October 7th

All In

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 14:3

This woman is all in. She broke apart the only thing of value that she had, something that represented her only chance at a bright future, and she poured it out on Jesus' head.

She reminds me of others in scripture who were all in, and in remembering what they did, I'm praying that it leads us to say the same thing-that we are all in.

Do you remember the story of Noah? God tells him to build a boat in the middle of a barren desert. It has never even rained before-ever. He doesn't have any idea whatsoever even what a boat is or looks like. He took mocking and criticism from his neighbors and it didn't rain for 119 years. Yet he never gave up. He stayed strong, saying, Lord, I'm all in. Whatever You need me to build for You, whatever You need me to do for You, I'll do it.

Elisha-same thing. One day, Elijah walks by Elisha and says, You know what? I don't know if you really mean that you're all in when you say you're all in. So Elisha grabs his two oxen that he's been plowing the fields with, builds an altar out of their plow and yoke, and slaughters the two oxen. He proved to Elijah and to the Lord that he's all in.

Abraham's on this list, too. When God tells him to take his son of promise on a three day trip, it wasn't for a picnic. He was going to sacrifice his son Isaac on an altar, and in so doing, say unto the Lord, I am all in. I don't get this. I don't understand this. But, Lord, I am all in.

I also think of that kid who brings his lunch with this great big crowd of five thousand people. He doesn't hold back at all. He doesn't say, Well, maybe I should just hold on to one of these loaves so I can make sure to have a bit of my lunch. No, he says, Lord, all the loaves that I have are Yours. All the fish that I have, they're Yours. He's all in.

And certainly this list is not complete without Jesus, who was all in on the cross; all in to suffer and to die; all in to face the rejection and humiliation, the pain and agony of the thorns, beatings, and scourging. He knew exactly what He was riding into Jerusalem to face on that Palm Sunday. He knew exactly what the Passover meal represented as He served the disciples the Last Supper. Jesus knew all these things, and He was all in.

What He wants to know now is, are you all in for Him?

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You for being all in for me, not just on the cross, but right now. I don't know all that it will mean, but I offer myself to You today. I'm all in. Take me and use me for Your glory today and for the rest of my life!

Amen