
Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast Episode 029 Obedience Through His Word
Welcome to the Terri Hitt – Live With Eternal Perspective Podcast
Episode #029 Obedience Through His Word
Thank you for entrusting and investing your precious time with me to grow in Jesus together. I am blessed to be back with you today to discuss more ways to live with eternal perspective.
One of the greatest joys in my life is finding ways to obey the Lord.
Sometimes it takes patience and prayer. Other times God makes what am to do very clear immediately. Waiting and listening are part of obeying His call and direction for us.
At the end of January, 2020, I began producing the podcasts I prepared as my step of obedience to the Lord. I knew that He was calling me to allow Him to work through me in a way unique and special for the interests He placed in my heart. I inderstood that He wanted to work through me to reach more people with His word and truths.
What a joy and blessing this has been in not only my life, but in the life of my family as well. My husband and I, as well as my children, have grown even more in the Lord and drawn closer to each other. My husband helps me with the podcast by editing and uploading each one. We've all grown together in and through God by my obedience to Him. All we do for God affects those around us.
It definitely takes time and dedication each week to prayerfully consider what God is speaking and to write and produce each episode. While the work is a deep and joyful blessing, and I continue to walk in obedience by allowing my Heavenly Father to work through me, I must also carefully prioritize my daily life activities to place Him first, while still placing my husband and children next. It takes much time and effort.
As fall is approaching, school will be back in session and there are things I need to prepare for. Homeschool is a lifestyle for us, which could be another podcast topic. In fact, if you are interested in hearing more about that, please let me know.
As I pondered how to create more time to prepare for the upcoming school year and get a little extra housework done completed before the new academic year starts, I prayed about taking a hiatus for a few weeks.
God whispered to my spirit that He did not want me to create a break time, but to use the time to read His word to listeners.
So, for the next several weeks I will not create new messages, but will be reading the best messages the world has ever had the opportunity to read. I pray that you will be blessed by God's word and encourged to study the Bible even more on your own. I will egin where I find my hope and passion for life and all I do - the book of John. I believe it is the heart of the Bible. I hope it stirs your heart for love and obedience to Him.
John 12:1-8
"Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. 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. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”
To me, these verses are so beautiful. I have always loved the book of John. Each chapter is just so special. Let's look a little bit deeper at some of the verses in this passage.
As we speak about Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, we need to remember that Jesus had raised their brother from the dead. So, it shouldn't really be a shock to us that his sisters want to hold a dinner in honor of Jesus.
You know, whenever God works through us, when we're saved through Jesus Christ, He is bringing something back that was dead, just like He did with Lazarus. He's made us a new person. We have a new life. When we're following Him in the right way and we live with that realization, the natural response is a desire to show Him love, appreciation, thankfulness, and honor with our life.
The oil that was used here by Mary, was very expensive. It was nearly an entire year's earnings. Of course, Judas saw this as a waste. But Jesus could see into the heart of Mary. He knew that for Mary, this was worship.
I find it really interesting also in this passage that the disciples must have really trusted Judas. He was handling money. We all know that if we trust someone with our money, it means we truly trust them.
Here in this passage of 12:6, John is showing the real nature of Judas, that he was a thief, but he is also showing his heart intent because when Judas talks about the cost of the oil, and how it should have been given to the poor instead of being spent on the oil, Jesus knew His true heart, He knew his true intentions and thoughts behind those words. Judas's words sounded very noble, yet it shows that each one of us has the capacity to say things, to give religious sounding reasons that would justify actions that don't have the true intent or purpose that Jesus would have us to have. It shows how selfish we are and can be,
When Jesus talks about in 12:8 how there's a constant presence of poor, he's not showing that he's heartless. We know Jesus isn't heartless. He's not saying they should be ignored, but just the fact that they're always there, but He will not always be there. If we look at Deuteronomy 15:11, as a cross-reference here, "for the poor will never cease from the land, therefore I command you, saying "You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor, and your needy in your land. " We see that Jesus does indeed care about the plight of the poor.
The last thing that I want to point out with this beautiful passage is something that should strike a chord for all of us. It should infuse the heart of a servant, it should inspire us to do more for Jesus.
If we look at Mary, the one who poured the fragrances of Jesus's feet, and wiped His feet with her hair, we see that Mary was humble. She was teachable. She wanted to be more occupied with Christ than to be occupied for Him. It should inspire each of us to stop, to take a look at our lives.
Are we just occupied for Christ? Just taking part in activities and "doing" things for Him? Just as Martha was always so busy doing things for Him? Or are we more occupied, more obsessed with knowing Jesus? In loving Him? In obeying Him? In being with Him and spending time with Him? We learn that in Hebrew, sitting at someone's feet means to learn from that person, to submit to their authority and teaching, and ways of life. That's what Mary was doing here as she showed love for Jesus. She put herself at His feet. I mean, my goodness. Can you imagine using your most expensive fragrance that would cost a year's worth of wages, pouring it on His feet, and wiping your hair across His feet. I mean. I know I love Jesus, but I hope I could do that. I hope I could do that if He walked into my home right now.
If we look at Mary's example of spending time at Jesus's feet, we begin to worship Him with a heart that is more loving, and kind, and obedient. One that seeks Him. Can you imagine taking your clean hair and using it to clean the dirtiest part of Jesus? Back then feet were pretty dirty. But she loved Jesus so much. He had brought her brother back to life. He had done many things in their life. But instead of using her perfume for the burial that she had been saving for Jesus, she worshipped Him in true devotion. This showed a true submission to Him and a love for Him.
As we each go out through the week, let us remember this, not to worship Mary or to put her on a pedestal. She was human, just like the rest of us, but to look at the heart that she used, to use that as a symbol is our own life to remind us, to spur us on, to develop our own sacrificial love and obedient love, and humble love, and servant heart love for Jesus.
Dear Lord, may we follow You so closely and strive to know You so well that we would pour our most expensive item, possession across Your feet so that we can get a better glimpse into Your heart. So that we can get a better awareness of You and follow You more closely, Lord, with our whole heart. Help us, Lord, each day, to know You better, to show You more clearly, and to bind our heart to Yours so that You are so evident to all. God, I pray that each one of us can be a light to inspire others to follow You. In Your precious name we pray.
Did you enjoy this episode? I hope you did. Would you like others to hear weekly encouragement and to learn how to live with more eternal perspective? Right now, because this podcast is new, listeners can't find it, unless they specifically know the name to search for. You can help them by leaving a quick review and a rating for the show, and by sharing about the show on social media or by word of mouth. Can you think of a friend or family member who might wnjoy encouragement? If so, please share this podcast with them. Help them to find it. Help them to tune in. Until next week, keep looking Up and finding new ways to live with eternal perspective. Keep sharing your stories with me. I love to hear them.