I just spent an incredible morning with my friend Ruth.
Those of you who know Ruth know what I mean when I say that you feel refreshed after being in her presence. You feel loved and somehow uniquely special. You feel as if you have been given a special delivery hug from God Himself.
And that’s before she even sits down… 🙂
I won’t embarrass her by saying that God uses her on a regular basis to refresh and revive the lives of others. I won’t mention that she has such a gift of encouragement that your load feels light after a conversation with her. I won’t even tell you that she has a servant’s attitude, a warrior’s prayer life and a lion’s heart.
Because even though every person who meets her will testify to all of the above, she is far too humble to believe a word of it herself.
And that makes her especially beautiful.
Humility. Love. Encouragement.
Ruth.
I wonder if that’s how Jesus’ disciples felt after spending time with Him? Overwhelmed with thankfulness. Somehow changed with every encounter. Challenged. Cared for. Prayed for. Deeply loved.
I can’t speak for each of them. But I see a friend of Jesus in Scripture that depicts that. Mary. Sister of Martha and Lazarus. When Jesus was in the room, she sat at His feet, hanging on every word. As He reclined at the table with her brother and while her sister was busy preparing the meal, she was obvious in her thankfulness of His presence by pouring expensive perfume over Him and washing His feet with her hair. To her, being in the presence of her Friend, her Teacher was a holy and intimate experience. Her heart was moved, and she longed to minister to His heart as well.
As Jesus’ followers, His friends, are we in that state of mind when we spend time with Him? Is our reaction like mine with Ruth, like Mary’s with Jesus? Does His mere presence with us inspire, encourage, challenge, move us? Do we hang on His every word and does it impact us in a way that causes us to want to minister to Him as HIS friend? Is there an intimate closeness that makes us eager to enjoy alone time with Him?
I’d love it if I could spend time with Ruth each week to experience what we enjoyed this morning.
But I CRAVE to lean like that into the heart of Jesus EVERY SINGLE DAY. To hear His voice and respond. To listen much, talk little and savor every drop. To be able to laugh and cry in unison because our lives are so intertwined that when something affects one it can’t help but affect the other.
Mary got it.
And I want it, too…
John 12:2-3 – So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
Luke 10:39 & 42 – Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. …”Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
