Thought for December 6, 2023

•  1865: Thirteenth Amendment is ratified abolishing slavery
• 1877: Thomas Edison walks into the office of Scientic American and turns the crank on his phonograph--"Good morning. How do you do? How do you like the phonograph?" All are astonished.
• 1884: Capstone set on the Washington Monument making it the tallest human built structure in the world. The aluminum capstone says "Laus Deo"--praise be to God. Jan and I had the same words placed over the door of Thrailkill Hall.
• 1992: Jerry Rice catches 101st TD pass--a record.
• 2006: NASA releases photo of Mars that raises the possibility of liquid water.
• Born: Agnes Moorehead, Baby Face Nelson, 
• Died: Saint Nicholas, Jefferson Davis, Honus Wagner, Pete Rozelle

Thought:

During the holiday season, many of us will be baking ad cooking. For most of us, a favorite memory is the smells of the holidays. The pine trees and wreaths gave a wonderful scent to the air. Cookies and cakes cooking in the oven. Turkeys and hams roasting. And all the casseroles and vegetables on the stove. I loved the smell of bread baking and even the smell of the coffee, hot chocolate, cider warming. Even this year, when we smell certain things we think back to those days with a smile.

Today, look at Revelation 8:3-4. The golden censer held the prayers of the saints and incense was added--then the smoke went up before God. Back in Revelation 5:8, the bowls of incense are said to be the prayers of the saints. In Genesis following the flood, Noah offers a sacrifice to God and the scripture says the aroma was soothing to the Lord and the Lord vowed never again to destroy the earth by flood. In Leviticus where the various sacrifices are recorded, most say they will be a "soothing aroma" to the Lord. 

In the New Testament, Ephesians 5:2 tells us that Jesus gave Himself as an offering and sacrifice that was a fragrant aroma to God. Now look at 2 Corinthians 2:14-16. God now manifests through us the sweet aroma of Jesus every place we go--we are the fragrance of Christ. And then we add Romans 12:1-2 where we are urged to present our bodies as living sacrifices. 

What do I understand from all those references? 

• My prayers are a soothing aroma to God. Why? In my prayers I confess my sin, acknowledge and praise Him for who He is and what He has done. In my prayers, the Father hears a love letter from a grateful child. In college, I would receive letters from my Mother, my aunts, and Jan. Jan's smelled different and evoked a different response. I never thought of my Dad as a romantic until he died and I read the letters he wrote to my mother while he was serving in the army. Pray today understanding that your prayers are a sweet and soothing aroma to God.
• My life of obedience is a soothing aroma to God. We are living sacrifices and the aroma of our service of love and devotion to Him rise up as a sweet aroma to our Lord. 
• I carry the aroma of Jesus with me as I go. We all have experienced the soothing aroma of a Christian who walks into our lives--joy and peace, calmness and wisdom. 

The television is filled with ads for body washes, body sprays, deodorants, perfumes--everyone wants to smell good. For Christians, the question is how do I smell? Like the world or like Jesus? 

Lord, today may my prayers and my life be a soothing aroma to You.

Blessings

Larry