First With Him, Before Anything for Him
Month 3: Come, Follow Me · Heart Matters
Today's Scripture
Read together: Mark 3:14 & Luke 10:42
14 He appointed twelve of them, whom He designated as apostles, to accompany Him, to be sent out to preach, — Mark 3:14
42 But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.” — Luke 10:42
Memory Verse
“He appointed twelve of them, whom He designated as apostles, to accompany Him, to be sent out to preach,”— Mark 3:14 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: 2 Samuel 8-10
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (David shows kindness to Mephibosheth — a picture of grace to the undeserving.)The Heart of It
Two sisters, Martha and Mary, had Jesus over to their home. Martha was busy. She was running and cooking and serving. She was doing good and important things. Mary just sat at Jesus' feet and listened. Martha complained that Mary wasn't helping. But Jesus didn't scold Mary. He gently said, "Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her" (). Serving wasn't bad. The trouble was that Martha let the work for Jesus crowd out time with Jesus. And only one of those things truly fills the heart.
This is the same heart-lesson as our memory verse. Jesus chose the Twelve first to be with Him. Being with Jesus is not a reward you earn after you work hard enough. It's the one thing your soul really needs. Here is the danger we all face, kids and grown-ups alike. You can be very busy doing good, helpful, church-y things and slowly let your heart drift far from Jesus Himself. We can pray about Him without praying to Him. We can sing about Him without singing to Him. The cure isn't to stop serving. The cure is to keep choosing the "good part." We sit at His feet again and again, every single day.
Around the Table
Mary sat close to Jesus and listened to Him. That made Jesus very glad! Being close to Jesus is the best thing.
Let's do it: Sit down quietly together for ten seconds and whisper, "Jesus, I just want to be with You."
Martha worked hard. But she forgot to spend time with Jesus. Can you be busy doing good things and still drift away from God?
Let's talk: What is one thing that sometimes crowds out your time with Jesus? How could you guard that time?
Serving is good. But it can quietly take the place of simply being close to Jesus. Jesus calls being with Him "the good part." It's the one thing we really need.
Let's go deeper: In your own heart, how can you tell the difference between working for Jesus and walking with Jesus?
💬 Conversation Starter
Have you ever been so busy getting ready for something fun that you almost missed the fun itself? How is that like Martha?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Christianity isn't a list of rules to perform. It's a relationship to receive. Even our good works flow from being with Jesus. It never works the other way around. That is exactly why the gospel offers a rest that mere religion never can ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
Dad, this one cuts close. So much of a Christian father's life is Martha-shaped. You provide. You protect. You lead devotions, fix problems, and keep the family machine running. All of that is good. But Jesus' words to Martha are also for you: "you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed" (). Ministry to your family can quietly become a tangle of activity that hides the absence of real communion with Christ Himself. Ask yourself honestly tonight. When did I last simply sit at Jesus' feet with no agenda? Not to prepare a lesson or solve a crisis. Just to be with Him. What your kids most need is not a competent religious manager. They need a father whose own soul is visibly resting in Jesus. You cannot lead them to the good part if you have set it down yourself. So pick it back up.
Draws on: A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God.
Let's Pray Together
"Lord Jesus, like Mary, we choose the good part. We want to sit close to You and listen. Forgive us when we get so busy that we drift away from You. Draw our family near to You. In Jesus' name, amen."
The one thing I truly need today is to be with Jesus.