526. Did I Do What I Could?

“I was in Mark’s gospel this morning, “Stan began, “and I saw something that Mark records Jesus to have said that I long to hear Him say to me.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Jesus was in Jerusalem, just before He was going to go to the cross to finish what the Father had sent Him to do.  He and the disciples were having dinner at the home of a man called Simon the leper.  I don’t know if he was a friend of Jesus, a disciple, or what, but it doesn’t matter who he was.”

“What matters about him?” I asked.

“Oh, it’s not him,” Stan replied.  “It is the account of a woman who was there.  A woman who poured some expensive perfume on Jesus’ head.  The woman, what she did, and what Jesus said about it, those are the important parts to me.”

Continuing, he said, “When the woman poured the perfume on Jesus’ head, some of the people who saw what she did were indignant, calling it a big waste.  They criticized the woman for being wasteful, saying that the perfume could have been sold to get money to give to the poor.”

“Where did she get the perfume?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” Stan replied, “and that’s not important either.

“So what is important about this?” I replied.

“What Jesus said,” Stan responded.  “That is what is really important for me.  As well, what He said is what I want to be able to hear Jesus say to me.”

Continuing, he said, “Jesus took to task those who criticized the woman.  He said she had done a good thing and that she would be remembered forever.”

“What Jesus said about her is what motivates me,” Stan added.  “Jesus said that the woman ‘did what she could’.  “Oh, that He will be able to say the same thing about me!”

“I long for Jesus to be able to say, ‘Stan did what he could’.”

“But,” he concluded, “the only way Jesus will be able to say that is if I do what I can.  And the only way I can do what I can is not to try to do it on my own, but to surrender all of me to all of the Holy Spirit and allow Him to lead me in everything I do.  Allow Him to lead, and choose to follow that lead.”

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She has done what she could.  Mark 14:8.

Prayer:  Thank you, Father, for your word and the voice of the Holy Spirit that set forth how you want me to live on this side of eternity before I get on the train to spend eternity with you.  As with the woman who did what she could in her relationship with Jesus, I pray that you will be able to say the same thing about me, that I did what I could.  I confess that too often I only do what I want to do apart from you, rather that doing all for you.  Please forgive me.  And please help me in following every step of your lead wherever you want to take me for your purposes so that I will do what I can.  Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

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Things to think (and journal) about:

1.  What is your biggest take-away from this devotional?

2.  What does this devotional say about God and about us as His people?

3.  What is God saying to you to do personally?

4.  Who can you share this with to make a difference?

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Comments, questions, suggestions, and the like can be addressed to The Storyteller at: waiting4thetrain@gmail.com.