I hope God is working in you this week and drawing you closer to Him. As you spend time praying and reading His word today, know that you are a child of God, and he loves you more than any earthly father could ever love. Despite our failures, God continues to love us.
One thing to remember, even if you have not been able to maintain your commitment for this week, God still loves you. Every day is an opportunity for a new beginning. Yes, there are consequences and discipline when we walk apart from God. (Hebrews 12: 4-6) He punishes us because he loves us. Too often we confuse a lack of punishment with love. God’s punishment is not because he doesn’t like us, but because he loves us and wants to spend eternity with us.
As we spend time in prayer today, think about the woman who used the expensive perfume to anoint the feet of Jesus and the disciples who watched this in shock. I am just like those disciples who grumbled and said that the money could have been used to feed a lot of the poor. But in reality, I would most likely use it to buy something else that I wanted and give a little bit of it to the poor to make me feel good. How often does our thinking get off track, especially when it comes to money? We rationalize our decisions to make our intentions seem right or even holy. This woman poured this expensive perfume on the feet of Jesus. There was no turning back. Once the perfume was poured out, it was worthless. When we pour ourselves out at the feet of Jesus and make ourselves worthless, Jesus lifts us up and gives us value. He tells the disciples that her story will be told forever. Her story has become a valuable part of the story of Jesus. When you choose to follow Christ and give yourself over to him, you become a child of the king and a part of His story.
Today’s Readings:
Matthew 26: 1-16
Psalm 50
Isaiah 62
