Spending time at the feet of Jesus

By Liliya Akhmadeeva

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before  the Lord our Maker, for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. (Psalm 95:6-7)

In Luke 10:38-42 we read a wonderful story about Jesus and two women, Martha and Mary:

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’

‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’”

The Bible says that God is looking for those who will spend time at His feet lending an ear to His words, drinking in His instructions, harking after His heavenly treasures. In John 4:23-24 Jesus says, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

When we worship, we worship for God alone. Jesus says, “The Father seeks worshippers.” Therefore, any time you worship, know that your worship brings glory and pleasure to your Creator!  When you spend time at His feet but not elsewhere, He delights in you and receives you with gladness. Jesus answers Martha, “but few things are needed - or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Mary genuinely shows her interest in what Jesus is talking about. She cannot get enough of him. She is so overwhelmed with his presence in her house that she ignores her sister’s rebukes. She is passionate in giving her very best attention, care and admiration to the One who has life.

If you don’t know how you can please God, give Him your very best by worshipping and admiring Him. God’s heart is touched by passion and commitment.

In Isaiah 29:13 God complains about worshippers, and He doesn’t accept it if people do it just as a mere tradition. He says, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.”

Such attitude is detestable in the eyes of God. In Revelation 3:15-16 God says, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

Worshiping God doesn’t mean just magnifying Him with singing as many people might think. Singing onto His Holy Name is just a small portion of what you can offer God as your act of worship. Romans 12:1 says, “ …offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” God doesn’t want you to give Him a small part of yourself; He wants all of you, all of your life. He wants you to recognize His Supreme Authority in everything that your life is composed of. Hosea 6:6 says, “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings.”

Whatever you do, dedicate it to God and perform it with an awareness of His presence.

Therefore:

*Worship Him continually. Psalm 105:4 says, “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.”

*Praise Him from sunrise to sunset. Psalm 113:3 says, “From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.”

*Thank Him at all times. Psalm 34:1 says, “I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.”
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*Perfect yourself in all your ways as if doing your work not for men’s praise or self-indulgent and satisfaction but to the Glory of God. Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”
 
Do we benefit from the act of worship? How?

Exodus 23:25 says, “Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.”
Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (King James Bible) When you cling onto God seeking His wisdom, guidance, protection, revering Him for who He is, he promises to hide you under His wings from the terror of this world and give you life in abundance. 

Deuteronomy 28:2-13 says,

2All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:
3You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
4The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
5Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.
6You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
7The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.
8The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.
9The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in obedience to him. 10Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will fear you. 11The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.
12The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. 13The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.

As you are doing God’s work, He will be doing yours. God is very transparent in His decrees.

Deuteronomy 30:15-16 says, “See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.” Verses 19-20 say, “ …Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”

Choosing Jesus as Mary did, will set you apart from the rest of the crowd. Your love for God will make you closer to your Heavenly Father. You can trust God because as Psalm 18 says,
 
30…His way is perfect:
The Lord’s word is flawless;
He shields all who take refuge in Him.
31For who is God besides the Lord?
And who is the Rock except our God?
32It is God who arms me with strength
and keeps my way secure.
 
God wants you to spend your time at His feet worshipping Him, adoring Him and talking to Him.