The Fragrance of Him

II Corinthians 2:14-16

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.  For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.  To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.  And who is equal to such a task?”

This passage of scripture has such strong imagery you can almost smell the sweet savor of Christ in the Earth; and conversely, the rancid stench of death.  What an awesome responsibility that we- the children of God- have to be his aroma, his smell, his scent in this world. 

We have all known people who seem to baptize themselves in cologne to the point that their scent precedes and outlasts them.  At times, the perfume seems to have a life of its own.  Can you envision being so full of Christ and His love for mankind that your very being is permeated with His fragrance?  Imagine how marvelous it would be if everyone who came in contact with you would encounter the very presence of God.  We know this is not far-fetched, for in Scripture it speaks of Peter’s shadow healing people and Paul’s apron driving out disease. 

But this phenomenon is not for Bible times only.  It has been said of Smith Wigglesworth, “the Father of Faith”, that the presence of God was so strong on him that it saturated the area around him, including bedsheets.  A testimony is shared where an unbelieving husband slept in the bed where Wigglesworth had previously stayed.  During the night, the convicting power of God so gripped this husband that it drove him from his bed to his knees, where he cried out to the Lord for salvation.

God is still alive and active in the affairs of mankind.  The aroma of his Spirit and presence are here.  He chooses to manifest this through us, the “spreaders” of the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.

I pray today that you allow this passage to challenge you to be the one in your home, spreading the knowledge of Him.  Allow Him to use you on the jobsite to spread the knowledge of Him.  As a believer, you are His mouth-piece, His ambassador, His representative.  I urge you to answer the call today to be His fragrance and aroma, touching the world around you for Jesus.

“And who is equal to such a task?”  In Christ, you are.

Lord, help us to have a burden to share the knowledge of You with others. Let us sweeten the air for all those around us.  In Jesus name we pray, amen.

Sherri

"Canning Christians"

Psalms 31:23

“Love the Lord, all his saints, The Lord preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full.” (NIV, emphasis added)

As the days lengthen and heat up to scorching temperatures, people throughout America begin the arduous task of canning and freezing fresh produce.  People approach this endeavor for many reasons- they are health conscious; budget minded; or perhaps they simply prefer the fresh taste of vegetables and fruits in season.

If you have had any experience in canning, you know that some foods freeze and can better than others.  We have several prolific blueberry bushes that we enjoy picking berries from this time of year.  I much prefer the taste of fresh blueberries to preserved ones, but to avoid waste, we freeze some each year for muffins, pancakes and pies.

As I read Psalms 31:23, the Lord brought to mind a visual of Christians being preserved like blueberries, pears, and peaches.  At first it was a hilarious idea, but as I reflected on that image, I realized how precious His preserving process is.

So much in life comes to steal our hope, joy and peace.  Without the keeping and preserving power of Jesus, many of us would fall into despair.  Psalms 37:23-24 also offers hope for those stumbling under the weight of life, promising:  “If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; thought he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.”  (NIV) We may stumble, but He is there to preserve us and prevent the fall. 

There is much we can learn about God’s ways by looking at the preserving process. The goal in canning is to preserve life; to make the food last longer.  One year we discovered that the canning process is not fail-proof.  We canned some banana peppers through a recipe we created.  A few months later, when we tried to top our pizza with the peppers, we were disgusted to find that they had turned to mush and had no value whatsoever.  They were just taking up precious space in my pantry.

I do not want to just take up space on this Earth.  I want my fruit to remain beneficial and sweet for others to enjoy.  But to reach that place, sometimes we must allow God to preserve us through walking through the fire.  Cooking stops the decaying process and the heat of the trials in life work similarly in our lives.  When we are in the heat of the battle, impurities leave us, all the wrong stuff boils to the top where God can “skim it off”, leaving a purer product behind.  After which, Christ adds the other spiritual preservatives.  He multiplies peace in our hearts; He increases our joy; He grants us hope that it will get better; He sends us a Word in due season.  Through all of these things, He preserves us.  He keeps us.  We do not walk alone, nor do we walk in our own strength.

Father, today I thank you that you preserve the faithful.  You protect us from being utterly destroyed by pressures, hurts and offences.  Lord, I praise you and ask that you multiply grace and peace to all those who read these words. In Jesus name I pray, amen.

Sherri

Contentment

Do you sometimes feel discontent with your current situation?

Our family enjoyed a wonderful day on the water for Memorial Day. When we arrived at our usual spot at St. Andrew's State Park, we were able to access an isolated stretch of beach. We were excited to note that the water was free from jellyfish and had very little "June grass" in it. But after a time of the guys trying unsuccessfully to fish, we decided to move our boat to another area in the hopes that it would be less choppy. After trying ineffectively for over 30 minutes to find that better place, we returned to our original spot. As strange as it may seem, in that short period of time a huge amount of seaweed had invaded our camp. Now it was impossible to swim without fighting the seaweed.

As we were cruising around looking for the perfect spot, I was reminded of the passage of Scripture in Hebrews 13: 5 that says: "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' " (NIV)

We had started out with near perfection-an idyllic setting.  But because we wanted to correct the one or two elements we did not like- a small amount of grass and some choppy water, we had left our perfect spot only to find it was the best place around.  Sadly, by the time we returned, it no longer was as beautiful or as clear.  So many times when we leave what we have in search of something greater, we find the old saying to be true “you can never go home again”.

To be sure, life is full of inconveniences and disappointments, but that day I felt God saying to me: “enjoy what you have without always looking for better.”  

Sometimes the best is within grasp and we do not perceive it. This passage in Hebrews shows that we can ultimately find contentment in whatever situation we are in because true contentment lies in the truth that God will never leave us nor forsake us.

Thank you, Lord, that we are blessed by your presence and sustaining power.  Thank you that you walk with us and do not desert us   Help us find contentment in whatever situation you place us in; in Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Welcome to my blog!  I hope you will find thoughts here that will encourage and inspire you in your walk with the Lord.