Bowed down before King Jesus – Savior – Lord. The tears pour down. Her heart is grateful beyond words. She knows her sin, she knows the One Who came to save her. Submission. Reverence. Honor. Repentance. She is not concerned what the rest of the world is doing. She is not concerned who or what is around her. She is focused on Who is before her, and Who came to save her. Jesus Christ the Lord. She has come to give everything she has, to trade it, for forgiveness, grace, mercy, and a new life of peace in Christ the Lord. And she heard Him say these beautiful words: “your faith has saved you, go in peace”
Those tears and a heart totally devoted to follow Christ – the Prince of Peace, are precious, more valuable than anything else on this earth.
From Luke 7:36-50
Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”
Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
She was forgiven of much, and…
She has loved much…
As a woman of God, saved by Jesus Christ, I am grateful for the forgiveness of my sins. Though I gave my life to Jesus, nearly 25 years ago, I still fall down at His feet multiple times a day, and pour out my heart, and often with tears.
These tears fall for many reasons. But it is at the feet of Jesus where they fall. In prayer, in thanksgiving, in requests, in an offering to Him as ruler and Lord of my life. In pleas for His Holy work to keep working in me, and for the sake of the souls I love so dearly. In repentance, receiving forgiveness, and renewed strength to rise up, and “go in peace” as I follow Him.
There is so much ZEAL in my heart to know God better, and to share this ZEAL with all who I love.
“those who sow in tears, will reap shouts of joy” – Ps. 126:5
Whether we are coming to God for the first time in our lives, to receive Salvation, or coming again, and again, to Him in humble submission to Him as Lord in our continued journey of His saving work, tears before the King of Kings, with a heart of true thanksgiving, submission to Him, reap shouts of joy!
Whatever I am asked to trade in, for the greater devotion to serve Christ, may I obey the call, and submit to Him.
There are many many many daily doings God keeps calling me to “trade” in for the greater bounty to come.
I am commissioned by God to care for my neighbors. My nearest neighbors are the people of my own household. While I am given opportunities to reach out to literal neighbors in our neighborhood, and beyond, there is always the devotion to my Lord, in obedience to my Highest calling.
What is God calling you to? Is He calling you to repent and be saved? Is He calling you to trade in important happenings of your life, in this world, for more energy and focus to family? I know He has called me to these very things.
We have some pretty unique situations in our household, which bring on some pretty unique challenges. As I trade in my flesh, weakness, fall at Jesus’ feet, He lifts me up to “go in peace” in His loving, saving, powerful work, that keeps on working.
The Greatest Commandment
“One of them, an expert in the law, tested Him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself”
Matthew 22:33-38
