sins when we don't deserve it. He reaches out to us even though we so often ignore Him. He loves us even when we don't love Him.

I am so thankful that God doesn't treat me how I deserve to be treated.

I found this clip on You Tube about the Woman at the Well and Jesus. I am a visual learner, so I am able to comprehend things much better if I can see them.
This scene that I have to show you is their meeting and conversation at the well. As you watch it, put yourself in her shoes. Try to imagine what she must have been feeling in her heart as this meeting took place. Jesus, the Son of God, wanted to talk to her!

He wants to talk to you too.

Will you listen?



I will share more about the story of the Woman of Samaria, including more verses from the book of John, next week.

Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Thank You, Lord, for noticing me, for talking to me, for forgiving me, for fighting for me, and for loving even me. My cup runneth over.

Bible Study About Anna

Anna is the woman I read about this week in my devotional.

Her story is found in the book of Luke.

There are not many words about Anna in the Bible, but the few words that are mentioned are powerful. Here is what the Bible says happened when Anna met Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus at the temple.

Luke 2:36-38
There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,
and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.
Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Anna was only with her husband for seven years when he died. Losing her husband after so few years of marriage must have been devastating, but her faith remained strong. After suffering through that tremendous loss, she devoted her life only to God. That's humbling to me, because in my life my faith has been shaken many times by much less traumatic circumstances. But she did not let the loss of her husband change her faith or her love for the Lord.

What touched me most about Anna is that Scripture says she never left the temple. It also says she worshiped night and day, and as if that wasn't enough, she did that while fasting.

I don't know about you, but by the time I get out of church on Sunday, I am starving! I love my time at church, but come 12:00 I am ready to go home, put on my pajama pants, and eat lunch. I only go to church one morning a week, but Anna lived at the temple every single day!

It is hard to imagine living a life so devoted to God. So many times in my own life, I am sorry to say, I have to try to squeeze in my quiet time with God. I scurry around trying to get all of my "chores" done, then, if I still have time, I will spend time with God. I am working on changing that in my life, but I will humbly tell you that it does not come naturally to me. I have been ashamed many times when I get out my devotionals to read and I realize that I haven't read them in the last two days. It makes me sad to think of the time that I have wasted in my life on meaningless things. Time spent with God is never meaningless or wasted. Time with God should always be my first priority.

God was Anna's first priority. She didn't just "know" He was first in her life, she "showed" it by her actions. Once again, I am humbled as I think about her walk with God.

Romans 12:11
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Scripture also tells us that Anna recognized who Christ was when she first laid eyes on Him. She knew who He was. Even though He was a tiny infant, she knew He was the Savior she had been waiting for. She had finally seen the Promised Child.

The Bible says that she "spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem." We don't know the exact words that she said, but the Bible does tell us that she was a prophetess, so the words she spoke would have been true about Jesus and His life. I wonder what her exact words were, and did the people she spoke to believe her?........

I'm sure then just like now, some people would have thought she was just a crazy old lady, but some would have recognized the truths she spoke and held on to her every word.

The devotional posed a question for us to think about regarding prophesy and our own lives.
"If an Anna were to have spoken (prophesied)about you when you were six weeks old, what would she have said?"

That question has given me a lot to think about.
As far as I've come in my walk with God, I've got so much farther to go.

I want to pray for my own life to mirror Anna's. I don't mean living at the church and skipping lunch for the rest of my life, but I do mean a life that puts God first.
A life devoted to Him.
A life that honors Him above all.
A heart completely surrendered to God.

Jeremiah 7:23
Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you.

Thank You, Lord for sharing the story of Anna. Her devotion to You encourages me.

He Is Risen!

Luke 24:1-8
1. On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.
2. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
3. but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
4. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.
5. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?
6. He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:
7. 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' "
8. Then they remembered his words.



Romans 6:1-4
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.



Name above all names
You are Worthy of all praise

I praise Your Name, Lord! Thank You for the new life You have given me.

The Ultimate Sacrifice

The sacrifice that Christ made for my sins is unimaginable to me in it's horror.
I am not deserving of His mercy and goodness, but even if I was the only person God ever put on this earth, Christ still would have died on the cross for just me.

His love for me knows no bounds.
I am humbled every time I think about His mercy.
I do not deserve the love and forgiveness that He bestows on me, but He offers it to me anyway!

Salvation is not something that I can earn. It is a gift. The only thing I can do is choose to accept the gift, and choose to live a life that honors the Gift-Giver.

Corinthians 6:19-20
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

"Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all."-Issac Watts



You did it all for me
After You counted the cost
You took my shame, my blame
On my cross

I am humbled by Your love for me, Lord.

If you would like to learn more about salvation through Jesus Christ, Pastor Paul Sheppard has a sermon called The Miracle of Salvation. Let his words about God and His love for you sink deep into your heart. God loves you!

Bible Study About Mary, The Mother of Jesus

This week I read about Mary, the mother of Jesus in my devotional.
Here is what happened when God sent the angel Gabriel to speak to Mary.

Luke 1:26-38
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
26.In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,
27.to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
28.The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
29.Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
30.But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.
31.You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.
32.He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
33.and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
34."How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
35.The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
36.Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.
37.For nothing is impossible with God."
38."I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

Gabriel told Mary that she was highly favored by God.

I looked up in the dictionary the meaning for the word favored.
favored:
treated or thought of with great kindness or partiality;
preferred above all others and treated with partiality

I looked up the meaning of the word "highly" in the dictionary also.
highly:
in or to a high degree; extremely; with high appreciation or praise; admiringly, more than adequately; generously

Imagine with me for a minute, how you would feel if God had Gabriel say those same words to you. Imagine hearing God say, "You are so special to me that I give My One and Only Son to you. Love Him, care for Him, until He comes back home to be with Me."

Think of your own children. Who in your life would you honestly, without hesitation be able to say those same words to?
As a parent, I am very choosy who I let take care of my children. I can't even imagine having to decide who would raise them for me in my absence.

Yet,God trusted in Mary so much that He let her not only give birth to His precious Son, but He trusted her to love Him and to raise Him for the time He spent on the earth.

It's so humbling to me.

I wonder if Mary felt up to the task right away, or was she scared?
Obviously God knew she was up for the challenge. I think so often times in life, God trusts us so much more than we trust Him. He believes in us even when we don't believe in ourselves.

Mary was definitely a woman blessed by God. Her walk with God could not have been easy. From the time the words left Gabriel's mouth, Mary was faced with challenges. Challenges that would cause most people to crumble from the pressure. At the end of His short life, she had to watch the son she gave birth to and loved be ridiculed, scorned, and crucified. I cannot even begin to comprehend the pain she must have felt deep inside her heart.

Imagine the Son of God calling you "Mother".
Even as He was hanging on the cross in unimaginable pain, He was still concerned for His mother.

John 19:25-27
25.Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
26.When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son,"
27.and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

She was His Momma.She was so dear to Him. He wanted her to be taken care of by someone He loved and trusted in His absence, just like His Father had done for Him.

The devotional book ends the section on Mary with with this prayer.

"My soul is full of you, my God, and I cannot hold back my gladness. Everyone who sees me will call me blessed because you have noticed me. You saw my lowliness and my need and filled my emptiness with your presence. Form your likeness in me so that, like Mary, I can bring you into a world that desperately needs your love."

Ask God to make you a woman like Mary. Give your life over to God. Let people see Jesus through your life. Pray for the grace to be like Mary who said, "I am the Lord's servant,may it be to me as you have said."



Luke 1:28
The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

Palm Sunday-"Hosanna in the highest!"

Matthew 21:1-11
1. As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples,
2. saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.
3. If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away."
4. This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5. "Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.' "
6. The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.
7. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.
8. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
9. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!"
10. When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?"
11. The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."