KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 12:3 KJV” Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.”

Gratitude highly pleases God, for it appreciates God for who He truly is; a good God. Many men are filled with sorrow, bitterness, and anger because they are constantly filled with the negatives and the unfulfilled issues in their lives. Most men even see God as the cause of their woes. They never sing a song of gratitude to God. These people are sadly blinded to the amazing and abundant blessings that surround them. Such people may have a loving family around them, yet they feel depressed because they fail to appreciate God for it. Another may have good health, but another thing he lacks becomes an unbearable weight. This should not make you moody. He should rather thank God for the great health provisions. If men would count God’s blessings and name them one by one, the so many stresses, afflicting them, would dry up into oblivion.

Mary Magdalene, was one who showed great appreciation, for all that the Lord had done for her. This was a woman, who had been delivered from seven evil spirits. Her dead brother who has been in the grave for four days was brought back to life. She could not hide her gratitude but had to get a very expensive perfume and pour it on the master’s feet. She also used her hair, a symbol of her glory to wipe His feet. Luke 7:38 KJV” And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment”. Mary was overwhelmed with gratitude.

This was an example of true gratitude. How did she go about it?

She wept as she washed His feet with the tears and her hair. She was very emotional. This was an act of worship as well. Worship or true gratitude must be emotional. She also acted out of knowledge, in considering all the benefits gained from the master. Worship should not only be emotional, but must also be out of knowledge. She also did it out of a willing heart. True worship must be willing. These three aspects of the human faculties, made her worship, an act of her total person. This teaches us that, worship is not just words of praise, but an expression of one’s being in total humility and love. How grateful have you being to the master in the great and wonderful blessings that the Lord has shown you?

CONFESSION

Thank you, beloved Father, for all the kindness you show me. Your angels watch over me each day. Every created thing you made was set up to be a blessing to men. I thank you most glorious Lord for all the many blessings you bestow on me.

FURTHER STUDIES

1Ch 16:34 KJV “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.”

Psalms 103:2 KJV” Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:”