Thanksgiving Mary's Style
Dear Saints:
I have so much to be thankful for this season. Thank you Lord for being my Father and reconciling me to you. I was so disobedient and too far removed from you in my sins. But you loved me and died for me while I was still in sin and not waiting first for me to clean up my mess. What other God could do that for me. You are my Lord and my God. Thank you Lord.
Mary, Martha and Lazarus had in-person opportunity to thank Jesus. They have painted a real picture of Thanksgiving we can emulate during this and every season. What do you do for the One to whom you owe your whole life to? Besides sacrificing your own life for the person, you would give him or her your best.
Mary and her siblings did so and gave their best. Let's continue our study in John 12 (please read the entire chapter):
“Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. 2 There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. 3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.” John 12:1-3.
Mary gave her one-year's-wages-worth of perfume. Martha gave her best cooking and Lazarus gave his presence just reclining and beholding the Lord who raised him from the dead. Let's worship God with whatever we have.
Oh, watch out for your critics. There will always be critics who will never accept and encourage your extravagant worship of God. Sell the perfume and give the money to the poor. Judas was very critical. See where he ended up. He looked out just for himself, betrayed Jesus and hung himself. As long as we please the Lord in our act of faith, no one else matters.
Who is your guest this coming Thanksgiving Celebration? In fact who is your daily guest in your daily thanksgiving? Is it Jesus who has done all things for you? May I challenge us to focus our Thanksgiving on Jesus as we continue to comprehend what He has already done for us on the cross.
May we also go out of our way to have others join u in our Thanksgiving worship and celebrations. My family and I are excited to have an international Muslim student and his family join us for this year's Thanksgiving celebration. We pray God’s blessings on this family. Please pray for God's grace to abound for this Muslim family.
Jesus does not need to do anymore for us to thank Him but He keeps loving us and giving us Himself every day.
Come to think of it, what is it that we have that has not been given to us by God through his grace? There is no exception.
Note also that “the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.” When we give Jesus our best, it blesses all the people that are around us and in the house. Lord, we thank you!
Let’s thank God, worship and meditate on Psalm 95:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;...
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
7 For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.
Happy Thanksgiving in Advance. May the Lord protect all who are traveling. Enjoy Family and Friends wherever you are. Amen.
I have so much to be thankful for this season. Thank you Lord for being my Father and reconciling me to you. I was so disobedient and too far removed from you in my sins. But you loved me and died for me while I was still in sin and not waiting first for me to clean up my mess. What other God could do that for me. You are my Lord and my God. Thank you Lord.
Mary, Martha and Lazarus had in-person opportunity to thank Jesus. They have painted a real picture of Thanksgiving we can emulate during this and every season. What do you do for the One to whom you owe your whole life to? Besides sacrificing your own life for the person, you would give him or her your best.
Mary and her siblings did so and gave their best. Let's continue our study in John 12 (please read the entire chapter):
“Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. 2 There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. 3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.” John 12:1-3.
Mary gave her one-year's-wages-worth of perfume. Martha gave her best cooking and Lazarus gave his presence just reclining and beholding the Lord who raised him from the dead. Let's worship God with whatever we have.
Oh, watch out for your critics. There will always be critics who will never accept and encourage your extravagant worship of God. Sell the perfume and give the money to the poor. Judas was very critical. See where he ended up. He looked out just for himself, betrayed Jesus and hung himself. As long as we please the Lord in our act of faith, no one else matters.
Who is your guest this coming Thanksgiving Celebration? In fact who is your daily guest in your daily thanksgiving? Is it Jesus who has done all things for you? May I challenge us to focus our Thanksgiving on Jesus as we continue to comprehend what He has already done for us on the cross.
May we also go out of our way to have others join u in our Thanksgiving worship and celebrations. My family and I are excited to have an international Muslim student and his family join us for this year's Thanksgiving celebration. We pray God’s blessings on this family. Please pray for God's grace to abound for this Muslim family.
Jesus does not need to do anymore for us to thank Him but He keeps loving us and giving us Himself every day.
Come to think of it, what is it that we have that has not been given to us by God through his grace? There is no exception.
Note also that “the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.” When we give Jesus our best, it blesses all the people that are around us and in the house. Lord, we thank you!
Let’s thank God, worship and meditate on Psalm 95:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;...
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
7 For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.
Happy Thanksgiving in Advance. May the Lord protect all who are traveling. Enjoy Family and Friends wherever you are. Amen.
Comments