Wednesday, April 03, 2013

Christ is Essential to a Fragrant Life


Essential oils are the rage right now. I love them! Interest in essential oils has revived in recent decades with the popularity of aromatherapy. Oils are diluted in a carrier oil and used in massage, diffused in the air by a nebulizer, heated over a candle flame, or burned as incense. Some essential oils are valued for their fragrance, others for supposed health value. I don’t really know about the health issues, but I do know that the aroma from essential oils is lovely!

The word essential denotes needed, critical, necessary, indispensable, vital or necessary. I don’t know about you, but I do love the smells that permeate my home when I am using one of the fragrances. I have discovered that, like candles, why have them if you don’t use them? I can remember getting candles for gifts and for years just keeping them “for something special”. Now I burn the candles, heat the oils and enjoy them both! I use them up freely and with joy.

While we can live without essential oils in our lives, we cannot live without the Lord! He is essential to a fragrant meaningful life. He is not only essential, the things He provides are essential to our life. His atoning sacrifice on the cross is essential for every human being – without that one step no one will be saved from the penalty of sin. His resurrected life is essential for our walk with Him – without that one step there is no hope for a new life. When the Word of God permeates our lives we give off the sweetness of the knowledge of Him in our lives.

Oh beloved, how precious you are to God! How beloved you are and loved! When He sees you, He rejoices in the Truth that is in you! When He hears your prayers He rejoices that you pray His Word and ask according to His will. Everything you do In Christ is a sacrifice of honor to Him. Everything you do in love is a sweet fragrance to His throne! God delights in His love for you and will make all things beautiful in His time. The aroma of a life that is lived in the light of His love is precious to God. Walk in His truth, be the light of Christ to those around you. Rest in His promises and do not worry – for He has provided all the things that are essential to life in Christ. He will calm your fears, wipe your tears, answer your prayers and bless your life. What does this life have to offer that is more essential than the Lord Himself? Run to Him this morning and let Him be your everything, so that everything else in your life is set in order. Oh what a Savior! Oh what a God! Who visits you with His blessings and gives you life in Christ forever!

I Timothy 2:6 He gave His life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.

Hebrews 2:17 So it is evident that it was essential that He be made like His brethren in every respect, in order that He might become a merciful (sympathetic) and faithful High Priest in the things related to God, to make atonement and propitiation for the people’s sins. (Amplified)

2 Corinthians 2:14-15 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. (NAS)

Ephesians 5:2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

 

 

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