Her fault was not that she served: the condition of a servant well becomes every Christian. “I serve,” should be the motto of all the princes of the royal family of heaven. Nor was it her fault that she had “much serving.” We cannot do too much. Let us do all that we possibly can; let head, and heart, and hands, be engaged in the Master’s service. It was no fault of hers that she was busy preparing a feast for the Master. Happy Martha, to have an opportunity of entertaining so blessed a guest; and happy, too, to have the spirit to throw her whole soul so heartily into the engagement. Her fault was that she grew “cumbered with much serving,” so that she forgot Him, and only remembered the service. She allowed service to override communion, and so presented one duty stained with the blood of another. We ought to be Martha and Mary in one: we should do much service, and have much communion at the same time. For this we need great grace. It is easier to serve than to commune. Joshua never grew weary in fighting with the Amalekites; but Moses, on the top of the mountain in prayer, needed two helpers to sustain his hands. The more spiritual the exercise, the sooner we tire in it. The choicest fruits are the hardest to rear: the most heavenly graces are the most difficult to cultivate. Beloved, while we do not neglect external things, which are good enough in themselves, we ought also to see to it that we enjoy living, personal fellowship with Jesus. See to it that sitting at the Saviour’s feet is not neglected, even though it be under the specious pretext of doing Him service. The first thing for our soul’s health, the first thing for His glory, and the first thing for our own usefulness, is to keep ourselves in perpetual communion with the Lord Jesus, and to see that the vital spirituality of our religion is maintained over and above everything else in the world.(From Morning & Evening)

––the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel.–Phil. 1:12

We live in a pressure cooker world and everyone feels the heat! Even believers are often burdened down to the point that they feel they will be crushed if relief isn’t found. No one is exempt from trials (Job 14:1). We all have our share of suffering and sorrow, but people view them and deal with them differently. Some poor souls throw their hands up in despair and quit. Others become bitter and resentful, often rebelling and resorting to destructive habits. A few, however, have learned to turn their burdens into bridges. Their burdens make them better rather than bitter.

The Apostle Paul gives us a good example as to what our attitude should be. Numerous passages tell how he benefited from his burdens. He knew God had a purpose in all that He allows to enter our life, a plan to use it for good, and the power to make it happen.

We too can benefit from our burdens. While burdens weigh heavily upon us, impeding our progress, bridges enable us to rise above difficulties and enable us to cross over into new territory. When your burden becomes a bridge it brings you to places you could have never reached by any other means. It can promote spiritual growth, protect you from danger, or put you in a place of ministry that you could never be in without it. Believe it or not you can advance through adversity, grow through grief, and benefit from your burdens.

Don’t allow your burden to become a barrier, shutting you off from the good things God planned for you. Make your burden a bridge whereby you can experience the blessings of God in your life. In other words, don’t waste your suffering. You cannot escape it, but you can embrace it and allow God to use it to make you the person He wants you to be.

Having received the promise that God’s grace would be sufficient, Paul wrote, “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then am I strong.”–2 Cor. 12:9-10. No doubt about it–Paul turned his burdens into bridges, so can you!

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.”
Hebrews 13:8

A man dialed a wrong number and got the following recording: “I am not available right now, but I thank you for caring enough to call. I am making some changes in my life. Please leave a message after the beep. If I do not return your call, you are one of the changes.”

Isn’t it wonderful to know that our God never changes? He’s never too busy to listen, never too weak to help, and never too unloving to care.

He is the same God of yesterday. The same God who delivered Daniel from the lion’s den, David from Goliath, and the children of Israel from Pharoah is our God right now. We can look back through the pages of Scripture and see that God has always been faithful.

He is the same today. Things all around us change every day. Our friends change, our jobs change, politics change, economies change, our bodies change, the weather changes. Our life is full of constant change. But what a comfort to know that God never changes. He is always faithful, always present, and always loving.

He will be the same forever. No matter what trial you face in your future, God will be there with you. We can be comforted in knowing that God will never leave us. Hebrews 13:5 says, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Christ will not leave us in life, and He will not leave us in death. God will be the same for all eternity, and we can rest in His faithfulness.

What a privilege it is to serve a God who never changes. Anchor your hope in Him, and claim His promises for today.–Dr. Paul Chappell

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.–1 Corinthians 1:18

We live in a day when people love to be entertained–even at church. For many folks, music is much more appealing than preaching. They get all excited–clap their hands, raise their hands, pat their feet, and even cry, while listening to a stirring song, which is fine, but they sit there like a wooden Indian when the preaching starts. Face it–preaching is not a high priority for many people. Pastor Paul Chappell said it well when he wrote these words:

Although often tempted, I can honestly say that I never design a sermon with any particular person in mind. I realize that some folks often think that’s what preachers do, but such is seldom the case. Even so, when I prepare an article for Morning Manna I don’t aim it toward any particular person. But today I’m going to make an exception. This is directed to just one person for whom I have a heavy burden on my heart.

Sometimes as much as we desire to help—to say just the right thing in the right way, maybe with a new twist on an old truth, or a poem, or just anything to brighten someone’s day, there are no words sufficient for the occasion. You are even out of my reach and I can’t embrace you and whisper.”It will be alright”. I am at my wits end and helpless to help. I have neither the wisdom nor the strength to change your situation, banish your fears, and bring peace to your heart.

As I watch from afar, all I can do is say, “I love you and I’m praying for you”. However, on second thought, at this point maybe that’s all you need to get through this day. God answers prayer and love never fails, so I have good reason to believe that you will conquer the thing that troubles you so. I also suspect that you are not the only one going through a tough time, so to all my friends I want to say, “I love you and I’m praying for you”…even if you feel it isn’t so.

All of us sometimes feel like Jacob when he said,”all these things are against me”. It’s then that we need to remember that God is with us and for us. Just like with Jacob, He will use the bad for some glorious good. When others can’t or won’t help, God is perfectly capable in taking care of His own. He is “a very present help in trouble”.(Psalm 46:1)