Tag: time

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, She, Volume 1

Mary of Bethany, Part 2

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Adapted from She, Volume 1, p 41-42

Read: Mark 14:1-9

 Now while Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of costly aromatic oil from pure nard. … 8After breaking open the jar, she poured it on his head.She did what she could. She anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9 I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

Mark 14:3, 8-9

For at least the second time, possibly the third (Luke 7:36–50; John 12:1–8), a woman anoints Jesus with perfume. At the home of Simon the Leper, an unidentified woman anoints Jesus’ head on the day the Passover lambs are being anointed (Mark 14:3–9). Jesus praises her gracious act of worship that prepares Him for His burial the next afternoon. (bible ref.com)

Hey friends, if you read the previous post, you may think I’m repeating myself with this one as we continue to focus on a time when Jesus was anointed with perfume shortly before His sacrificial death and burial. While this post, in part, is repetitious as its focus is, again, on a woman anointing Jesus with oil, there are notable differences. The two that stand out to me are 1)the woman is not named (though, with good reason, she is still believed to be Mary of Bethany) and 2)she anoints his head rather than his feet (John 12:1–8). However, today we zero in on the truth and encouragement that she did what she could (v8).

Mary of Bethany considers worldly losses or gains nonsense compared to the spiritual treasure of having Jesus

Bibleref.com/Mark 14:8

As Bibleref.com points out, “Jesus often warns His followers to count the cost of following Him. ” While the disciples “are more interested in what they can gain (Mark 9:33-38; 10;35-41), Mary of Bethany considers worldly losses or gains nonsense compared to the spiritual treasure of having Jesus (Philippians 3:8).” Remember, this is the same Mary, who had upset her sister Martha by choosing to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to Him instead of helping her with the duties of hospitality (Luke 10:38–42).

Jesus tells the disciples who question/criticize her actions to “Leave her alone”. He doesn’t stop there, though. He goes on to teach an important lesson for all of us, saying, “Why are you bothering her? She has done a good service for me. 7 For you will always have the poor with you, and you can do good for them whenever you want. But you will not always have me! 8 She did what she could. She anointed my body beforehand for burial.“

Friends, I don’t know about you, but this one “stepped on my toes”, as I realized this isn’t just a lesson for the disciples of Jesus’ day but for all of His disciples. We are all to have this mindset, putting Him before our desires and above the cultural norm, living for Him, serving Him, sharing Him pleasing Him, loving Him and others as He has loved us … dying to self.

Mary did what she did, not so that others would remember her but to glorify and honor her Lord and master. Yet, to this day, just as Jesus said, she is still remembered for what she did. Which begs us to ask ourselves:

What will you be remembered for?

Mary gave what she had, and Jesus used her and her gift to point others to Him and what is important to His cause. The truth is, we do not glorify God or bring others to Jesus through pious acts or great knowledge and wealth. We bring others to Jesus through our worship of God, humility, humble acts of kindness, love, and obedience. When we honor the true and living God with our lives, others will see Jesus and have the opportunity to know Him.

We all have something to give

Our time
Our talents
Our service

She, Volume 1/p42

I believe that we are wise to remember – God doesn’t desire or need our wealth or wisdom; nor is He looking for outward beauty. His desire is our hearts, given and poured out for Him, our lives a testimony of His love and work on our behalf.

Reflection/Application
  • What is it that you can give?
  • How does Mary of Bethany’s sacrifice and service inspire you?
  • What do you hope to be remembered for?
Response of Worship

1 Living for Jesus a life that is true,
striving to please Him in all that I do,
yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free,
this is the pathway of blessing for me.

Refrain:
O Jesus, Lord and Savior,
I give myself to Thee;
for Thou, in Thine attonement,
didst give Thyself for me.
I own no other master;
my heart shall be Thy throne.
My life I give, henceforth to live,
O Christ, for Thee alone.

2 Living for Jesus, who died in my place,
bearing on Calv’ry my sin and disgrace-
such love constrains me to answer His call,
follow His leading, and give Him my all. [Refrain]

3 Living for Jesus wherever I am,
doing each duty in His holy name,
willing to suffer affliction or loss,
deeming each trial a part of my cross! [Refrain]

4 Living for Jesus through earth’s little while,
my dearest treasure, the light of His smile,
seeking the lost ones He died to redeem,
bringing the weary to find rest in Him! [Refrain]

Source: Our Great Redeemer’s Praise #595

The More We Know
Posted in Abide, Abiding in jesus, Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

God Word: The Living Water

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Based on the LGG Study, Abiding in Jesus

Read and SOAP: Psalm 1:1-3

Oh, the joys of those who do not
    follow the advice of the wicked,
    or stand around with sinners,
    or join in with mockers.
2 But they delight in the law of the Lord,
    meditating on it day and night.
3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
    bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
    and they prosper in all they do.

Psalm 1:1-3

This Psalm is a familiar one, and as such, it is easy to read through it without truly reading it. So I was surprised when I found myself writing down this thought in the margin of my journal: “Connect yourself to the sewer and you will look and smell like the sewer. Connect yourself to the Father, Son, and Spirit, and you will grow strong and healthy on streams of living water.”

Instead of aligning our lives with the world and seeking wisdom and nourishment from the malnourished, we need to root ourselves in God’s Word, the Living Water. Then, no matter the season, we are secure and stable because we are rooted and established in Him.

Abiding in Jesus, p79

Friends, where and with whom we spend our time, or what and with whom we listen to, matters. If you’ve bought into the notion that a verse a day keeps the enemy away or produces a strong, healthy tree, laden with fruit, then you’ve been duped. If we want to be like a tree planted by flowing streams and yielding its fruit at the proper time, if we want our leaves to never fall off and to succeed in all we attempt, then we must spend time with God, meditating on His Word day and night, and obeying His commands. Let’s be picky about who we seek advice from or confide in. Certainly, we are to live in the world and be a light in the darkness – but Paul warns us to let God transform us into a new person, by changing the way we think, so that we do not copy the behavior and customs of the world.

May God help us to drink often from the Living Water, stay rooted in His Word, and reflect Him to the world around us. Let us not succumb to the darkness but light it up with the love and reflection of Jesus.

The More We Know

When our lives are rooted in God’s Word, our joy no longer hinges on our circumstances but rather on obeying His commands. From the world’s view, our lives might look like a mess, yet we can remain calm, knowing that our Heavenly Father is working everything according to His perfect plan. It is in those hurricanes of heartbreak that should have uprooted us that we are able to stand grounded and strong. Our leaves and fruit will never dry up because He is the never-ending, always and forever Living Water.

Abiding in Jesus, p79
Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

Living While We Wait

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Today’s Verse: Isaiah 60:22

“The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the Lord; in its time I will do this swiftly.” Isaiah 60:22

Whether it is the result of a medical test, the birth of a baby, the answer to a job interview, or a pressing need not yet provided – waiting is difficult. For many of us, it is the most difficult part of life – as it causes anxiety to rise and holds us back from living while we wait.

Our verse today speaks hope to this anxiety and promise that graces us with the strength to go on living – despite the wait. Why? Because God knows when it is time for Him to act – and He will do so swiftly.

Check out today's inspiration for this post @ "our daily verse"
Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study, The Importance of Prayer, The Importance of Prayer

Find Time For Prayer

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Inspired by the LGG study, “The Importance of Prayer”, w2d1

Read: Matthew 14:23 and Mark 1:35; SOAP Mark 1:35

Jesus’ Emphasis on Praying

35 (Then Jesus) got up early in the morning when it was still very dark, departed, (and) went out (to a deserted place), and there he spent time in prayer.

Mark 1:35 (NET)

Where did you learn to pray? Perhaps it was at the dinner table or by your bed, maybe it was in church, or in a small group meeting. Wherever it was, whenever it was, and whoever it was that taught you – there is no better place to learn about prayer than in God’s Word from Jesus Himself. Most of us are familiar with the “Lord’s Prayer”, where Jesus taught His disciples how to pray – with examples of what to say. However, throughout His ministry Jesus showed us, by example, so much more about prayer. And as Paul wrote to Timothy, what is written in the Scriptures is meant to train us in righteousness – to equip us for every good work.

All Scripture is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. [So that] the servant of God may be throughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

One such occasion is found in Mark 1:35. On this particular occasion Jesus did four specific things. He 1got up, 2departed, 3went out and 4spent time in prayer. While I love spending time in prayer the first thing of the morning and believe it is important, I do not believe that this is the main point here; but rather – that He intentionally got up from what He was doing. A couple of translations combine the next two actions (went out and departed) found in this translation and at least four others that I use in my studies, but I love the separation of them. While I agree that they sound or seem similar in nature – “departed” and “went out” – I also believe when separated they tell the more accurate picture of what Jesus was doing. Indulge me for minute. It wasn’t enough for Jesus to just leave the room or the house where He was. After He left He then went out – or went further away from the place where He had been, specifically, to a deserted place. It’s really a beautiful picture and a great illustration for us. In this situation it wasn’t enough for Jesus to be in the next room with the door shut or outside on a ‘porch’. He wanted to make sure He was alone. Why? Because He wanted, and needed, to spend time with His Father in prayer. Knowing His need, He was determined and strategically took precautions against interruptions. He didn’t just need time away from people but time alone with God.

This leads me back to the start of the verse, Mark 1:35, where we read, “THEN Jesus got up …” The word ‘then‘ caused me to look back to see what came before and what I found was that He had been healing the sick (29-34). A similar situation to Mark’s rendering here is found in Matthew 14:13-23, where Jesus had fed thousands and then sent His disciples on ahead of Him and after sending the crowds away He went up the mountain “by Himself” to pray. We would be remiss not to notice that the context of both passages has Jesus needing, not just wanting, to be alone with the Father following the pouring out of Himself to others.

And after he sent the crowds away, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.

Matthew 14:23

Jesus didn’t always go away alone to pray. Luke 11:1 tells us that after He had finished praying one of the disciples asked Him – “teach us to pray”. He prays a blessing over the food in Matthew 14:19. He also prays in the presence of His disciples in John 17:1-26, as well as in the presence of many witnesses as He hung on the cross Luke 23:33-34, and in one final cry to the father in Matthew 27:46 . However, He certainly did make a habit of getting alone with the Father as seen in our passages today, as well as Luke 5:16 and others. We would do well to follow His examples regularly. Separating ourselves not only from people but distractions of all kinds, including phones and other media devices. The noise and clamor of home or work, the needs and cries of the people, the activities, delights, and pleasures of the world all demand that we separate ourselves, not just to rest but more importantly, to spend time with the Father.

Yet Jesus himself frequently withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.

Luke 5:16

For more from The Importance of Prayer, by Love God Greatly, read today’s blog at LoveGodGreatly.com