Not Wasted

The morning glory devotion on Radio HCI discusses the story of a woman who poured expensive perfume on Jesus, which some saw as a waste. The message emphasizes that serving and sacrificing for Jesus is never a waste, even if it seems that way from a worldly perspective. The devotion encourages listeners to continue wasting their time, resources, and efforts for God, as there is a glorious reward awaiting them. The focus is on the eternal benefits and inheritance in God's kingdom rather than earthly gains. The devotion concludes with a prayer and a reminder to stay tuned for more inspiring content. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful unto Him and bless His name. Psalm 100 verse 4 Good morning, beloved, and you are welcome to Radio HCI Today. This is Harvest Chapel International Kumasi, bringing you our morning glory devotion this morning. Facilitating this morning's session is Wahine Bakusi, Kingsford. Let's kindly share a short word of prayer. Thank you, dear Lord, for this morning, for this opportunity to see a new day. We ask that as we come into your way, you edify, comfort, and encourage us, that we will press on to attain the heights you have for us. In Jesus' mighty name, Amen. Let us repeat our confession from Joshua chapter 1 verse 8. This book of the law shall not depart out of my mouth, but I shall meditate in it day and night, that I may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then I shall make my way prosperous, and then I shall have good success. Amen. A thing for today's devotion is not wasted. Not wasted. Nabaanku scripture is taken from the book of Mark chapter 14 from verse 3 through to verse 6, reading from the Amplified Version, Mark chapter 14 verse 3 to 6. While he was in Bethany as a guest at the house of Simon the leper, reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster vial of very costly and precious perfume of pure mint, and she broke the vial and poured the perfume over his head. There were some who were indignantly remarking to one another, Why has this perfume been wasted? For this perfume might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, a leper's wages for almost a year, and the money given to the poor, and discorded her. But Jesus said, Let her alone. Why are you bothering her and causing trouble? She has done a good and beautiful thing to me. Amen. Not wasted. Not wasted. The pure mint perfume was a very costly perfume, both for its cost of production and cost of delivery and security from desert bandits, since it was mostly brought in by merchants. According to the narrative, it was almost equal to twelve homemans' sum of salary. So so valued that it was only used on very special occasions in the Jewish custom, mostly on a woman's wedding day. Because the oil was kept in a box, breaking the box means the owner must use everything all at once. There was no turning back or changing of mind once the box was broken. Because one needed to think twice before breaking an alabaster box of such costly perfume. It is not a wonder that this woman's breaking her alabaster box of nut oil on Jesus attracted so much criticism. According to the critics, she had wasted a full year's salary on Jesus, and she had no chance of saving even a drop of the perfume. To them, it was an unthoughtful act and a heinous waste of resource. However, the Lord held a different view. It was not a waste as men thought, from their limited human perspective, but a sacrifice, a seed soon that would secure her a place in the history of the Kingdom of God. There are many high-priced resources proportional to this oil of nut which includes time, money, energy, efforts, ideas and many more that believers spent on the Lord and His Kingdom. But more often than not, it may seem like a waste. At times from ourselves and other times from the world, from friends and from family, the people around you can make you begin to question why pay all the tithes, the offerings and the donations to the church while you could use the money for something worthwhile. They can make you feel it's a waste of time spending hours praying, seeking God and fasting in the world and in going to church. Don't you think you can use all that plenty of time to earn some more money, especially in this season of economic hardship, they may say? And worst of all is when the thoughts and questions arise from redeeming yourself, when you feel it's being a waste, giving, praying and committing all that bulk of time serving in the church and in the kingdom. Tier 1. It is never a waste doing something for Jesus, no matter how much the waste it may seem from the human and worldly perspective. In fact, Jesus himself had to seemingly waste on the cross and in the grave before he could give birth to his glorious bride, the church, which is you and I. It seemed like a waste to the families of the apostles who left their fishing boats, thus collecting businesses, their wives and their families and followed Jesus for three years until great glory came out of the dying ashes of their lives. You may have been so in Tier 1, praying, serving in some place in the kingdom, seemingly wasting your time, your money, your resources, and the pressures from redeeming yourself and the world seem to be mounting up, but beloved, this is not the time to stop, because there is a glory awaiting your wasting, for God is not unrighteous to forget all your labors of love. He is able to increase your seed soon and increase the fruit of your righteousness. Maybe like the apostles you are asking, Lord, I have left all, wasted all time, effort and money for you, what will I get in return? Jesus is saying to you that you will get them back in multiple food and that you are laying out for yourself treasures and memorials before God like colonials of old. Do not allow the enemy put you off your soon coming glory. Continue wasting, beloved, your glory, your rewards, and your fruits are soon coming. More importantly about the glory and rewards is not the earthly benefits that you will reap, but the eternal inheritance you will secure before God in His kingdom to come. In Jesus' mighty name, Amen. Let's kindly take a memory verse from Mark chapter 14 verse 9, reading from the New In James Version, Mark chapter 14 verse 9, Assuredly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her, in Jesus' mighty name, Amen. Let's kindly share a short word of prayer, we are grateful to you Father for your word, for your encouragement, for your edification, we receive grace Lord to continue, to continue wasting and making all the sacrifices for you. We know that in due time we will receive earthly and more importantly eternal benefits in Jesus' mighty name, Amen. God richly bless you beloved for making time and date with us in this morning's morning glory devotion, we encourage you to still stay tuned to Radio HCI today for more inspiring and soul lifting content, and be fruitful, Shalom.