A Dance to the Promised Land - Part 2

In 1 Kings 17 Elijah showed an extreme diligence to the word of God. First by the brook , then by the Lord's provision by the widow. Elijah's "ministry became to the widow after he was ministered to by the ravens by the brook. You have been given faith, which must be worked out with all diligence. The first step is virtue, which is valor or intrinsic excellence. This valor is the same valor that is in Jesus. The widow means a desolate place, or a desolate house. - This is paralleled in our current age, we are becoming a desolate house. A house that has turned it's back on God, so we are seeing great famine in the land, and our wealth is drying into the dust, but "the wealth of the wicked are laid up for the righteous", even though we have been "widowed" the Lord will not leave us orphans, He has not left us without an inheritance, even though the world's economy closes, the fountains of heaven are always open to those who are open to what God is doing, to those who fear His name. We have a source of living water that even when there is famine in the Land, God sent His sent and then poured out His Spirit on all flesh that we might live long and prosperous in the Land God gave us. Even bread made from flour and oil is prosperous in a land that has drank itself to death, when all the meat is gone and there is nothing left in the storehouses, cakes will sustain you. Manna was plentiful when there was nothing else to eat.
We can not look at "our ministries" as a responsibility, that is just one sided. When we go out and do the Lord's business, we are not just helping the poor, the needy or the directionless, we are being helped by them. The church has been in a great famine, fancy sermons are like wine that betrays us. They sound really good and feel really good at the time, but at the end of the day, why are we going? Are we craving the sermon? Are we craving the crowd around us as if we were at the football game? No wonder some pastors have resorted to football speak when they should be focused on Jesus speak. Our lives are about bread and games, until it all comes apart. Now we are seemingly widowed and alone, without food or water, collecting sticks that we may go and die. But what kind of bride will we prove to be? Are we busy collecting sticks as Martha was busy cleaning the kitchen? I want to sit at His feet, and drink from the cup from His hand, I want to poor out my tears on His feet and even in a time of famine when I could sell all I own to earn a quick buck, I would rather poor it our on Him. I would rather give my all to the One Who gave it all for me, so that I might not be found a Martha, to busy to believe the word spoken to me "Go and bake me a cake, so that I might eat and then you and your son will have an abundance", I want to be Mary, pouring out my finest oil, kneeling down by His feet, giving the bread of my body to be part of His body. I want to give my all.
  But, let's check our motives in ministry, is it a "Martha motive" or a "Mary motive", are we trying to appeal to the religious? The ones who are doing good deeds to be recognized? The ones who look good on camera but inside are hollow shells of people, busy cleaning house? Let our motives be pure before Him, and then let us consider that the ones we thought we were helping, were really the ones saving us.