A Pleasing Fragrance

Scripture: Mark 14:3 – “While he was at Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.”

Observation: This woman gave Jesus a very extravagant offering of her worship. The scripture says that the perfume she poured over him was worth a year’s wages – that’s EXTRAVAGANT. It took some sense of stewardship simply to be able to own that perfume to offer – and it required a sense of FREEDOM in her heart to offer it selflessly and without reservation.

Application: I must constantly and consistently work towards being a better steward of my possessions, my finances and my heart so that when opportunities arise to worship in extravagant ways – I have the freedom to worship my guts out. Whether it’s financial freedom to pour into something or someone because HE leads me to do – that or the freedom of a pure heart to worship in ways that I have yet to experience. I don’t want to miss it!

Prayer: My prayer today comes in the form of the lyrics of a song by Rita Springer…
“I bring to You a fragrant offering
I pour out my love and I wash Your feet
I offer up to You, Lord, this brokenness
What You can see in me shall be my confidence

I bring to You a humble sacrifice
I pour out my heart and I give You my life
I offer up to You, oh Lord, this costly gift
With absolute abandon now my love I confess

May it be a pleasing fragrance that I bring to You, oh Lord
I am so in need of Your presence and I bow before You now
I pour my vial of worship over You.”

May it be a pleasing fragrance that I bring to You, oh Lord!