Written by Deanna Brooks, volunteer for Iron Rose Sisters Ministries in Arkansas
In Mark 14 (ESV) while Jesus was eating with Simon the leper, a woman came and anointed Him with pure nard, a costly ointment. When she was criticized, Jesus replied in verse 8: “She has done what she could.”
What a beautiful acknowledgment of the gift this unnamed woman gave from her heart.
Throughout Scripture, we are told about others who “have done what they could,” even though that exact statement isn’t used to describe their actions.
Noah’s wife… have you thought about the role she played in encouraging Noah as he followed God’s instructions to build the ark? We are told nothing about her except that she is referred to as “Noah’s wife (Ge 6:18, 7:7, 7:13, 8:16, 8:18), and we know she was faithful.
In Exodus, 2 Jochebed protected her infant son when she prepared a waterproof basket and placed him into the Nile River. Then she left her young daughter, Miriam, to watch. The cruel Pharaoh wanted to destroy all the male Hebrew babies, and Jochebed’s heart must have been heavy as she placed her baby boy into the Nile, not knowing what would happen, but trusting God. God was working, and when Pharaoh’s daughter found him, Miriam offered to find someone to nurse the baby… and that person was the baby’s mother. Jochebed was able to have those early years with her son.
In Joshua 2, Rahab is described as a prostitute, but when the spies came, she realized they served a God greater than the Canaanite gods she had known and protected them by hiding them under the flax drying on the roof.
In 1 Samuel 25, Abigail came to David with food for his men, acknowledging that her husband, Nabal, had done wrong in refusing to feed the soldiers. Her generous heart must have caught David’s attention because she became one of his wives after the death of her husband.
The widow of Zarephath (in Sidon) prepared food for Elijah with the last of her provisions, and because of her kindness, her flour and oil never ran out during the famine (1Ki 17:8-16).
Esther became queen and violated protocol by approaching King Xerxes without being called by him after listening to the words of Mordecai, “And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Est 4:14). In doing so, she saved her people, and Jews celebrate the Feast of Purim to this day.
The angel Gabriel came to Mary, telling her she would bear a son. Mary’s response to Gabriel in Luke 1:38 was, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” She was a virgin, but she was willing to be the vessel for something she did not understand.
During Jesus’ ministry there were women who followed Him, and Luke 8:1-3 tells us they provided for Him out of their means.
In Acts 9, we read of Dorcas who used her needle and fabric to make clothing for widows in need.
None of these women did anything “big” that would attract the news media. They did things that were part of their everyday life.
In Exodus 4:2, God asked Moses, “What is that in your hand?” It was a simple shepherd’s staff, but later it would be in Moses’ hand as he stretched it out over the Red Sea and watched the waters part. “Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground” (Ex 14:16).
These and other examples of faithfulness we see throughout Scripture… of people who used what they had… should encourage us to use our talents.
Paul writes in Col 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
When we look at what we are doing in our daily lives, are we doing what we can as though we are doing it for our Lord, Jesus the Christ?
