How would you feel? If God gave us the same amount of time and attention that we devote to Him? If God put as many things ahead of us as we put ahead of Him? If God offered as many excuses as we do and if the excuses were no more justifiable than ours? If God's promises were no more certain than ours? If God withheld His blessings from us as we withhold our offerings from Him?
We can so easily stress reading the Bible, studying the Bible, memorizing the Bible, that we forget the real intent is to get caught up in the truths of the scripture so that we adore our Lord. I remember I used to ask people whether they had devotions or not. By devotions I meant that they had a great time with the Lord in His Word and prayer. But now I realize that many people thought that I was asking whether they had read or prayed.
They had not connected 'having devotions' with meeting our Lord. The real importance is not the activities but the actual meeting with the Lord. This doesn't mean we can do without prayer and meditation. God has ordained the use of these things in meeting Him. However, the means is not the end.
Mark 14:1-9 is a story of a person named Mary who beautifully showed the importance of devotion over mere religious duties.
Mary was so appreciative of Jesus that she took a most precious, if not the most precious item that she possessed and poured it over Jesus. The event signaled an overwhelming spirit of thankfulness and joy in Mary's heart to know Jesus' blessings in her life. I am sure she thought of her brother Lazarus' resurrection, but we know from another account (Luke 10:38-42) that her vibrant devotion and love for Him was evident even before that epochal event.
Years ago, after reading this story, my heart was moved to give my Lord whatever He wanted in my life. I was thinking of the most valuable treasure I had. My money - not much. My car? My house? My family? My heart? Actually, I had in my past life given these things one by one to the Lord.
All that I have and am, including my life, reputation, husband, children, grandchildren, wealth, possessions, – I have given them all to Him. In a quiet sense of joy, I again dedicated the most precious thing to Him again – my heart. He is my all in all. I have nothing that is mine. All is His.
Abiding means to spend time with Jesus. He wants to be alone with me. I want to be alone with Him. I need to be deliberate about this. Mary and the others were just loving the quiet time with Jesus enjoying His presence. Only those loving His presence were there. Not long afterwards, He would be heading down the valley and ascending Jerusalem to die on the cross rejected by all.
Abiding with Jesus will cost us our most treasured items. For Mary, this was her costly perfume. For me, it meant my life and loved ones. Abiding in Christ is costly. Love is costly. Love means a willingness to use all that we have to pursue the needs of another. The vial of perfume seemed like a strange demand, but it stood for what was most supreme in her heart.
With the perfume in hand, she could at anytime sell it and find sufficient funds to help her in any emergency. With the bottle emptied, though, her safety net was gone. The grandeur of having a powerful and mystic scent in her possession no longer enchanted her. Jesus was hers. He was real. He belonged to her, and she belonged to Him.
Prayer:
Thanks be to thee, my Lord Jesus Christ,
For all the benefits thou hast won for me,
For all the pains and insults thou hast borne for me.
O most merciful Redeemer, Friend, and Brother,
May I know thee more clearly,
Love thee more dearly,
And follow thee more nearly:
For ever and ever.
-St. Richard Chichester (1197-1253)
We can so easily stress reading the Bible, studying the Bible, memorizing the Bible, that we forget the real intent is to get caught up in the truths of the scripture so that we adore our Lord. I remember I used to ask people whether they had devotions or not. By devotions I meant that they had a great time with the Lord in His Word and prayer. But now I realize that many people thought that I was asking whether they had read or prayed.
They had not connected 'having devotions' with meeting our Lord. The real importance is not the activities but the actual meeting with the Lord. This doesn't mean we can do without prayer and meditation. God has ordained the use of these things in meeting Him. However, the means is not the end.
Mark 14:1-9 is a story of a person named Mary who beautifully showed the importance of devotion over mere religious duties.
Mary was so appreciative of Jesus that she took a most precious, if not the most precious item that she possessed and poured it over Jesus. The event signaled an overwhelming spirit of thankfulness and joy in Mary's heart to know Jesus' blessings in her life. I am sure she thought of her brother Lazarus' resurrection, but we know from another account (Luke 10:38-42) that her vibrant devotion and love for Him was evident even before that epochal event.
Years ago, after reading this story, my heart was moved to give my Lord whatever He wanted in my life. I was thinking of the most valuable treasure I had. My money - not much. My car? My house? My family? My heart? Actually, I had in my past life given these things one by one to the Lord.
All that I have and am, including my life, reputation, husband, children, grandchildren, wealth, possessions, – I have given them all to Him. In a quiet sense of joy, I again dedicated the most precious thing to Him again – my heart. He is my all in all. I have nothing that is mine. All is His.
Abiding means to spend time with Jesus. He wants to be alone with me. I want to be alone with Him. I need to be deliberate about this. Mary and the others were just loving the quiet time with Jesus enjoying His presence. Only those loving His presence were there. Not long afterwards, He would be heading down the valley and ascending Jerusalem to die on the cross rejected by all.
Abiding with Jesus will cost us our most treasured items. For Mary, this was her costly perfume. For me, it meant my life and loved ones. Abiding in Christ is costly. Love is costly. Love means a willingness to use all that we have to pursue the needs of another. The vial of perfume seemed like a strange demand, but it stood for what was most supreme in her heart.
With the perfume in hand, she could at anytime sell it and find sufficient funds to help her in any emergency. With the bottle emptied, though, her safety net was gone. The grandeur of having a powerful and mystic scent in her possession no longer enchanted her. Jesus was hers. He was real. He belonged to her, and she belonged to Him.
Prayer:
Thanks be to thee, my Lord Jesus Christ,
For all the benefits thou hast won for me,
For all the pains and insults thou hast borne for me.
O most merciful Redeemer, Friend, and Brother,
May I know thee more clearly,
Love thee more dearly,
And follow thee more nearly:
For ever and ever.
-St. Richard Chichester (1197-1253)
God loves you!
Jerri
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