Do You Stink? (ii) | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: Do You Stink? (ii) | Previous Challenge Entry
By Donna J. Shepherd
10/30/05
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Have you ever burnt popcorn in your microwave? If you have, I’m sure you’ll agree with me. It’s one of the hardest smells to eliminate. My husband, trying a new brand of popcorn, misread the instructions. The next thing we knew, the most obnoxious odor along with smoke filled the room.

I tried for days to get rid of the lingering smell. I burned candles, but the sweetness couldn’t overcome the stench. I wiped the inside of the oven down with lemon juice and vinegar, but every time we used the microwave, we got a fresh wave of that horrible odor.

Throughout the Old Testament, the sense of smell often refers to a sacrifice. Every day, the Temple needed to be cleansed by the burning of incense and the sacrificing of animals. The aroma from the offerings pleased the Lord.

Do you know what stinks to God? Sin. In Genesis 19:13 (nlt), the angel of the Lord said of Sodom and Gomorrah’s sin, “For we will destroy the city completely. The stench of the place has reached the LORD, and he has sent us to destroy it."

Only Jesus, the sinless Son of God, could be the perfect sacrifice for our sins. His blood and God’s acceptance of it makes it possible for us to repent and be saved when we acknowledge Jesus as our Savior. “Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.” –Hebrews 7:27 niv

Because of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, we can come before the Lord as His children. In 2 Corinthians 2:15 (nkjv) Paul called us the "fragrance of Christ." Isn’t it wonderful to realize that not only do we take on the nature of Christ, but smell sweet in Him?

I thought I’d tried everything to rid my house of the burnt popcorn odor, yet it remained. Then my husband said, “Oh, I forgot. I laid one of the cloths I used to wipe out the microwave in the laundry room.” The laundry room is only a few feet from the kitchen. No wonder I couldn’t get rid of the smell.

When we repent, we must repent of all our sins. As burning the candles couldn’t hide the bad smell, covering up sin doesn’t hide it from God. Only when we present ourselves as living sacrifices to God will true repentance become a sweet aroma to God.

As a last resort to completely remove the odor, my husband wants to get rid of the microwave. Aren’t you glad God didn’t just throw us out? In His love, He provided the Way to save us. I thank God that Jesus sacrificed His life for me. I pray I will be a sweet smelling savor as I live each day as a living sacrifice to God.

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