faithfulness

You Only Need One Thing

~ Dave Mudra ~ Leave a comment

Imagine walking into a bustling home filled with the clatter of dishes and the hum of activity. In the kitchen, a woman rushes about, flushed and flustered, trying to keep up with the demands of hosting. But across the room, her sister sits motionless, absorbed, her eyes fixed on their guest. She isn’t helping in the kitchen, cleaning, or preparing. She’s simply sitting—still, attentive, and focused.

This is the scene in Luke 10, when Jesus visits the home of Martha and Mary. Martha’s frustration boils over, and she pleads with Jesus to make Mary help. But His reply is unexpected:“Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”(Luke 10:41–42).

One thing. In a world drowning in demands, distractions, and endless duties, Jesus cuts through the noise and declares there is only one thing we truly need. And Mary found it—not in activity, but in sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to His Word.

This story isn’t just a quaint moment in the Gospels. It’s a profound lesson for every believer today. The “one thing” Jesus spoke of is the meditation on and devotion to God’s Word—the only thing that truly sustains us.

The Word as Our Spiritual Food

Jesus’ words to Martha are not a dismissal of work or service. Rather, they are a call to prioritize what matters most. The Bible consistently teaches that God’s Word is essential to our lives. Jesus makes this clear in Matthew 4:4:“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”Just as food nourishes our bodies, the Word nourishes our spirits.

But think about it—what happens when you go without eating? Your stomach growls, your energy fades, and eventually, your body begins to shut down. The same is true spiritually. When we neglect the Word of God, we grow weak. Our faith falters, our joy diminishes, and our ability to resist temptation crumbles. Without the Word, we are spiritually starved.

Mary understood this in a way Martha didn’t. Martha was feeding her guests, but Mary was being fed by Jesus’ words. She realized that spiritual food takes precedence over even the most pressing of tasks.

God’s Word is Alive and Transforming

Here’s the thing: the Word of God is not just a collection of ancient texts or moral teachings. It is alive. Hebrews 4:12 declares: “For the word of God is alive, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword.”When we meditate on Scripture, we aren’t simply reading words on a page. We are engaging with the living, breathing truth of God. His Word cuts through confusion, convicts us of sin, and brings clarity to life’s complexities.

Proverbs 4:22 describes the transformative power of God’s words:“For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.”The Bible isn’t just informational—it’s transformational. It brings life to our spirits, healing to our bodies, and guidance for our minds.

When we sit with God’s Word—whether reading it, hearing it, or reflecting on it—we open ourselves to His transformative power. It renews our minds, strengthens our hearts, and equips us to face life’s challenges.

The Danger of Neglecting the Word

But as alive as God’s Word is, it won’t transform us if we fail to engage with it. Skipping time in God’s Word is like trying to run a marathon on an empty stomach—you might start strong, but eventually, you’ll collapse. Without the Word, our spiritual strength fades, our faith becomes brittle, and we are left vulnerable to the storms of life.

Neglecting the Word leaves us directionless. It’s no wonder Psalm 1 compares the person who meditates on God’s Word to a tree planted by streams of water—stable, fruitful, and unshakable. The person who ignores it? They are like chaff, blown away by the wind.

Spiritual starvation is subtle at first. You skip a day in the Word, then another. Soon, you find yourself running on empty, your faith dry and brittle. But the good news is this: God’s Word is always ready to restore us. One verse, one moment of meditation, can reignite a fire in your soul.

The One Thing Needed

So, what about us? Are we like Martha, “careful and troubled about many things,” or like Mary, sitting at the feet of Jesus? The truth is, we all live in Martha’s world—a world of deadlines, distractions, and constant demands. But Jesus reminds us that onlyone thingis needful. When we meditate on the Word, everything else falls into its proper place. Our priorities shift, our burdens lighten, and our hearts find rest.

But let’s be honest—if we refuse to do thisone thing,we are, in essence, saying we don’t believe Jesus. We’re declaring that we know better than the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. How can we truly call ourselves believers if we don’t actually do what He has told us is most important?

James 1:22 challenges us with this truth:“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”If we claim to believe in Jesus, our faith must lead to obedience. To ignore His instruction to prioritize His Word is to live in self-deception, claiming allegiance to Christ while disregarding His authority.

Jesus has made it clear:“One thing is needful.”To reject this is to reject not only His guidance but His lordship over our lives. But to embrace it—to choose the “good part,” as Mary did—is to live in alignment with His will, nourished by the very words of life.

Engage with the Word in Any Form

The question isn’t just whether we’ll read our Bibles, spend time in prayer, or engage with God’s Word in other ways. Whether it’s listening to Scripture, soaking in inspired messages, or reflecting on a powerful sermon, the heart of the matter is this: will we truly believe Jesus enough to do what He says we need to do? If we refuse to prioritize His Word in any form—reading, hearing, or meditating on it—can we really call ourselves His followers? Faith is not merely what we profess but what we practice, and engaging with God’s Word is the practice Jesus has made non-negotiable for all who claim to follow Him.

Let us, like Mary, choose the “good part.” Whether by reading it, hearing it, or meditating on it, let God’s Word become the priority of our lives. It will never be taken from us, and it is the only thing we truly need.

For more resources to help you meditate on God’s Word, visit these websites:

• www.JosephPrince.com

• www.awmi.net/video/tv-archives

Disappointment is a Sin

~ Dave Mudra ~ Leave a comment

Disappointment Is a Sin.

It might sound harsh, but let’s not sugarcoat it. When we, as Christians, live in disappointment, discontentment, or anxiety, we’re engaging in a subtle rebellion against the character of God. Disappointment whispers, “God hasn’t done enough.” Discontentment grumbles, “What He’s given me isn’t good enough.” Anxiety declares, “I can’t trust Him to handle my needs.” While these emotions may feel natural, the heart behind them reveals a deeper issue: we’re failing to believe in the truth of God’s overflowing provision. And when we fail to believe what God has already said about His goodness, we’re sinning against the One who has given us everything.

Paul challenges us in Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Anxiety, discontentment, or complaining isn’t just a bad habit or a personality trait—it’s a direct contradiction to the command to trust God’s faithfulness. These attitudes subtly suggest that God is holding something back from us, but Scripture paints a completely different picture. God isn’t stingy. In fact, His generosity is so overwhelming that it’s impossible for us to contain or even fully comprehend.

The truth is, God has already opened the floodgates of heaven and is pouring out a blessing so great that we cannot contain it all (Malachi 3:10). Think about that: God’s provision is so vast that it exceeds our capacity to hold it. He’s not filling us just to the brim; He’s filling us to overflowing. The issue isn’t whether God is giving, but whether we’ve made room to receive. Too often, it’s our small capacity—our limited faith, our narrow expectations, or our unwillingness to trust—that prevents us from experiencing the fullness of His blessings. We bring thimbles to a river that could fill oceans, all the while wondering why we still feel empty.

Paul reminds us in Ephesians 1:3 that we have been blessed “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” Not just some blessings, not just enough to scrape by—every blessing. And 2 Peter 1:3 reinforces this, saying that “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness.” Notice the tense: has given. It’s already done. The blessings aren’t locked away in some heavenly vault, waiting for us to earn them. They’re ours now. So when we let disappointment or anxiety creep in, we’re essentially saying we don’t believe God’s provision is enough.

The problem isn’t God’s giving; it’s our receiving. Imagine standing by a river so wide and so deep that it could never run dry. That’s the picture of God’s Spirit, described in John 7:38 as “rivers of living water” flowing from within believers. But here’s the catch: many of us live like we’re carrying around thimbles, asking for a drop when God is offering torrents. We pray small prayers, live small lives, and complain when things don’t go our way, all the while standing next to the river, unwilling to step in.

This failure to receive is rooted in a scarcity mindset—a belief that God’s resources are limited, that we might miss out, or that His blessings are unevenly distributed. But Malachi 3:10 dismantles this idea completely: “Test Me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” God’s blessings aren’t small or selective; they’re overwhelming, overflowing, and more than enough. But the limitation isn’t on God’s end—it’s on ours. Are we prepared to receive more than we can handle, or are we still clinging to our small containers?

When we let disappointment and discontentment take root, we’re not just doubting God’s provision—we’re misrepresenting His character. Matthew 7:11 reminds us that if earthly parents know how to give good gifts, “how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!” God’s very nature is generosity. He delights in giving, not sparingly, but abundantly. To live in constant worry, frustration, or criticism is to act as though God’s promises aren’t true.

But here’s the good news: the antidote to disappointment isn’t self-discipline or suppressing our emotions—it’s faith. Faith that God’s Spirit is an unending current, supplying everything we need moment by moment. Faith that His blessings are already ours and that He is working for our good, even when we can’t see it. Without faith, it’s impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), because faith is what enables us to trust in His character and promises, even when our circumstances don’t align with our expectations. Faith opens the floodgates of our hearts to receive the overflowing provision God is already pouring out. When we align our hearts with the truth of His provision, we begin to live in the freedom and abundance He intended for us. Faith is not just a passive belief—it’s the active trust that God’s Word is true and His resources are sufficient.

So, let’s stop living like God is holding out on us. He isn’t. The floodgates are open, the river is flowing, and every spiritual blessing is already ours in Christ. The real question isn’t whether God will provide—it’s whether we’ll believe it, receive it, and live like it’s true. And maybe it’s time we traded our thimbles for buckets, stepped into the river, and let the reality of His overflowing provision transform our lives.