Engraved by God

 

~~~ Memorial of Saint Martha ~~~

~~~ Exodus 32:15-24, 30-34 ~~~ Psalm 106 ~~~ John 11:19-27 ~~~

 

When you have something engraved it becomes personal.

A few years ago my husband bought me an iPod.

He had it engraved with my favorite scripture verse...Jer. 29:11.

 

...engraved by God himself...

 

Engraving something is permanent...it marks ownership.

The tablets of stone given to Moses were marked by God for his people.

God engraved stone one of the hardest most durable material.

An engraved object is no longer the same as it was before...

it ha been permanently changed.

 

The Israelites had not yet been permanently changed.

They were fickle...they were not committed to God.

 

In the absence of Moses, the people became restless;

 Aaron, being weak himself, gives in to their demands.

He collects their gold jewelry tosses it into the fire and waits...

almost as if he had no control over the situation.

 

...I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out.

 

Evil does indeed have power.

With today's technology the cinema could make this golden idol

 literally appear to rise up from the flames.

Even reading the text as written makes it seem mysterious and mystical.

But it does not come from God.

This molten calf came from the earth...God sent his message from heaven.

 

See, upon the palms of my hands I have engraved you.

Isaiah 49:16a

 

 

Martha's heart was engraved by God.

She was permanently changed

I have come to believe...

 

She had come to believe so strongly

in Jesus that she could speak to him as a close friend.

She could express her frustrations to him.

She could tell him of her heart's longing.

Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died...

 

We see Martha once again expressing her frustrations to Jesus.

The Israelites were frustrated too, but their hearts had not been engraved.

Martha turns to Jesus with her anguish.

The Israelites turned to their material treasures...

objects made of gold.

 

Have you allowed God to engrave your heart?

Yes, this engraving may be painful at times.

God, himself, must write upon your heart

joys as well as sorrows.

 

Martha was not fickle; she was convicted by her belief.

Martha was a Believer!

 

The more God engraves upon your heart the deeper your faith.

 

Blessings come through the engraving...

 Engraved by God himself.

He claims you for his own so that you can be strong.