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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. 2 Corinthians 2:14
The Fall season is by far my favorite time of year. While I love the beauty of the colorful leaves, the best part is the smells of the fall season. The musty-ness of the leaves, the crispness of the air around me and the aroma of a distant campfire. Nothing is better!
There are several places in the Bible where we, as Christ-followers, are referred to as a fragrant aroma to our Heavenly Father. I think of that often as I sit by a campfire and smell the sweet aroma of burning wood, or when I smell the air after a spring rain. Fresh. Alive. Soothing. And to think that God feels that way about me!
Because of Jesus, God looks upon us a trophy. Like a victorious warrior He holds us high as a prized possession. We are His and victory smells sweet! Ever notice how the aroma flowers permeates the whole house? The Apostle Paul alludes to that idea in 2 Corinthians 2:14. The aroma of our lives spreads out to those around us.
Don’t allow the things you are going through keep you from remembering how God sees you. He looks at you and smiles. He takes a deep breath and savors the aroma of your life. He watches you with admiration. He longs to draw you closer to Him. The closer we walk with God the stronger we will become and the more others will see the love of Jesus in us. We not only become a fragrant aroma to God, we become a fragrant aroma to those around us as well.
PRAYER: Father God. I’m in awe as I think that I am a fragrant aroma to you. I thank you for the victory I can have through Jesus. Help me to see myself as you see me. Empower me to turn over the areas of my life that keep me from being a fragrant aroma to those around me. May the aroma of Jesus’ love permeate me and spread out to those around me. Amen.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9
Bad habits. It only takes a few days to learn them and sometimes a lifetime to break them. They hound us day and night. They lurk in the shadows waiting for a moment of weakness on our part so they can pounce on us and cause us to fall…once again.
Sometimes the habits are relatively harmless, like chewing your fingernails or leaving the toilet seat up! Sometimes those habits are life crippling addictions that destroy our reputation, steal our character or obliterate our relationships with people we love dearly.
In order to learn to cope with bad habits we label them and categorize them according to our opinion of their severity. Pornography, anger and drug addiction are bad habits. They hurt people, even kill people. Gossip? Worry? Sarcastic, hurtful comments? Now those aren’t so bad. In fact those can even be funny (we think). In reality, in God’s eyes, they are all the same. They are all sin.
The Apostle Paul was struggling with something. We don’t know what it was. Some think it was a physical ailment, an eye problem left over from the Damascus road perhaps. Others think it could have been something else, a spiritual issue. The Bible doesn’t tell us what it was for good reason.
The problem in Paul’s life wasn’t the issue. The issue was how he handled it. God doesn’t want us to know what Paul’s struggle was. He wants us to realize that all of us struggle. Not only do we all struggle, but the struggle we have isn’t as important as what we do with it!
Every day we need to remind ourselves that failure is inevitable in the human life. God knew that when He first created us. That’s what Grace is all about. Grace reminds us that even though we are weak, in God’s eyes we can be strong. Through Grace God can use our weaknesses for His Glory. Every day He uses ordinary, sinful people for great and mighty things.
You may be ready to give up. You may be tired of falling, getting back up and falling again. You may be thinking “I’ll never be able to conquer this”. That’s good! Once we realize we can’t fight the battle on our own God has us right where He wants us. When we feel our weakest He is ready to jump in and use that weakness as strength.
Once we accept the fact that we are weak the power of Jesus Christ will be able to work through us to tackle life’s struggles and to show others the way to Jesus. Let God’s grace turn your weaknesses into powerful weapons for good!
PRAYER; Heavenly Father, I confess to you that I’m often discouraged by my inability to live the way I want to. Like the Apostle Paul I find myself doing the things I don’t want to do and not doing the things I want to do! I hereby confess my weaknesses to you and ask that You use those weaknesses for Your glory. Work through me to rely on you daily. Amen.
On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines. Isaiah 25:6
Have you ever noticed how strong one negative comment can be? If 100 people compliment you on a job well done and one person comes along and criticizes your work it can spoil your whole day. Rather than enjoying the encouragement of the 100 you dwell on the negative comment of one person.
Negative comments and thoughts can cripple you and keep you from moving forward in life. Like a thorn in your foot negative comments and attitudes completely halt your progress. People who continue to be negative will hinder your own attitudes about yourself, others and even God! They can take the hope right out of you if you listen.
The prophet Isaiah describes a huge feast that will be held for us who are Christ-followers. It will be a feast with the best of wine and meat. If God is putting on the party you can count on it being a huge party, the best ever. But the blessings we receive from God aren’t just for later. God’s blessings are both present and future.
Don’t let the negative words and attitudes of others pull you down. Stop allowing the worries of the economy, political upheaval and natural disaster keep you from remembering all the good things God is doing around you. Our Father can use even the worst of times for His glory. Even though things in the world seem to be getting worse, for the Christ-follower the best is yet to come!
Enjoy God’s blessings now while you look ahead to the greater blessings He has in store for you. Our Father is preparing a huge party right now and YOU are the guest of honor!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, Creator of the universe and sustainer of all things. I thank you for the fact that you see all that is going on around me. There are plenty of negative events, attitudes and people around me who are intent on taking away the joy I have in You. I ask that you would empower me by your Spirit to rise above the negative attacks. Keep me from being affected by those who criticize me and those who preach gloom and doom. Keep reminding me throughout the day of the great things You are doing now and the fantastic party You are preparing for me. I praise you for your greatness and power. You are a good God and all good things come from you. Amen.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1
Imagine what it would be like if you were caught red-handed in a crime. You were arrested and brought to jail, and then before the judge. There was no way out. You were guilty. The judge knows it, everyone knows it. Your crime carries the punishment of life in prison with no hope of parole. In essence your life is over. All the freedom, all the dreams, all the hopes for your future have been dashed by this one desperate and stupid decision.
Now imagine that while you are standing before the judge he stands up, comes around the bench and stands beside you. He states to all in the court room that He, Himself, will take full responsibility for your actions. As a result, you are free to go. The judge not only removes the penalty for your sin, but, with the power vested in his position he removes your criminal record as well. You are free to go with no record of any wrong doing. Awesome!
You leave the court room that day and go directly to the local office supply store and by a lanyard to hang around your neck. You hang a sign from your neck that says, “Guilty. Sentenced to life in prison” in big bold letters. Everyone you come in contact with sees the sign and avoids you. If, by chance they don’t see it, you point it out to them, making sure they are aware of your despicable crime.
Everyday that lanyard reminds you of your failure. Some days the weight of it is almost more than you can bear. It keeps you from pursuing your dreams. It affects the relationships you have now, and keeps you from moving ahead to build new, vibrant relationships. Eventually, the weight of the lanyard is too much. You lose it all.
One day you are sitting on the curb and you hear a voice behind you. You turn to see the judge who pardoned you. He has a completely shocked look on his face and asks you what you are doing here. You show him the lanyard and explain how its weight has completely destroyed your life.
The judge sits down on the curb beside you. Gently he reaches around and takes the lanyard from your neck. The relief you feel when the weight of the lanyard is gone is unbelievable. “Thank you!” You say to the judge. He puts his arm around your shoulder and looks into your eyes. “You were never meant to bear this burden,” he says as he looks you straight in the eyes, “I took this from you once. Why take it back. You are free. Now, go! Go enjoy the freedom of life!” With that he takes the lanyard and destroys it before your very eyes and you feel freedom like you have never felt before.
That’s what it means to be free of condemnation. When the apostle Paul penned Romans 8:1 he wanted us to know that we are free. We don’t need to be tied to the sins of our past. They are done. They have been removed by the judge. You are free because of Jesus Christ to enjoy life, to pursue your dreams and to grow healthy strong relationships with those around you.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus. Thank you for taking my sin on the cross. Thank you that I no longer have to be burdened by the mistakes of my past. You know I have made many mistakes, hurt people and destroyed the trust of many. Please forgive me for those sins. I praise you that I am no longer condemned. Empower me to live life free of the feelings of condemnation. I hereby give you my lanyard. Amen.
Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 17:8
“The apple of my eye” is a phrase that expresses the deepest of all affections. When someone is the ‘apple of our eye’ it means that they are the center of our existence and attention. All of our energies, all of our thoughts, all of our concern go towards the object of our love, the ‘apple of our eye’.
What a glorious picture David paints of our Heavenly Father’s view of us. We are the ‘apple of His eye!’ Imagine that! The Creator of the universe looks down from heaven and sees you. Not as a number in a crowd or as the person in the red shirt. He sees you. He sees your feelings, your fears, your struggles with failure and defeat. He sees how life is attacking you. His attention is focused directly on doing whatever He can to protect you, to provide for you and to help you through the darkest of times.
Sometimes it’s hard for us to feel the love that God has for us. Our view of Him and His loving concern is clouded by many things in our lives. It may be the personal attacks leveled by our enemies. It may be finances, ill health, the inability to build meaningful relationships or poor choices on our part. The Bible says that NOTHING will separate us from God’s love, yet we feel separated when the struggles of life get in the way.
David knew something that each of us need to learn and live. He knew that no matter what happens in life, he was the main focus of God’s love, affection and protection. Even during those times when David sinned he knew that God’s love for him wasn’t less. Sin doesn’t keep God from loving us. Sin keeps us from sensing God’s love.
The same is true for every other obstacle in our lives. The promise of Psalms 17:8 is always true. We are always the focus of God’s love and affection. We can always count on Him welcoming us to the protection found beneath His wings. We can never stray from the shadow of His watchful, loving, compassionate eyes. My failures do not diminish God’s love for me.
Your Heavenly Father earnestly desires to hold you in His arms of love. He wants to wrap His arms around you, hold you close and whisper words of comfort and love in your ears. Don’t let the obstacles of your life keep you from experiencing the love of Your Heavenly Father.
PRAYER: Dear Father. I confess to you that I can’t fully comprehend that it means to be the ‘apple of Your eye.’ To realize that You, the God of the Universe, would love someone as weak and stubborn as I am is more than my mind can comprehend. Reveal to me the obstacles in my life that are keeping me from experiencing your love. Empower me, through Your Holy Spirit, to live in the shadow of your wings of protection. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
