Word – Ericka O Smith

Meet Martha of Bethany

He Qi's "Martha & Mary" in The Life of Jesus series is available here. — He Qi’s “Martha & Mary” in The Life of Jesus series is available here.

Martha, Martha…

I have known both Mary & Martha all of my life. I have always thought of Martha as the poor, misunderstood, responsible sister of the lazy, irresponsible Mary. I always felt that I could relate to Martha, that I understood where she was coming from in doing all the necessary things one does when one offers hospitality. I “got” her irritation with Mary, who was just sitting there doing nothing. I felt the sting of Jesus’ words as if He’d spoken them to me when He gently chastised her and praised lazy Mary.

After spending a week with Mary, connecting with and understanding her like I never have before, my entire perception of her changed. And I mean completely and utterly changed. I wondered if I’d had it wrong all these years where Martha was concerned, as well, so I asked Martha for some one-on-one time and she graciously invited me to spend a week with her in Bethany.

I still share a lot of commonalities with Martha. I have a do-er personality. I have a keen sense of duty, of doing the “right” thing (even if it is too often accompanied with the wrong attitude). I get upset with others when they don’t do what I think they should. My sense of justice oftentimes leads me to ask the Lord to make things right when I feel I’ve been wronged by someone, to take my grievance directly to Him.

Against the newly painted backdrop of her sister, Martha’s shortcomings (and my own!) shine brighter than before. But like the saying goes, We learn more from our failures than we do from our successes. (Can I get an “Amen!”?) And tucked amid all of the character flaws that we share, Martha displayed something that I feel shamefully lacking in my own life – a beautiful, teachable heart.

Listening to her testimony again, I realized that Martha didn’t repeat the same mistake twice. I want to have such a teachable heart! I want to receive His Words to me and have them “stick” like that. I want to respond to His chastening as quickly and wholeheartedly as Martha did. I want to be sensitive to His teaching. I want to be changed by obeying His Word. I want to share that positive character trait with Martha, as well.

If your heart desires the same, I invite you to visit Martha in Bethany this week. Click here to spend some one-on-one time with Martha of Bethany.

Meet Deborah

"Deborah Judge of Israel" by Dina Cormick is one in a series of Heroic Women in the Scriptures. You can see the collection here. — “Deborah Judge of Israel” by Dina Cormick is one in a series of Heroic Women in the Scriptures. You can see the collection here.

I was briefly introduced to Deborah when I was a child. I bumped into her again in college a couple of times. All I remember from those encounters is that she was larger than life.

I decided to connect with her again last summer – and I’m so glad I did! I sat captivated by her testimony as she shared her story with me daily for almost an entire week. I was awed by her military prowess. I was impressed by her devotion to God’s agenda even above her own. I was encouraged by her example of unwavering trust in God’s power to keep His Word. I was convicted by her utter surrender to God’s will and her consistent obedience to it. In short, I felt empowered in the presence of this assertive, working woman – a discerning and godly leader that even mighty men would willingly follow.

I would love to introduce you this week to my new friend & mentor, Deborah.

It’s almost here!

The Summer Bible Study starts on Monday!

Every Monday during June, July & August, you will meet a new woman from the Word accompanied by a link to a FREE downloadable 1-week study guide specific to her. Print the six-page guide and start connecting. It’s that simple!

Questions? Please leave a comment and I will answer your questions ASAP.

Taste & See

O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! – Psalm 34:8

At the beginning of our adventure in home schooling, we took a dip into the homeschool community by attending a potluck dinner for families interested in joining a particular home school group. Wanting our elementary-aged kids to exercise their social muscles, we sent them ahead of us to go through the line while we found a table and got the little ones settled. When our son made his way to our table, he had an entire to-go box of fried rice in his hands and a smile on his face. I asked him what he could possibly have been thinking in taking the entire dish for himself. He replied, “I’m hungry.”

I look back on this story now with a smile on my face instead of the embarrassment I felt in the moment. I question my choices when I feel spiritual hunger. In his hunger, my son went straight for the good stuff, unashamedly taking what was offered at the table, and he found satisfaction.

PONDER: Do I approach my quiet time like my son approached that potluck? What is keeping me from bellying up to God’s table, fork in hand, to feast on His Word today?

PRAYER: Father, I want to take refuge in You in the busy-ness of my days. So many things are vying for my attention. Help me to be ambitious when I open my Bible, ready to feast on Your Word every day. My heart desires to taste and see that you are good today.

Summer Bible Study FAQ’s

Some of the women you'll meet this summer, captured by — Just three of the wonderful women of faith you’ll meet this summer (as portrayed by He Qi, Slavujac, & Wilhelm Wachtel).

What is the Summer Bible Study?

A weekly Bible study to help you connect with the women in the Word on a personal level – to get to know them as friends and sisters and mentors and kindred spirits. Each week is “self-contained” (or module-based), which means if you have to skip a week due to vacation, sickness or just plain life, you can pick back up with the following week without feeling behind. (Also, because it’s module-based, you can choose to have a 6-week, 8-week, or 10-week study, depending on your preference and availability, which makes it ideal for church-based Bible study.)

What can I expect?

Every participant spends one-on-one time with the “woman of the week” – getting to know her culture, her history, her life, her struggles, her reactions, her relationship with God.

The study is organized into five days per week, 2-3 questions per day –

Days 1 & 2 are foundational, as they introduce you to the woman of the week.
Days 3 & 4 are more relational, helping you make connections (and form a friendship) with the woman of the week.
Day 5 is applicational, making connections between your shared experiences and what God’s Word has to say on those specific topics.

Can I do the study by myself?

Yes! Everyone participating will do the Summer Bible Study as an individual study. The focus is connecting individually to the woman of the week. You will undoubtedly be challenged as you get to know a new woman from the Word weekly because you are connecting one-on-one with her.

Can I do the study with a group?

Yes! I actually encourage you to add a weekly group setting to the individual study. I did this informally in my home once a week with three close friends. Some may want a larger group setting (at their church, for example) and some may prefer to get together with only one friend.

I highly recommend adding the group option for two reasons:

Each participant will each connect in a different way with the women in the Word and meeting together helps to round out the personality of the woman of the week by seeing how others connected with her.
It opens doors for connecting on a deeper level with the women in your present-day life as they share their struggles, their hearts and their connections with the woman of the week.

NOTE: Because the Summer Bible Study is module-based, it is ideal for your Women’s Bible Study ministry. Once you choose the length of the study, you can handpick which women you want to cover during that time period. Please email ericka@erickaosmith.com for more information on using the FREE Summer Bible Study in your church’s women’s ministry.

How long does it last?

This is a 12-week, self-contained (or module-based) Summer Bible Study. That means if you have to miss a week (or more), you will be able to jump back into it the following week without feeling like you are behind.

What is the time commitment?

Plan to spend at least 30 minutes a day during the five-day individual study. Like most things in life, you will get more out of it if you invest more into it.

If you add the small group element, 2 hours one day a week would be ideal.

How does it work?

Beginning Monday, June 6, I will introduce a new woman of faith and provide a link to the study for her. I will introduce a new friend every Monday following June 6 with her accompanying link. The last will be introduced on Monday, August 22.

How much does it cost?

It’s free!

What if I have more questions?

Please leave your questions in the comments or email ericka@erickaosmith.com.