This morning I read my devotional from “My Utmost For His Highest” by Oswald Chambers. I was struck to my core. Then in checking “Twitter”, I found that someone else had also been struck & even had already blogged about it. With her permission now obtained, I am going to share what she has written. May it bless you as it has blessed me.
Are You Poured Out For Him?
Good morning everyone! (or Good Evening if you’re on other side of the world!) I’m departing from my outline, but we’ll be back next week with continuing to talk about living the higher, deeper, joyful Christian life that God intends for us when He made us new creations in Christ. IÂ want to share something with you (which is crucial to the higher, deeper Christian life, so it truly relates!).
This morning in my quiet time I read the passage in John 12 in which Mary poured about a pint of expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet. (the same Mary who sat at Jesus’ feet and gave Him her undivided attention, while her upset sister Martha “tattled” that Mary was not working, and Jesus told her Mary had “chosen what was better,” in Luke 10.)
Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Jesus, objected to the pouring out of the expensive perfume and said it was a waste. Jesus does not reprimand Mary one bit!
Jesus commends Mary’s generous devotion to Him by replying to Judas, “Leave her alone…you will not always have Me.” So what is this “pouring out” business about? Keep reading. I’m so excited about it, I couldn’t stand it and had to share it with you.
Our Lord’s teaching is always anti-self centered, anti-self realization, anti-self actualization and all this other self stuff we hear about all the time. Self, self, self… don’t you get sick of yourself? I do!
Our God is a self-giving God! He poured Himself out for us! He desires to conform us to His image and for us to be like Him. He wants us to be exactly like Him. Listen to what Oswald Chambers wrote on this:
“Jesus did not say””’He that believes in Me shall realize the blessing of the fullness of God,’ but he that believeth in Me out of him shall escape everything he receives.’…. (Chambers is referring to John 7:38, where it says living waters will flow out of believers) If we believe in Jesus it’s not what we gain, but what He pours through us that counts. It is not that God makes us beautifully rounded grapes, but that He squeezes the sweetness out of us. Spiritually, we cannot measure our life by success, but only what God pours through us, and we can’t measure that at all.”
Our Lord takes pleasure in us when He sees us totally emptying our ourselves for Him! God poured out His son’s life for us. Will you let your life be one of self-giving like our Lord’s character, “spilling out your life” for Him?
God is looking all over the earth for those who want to be poured out for Him.
Do you wanted to be counted among that group?
Let’s pour ourselves out, beginning this Labor Day Weekend (for those who live in USA) and for wherever you are in the world, by abandoning ourselves to Christ instead of to our self-centered ways. I’ll be praying for you and me. I love you, dear reader!
“Whoever believes in Me…streams of living water will flow from within him.” ~John 7:38
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