3 minute read
YOUR SPIRITUAL SMELL
Smelling Good by Martin Wiles
The smell took me back.
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Not long ago, while visiting the local grocery store for some
items, I walked to the pharmacy department. Sure enough,
there they sat on the shelf as I remembered — three bars of
Ivory soap. I picked them up and ran them beneath my nose.
The smell took me back, back to a time when I was a young
boy taking baths instead of showers.
It took me back to the time when I stayed with my
grandparents. I would run the bathwater, jump in, wet the
washrag, and look for the bar of soap. Ivory soap, of course.
Not only was it the cleanest smelling, but it also had a very
useful feature. It floated. Finding other bars of soap proved
difficult. I remember running my hand beneath my body
and around the bottom of the tub. But not if it was Ivory.
Since it floated, I could easily find it. And when I finished
my bath—no matter how dirty I had been when I started—I
smelled clean.
It's amazing what smells can do. For Isaac, it identified his
son—or so he thought. So Jacob went over and kissed him. "And when Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he was finally convinced, and he blessed his son" (Genesis 27:27 NLT). Prior to Isaac’s death, when the time came for him to give
his final blessing to his firstborn, he told Esau to kill some
wild game, prepare it, and bring it to him. He would eat it
and bless him. But Jacob, the younger brother and a trickster,
dressed as his brother, prepared the game, and took it to his
father. Blindness initially confused Isaac, but the smell of
the outdoors convinced him Jacob was Esau.
I love campfires, but one thing I don’t care for is the smell of
smoke that clings so pervasively.
It was not so with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Nebuchadnezzar gave the three Hebrew men another
chance to fall down and worship his statue—after they
disobeyed the first time—then he had the furnace heated
seven times hotter and tossed the disobeyers in. But he didn’t watch them disintegrate. Instead, he saw a fourth
Man in the fire with them, and he saw them all walking
around. When he called for the three to come out, they
did—and without the smell of smoke or a singed hair on
their bodies. (Daniel 3:27 NLT).
and attitudes determine my spiritual smell. And when they align with God’s Word, people smell a wonderful aroma
coming from me. I may not be in style when it comes to
fashion, and I may not have the latest and greatest play toys,
but others will perceive an attractive fragrance from being
around me. Not with their noses, but with their eyes and ears
and hearts. They will smell Jesus. from all things that displease God, from all things that keep
Him from accomplishing His purpose in my life, and from
all things that destroy my ability to live life as He planned.
When I smell of love, kindness, joy, peace, patience,
forgiveness, goodness, gentleness, and faithfulness, people will want to know why I don’t smell like what they are accustomed to smelling in the world. They’ll be astounded— like the king was—and they’ll want to worship the same God
as I do.
FOR , PEACE IS MORE THAN A WISH. We know peace isn't just the absence of conflict. PEACE IS HAVING A SAFE
PLACE TO CALL HOME. e Peace is being able to support your family.jz Peace is access to education and skills training.
PEACE IS RECEIVING EMERGENCY SUPPLIES AFTER A DISASTER. Peace is more than ending wars.gPeace is justice and trauma healing.
PEACE IS BUILDING STRONG COMMUNITIES TO PREVENT VIOLENCE. Peace is addressing the root causes of forced migration. PEACE IS A MOVEMENT. Peace comes from Christ.
