Smells like love

Freshly bathed babies, my husband right out of the shower, Crest toothpaste, Mennen aftershave and a wool suit, waffles. Each of these smells like love to me. Each is attached to a strong memory. The babies and the husband probably do not need explanation. The smell of waffles came from my mom's kitchen when I was a nasty, cranky teen who absolutely did not want anyone coming to my door singing "it's time to get up". The suit, toothpaste and aftershave were my dad coming to kiss me good-by in the early morning before he went to work (when I was still little enough to kiss).



For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;2 Corinthians 2:15 NASU

Those who have come to repentance and salvation by faith through the grace of the Messiah smell like love to YHVH. A mother can breathe in the scent of her baby and feel warmth in her heart. I suspect YVHA reacts to us and our scent of Messiah in some similar way. When Paul wrote this word, he spoke of a scent that is an offering to the Emperor. We are privileged to bring an offering to our Lord, we are the offering. Washed in the blood of his only begotten son. But to the world, even to the religious of the world we smell like death. They are repulsed by the faith we stand on. We cannot live in shock because of the world's rejection. We live in the joy of God and trust the world to our all loving and conquering Abba.

If you received a Prayer Poke from me today (September 22, 2009) then today I prayed for you to walk in confidence before our LORD knowing that it is not your strength or endurance that pleases God but the scent of the Wind, the Spirit of God, given to you because of the blood of His Son, grace through faith it is not of yourself. Live in the strength of that today. Stop striving to live a moral ethical life, the kind of life directed by the world, but instead, I pray that you live in the grace of Messiah, with your words of praise, your scent of life carried on the wind of the Spirit to the throne of glory, walking in the footsteps of Y'shua.

While reading the Word this morning, looking for a passage that was teasing me, I looked up "pleased" in the concordance. I was somewhat shocked to see the difference between what pleases the Father and what pleases men. Just from the New Testament, YHVH is pleased by what he loves. He loves his Son and before the Son does anything, The Father announces that he is pleased with him (Matthew 3:17, Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22)

Before Y'shua went to the cross, YHVH again told those who were with him that He was well pleased with the Son (Matthew 17:5)

Men are pleased with what they see, with getting what they think they want. Herod was pleased to the point of foolishness with his niece's dance (Matthew 14:16, Mark 6:22). Herod was again pleased when he finally got to meet Y'shua because he hoped to be entertained by Him (Luke 23:8)

It seems that God is pleased by faith. Faith is standing firm on the word of God, a trust that the Word is our only sure footing. Men are pleased with what others do for them, give to them. I think that is why we often think that we must "do" for God. But that is not how we please God. Living by faith is what pleases Him. Live today.