DIMENSIONS OF RESPONSE!!

Dimensions of response!

Verse for Today: Wednesday, September 04, 2013

John 12:3 – Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped His feet with her hair.

The lament house of Bethany today has become a house where three persons are occupied with Jesus at a feast of celebration of the new life of Lazarus. They respond to the Lord in three different ways. We find a resurrected Lazarus fellowshipping with Jesus and sharing a meal of blessings. Perhaps his focus is on the compassion, grace and magnanimity of the Lord Jesus in giving him new life. We find Martha serving the Lord with the best that she could make for Him in this life, thus finding satisfaction in giving her skills and talents to Him. But Mary used the time to get herself lost in His greatness by worshipping Him with all that she had in life. Jesus touched this family in very many ways and met their most intimate needs. Their tears were wiped and they were comforted. Their lost joy has come back. They enjoyed His fellowship. They found the thrill of serving Him with their best. But all of these surpass His greatness and glory which led to worship. It was at this peak experience that the whole house was filled with the aroma of worship. Today it is our blessed privilege to enjoy fellowship with Jesus and serve Him, but it is a greater privilege to submit ourselves as living sacrifices to Him. Jesus of Nazareth probably will be satisfied with fellowship and service, but the Jesus of Gethsemane and Calvary demands our everything and our all as worship at His feet. His greatness and glory demand that our most precious things in life become instruments of worship at His feet. It will then put all our past tears and pain behind and take us to the peaks of enjoying His person for His worth.

Dear reader, are you dwelling in the past to wallow over what had happened to you? Perhaps you have come a step higher by thanking Jesus for removing your sackcloth and lament. Perhaps all you do is to have fellowship with Him and be satisfied with what He has done for you. You might go a step further to serve Him in some capacity. But His glory demands that you submit yourself as a living sacrifice at His feet. The love of Jesus demonstrated it by giving all that He had to you on the cross. His love will not be satisfied with mere fellowship and service, but only with your first and foremost love for Him demonstrated by giving yourself and all that you have just as Mary did at Bethany. Paul had such a life when he tasted the love of Jesus. Hannah gave her only son to God as she tasted His benevolence. Abraham gave his only begotten son to God as a sacrifice and God made his Isaac a living sacrifice. Today our Lord and His glory demands that we climb the hilltop of our horizons in this world and give ourselves and all that we have to Him to satisfy His love. Yes, fellowship is sweet and service is satisfying, but worship is fulfilling. As we truly worship our Lord, we forget all that is around us and get ourselves lost in the wonder and awe of Him who made a difference in our lives. He has turned our tears into joy unspeakable and lifted our burdens. Today when we give ourselves and all that we have to Him, we forget ourselves and our situations and find life’s greatest thrill in walking with Him.

Revelation 1:17 – When I saw (Jesus) I fell at His feet as though dead. Then He placed His right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.”

Thought for Today

Getting lost in Jesus is the best way to find ourselves as His beloved people.

 Prayer for Today

Dear Lord Jesus: Please help me to only see Your glory and bury all my painful past, rough present and uncertain future in You.  Amen!

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