The Better Choice

 By: Joanne Viola

 

We are all unique, having our own personalities, talents, and quirks. So it should be no surprise two Biblical sisters – Mary and Martha – can confirm this to be true. They were pretty different from each other as well. Jesus took note of it; Luke made sure we knew the details.

As the disciples were traveling, they were welcomed into the home of these two sisters. Martha, who had extended the invitation, was hustling about preparing a big dinner. Mary, we are told, sat at the Lord’s feet. Martha gets a little peeved when she notices Mary is not helping her at all with the preparations. And she complains to Jesus.

“Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? 
Then tell her to help me.” 
(Luke 10: 40, NASB)

Martha was doing exactly what women in her day would have been expected to do – prepare and serve the meal. She was the one who had opened her home, and had to have recognized the amount of work it would entail to prepare a meal for Jesus and the disciples. Yet she seems to want Jesus to tell Mary to get up and assist her.

Jesus doesn’t do so.

“But the Lord answered and said to her, 
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; 
but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, 
which shall not be taken away from her.” 
(Luke 10: 41-42, NASB)

Instead of telling Mary to go help her sister, Jesus gently puts Martha in her place and affirms Mary. Given that Mary was joining Jesus and His disciples, it is almost as if Jesus was saying, “Be a disciple.”

A disciple learns the ways of another. They are trained by the Teacher. They adhere to their teachings and doctrines because they know Him. They become like their teacher or mentor.

I think He would say those very same words to us today. We can so get busy with activities, good ones at that, and mistake these to be relationship and time spent with Him. But this is not what He wants from us.

Jesus longs for us to take the time to be with Him. To learn His ways. To be a disciple.

As we get busy these coming months, may we think about these two sisters. Martha was distracted with the preparations and missed the most important which was in front of her. Jesus pointed out that Mary had chosen to pause and spend time with Him. He tells us she was the one who had made the better choice.

May we remember to make the better choice.
For it will always come down to choice, and the choice is ours.
Be a disciple.

 

Reflection:
How do you stay focused on your relationship with God during this time of year? Do you struggle with balancing preparation and devotions?

 

Photo by Libby Penner on Unsplash

 

Theology of Clothing

   By: Lauren Thomas 

I’m a girl who enjoys fashion. I’m a girl who loves theology. So, buckle up for a brief theology of clothing! Throughout the Bible there is rich symbolism tied to clothing. More than you might think.

 

Let’s start with the purpose of clothing. Literally, clothing is for covering and protection, with a major function being that clothing distinguishes us. Clothes cover our nakedness. Clothes protect us from the elements. Historically, and even today, clothing distinguishes class, values, culture, and position. The literal purposes of clothes run parallel to the symbolic purpose of clothing through Scripture.

 

The first clothes ever, were… quite shabby: fig leaves sewn together, in an attempt to cover the shame of sin. Remember, Adam and Eve had been unashamed in their nakedness, until sin. Then they made clothes.

 

And ever since, we have been trying to cover ourselves.

 

Isaiah tells us that our righteousness is comparable to filthy rags.

 

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

Isaiah 64:6 NIV

 

But God intervened. Genesis 3:21 shows us that God made “garments of skins” for Adam and Eve to clothe them. These garments foreshadowed the Old Testament sacrificial system, in which blood was necessary to atone for sin. See Leviticus 17:11 and Hebrews 9:22. God literally covered the nakedness of Adam and Eve, but he also hinted at the spiritual covering of sin that He was preparing for them through the work of Christ.

 

This covering was also prophesied of in Zechariah 3:1-5. In this passage, a priest in filthy garments stands before the angel of the Lord (Jesus) and “the Accuser” (Satan). Before Satan can bring his accusation against the defiled priest, Jesus silences him, commanding that the priest’s filthy garments be removed and replaced with “pure vestments.” This clothing protected the priest from the accusation of Satan. Similarly, the covering that Jesus provides through his sacrifice not only covers our sin, but protects us from the accusation of our Enemy.

 

While many other passages through Scripture contain the symbolism of clothing, let’s now look at Revelation 19:7-8. Here, the bride of Christ (us, the Church) is granted to wear pure, bright linen. The white that a bride traditionally wears on her wedding day is meant to be symbolic of purity. In Revelation, we see that, symbolically, we are clothed in such a way that distinguishes us as belonging to Christ.

 

So how do we put on this symbolic clothing? Simply by placing our faith in Jesus, whereby his righteousness is imputed to us. (See Romans 4:3-5; Galatians 3:27; Philippians 3:9.) In other words, when we place our faith in Jesus, God sees us as clothed with the righteousness of Christ, not the filthy rags we have been piecing together since Genesis to cover ourselves. When we put on Christ, our sins are covered, we are protected from the accusation of the enemy, and we are distinguished as belonging to Him.

 

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
    my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
    he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
    and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Isaiah 61:10 ESV

 

Reflection:

What does it mean in your life that you have worn “filthy rags” and “fig leaves”?

What other passages can you find that use spiritual symbolism related to clothing?

How can you “put on Christ” (see Romans 13:14 and Colossians 3:1-17)?

Being on the Same Page

By: Jenifer Metzger

My husband loves to watch home remodel shows where they flip houses. One show in particular always catches my attention. Not because of the beautiful tile work or fabulous curb appeal. No, this show catches my attention because of the husband-wife team.

Every single episode ends up with the husband and wife arguing. Why? Because they are not on the same page. She wants the house one way, he wants it another. He tells the contractor to do one thing, she tells the contractor to do another. It's a mess!

We need to be on the same page with our spouse. Not being on the same page is disastrous.

How to stay on the same page in our marriage:

Prayer. Pray together regularly. If your husband is not a praying man {yet}, then make sure you are praying for your marriage. Pray with your spouse and for your spouse.

Communicate. Communication is vital for a marriage. Discuss your plans. Discuss your future. Discuss your feelings. Discuss everything. Make communication a top priority.

Consult each other. Before making any plans, discuss it with each other. It isn't asking permission to do something, it's a way each person can ask questions and understand what is going on and helps avoid being double booked.

Post plans. I am not talking about social media here. I am talking about a calendar and/or notes around the house. My husband often tells me that I forget to tell him stuff. But I believe I've told him and he's forgotten. So we use a calendar. Everything our family does goes on a calendar. We also put notes all around the house. This way we all know what is going on.

Offer grace. When you mess up, you want your husband to offer grace and move on. So give him the same.

Discussion:
1. Do you and your husband struggle with staying on the same page?
2. Which of these areas do you need to work on and what can you do today to implement it?

Names of God Series: Led Along and Helped by Jehovah Raah

 By: Rebekah Hargraves 

Photo Courtesy of: Patti Black

"The Lord is my shepherd;
I have what I need."

~Psalm 23:1

In this most beloved and well-known of Psalms, we are introduced to another beautiful name of God, Jehovah Raah, which means literally " The Lord My Shepherd".  This points us to the truth that God guides, protects, and cares for us just as a shepherd for his flock, which I think is such a timely and meaningful next step in our study following on the heals of what we learned last week. Last Tuesday we talked about our God also being the host of vast angel armies whom He uses to guard and defend us. He truly is always looking out for us and protecting us all along life's way!

As we seek to understand fully what the implications are exactly of God being our Shepherd, let's think for a moment about some of the things a shepherd does for a flock of sheep. 

He protects them.  Shepherds of literal sheep are known for having it as their main job to protect the naive, poor, defenseless sheep against the attacks of wild animals such as wolves. In much the same way, our God seeks to protect us from wolves in sheep's clothing (i.e. false teachers in the church) through the gift He has given us of His Holy Spirit Whose job it is to remind us of truth and guide us therein. 

Similarly, our God also seeks to protect us from the attacks of the enemy who prowls around as a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (see 1 Peter 5:8). He has even gone so far as to provide us with His very own armor (see Ephesians 6:10-18) that we can daily put on in order to come out on the other side of battle with the enemy victorious. 

He provides for them. Another job of a shepherd caring for sheep is to provide for their needs, both needs for food, water, as well as shelter when needed. Our Shepherd is the One Who provides these things for us, as well. As we have already seen, He is our Jehovah Jireh, our Provider. Part of the Lord's Prayer which Jesus sets forth for us in the gospels as our example is a portion referring to God giving "us this day our daily bread". He is our Provider and Sustainer, providing us with the sustenance - physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally that we need to be healthy and whole.

He searches for them. One of my favorite stories of Jesus' was when He talked about the shepherd who left behind his 99 sheep in order to go and search for his 1 lost sheep. Just as that earthly shepherd did for his lost sheep, so, too, our caring Shepherd always goes on a search for us, as well. Whether He is searching after lost people who have never once yet come to Him for salvation, or whether He is searching for us when we have backslidden, searching for lost sheep is His heart's delight. That is how much He loves us all!

What a beautiful thing it is to be shepherded by such a dear, caring, wise, and protective Shepherd! 

Reflection Questions:

1) What most stands out to you about the tasks our Shepherd performs for us?

2) Which one means the most to you and why?

3) How can you remind yourself on a daily basis of the constant care your Shepherd is providing for you?

In Everything Give Thanks

  By: Joanne Viola

 

We are flipping the calendar to the start of a new month, and the month of Thanksgiving. Or should I say, “thanksgiving.”

The dictionary informs me this is a “celebration of divine goodness” or “a prayer expressing gratitude” (from merriam-webster.com).

These two definitions brought to mind several truths concerning thanksgiving:

Everything we have has been given to us out of the “divine goodness” of our God. The enemy would have us to believe God withholds good from us. All that is good for us, and for our good comes from God.

“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, 
coming down from the Father of lights, 
with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” 
(James 1:17, NASB) 

Thanksgiving is to be “a prayer expressing gratitude.” This should cause us to pause. Gratitude will keep our hearts from a growing sense of entitlement. It turns our focus from thinking we deserve more, to being grateful for what we have already been given.

“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; 
in everything give thanks; 
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NASB) 

There is something which occurs in our souls when we connect the three actions which Paul mentions in these verses.

When we rejoice, or are always joyful, and when we pray continuously, we will find ourselves able to give thanks.

“Paul never instructed the church to thank God for evil events but to thank God that even in evil times and circumstances our hope remains, and God continues to work in our lives.”

(from The New American Commentary, Vol. 33, page 182)

So as we enter this month of thanksgiving, be watchful.
Look for the blessings God gives to you each day.
“And in everything give thanks.”

 

Reflection:
Do you struggle with giving thanks in all circumstances? For what can you be grateful today?

 

Photo by alex geerts on Unsplash