January 9 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

We must not infer from the story of Martha and Mary that it is better to sit still than to work. We know of one church where the people were inclined to sit still and merely talk about the return of Christ. Then they were told to get to work (1 Thess. 4:11). God hates laziness.

Yet work can kill a person. That happens when a person is too busy to listen to Jesus. Nothing is more important than to know Jesus. Our lives depend on it. And we learn to know Christ by listening to him.

Some say our society is so corrupt that when you apply for a job, it's more important to know someone on the inside than to have all the possible qualifications. It doesn't help if you know the right thing; everything depends on knowing the right person.

In one respect, at least, that statement is true. Everything depends on the question Do you know Jesus? Not what you know but who you know is going to be decisive. Therefore listening to his voice, his Word, his Spirit is more important than anything you could possibly mention.

Our Master knows our needs. He also knows that we need to eat, that we have to pay our bills, that there is work we simply have to get done. However, there may be good reason for Christ to look at us now and say, with the same concern he once showed to Martha, "My dear child, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one." Only one thing is really necessary.

Not everything we consider necessary is really necessary. To a large extent, the art of living is getting our priorities straight. If we believe Christ when he says that we really need only one thing, life is already a lot simpler, isn't it?

Reflections

Are you taking enough time in your busy life to listen to Jesus? How do you do that?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.