“‘Leave her alone,’ said Jesus. ‘Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing for me.’”
Mark 14:6
In J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Return of the King, old Samwise Gamgee laughed for sheer delight when he realized the ballad was being sung in honor of his longtime friend, Frodo. I doubt many of us feel like our lives are the stuff of ballads, but the Scriptures tell us otherwise.
Ephesians 2:10 says, “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared … for us.” That word “workmanship” is the Greek word poiema, used for us, God’s recreated people.
We are His workmanship, His new creation, His poem. He’s weaving poetic beauty into our lives, refining us, humbling us, calling us to deeds of faithfulness that He has mysteriously prepared for us. Frodo had to lose a finger before he could give up the ring of power, but his story was retold by grace. Ours will be too. All our failures will be forgotten, all the dross removed. Nothing will remain but the poetry. Every hidden faithfulness, every small act of obedience, every step taken for Jesus, will become a “beautiful thing,” like Mary’s broken bottle of nard.
Ephesians 2:10 says, “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared … for us.” That word “workmanship” is the Greek word poiema, used for us, God’s recreated people.
We are His workmanship, His new creation, His poem. He’s weaving poetic beauty into our lives, refining us, humbling us, calling us to deeds of faithfulness that He has mysteriously prepared for us. Frodo had to lose a finger before he could give up the ring of power, but his story was retold by grace. Ours will be too. All our failures will be forgotten, all the dross removed. Nothing will remain but the poetry. Every hidden faithfulness, every small act of obedience, every step taken for Jesus, will become a “beautiful thing,” like Mary’s broken bottle of nard.
Scripture Focus
Revelation 21
Insight
“Walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:2)
Bible In A Year
- Ezekiel 33-34
- Psalm 147
- 1 Timothy 3-4
