As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. “Master, don’t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand.” The Master said, “Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it’s the main course and won’t be taken from her.” Luke 10:38-42 (MSG)
Today we begin week two of a five-week Devotional Series entitled, “The Touch of the Master’s Hand.” When it comes to realizing Christian spirituality that is truly triumphant, it is “the Touch of the Master’s hand” that is absolutely essential and makes all the difference. This Devotional series calls us to an understanding of Christianity that is absolutely dependent on the touch and work of Christ living in and through us. This series is a compilation of separate weeks of Devotional material. They were selected and put together because they all contribute very nicely to this emphasis. This is truly a series to help the person who wants to explore, enter into, and consistently experience the “Deeper” Christian life. We hope the “Touch of the Master’s Hand” Devotional Series blesses you and wonderfully guides you into a “Deeper” Christian experience.
This series has five weeks of Devotional material with two weeks having six Devotionals and three having five. This week has five devotionals (Monday through Friday). Week One: Divine Adjustments. Week two: Communion with God. Week three: The Presence of God. Week four: Becoming Spiritually Whole. Week Five: Tale of the Soul. We begin week two: Communion with God, with the following:
By Myra Brooks Welch
‘Twas battered and scarred and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But he held it up with a smile.
“What am I bid, good folk?” he cried.
“Who’ll start the bidding for me?
A dollar, a dollar ... now two ... only two ...
Two dollars, and who’ll make it three?
“Three dollars once, three dollars twice,
Going for three” ... but no!
From the room far back a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow.
Then wiping the dust from the old violin
And tightening up the strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet,
As sweet as an angel sings.
The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said, “What am I bid for the old violin?”
As he held it up with the bow.
“A thousand dollars ... and who’ll make it two?
Two...two thousand, and who’ll make it three?
Three thousand once and three thousand twice ...
Three thousand and gone!” said he.
The people cheered, but some exclaimed
“We do not quite understand ...
What changed it’s worth?” and the answer came:
“Twas the touch of the master’s hand.”
In answer to the question, “What changed,” our poem proclaims triumphantly, “the touch of the master’s hand.” When it comes to realizing Christian spirituality that is truly triumphant, it is “the Touch of the Master’s hand” that is absolutely essential and makes all the difference. This Devotional series calls us to an understanding of Christianity that is absolutely dependent on the touch and work of Christ living in and through us.
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The demands of living life in our hustle and bustle world can be exhausting and overwhelming. Like Martha, we get fussed up and worked up over relatively non-essential things and miss the one thing that is absolutely essential – spending special moments with the Lord. God is many things to us but one of the most precious things about Him is that He is a refuge to us. We experience Him as a refuge when in quiet moments alone with Him we drink deeply from the fountain of life. When quiet times alone with God become a regular part of our life experience, we not only get the breaks from the demands of life we need but we find vital replenishment and restoration of mind and spirit that make us fit to go back at it again. So, in essence, getting caught up in the whirlwind of the hustle and bustle of life often keeps us from the very thing we need to be able to handle the hustle and bustle in healthy ways and of course that is a daily quiet time with God. So, if we know this, but continually struggle to have a quiet time, what will help us to get over the hump? That will be the focus of this week’s Devotionals.
We ended last week with encouragement to make the commitment to seek God and his glory with all that we are in the sanctuary of personal prayer where we can commune with him and behold him and his glory as fully as possible. This is where we will behold God’s glory and be changed into the image of Christ. This will result in our becoming a clear and complete reflection of God and his glory for those who are all around us to see and respond to. As ones who belong to God, we can count on him, through the impact of his powerful presence within us, to bring this about as we seek to live fully for him.
Lord, I see the one thing that is essential, and I want it to be true in my life. I commit myself to communing with you in prayer on a daily basis. I know what I am up against and how much I need your intervening grace in order for it to really happen consistently and fully in my life. I trust you as fully as I know how for all you are waiting to accomplish with me. Amen
