Category Archives: At His Feet

Hanging on His every Word…

Continuing with Holy Week Remembrances today! I would love to hear YOUR memories of Easter. Feel free to share! You can read Palm Sunday’s post here. Be blessed.

I can remember so many Easter Sunday mornings when I was a little girl. My sister and I loved to dress up! My mother or aunt always did our hair in long banana curls the night before. (Think Shirley Temple…or Nellie Olsen). We were all decked out in our little 1960’s white hats, white knee socks and white patent leather shoes. We were adorable. (Unfortunately I couldn’t get my hands on an actual Easter picture for this post. Boo.)

When I was very young, I was privileged to go to church with my cousins. Four sisters. Yes, four! They had one each in similar age as my sister and me, and two more for good measure. I loved them so! I can remember hunting for Easter eggs at the church and my grandmother’s house.

We would sit in church and listen to their father preach, everyone was hanging on his every word…some because they knew he was the only thing that was standing between them and a great Sunday dinner. Others were anticipating the big Easter egg hunt and as much candy as they could stuff in their mouths at one time.

Yet, we all knew Easter was about so much more than bunnies, colored eggs, candy and Easter baskets.

It was about Someone Else whose Words were so impactful that men dropped everything they were doing to sit at His feet.

It was about Someone Else whose Words were so powerful that He emptied a temple.

Jesus had just entered Jerusalem where the crowds shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

The next day He saw the money changers and sellers in the temple, desecrating the house of God.

“And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” Matthew 21:12, 13 ESV.

He emptied the house. But it didn’t stay empty.

And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.” Luke 19:45-48 ESV.

Here are those that wanted to destroy Jesus, the Teacher. But they cannot do anything about it because the people were hanging on His words! They wouldn’t leave, they were at His feet, waiting to hear the Good News.

The King James Version says it this way, And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him.”

Are we listening for His voice today? Do we cherish the Word of God? Do we look forward to being with Him, sitting quietly in His presence and soaking up the Bread of Life?

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” John 10:27, 28.

Come Resurrection Morning, no matter whether you are wearing your white hat and patent leather shoes or your best jeans and t-shirt, listen for His voice.

And may you find yourself hanging on His every Word.

Kingdom2

So, I return things.

So, I return things. It’s #FiveMinuteFriday! I was drawn to the word prompt today and although I will probably not stay within the five minute writing guideline, I hope it still is a blessing to someone.

So, yeah, I return things. I do it for the typical reasons most people return an item purchased:

  • It didn’t fit
  • I didn’t like it
  • It was damaged
  • It was used (i.e., the toaster oven had crumbs!)
  • Or, insert reason here ______

I am an avid online shopper. With my back issues, I have had to resort to Amazon and Kroger Click-List! Kohl’s is, of course, a favorite because, according to their policy, you can return just about anything just about anytime (watch that Kohl’s cash though!)  and so is Macy’s because they do not charge to return by mail on most things. (Kohl’s you need to return in-store or pay for shipping.) You are most welcome for my insider shopping tips. (smile)

I do seem to favor stores that have free shipping and free returns, who wouldn’t? I do not abuse the policy, I do not wear an item on purpose and return it later just to have a new outfit. (Not ethical, people.) But, they offer the service, I didn’t care for the item , so yes, I will return it if possible; tags are attached and I have my receipt.

But lately, the news has been abuzz with stories of the colossal giant, Amazon, banning faithful customers because of their many returns! Of course there are always two sides to every story but according to the customers interviewed, it was unfair. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. I have to admit I went to count the number of items I had returned in comparison to items kept. Whew! Wasn’t near as bad as I had thought. Hopefully, I am still in their good graces.

Many stores are following suit, or had started to crack down long ago and with The Retail Equation tracking a customers returns, policies could change drastically in the future.

Naturally, you would guess that my entire post is not just about the number of returns I generate. My posts are always about Jesus. (mic drop!) And how does He come into the picture on this one? Hint: it doesn’t have anything to do with praying before you step up to the return counter.

He accepts returns.

I cannot even begin to count the number of times I have returned my sorry self to Jesus. I am more than a mess, more than a disaster when I come crawling back, ashamed, confused, tired, weary and beyond exhausted. But He never turns me away, He never questions me or chides me for not having my receipt, i.e., dotting all the i’s and crossing all the t’s!

Deuteronomy 4:29 “But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

He knows I have worn this same sin or regret many times and here I am at His feet returning…again. But He doesn’t push me away, He doesn’t tell me I have met my quota and He doesn’t ban me from coming back time and time again. He knows I will be back and yet He welcomes me, like the prodigal son, over and over again!

What do you need to return to Him today?

  • A broken heart?
  • A bad attitude?
  • A rapidly dissolving marriage?
  • Children who have strayed from Truth?
  • A job situation that is more than desperate?
  • Insert need here ______!
  • Worried about contracting the virus or financial stress since the quarantine started.
  • Worried that you haven’t seen your grandkids in two months!
  • Anxious to get back to church but maybe apprehensive about being in a crowd again?

Jesus knows them all! He hears your worries, your cares and your prayers and He is near to your broken and anxious heart.

Psalm 37:23-24 “The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.”

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

Isaiah 30:18 “Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.”

So, pack up your worries, troubles, anxieties and cares and return them to Jesus. Today. His arms are open and His mercies are new. Every morning.

For the kingdom

One thing is needed

One thing is needed! #FiveMinuteFriday and the word prompt is Need. Join others and see what they had to say about this word!

But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:40-42 NKJV.

I have often been intrigued by the story of Mary and Martha, especially when I was younger. I didn’t understand why the Lord rebuked her when she was serving Him and those that were with Him. In my “Martha mind” I thought, “Well, somebody had to do it! Who was going to fix the drinks and the dinner? Who was going to clean up?” And there was that Martha mentality.  Martha was worried about so many things that she had anxiety! You can almost hear it in her voice when she says, “Lord, don’t you care?!”

We all know the effect that stress and anxiety has on society today. We do not know how to relax; we do not know how to rest. We certainly don’t know how to sit in the presence of God and drink in His presence.  She was hurrying around making sure everyone had everything they needed. Martha was worried about so many things that she was loaded with stress! The Bible said she was “cumbered about much serving”, it means she was distracted.

“…And she (Martha) went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” Luke 10:40 ASV.  Can you imagine going to Jesus and ordering Him around?! Martha was passionate to be sure. But Mary chose to sit at the Master’s feet. It wasn’t that she was lazy. It seems that she had been helping her sister. But when Jesus came, Mary knew what was important and it was not in the kitchen. Those things could wait, she knew one thing was needed and it was at the feet of the Master.

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33.

One interpretation suggests Martha wasn’t just preparing rice and beans. She was going “all out” as we say. If she had kept it simple she could have prepared dinner AND sat and listened to the Master! He was saying there were other things more important than what He was going to eat and drink that day.  Do not let the important keep you from the needed; take time to sit at His feet and hear His Word!

So what did the Lord mean when He said that what Mary had chosen would not be taken away from her? Mary had chosen the eternal, the Word of God! She had chosen to sit at His feet and listen to what He had to say. She was interested in the Kingdom, in the eternal. She was laying up treasure in the world to come. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Matthew 24:35 NIV.

Shortly before Jesus was to be crucified, He was at the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus again. Guess what Martha was doing? “So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him.” John 12:2.  This is where Mary anointed the feet of Jesus with the costly perfume. Martha prepared a lovely dinner for perhaps her last time. I love her because she was doing what she did best! And this was the time to do it. It was time to serve the One that she loved and called “the Christ, the Son of God”.

There is a time for everything, a time for serving, a time for listening, a time for praying and hearing the Word of God. We must make sure we keep our priorities in order. If serving is something you do best, then serve with all of your heart; but don’t let it get in the way of your quality time with the Savior. Do you excel at singing? Wonderful! Sing with all of your heart and sing unto the Lord! But if you sing for Him, and neglect to spend time with Him, then you are fooling yourself. You have not chosen the needful thing.

Those are just a couple of examples of thousands of things that we can get cumbered with or distracted by. Let us not be like Martha in the kitchen, but more like Mary in the living room, sitting at the feet of Jesus.

For the kingdom