What’s That Smell?
A sense of smell is a blessing, but not all smells are
pleasant. That’s why they make air freshener and Poo Pourri. Body odor can get
tough sometimes. Did you know that in the baroque period (the 18th
century) those at court were always holding handkerchiefs? It seemed an odd practice,
doesn’t it? (No different than people today carrying around water bottles 24/7
as if they might faint straightaway from dehydration.) Nonetheless, why did
they carry around handkerchiefs? Just pull it out when needed. They were doused
in perfume. They waved them in front of their noses on a regular basis. Why? To
cover the overwhelming scent of body odor that was everywhere. Regular bathing
was not in fashion at this time. Yikes! Halitosis (bad breath) can be just as
bad. I know some folks whose breath at times would leave Superman weak in the knees.
Farms are not generally pleasant smelling. Though, it is interesting how
farmers eventually get desensitized to it. After a while they don’t even notice
the pungent odor of cow pies or chicken guano anymore.
I thought of all this the other day when I picked up the mail. Obviously, my mailman enjoys a little Ganja, Mary Jane, giggle smoke, the Devil’s lettuce. Regardless of how one feels about the legalization of marijuana, I have no problem in pointing out – pot flat out stinks. It stinks when it is being smoked and it stinks for days afterward because the residue clings to everything. As it did to my mail. I don’t really care whether it helps you or not. That does not change the fact it is truly repellent. You may think all of that Axe body spray took care of it – you’re wrong. It’s still revolting.
On the other hand, there are few things more wonderful
than the aroma of freshly baking bread or fresh ground coffee. How about
caramelized onions frying in a pan or garlic? Love the smell of garlic cooking!
Then there’s my balsam pine Yankee candle and lilac bushes in the spring. God appreciates
smells too. In Exodus 30, we read, “Then the
Lord said to Moses, ‘Gather fragrant spices – resin droplets, mollusk shell,
and galbanum – and mix these fragrant spices with pure frankincense, weighed
out in equal amounts. Using the usual techniques of the incense maker,
blend the spices together and sprinkle them with salt to produce a pure and
holy incense. Grind some of the mixture into a very fine powder and put it
in front of the Ark of the Covenant, where I will meet with you in the
Tabernacle. You must treat this incense as most holy” (Exodus 30:34-36).
Why all this talk about smells? Well, my stinky mail got
me to wondering. What if our faithfulness or obedience manifested in an odor?
When we are walking with the Lord, we smell like cinnamon rolls or freshly
popped popcorn. When we are being disobedient and unfaithful, we reek of rotting
eggs, skunk spray, or the cat litter box. If that were the case, it would be
hard to hide our behavior, wouldn’t it? Not enough Old Spice-soaked handkerchiefs
in the world could cover it. I’ll bet we’d do better, wouldn’t we? Or, like a
farmer, would we just eventually get desensitized to our own stench?
God loves good smells. That’s why the Bible says, “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God” (Ephesians 5:1-2). I want to be a pleasing aroma to God. How about you?
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Remember to send in your praises and prayer requests to southchurchprayer@gmail.com. I lift them up every Wednesday at 4:00 pm on Facebook Live.
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