Showing posts with label sweet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sweet. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 15

The Sweet Aroma of Crushing




Have you ever experienced a devastating circumstance in your life? At one time or another, we all go through trials that attempt to crush us, squeeze us, bruise us, or set us on fire. Though these difficulties strike us, many times their impact will bring beauty out of chaos, if we allow it.

Some things only achieve their greatest design through crushing blows…

*The squeezing of grapes produces sweet wine.
*The pressing of olives extracts their delectable oil.
*Only when wheat is ground is it useful for making bread.
*The crushing of flower petals releases their oil for fragrance.
*Incense is useless - its purpose not fulfilled, its odors not set free - unless touched by fire.
*Only through great pressure, heat, and time does coal produce the gemstone of a diamond.

Just as all of nature suffers contrary conditions in order to be expanded, strengthened, or enhanced, so, too, do we. Crushing, squeezing, and suffering remove the unnecessary things in our lives, allowing the fragrance of holiness and sweet graces to be released.

But during these trying situations, how do we behave? Do we whine, kick, scream, question God, or tell Him it isn’t fair? Or are we still before the Lord, allowing His power to work in us, as we bow to His divine purpose by submitting our will to His and as we offer Him praise from lips of thanksgiving?

Which behavior do you believe is the sweet aroma to the Lord?

Did you know God has sensitive sinuses? During those times of adversity, do we present Him with a pleasant aroma in His nostrils or a stench stuck in His throat? Are we like Estee Lauder’s Beautiful perfumery or a men’s locker room? Like a flower shop or a machine shop? Like a bakery or a fertilizer plant?

Some of God’s children in the Bible were stinkers and others were sweet-smellers. How did they each react when they experienced crushing blows or fiery circumstances? Many times, Israel was a stinky bunch of whiners. Others who experienced great trials came out smelling like, well, like a rose.

One is Paul. Of the multitude of afflictions he experienced, he said, “We were really crushed and overwhelmed, and feared we would never live through it. We felt we were doomed to die and saw how powerless we were to help ourselves; but that was good, for then we put everything into the hands of God, who alone could save us, for He can even raise the dead. And He did help us and saved us from a terrible death; yes, and we expect Him to do it again and again.” (2 Cor. 1:8-10 TLB)

One group is the Three Amigos. You know, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. While they were in the fiery furnace, they believed their God would deliver them, and, even if He didn’t deliver them, they believed He would still save them from Nebuchadnezzar.

As those flames lapped up around them, God walked among them and rescued them. The smell of smoke did not even cling to them when they came out. Their sweet aroma of faith had not changed.
   
When trials linger incessantly, lapping their flames around you, do you reek more of the smell of smoke or the sweet aroma of faith?

Is your trust and devotion as that sweet aroma of the alabaster passion box, lovingly poured upon Jesus’ head, which seeped into His beard and gently trickled down upon His shoulders, saturating His garment?

I pray that the things attempting to crush you will release that dormant, precious fragrance lying deep within your heart.

Prayer: Lord, may each burden of my life work as a weight to crush my disobedience, my instability to stand on Your Word, and my inability to be used by You.

Crush me, for then am I made useful. Crush me as flower petals are compressed for their fragrant perfume. Crush me as olives squeezed for their valuable oil. Crush me and let my life overflow with that delectable wine.

Crush me for my rightful purpose that I may be useful in Your hands, that I may be that readily available vessel for Your use, that passion box ready to be broken open and poured out with the sweet-scented oil of Your Holy Spirit.

I pray that the things crushing each reader’s life right now will only work to bring out the holy aroma of obedience and sweet-smelling graces of Your will. Amen!

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Wednesday, May 30

What's in Your Alabaster Box?



  
I have an old shoe box. Packed away somewhere. Filled with precious things. Love letters from my pre-wedding hubby. Old mementos. Probably a pressed flower or two. And other things I don’t even remember. I haven’t seen its contents in years.

Do you have a box like that? Is it filled with precious keepsakes like secrets, baby shoes, love letters, awards?

We keep tokens like this because we value them, maybe not so much for worldly value but for heartly value.

We have all read or heard many times of the story of a box (or jar) made of a highly esteemed stone, containing a prized ointment of great monetary value.

Passover was near. Jesus was in Bethany, having dinner, and “there came unto Him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on His head as He sat at meat.” (Matt. 26:7 KJ21)

Such a touching and devoted gesture. An alabaster passion box, full of an extremely valuable, perfumed oil of spikenard poured out on the One she loved the most.

In regard to this, I wrote in a past post, Sweet Smell of Sacrifice http://bit.ly/f9B2kH ...

She lovingly poured it upon Jesus’ head, and it likely trickled down His cheeks, seeped into His beard, and gently dripped upon His shoulders, saturating His garment...

Don’t you know that through the long hours of His agony in the garden, during His betrayal, in the courtyard of His judgment before Caiaphas and Pilate, and until that garment was removed, Jesus must have breathed in that sweet smell of sacrificial love poured out upon Him, while this scripture likely echoed in His Spirit, “The odor of your ointments is fragrant, your name is like perfume poured out.” (SOS 1:3 Amp)

As He probably did not wash His hair, the fragrance clung to it. That sweet aroma must have wafted its fragrance of love into His nostrils throughout His torment at the whipping post and while hanging on the cross, more than likely thinking, “This is for all those who will pour out their love on Me.”

But when she poured her fragrance of passion upon her Beloved Lord, some of the disciples became indignant and asked, “Why was this wasted?” (Matt. 26:8 NLV)

What would happen if we considered our heart as our alabaster box?

What precious things fill your heart? Special memories of love? Treasured moments with friends or loved ones? Encouraging words said to you? Cherished times spent with the Lord?

Or maybe it is filled with bitter memories of anger, abuse, addiction, or unforgiveness.

When you meet with your Beloved, to dine in His presence, to sit at His feet and tell Him you love Him, what passion fragrance do you pour out on Him?

Do you pour out the stench of whining, complaining, or bitterness? As the disciples said, “What a waste!”

Or do you pour out that overflow of sweet-smelling love, gratitude, and thanksgiving? Does your Beloved Lord receive it as He did the loving gift of spikenard?

“Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God.”
(2 Cor. 2:15 NLT)

~Lord, may the contents of our alabaster hearts and lives be poured out as a pleasing aroma in Your presence.

                                                                         
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Monday, February 21

Sweet Smell of Sacrifice


In ancient Jewish tradition, a mother wove a seamless garment for her son when he left home. Did Mary do this for Jesus? No one knows but I’m pretty sure, if she held to tradition, she must have.

If Mary lovingly created it, Jesus wore it, probably wearing it before His betrayal when He went to Simon the leper’s house. As He reclined at the table, a woman came and broke open her beautiful, alabaster passion box, full of the extremely valuable, perfumed oil of spikenard.

As she lovingly poured it upon Jesus’ head, it likely trickled down His cheeks, seeped into His beard, and gently dripped upon His shoulders, saturating His garment. (Mark 14:3, Matt. 26:6-7)

In Eastern culture, the garment of the bridegroom was saturated with rich perfumes. As this woman lovingly poured out her precious possession upon the heavenly Bridegroom, it permeated His garment.

Almost as prophetic words, the Shulamite woman says of her beloved in the beautiful Song of Solomon, “While the king is at his table, my spikenard sends forth its fragrance.” (SOS 1:12 NKJV)

Don’t you know that through the long hours of His agony in the garden, during His betrayal, in the courtyard of His judgment before Caiaphas and Pilate, and until that garment was removed, Jesus must have breathed in that sweet smell of sacrificial love poured out upon Him, while this scripture likely echoed in His Spirit, “The odor of your ointments is fragrant, your name is like perfume poured out.” (SOS 1:3 Amp)

As He probably did not wash His hair, the fragrance clung to it. That sweet aroma must have wafted its fragrance of love into His nostrils throughout His torment at the whipping post and while hanging on the cross, more than likely thinking, “This is for all those who will pour out their love on Me.”

Jesus’ sacrifice for our forgiveness and eternal life cost Him His life and was a sweet aroma to God, as scripture says, “God was pleased, for Christ’s love for you was like sweet perfume to Him.” (Eph. 5:2b TLB)

Are our trust and faith as that sweet aroma of the alabaster passion box poured out to Jesus? Do our offerings cost us something, or do they have little meaning to us? If we give God what is of little value to us, how will it be of any value to Him? If a sacrifice is to be a true sacrifice, it must cost something to give it.

A true, sacrificial worship gift costs us the surrender of our money, for we give sacrificially, as the widow who gave her two mites. It costs us the surrender of our time, for we sacrifice it to put God first. It costs us the surrender of our hearts, for we sacrifice our love to those who hate us. It costs us the surrender of our lips, for we sacrifice our praise to God when all seems lost.

What have you given Him? What does it cost you? Will it be, as David said, “that which costs me nothing”? (2 Sam. 24:24b NKJV) Whatever it costs, it must come from a loving and willing heart.

Jesus gave you His sweet sacrifice of salvation. Have you given your life as a sacrifice back to Him, as that “sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God”? (Phil. 4:18 NKJV)

(This is submitted for Peter Pollock’s One Word at a Time Blog Carnival on the topic sacrifice. Check out Peter’s site for the other entries.)



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Friday, October 1

Sweet and Sour

Today is another segment of the series, which is written by another sweet cyber-friend Donna Shepherd. Donna has several sites you can visit:
DonnaShepherd.com
Devotionals by Donna
Topsy Tales

Sweet and Sour

“Be not wise in your own conceits.”
Romans 12:16c KJV

A few years ago, we had a somewhat older woman visit our church. I greeted her and talked to her a bit after church. She started attending regularly and soon won the heart of my husband, the pastor. He told me, “That is one of the sweetest and godliest women I’ve ever met.”

Now is she? Or is she trying too hard? Every time we talked to her, she peppered her conversation with Bible verses. And I'm not talking about one or two. She might quote ten scriptures at a time. And the sweetness? That couldn't be genuine. She almost dripped syrup from her pores.

I pride (my first mistake!) myself on having a discerning spirit. I simply know when someone is trying to fool my husband or me. She might seem like a sweet old woman, but she’s going to have to prove herself to me!

First, weeks then months went by and I never saw anything that would contradict my husband’s first impression. Betty turned out to be a stalwart of faith, and eventually an elder in our church. I finally admitted to my husband that I had misjudged this in woman when we first met.

Perhaps my jealousy over her seemingly effortless way of memorizing and quoting scriptures stirred up a feeling of inferiority in me. Maybe it was the sweetness that never abated. Sometimes I’m called sweet, but in comparison, I felt sour. Plus the fact that most of the time, my first impressions turn out to be right. This time, I could not have been more wrong.

The Amplified Bible says, “Never overestimate yourself or be wise in your own conceits” (Romans 12:16c). Although most of the time, I do have a discerning spirit – which is such a blessing when in ministry, this time I had let my own opinion and made-up mind override the Holy Spirit’s nudge when He would say to me, “Yes, she’s the real thing. She serves and loves Me.”

The apostle Paul wrote a word of warning to the Galatian church, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another” (Galatians 5:25-26). Are you letting jealousy, pride, or feelings of inferiority keep you from ministering or having a relationship with someone in your church?

I am the pianist for our church services. I found out Betty played as well and asked her if she would help by playing an offertory. “Oh, I don’t know,” she said. “I get so nervous playing in front of people.”

After much urging, she played beautifully. She told me after church how much she admired me for my talent and ability to play with ease for the services. I was humbled and blessed, and once again, asked God for forgiveness for letting pride and conceit in my ability to judge people almost abort my precious relationship with sweet Betty.

  
                                                                         
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Friday, April 2

Sweet Smell of Sacrifice

In ancient Jewish tradition, a mother weaved a seamless garment for her son when he left home. Did Mary do this for Jesus? No one knows but I’m pretty sure, if she held to tradition, she must have.

If Mary lovingly created it, I am sure Jesus wore it, even wearing it before His betrayal when He went to Simon the leper’s house. As He reclined at the table, a woman came and broke open her beautiful, alabaster passion box, full of the extremely valuable, perfumed oil of spikenard. As she lovingly poured it upon Jesus’ head, it probably trickled down His cheeks, seeped into His beard, and gently dripped upon His shoulders, saturating His garment.

In Eastern culture, the garment of the bridegroom is saturated with rich perfumes. This woman lovingly poured out her precious possession upon the heavenly Bridegroom which permeated His garment. Almost as prophetic words, the Shulamite woman says of her beloved in the beautiful Song of Solomon, “While the king is at his table, my spikenard sends forth its fragrance.” (SOS 1:12 NKJV)

Don’t you know that through the long hours of His agony in the garden, during His betrayal, in the courtyard of His judgment before Caiaphas and Pilate, and until that garment was removed, Jesus breathed in that sweet smell of sacrificial love that had been poured out upon Him, while this scripture may have echoed in His Spirit, “The odor of your ointments is fragrant, your name is like perfume poured out.” (SOS 1:3 Amp)

As He probably did not wash His hair, the fragrance clung to it. That sweet aroma must have wafted its fragrance of love into His nostrils throughout His torment at the whipping post and while hanging on the cross, more than likely thinking, “This is for all those who will pour out their love on Me.”

Jesus’ sacrifice for our forgiveness and eternal life cost Him His life and was a sweet aroma to God, as scripture says, “God was pleased, for Christ’s love for you was like sweet perfume to Him.” (Eph. 5:2b TLB)

Are our trust and faith as that sweet aroma of the alabaster passion box poured out to Jesus? Do our offerings cost us something, or do they have little meaning to us? If we give God what is of little value to us, how will it be of any value to Him? If a sacrifice is to be a true sacrifice, it must cost something to give it.

A true, sacrificial worship gift costs us the surrender of our money, for we give sacrificially, as the widow who gave her two mites. It costs us the surrender of our time, for we sacrifice it to put God first. It costs us the surrender of our hearts, for we sacrifice our love to those who hate us. It costs us the surrender of our lips, for we sacrifice our praise to God when all seems lost.

Whatever it costs, it must come from a loving and willing heart.

Jesus gave you His sweet sacrifice of salvation.

What have you given Him? What does it cost you? Have you given your heart to the One Who gave you His life?

Are you “a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God”? (Phil. 4:18 NKJV)

May you experience that sweet smell of Easter’s sacrifice in a fresh, new way this year.



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