Devotion: Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Hope
Martha has become one of my favorite Bible characters over the years, which may sound strange, but she is so relatable and so ordinary. As I’ve learned more about her through the years, I’ve realized she is an ordinary woman with extraordinary hope.
We’ve all heard the story of how Jesus goes to Mary and Martha’s house in Luke 10. Mary sits at Jesus’ feet while leaving Martha to do all the work. Finally frustrated, Martha asks Jesus to tell Mary to help her. Jesus tells Martha that what she is worrying about isn’t the most important thing. Mary has chosen the most important thing, listening to and following him.
Now growing up with this story, this is where the teacher would admonish us to not be like ordinary Martha, but to be like extraordinary Mary. And this is where I would squirm in my seat because I identified strongly with Martha. Well, the teacher was right. And wrong.
The thing is, at some time or another, we are all like Martha, rushing around and worrying about the shopping, the cleaning, the cooking, the deadlines, and the endless list. Jesus took time to stop and listen to Martha and to give her a chance to change her focus and priorities from the hundreds of things in this life to the best thing: Him.
The question is, does Martha make that choice? The answer is found in John 11. Martha’s brother, Lazarus, becomes ill and dies, and Jesus shows up four days later. Before Jesus performs one of His greatest miracles, Martha runs out to meet Him all by herself. This action in and of itself is extraordinary. Martha had a house full of people for whom she was responsible, but she left to meet with Jesus. Already we see Martha’s growth.
Jesus and Martha have quite the conversation, and something Martha says floors me. Listen to this:
“’Yes, Lord,’ she replied, ‘I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.’” (John 11:27)
Ordinary Martha who was once more concerned with cleaning than listening to Jesus makes one of the most extraordinary statements in the Bible. She declares that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. She recognized that Jesus offered the hope of a resurrected life beyond this life. The only other person in the Gospels to make this declaration was Peter, the lead disciple.
Sisters in Christ, this year let us all strive to be Marthas. She was an ordinary woman who opened up her home and her heart to Jesus. Yes, she did not understand where her hope and focus were to be, but she heard Jesus’s gentle chastisement and grew. Through Jesus, she experienced the extraordinary hope of a resurrected life. First in the life of her brother, Lazarus, then in her Savior, Jesus, and finally, for herself. We too have that extraordinary hope. We too have that invitation from Jesus to shift our focus from the busyness of our lives to Him, our hope and resurrection.
Discussion Questions
- What things, even good things, distract us from keeping our focus on Jesus?
- What can change in our lives to help keep our focus on Jesus?
Prepare for Prayer
Take a moment and reflect on how our hope in Jesus can and does impact your life.
Our guide to prayer is: “Hope”
Read: Hebrews 10:23
“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.”
Pray: Dear Lord, we thank you that you still love and pursue us when we are distracted by the busyness of life. May we keep the hope of your promises before us, so that the distractions of this life may fall away.
Pray:
- Thank God for the gift of His son, Jesus, and the hope of new life that we have
- Ask God to keep your focus and trust on Him in the midst of the busyness of life
Pray for Your Group’s Upcoming Outreach Event
Read: Ephesians 1:18
“I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.”
Pray: Dear Father, we ask that you flood our hearts with light so that the women you send to our event may see our confident hope. Give them the eyes to see and the ears to hear Your word, and may their hearts be moved toward You.
Pray:
- Ask God for faithfulness to invite women to the event
- Ask God that all the details for the event would be worked out and that we wouldn’t be distracted by the busyness, but remember the true focus and reason for the event
Sharing Your Faith
Read: Romans 15:13
“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Pray: Dear Lord, give us the confident hope that is only found through the power of your Spirit to speak up and share the hope of salvation with those who do not know you.
Pray for:
- God would send us people who need to know Him and that He would open their hearts to His word
- God would give us the courage to share the Gospel and the wisdom to speak words that would connect with them
Pray for our Nation and Leaders
Read: Psalm 33:20-22
We put our hope in the Lord.
He is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord,
for our hope is in you alone.
Pray: Lord God of heaven and earth, our hope and trust is in You alone. Guide the leaders of our country. May they pursue truth and justice. Let them seek wisdom and the good of the nation.
Pray specifically for:
- Our political leaders would realize their hope and truth is in God, not in power and politics
- Our political leaders would make wise decisions and work towards the good of the people during this time of division
Pray for the Stonecroft Family
Read: Titus 1:1-2
“This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives. This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began.”
Pray: Dear Lord, thank you for giving us the mission to proclaim a faith that gives the hope of eternal life, just as You gave that mission to Paul and Timothy. We pray You continue to use Stonecroft to share this message of extraordinary hope through ordinary women.
Pray for:
- Stonecroft leaders will be given the vision and wisdom they need to lead Stonecroft to be a ministry that continues to bring extraordinary hope to women in a hopeless world
- We would keep our eyes on Jesus, the hope of our salvation, as we navigate the busyness of life and ministry
Share Personal Requests
Pray for one another’s prayer requests. Jesus is our comfort and hope. He wept with Martha and Mary in their grief and gave them new life.
Closing Prayer
Father, thank you for this time and the women here who desire to live in your hope. May we keep our eyes on You. Fill us with peace and joy as we seek to share Your light. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.