“Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping His feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.” (John 12:3 NLT)
Have you ever longed for the courage of Mary to anoint Jesus’ feet? I’m quite confident that the expensive perfume was mixed with her tears as she dried Jesus’ feet with her hair. Can you begin to sense how awkward and uncomfortable the participants of the Passover celebration were? How uncomfortable might you or I have been? Yet, Mary’s boldness, not caring what anyone thought but Jesus, inspires me to be and do more than I ever thought I could for Jesus.
Can you smell the fragrance of her sacrifice? Close your eyes and ask the Lord to enable you to sense, not only the aroma of unrestricted love, but what that kind of sacrificial devotion might look like in your life and mine. The only way anyone can offer such an unselfish act of worship like Mary’s is to have no concern for what people think of them, except Jesus.
In some ways it’s like being willing to become a glove. Think of the jobs we do that we’d dare not do with bare hands. Cleaning the drains in our sinks or shower; cleaning up after our sick child or animal; working on the car; lifting or carrying a bulky or slippery item. There are dozens of examples, but it causes me to think of things that believers have done over the centuries as they’ve become the “gloves of God.”
Think of Moses, Joshua, Ruth, Samuel, David, and on and on up to and including men and women alive and allowing God to fill and empower them for service today that they can’t do without Him. And the most exciting part of all of that to me is – it includes me and YOU!
Carefully read these words of Dr. David Jeremiah: “We are the gloves of God in this world, but we’re useless unless we are filled with Him. We don’t even have the strength to lift ourselves up. But when we are pervaded and permeated with His Spirit, we operate in His power, not our own.
When we try to serve the Lord in our own strength, we struggle and end up failing. We must yield ourselves to Him, surrender to His total occupancy of our personalities, and let His power sustain and strengthen us as we serve Him. Rely on your all-powerful God to empower your Christian life and labor. His love fits into your soul like hands in a glove.”
What impossible adventure is the Lord inviting you into? What is it in your life that is literally impossible unless and until God’s all powerful Spirit fills and enables you? For me it’s reaching my lost loved ones. I’ve spoken, written, and reasoned until my wife said the other day that maybe it’s time for me to back off. At first, I was taken aback, but the Lord quickly assured me He was speaking through her.
It concerned me as I wondered: “But Lord, if I don’t seek to speak life into their lives, who will?” To which He promptly responded: “I will!” And, of course, He could have said: “And believe Me, I can do it way more effectively than you!” But in His loving kindness He left that part out.
And yes, there are times it’s appropriate to let God do what only He can do, but it also raises the question: “What’s He calling me and you to become His glove to do that only we can do?”
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 