At the Feet of Jesus Archives - Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel

Worship At the Feet of Jesus and Sitting Among Friends #63

Jaime Wiebel — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 18:35:00 +0000

At the feet of Jesus. What a glorious place to be. So often I hear people say their desire is to be at the feet of Jesus. Time eventually slips away from them and busy lives consume them.

If that is you, don’t stop reading! You are in the right place. Don’t let guilt or shame push you away. Jesus doesn’t want that for you. He wants you! In fact, He wants all of you!

You may be thinking you have been spread so thin already, how could you possibly give more or give God you’re all?

Be Encouraged! Today we will look at a woman who gave Jesus exactly what was due Him. Her worship at His feet and found this to be the better portion.

You may have heard this story 1000 times. That’s okay. I hope this brings encouragement to your day and perspective to your time.

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.

But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 (ESV)

Before we get too hard on Martha, I want to point out she was doing great things. She welcomed people into her home. She prepared a meal for her guests. She, too, loved Jesus and knew Him as her Messiah John 11:27.

Do you ever feel like you are doing all the right things, just as Martha was doing, but not gaining any ground in your walk with Christ?

You are serving endlessly. Giving your time, heart, and energy but left feeling completely empty.

Do you see those Mary’s around you who seem to be gaining all there is in the area of Christ’s concern and you are left feeling frustrated? Their worship and joy seem to come so easily and you feel like you are just hanging on.

You may see Mary as lazy. You, too, may want to be shouting, “Get up and do something.” While I believe, there is absolutely a time and place for this, it is never at the cost of missing out on time at the feet of Jesus.

Martha was getting mad at what appeared to her as a terrible injustice. She may have loved to be sitting at the feet of Jesus, but then how would any of the work ever get done?

I would love to point out that Jesus is gentle with Martha. He acknowledges her feelings. Please hear that clearly. I believe one reason we hesitate to come to Christ or back to the place He wants us to be is for fear of the rejection, rebuke, disappointment, guilt, shame, and the list can go on.

Trust me, I lived that way for a long time and it is simply not true. We see Christ being gentle with Martha. He knows she is trying to do the right thing. The good things. Being full of truth and grace, He tells her, however, she is missing the point. She is missing Him.

We may feel like the things we are doing in this life and in this world are the good and right things to be doing. But Christ is clear here.

He is our good portion. He is our one necessary thing in this life.

At His feet. Still. Listening. Learning. Living.

That is the one thing that can never be taken away from us.

Ask yourself this quick question. Are you a Martha, always doing or are you a Mary?

If you are a Martha – You feel like you are in the rat race of life and never really have time to sit (I know that is a scary word for some of you) at the feet of Jesus. I want to recommend two quick things.

Don’t be afraid to give yourself permission to stop at sit. If you are someone that has a checklist, put it away until after you have spent some time with Jesus. Jesus tells us that He is our reward and He is the better portion and I know you want that good portion of your day.
Celebrate your time with Jesus at every little step. Maybe it was 5 minutes in the morning with no distractions, while you lifted up your heart to Him. Celebrate the opportunity He provided. Trust me, once you spend a little bit of time with Him, you will want more. He is your good portion and eventually He will make your cup overflow.

If you are a Mary, encourage others to take time with Jesus in a loving and gentle way. He has been your great reward and that is a hope that is meant to be shared.

In the comments below, I would love to hear what your thoughts are on these two sisters. Where is your heart? This is a safe place to share. Sometimes we just need to see it and say it out loud. Maybe you are in between, if so, what are your thoughts on the in-between?

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This week’s featured friend is Laura Thomas from laurathomasauthor.com. Laura is a multi-genre author including children’s books, a teen series, and devotionals. Stop by her site and you can get access to her Diamond Devotional. Thanks for joining us, Laura. I am glad you are here.

WOW! Thank you all for coming here and for the 58 Amazing posts from last week. This party has been wonderful thanks to you, friends, who link-up with us and those who stop by and read posts. Thank you!

You all are amazing writers who share Family and Faith, DIY’s, Recipes, Photos, Giveaways, Homeschool and more. Many of you have amazing journeys of faith and I praise the Lord we are able to connect here!

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Fall on Your Face Gratitude and Sitting Among Friends #62

Jaime Wiebel — Wed, 15 Feb 2017 20:18:00 +0000

As we continue the journey at the feet of Jesus, I want to say that I am so glad you are joining me and I am really getting some different perspectives and I hope you are, too.

On the way to Jerusalem, he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed.

Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” Luke 17:11-19 ESV

I hope you caught in the middle of the story, the one man that came back and fell on his face at the feet of Jesus.

This is such a fantastic story. If you are a skimmer, go back and read it. It speaks volumes of Jesus’ character!

I would like to point out several things before we move on to the heart of the issue.

1. Anyone with leprosy, according to the law, had to remain at a distance from the town. They were outcasts. Reduced to living on the roadways.

2. They must have heard about Jesus’ power and authority because in their cries they called Him Master.

3. The proof of healing had to be pronounced by the priests.

4. Samaritans were not a group or people that Jews talked to. (Remember the woman at the well.)

The heart in this story really begins here. Then when one of them saw that he was healed, he turned back.

Why didn’t the others turn back? That is what Jesus wanted to know.

Where there, not nine others? Yet this foreigner, the one who was rejected in many ways, turned back.

What does it mean that he turned back? In noticing that he was healed. It changed him. He not only looked at Christ as a teacher or master, He looked at Him as Lord.

How do we know this? In Jesus’ reply to this man, He said, your faith has made you well.

What was the difference between this man and the nine others? His faith.

Last week we looked at a story of a father whose faith moved him from fear to the hope that only comes from Christ.

This week we see a man whose faith leads him to gratitude and completeness. Notice he fell on his face and thanked the Lord.

I know I have thanked the Lord many times for things He has done for me or through me both big and small, but I don’t know when I have been so overwhelmed with gratitude that I have fallen to my face.

That breaks my heart. Christ did the same thing for me that He did for this foreigner. He healed my heart. My heart that was so full of disease and leprosy. I should have been left on the side of the road begging for mercy. But God knew my condition and in my seeking healing and forgiveness, He showed me the grace and mercy of complete healing.

Yet, I am afraid too many times, I may have been one of the other nine, who ran away to make sure I was really healed.

I want to be like this man. I want to have this kind of fall on your face gratitude. I want to run to the feet of Jesus while telling the world, He has healed me! He has made me whole!

I want to point out that the other nine were only physically healed. Jesus said to this man, however, “Rise and go on your way. Your faith has made you well.”

He didn’t tell the man to go to the priest for He had become this man’s High Priest (Hebrews 8:1) and Christ made Him well.

Now this man was able, with a loud voice, to praise the name of Jesus.

I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30 KJV

Praise and gratitude do two things for sure.

It magnifies the name of Jesus. What a better way to magnify to the world that we are made complete than to praise His Great Name.

It gives us the opportunity to find the joy, we so often seek, in a situation that is less than ideal.

Simply put – At the feet of Jesus, we bring faith and gratitude, we receive joy and the spiritual blessings that He alone offers us there.

Let us praise and rejoice the Lord in the comments, tell us one thing that you can be thankful for and take the opportunity to lift-up that gratitude to the Lord today!

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This week’s featured friend is Sarah Koontz from sarahkoontz.com. Sarah is a passionate encourager and teacher of God’s Word. Join her now for her Free Online Bible Study through Psalm 119. Thanks for joining us, Sarah. I am glad you are here!

WOW! Thank you all for coming here and for the 94 Amazing posts from last week. This party has been wonderful thanks to you, friends, who link-up with us and those who stop by and read posts. Thank you!

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At the Feet of Jesus and Sitting Among Friends #59

Jaime Wiebel — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 08:00:00 +0000

I hope you didn’t miss last week’s post, A Sinner’s Tale. It described the Pharisee who was too proud to see his own sin and a sinful woman who poured her tears of repentance out at the feet of Jesus.

Oh, what it must have been like to physically be at the feet of Jesus. I have, many times, brought my sins and sorrows to His feet and can confidently say, I know He has forgiven me and comforted me. But I long for the day, I will be able to look Him in the face with gratitude for all the He has done for me.

There is an amazing story in Matthew 15 when a lady knelt at the feet of Jesus for healing for her daughter.

The story begins in verse 21. A Canaanite woman came after Jesus and His disciples, crying out and begging Him Lord, have mercy on me.

The disciples tried to dismiss her but she knelt before Jesus and begged Him, “Lord, help me!”

Then this very interesting conversation takes place. The discussion over bread and throwing it to the dogs seems very confusing, after all, she is asking for her daughter to be healed.

Matthew 15:24-28 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.

He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Looking further and closer into this conversation and these few lines, we can see a glimpse of the heart of Jesus so beautifully.

He is merciful, loving, gracious, good, just, forgiving, a comforter, truthful, compassionate, all-powerful and this is not even the completeness of who He is. Absolutely, amazing, isn’t it?

Jesus stated to this woman He had come for the lost sheep of Israel. This was a Canaanite woman. This was a group of people from Genesis that were cursed to be the lowest of the servants. They were a hated people.

He was making clear to her that he had a purpose and it was to save Israel. What He was doing was seeing where her faith was.

Jesus had healed many and He wanted to know if she was there because of faith or because she wanted a quick fix.

He was saying the bread, was for His children, Israel. He was asking her why He should throw crumbs or a bit of mercy in her direction.

In the face of Jesus, this woman knows where she stands. She knows what she deserves. Humbly, she says even the dogs, referring to herself, would take a crumb of mercy that fell her way from the master.

His response, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.”

Just like the sinful woman that we saw humble herself in Simon’s house, at the feet of Jesus, we see this woman humble herself before Jesus.

Both instances, Jesus shows us that gender, race, and sin are all on the same playing field with Him. He has bigger concerns and that comes out in His response to the disciples. I am here to save the lost and whoever comes to me, I will save.

Both woman, lost. Both women showed great faith. Both women humbled themselves at great risk to fall at Jesus’ feet seeking His mercy and He granted it both times. Just a beautiful story of who He really is.

Do you have anything today that needs to be surrendered at the feet of Jesus?

We can see from this story (and many others) that Jesus’ purpose was the heart of the matter. Saving lost souls. It was not limited to a people but given to all people who choose to humble themselves before Him.

Sometimes we are afraid to surrender ourselves and our situations. We fear rejection or further shame or hurt. We feel we may be denied.

I cannot say what Jesus will choose to heal or how He will choose your path of forgiveness. I can be certain of this. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

What He did for those women, He can do for you! How and when He chooses is up to Him but a quick glance back through these stories and you can see His faithfulness, mercy, love, grace, goodness, just, forgiveness, comfort, truthfulness, compassion, and power.

Do you need a little time at the feet of Jesus today?

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This week’s featured friend is Valerie Murray from Cord of 6. Valerie is doing a great series now on trading fear for faith. She is giving practical steps on facing fear and moving forward. I am glad you are here, Valerie.

Thanks for joining us and Sitting Among Friends

WOW! Thank you all for coming here and for the 79 Amazing posts from last week. This party has been wonderful and it is thanks to you, friends, who link-up with us and those who stop by and read and SHARE! Thank you!

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