Are you a Martha or a Mary?

This is possibly one of the busiest times of the year. Shopping, work, holidays, family trips, presents, food... the list goes on. The world throws distractions at us - Santa, consumerism, materialism, busyness. It gets so easy to get caught up in the craziness that Christmas time brings to the world. Sure, it's great to spend time with family, to serve others, to fellowship and sing the beautiful carols. But what does Jesus have to say about it all?

Quote:

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. 39She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. 40But 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!" 41"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Remember the Reason for the Season- the birth of our Saviour. Don't get so lost in the craziness of this time of the year, even the family time, that we forget the whole reason why we have this time.

Merry Christmas!

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Happy mummy!

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.

I found this this morning and it was such an encouragement to me.

Lamentations 3:22-25

"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul, therefore will I hope in Him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him."

It has often been debated or questionned the reasoning of His merices and compassions being new every morning. A preacher once asked why it couldn't be every evening. The answer, I believe, is simple; we are human and therefore restricted to time. Evening means yesterday, so our minds cannot easily connect that this renewal would span 24 hours. But morning. That is when all things are made new. We rise, wipe new sleep from our eyes, breathe in new air and set our feet on the floor to begin a new day. The books on yesterday have been closed, sealed, signed off. All that we regard as success begins now.

So it is with the mercies and compassions of God. It is a fount that never runs dry. Every morning, the slate is wiped clean and the abundance restored.

Isn't it amazing to think of God's forgiveness? How it forgives and forgets without limit. His mercy never calls out, "Sorry, you have exhausted your benefit; the rest of life, you are on your own. I have given you all I can." His compassion is never withheld unless we have brought chastisement upon ourselves. It is worth noting that even chastisement does the work of compassion.

"The Lord is my portion." All I will ever need. The food that satisfies the hunger in my soul. All in life that I deserve, yea, more than I deserve. What else is there to hope for? The ultimate hope is found in Him. He is my portion, so I will earnestly expect fulfillment from Him. I will find it.

He is good unto us, but there is a catch, a 'requirement' on our part. We must wait for Him. We must seek Him. So, some attributes are freely given and easily claimed. But to understand the depths of God, you must hunger, hope, wait, and seek. Faithful is He to reward those who faithfully seek.