"The Greater Reward"

"Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment." John 12:3

We learn from the scriptures that the ointment that the woman with the alabaster box poured out on Jesus was very expensive and valuable. As I was thinking about that fact I couldn't help but think that as she poured it out on Jesus, she was giving away something expensive but not as expensive as what she would get in return.

While it was a great price for her to give up, the price of what she got in return was so much greater. It reminds me of the words of Jesus, "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." (Matthew 16:25) When we try to keep and hold on to what we have, instead of "spending" it on Jesus, we wind up the loser in the end.

What are you withholding from Him this morning? What is that thing which you esteem as valuable that you aren't releasing to Him? Your talents? Has He blessed you with some talent- singing, writing, creativity- but you won't use it for His glory, but for selfish gain instead? Your time? Are you spending your time on you with no regard to spending time doing His service? Your financial/material blessings? Are you being stingy with them? What about your children? Perhaps the Lord has called your children into His service, but you are unwilling to let them be used by Him.

Are you withholding from Him the most valuable thing you have- which is your life? What the woman with the alabaster box gave to Jesus was more than just costly perfume or expensive ointment. It represented her life. Everything she had was in that box-- blood, sweat, tears, her future, her worth. But she gave it to Jesus, and she gave all of it to Him. While others accused her of wasting it on Jesus, she didn't waste anything- she "invested" it. She invested her life into Him and received eternal life in return.

Have a great day. When we give our lives to Him, we are making an investment that will receive an eternal reward.

For further reading:
John 12:1-8
Mark 14:1-5
Matthew 16:26

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
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