Poured out essence ~ Mike MacIntosh

And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head

 Mark 4:3

It must have been an incredible sight to see Mary taking this flask of costly perfume and pouring it on our Savior. In today's economy, this alabaster flask of perfume would be worth about $30,000. Some Bible expositors believe that it was actually a family heirloom, passed down from generation to generation, rich in tradition, and invaluable from her family's perspective. So when she took it and broke it open, you could probably hear a pin drop. But she didn't care about traditions; she didn't bother herself with "figuring everything out" before she worshiped the Lord--she just went for it!

 And oh how the Lord wants us to just come to Him in faith like Mary did, and pour ourselves out to Him.

In John's account, we get some additional detail. It says that Mary also anointed Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair (John 12:3).

He says that the house was filled with the fragrance of the sweet aroma of oil. Is your house filled with the sweet aroma of the presence of Jesus Christ? If you've accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then His presence should permeate every inch of your life and every square foot of your house. 

Sometimes we forget when we go to a Bible study, or attend a church service, or have personal/family devotions, that Jesus is there; His presence should fill everything! When we realize that Jesus surrounds us, then we start to realize that so does His peace, and so does His love, and so does His gentleness, and so does His kindness, and the list could go on and on. 

The presence of Jesus is surrounding you and He wants to fill you with His awesome fragrance!

Today, are you basking in the sweet fragrance of Jesus Christ, or are you carrying your own odor around? 

Perhaps sometimes you forget how precious you are--you forget how valuable you are.

 Maybe you had an ex-husband who slapped you around. Maybe you had a dad who never said a kind word to you, or a mother who was always mean. Maybe you had a boyfriend who abused you. But in God's kingdom you are amazing and valuable to Jesus! It doesn't mean that you haven't had setbacks or mistakes; it means that in Jesus Christ, His love has covered the multitude of past sins and failures.

God loves you. 

He is madly in love with you and you are so precious because you are in His kingdom,

 and you are His kid. 

And because we're His adopted kids, we take on His sweet fragrance.

 So let go of whatever you're holding on to, and let the awesome fragrance of Jesus fill your heart and your soul today.