Stench

Stench....even the sound of that word gives me the creeps. I never knew the true meaning of the word until my husband and I returned from being out of town. Maybe I should start at the beginning....

While out of town with my husband on business, I made one of my usual phone calls home to make sure that everything was going alright. When my son answered he told me that a skunk must have gotten into the garage because he could smell it. I asked him how long he had been noticing the smell and he told me that it had been two days. TWO DAYS? He then proceeded to tell me that he really smelled it when our dog came into his room. I immediately knew the problem, our dog must have cornered a skunk and got sprayed. Think about it....this had been going on for TWO DAYS! Skunk spray is like an oil and resists being washed out without some special care. My son said he had no idea what to do about cleaning the dog. I told my computer smart son that he should find out on the internet (duh!). He and his friend found a recipe for cleaning the dog and went to the local dog wash at midnight. Needless to say, the dog was improved (not totally gone) but the house continued to smell.

We are now at the point where we come home from the trip. We opened the door and....YUCK! We hurriedly ran into our bedroom and shut the door. It was all for naught since we had to come out eventually. It was a stench that hung around for a long time (at least to me). It goes away eventually but during the time...oh my!

In the Old Testament, God comments on the aroma of the sacrifice. He called it a "pleasing" aroma. Why? Because the sacrifice was done in the correct way. When we offer God our sacrifice (whatever that may be, be it time, money, serving, etc.) do we do it in a way that will bring a pleasing aroma to God? Do we grudgingly give of our time, money, service, etc.? Are you sending up a pleasing aroma to God or is it a stench in His nostrils? Knowing how bad a "stench" can be, it is vital that we joyfully and willingly give God the best sacrifice and done in the right way. In order for me to remove the stench from the house, I burned candles, sprayed, and aired out the house. In order for us to remove the stench from God's nostrils, we need to ask for forgiveness for our attitude and for giving a poor sacrifice. After all, God gave us a way to remove the stench from our lives when He gave His Son. May all your (and my) sacrifices be a pleasing aroma to our Lord.