Luke 7:37-38 "When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair and poured perfume on them."
Today, at my lunch time, I had to go to the store to pick up a few things. Having to work until 7, I did not want to go after work. When I went into the store, there was a large display of bags of food prepared for you just to pick up, pay for, and put them in the large container for the big food drive for the Houston Food Pantry. I do this about every other time I am in the store, so today I picked a bag, it wasn't expensive, just a few dollars, and put it in my basket. When I checked out they took it, and put it in the bin for the pantry. Been there, done that before, never thinking much about it other than thanking the Lord for blessing me so much, seeing to my needs and that I was grateful to be able to do this small thing to help others. He supplies my every need and I love to give back when I can.
I took my purchases home and returned to work. During the afternoon, I went to the bank. I know, this is always in the car. I also am amazed by this, but really shouldn't be. When I get in the car, I begin to sing with the CD I have playing and worship my Lord. When I do this at home, He comes to me, so I don't know why the surprise that He does in the car as well. But I was worshiping and telling the Lord how all I wanted to do is sit at His feet. Knowing how I am in His presence, I knew I would be crying and I thought of the woman washing His feet with her tears, and I was saying to the Lord, I would love to be able to wash your feet with my tears and dry them with my hair. I would love to pour expensive perfume from an alabaster jar onto You to annoint You, to love You so much with my perfume, no matter the cost.
My precious Lord, poured love into my vehicle, flooded it all over me, and as I began to cry, He told me, "When you bought that bag of food to help someone else, it gave me as much joy as if you had poured expensive perfume over me to annoint me." He told me that I had annointed Him with the love I had for others, wanting to return something as I was so blessed, just wanting to bless someone else. He told me the joy of love I held for Him in my heart, and the desire to give the same love to others was like precious tears washing His feet and the spirit He put in me flowing out to others was like drying His feet with my hair. So much love, so much caring for His children.
Do not think for a minute that I think I did any big thing. I did not. But just the small gesture of giving to others, was annointing of the Lord, the touching of His heart, with what was in my alabaster jar (my heart). See what we sees as such an expensive and priceless alabaster jar or box He sees as our hearts. Our hearts hold such a priceless treasure to give if we will release it to others. It contains the love that the Lord has put there. So amazing that a feeling can be so treasured. But as you know, when you give or receive love, it is the most enduring feeling a person can have. God's treasure, unconditional love, He placed in our hearts like you would an expensive perfume in an alabaster jar. But the perfume does no one any good if it does not leave the jar, and love touches no one if it stays locked up inside our hearts. This love that God gave us, so priceless as it was redeemed for us by His beloved Son's blood, given to us so freely. I remember Lord, when I was a sinful woman who had lost her way, You redeemed me with forgiveness and this precious love. Freely received, it should be freely given.
This is not to say you should run out and purchase bags of food for the local food pantry, but what a wonderful thing if you did. We are so blessed, the blessings just multiple when you share them with others. But what I am trying to tell you, is that the precious love we received from the Lord, should be shared with others, given freely as we received it. No strings. A hand up to a stranger, a couple of dollars to a stranger needing help, a bag of food for a neighbor down on their luck, an invitation to church and lunch afterwards to a neighborhood widow. Love spread around knows no end, it keeps traveling from one to another. Really how God intended it to go.
Father, You never cease to amaze me, how you give me these words to say. What a joy you place in my heart, loving me so much, giving to me Your presence, speaking to me....there are no words to tell You how very much I love You. I am so glad You can see into my heart, so You know the true depth of my love.
My God, how I love being Your beloved child. Let me sit at Your feet, Lord, let me wash them with my tears of sheer joy at being near You, let me pour the love of my alabaster jar over You annointing You with my devotion, my love, my total worship....just for who You are, my heart's Desire.
No one but You, Lord. My God, my Everything, my Life. I treasure my time with You, Lord. Let me sit in Your presence all my days until I reach the heights of Your Glory. Thank you Father, this 14th day of January, 2011 for Your presence.
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