Growing up, I watched my dad drink coffee every morning before going to work. I was too young to drink coffee but how I loved the fragrance that permeated the house. It smelt great, rich and pleasant! I have grown older and I now drink a cup of coffee most mornings. Oh how sweet is the fragrance of fresh coffee in the mornings.It has been found that the smell of coffee elicits good feelings. Smells can trigger good feelings, memories, and even trauma, so it is no wonder that the smell of coffee triggers feelings of wakefulness. Coffee drinkers smell the coffee and this signals the brain that caffeine is indeed on the way, which provides stimulation.
As much as mere coffee evokes great feelings, greater is the fragrance of God's presence! There is a fragrance that the presence of God brings. This fragrance rubs off on those that have been soaked in His presence. Just like we carry the fragrance of a perfume we adorn, so also we carry the fragrance of God each time we soak ourselves in His presence.
God's presence is full of great and mighty things. As we worship and praise, there is a great release in the supernatural realms as God is magnified and worshipped. The scriptures in Psalms 22:3 "But thou are holy, O thou that inhabits the praises of Israel". When we praise, pray and worship, God's presence is released and he dwells in the praise of His people. He comes down to attend to our worship and His presence exudes a fragrance; fragrance of joy, peace, favor, grace, the knowledge of His will, answers to prayers amongst many others. You cannot come out of God's presence without carrying His fragrance around you like a perfume you wear. You become a reflection of God's glory and are transformed from glory to glory becoming like Christ!
Joy is a product of His presence. "In His presence there is fullness of Joy and pleasures forever more" as Psalms 16:11 reminds us. Joy that is not bound or tied to any worldly gain but that which only God gives amid the presence of trials and temptation.
His presence gives us peace and calms every raging storm around our lives. The song writer reminds us:
"What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
And what a privilege to carry,
Everything to God in prayer,
Oh, what peace we often forfeit
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer"
The answers to our problem and issue of life is only a prayer away! Our help comes from God alone and in the place of prayer we find peace and solace to every storm of life.
"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you"
Spend time with God alone, saturate yourself in His presence and come out with God's perfect peace for He is our prince of peace!
We are imparted with the knowledge of His will as we tarry in God's presence always which enables us spread the fragrance of His presence everywhere. We need His wisdom and knowledge to tackle all life's situation--at work, home, ministry and family. The knowledge of His will makes life easy and successful. Learn to wait on God and follow His commands.
Grace which is God's favor and kindness is bestowed upon us in His presence. According to 2 Corinthians 9:8, "God is able to make ALL grace abound towards us, that we, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work" We have ALL that we need for life and godliness through the grace of God. We need an abundance not just for ourselves and our families but also to extend our hand of fellowship helping those in need around us.
In the book of Acts Chapter 9, we see the story of a woman named Dorcas who emitted the fragrance of God's grace and was known for her charitable deeds. The grace she carried even at her death bed spoke for her. The city wept and mourned until Peter was sent for and the Lord through Peter quickened her dead body to life. She was remembered by her good deeds and charitable works; the fragrance of GRACE was upon her life touching the whole city of Joppa.
We are the hands and feet of Jesus to our world! We are our brother's keepers. As we go about our businesses, ask that the grace of God be evident in all that you do; help people with the grace and abundance God bestows on you. Grace is a gift, you can't earn it, but you can get lots of it free and abundantly. God will freely give you what you need when you go to God in a heartfelt prayer.
As we journey through life in these uncertain and turbulent times, the fragrance of God should be an important part of our lives. We must carry His fragrance everyday of our lives. We cannot conquer our world nor live a victorious life without His presence that ushers His fragrance.
Spend time with God in prayer, praise and worship, soak yourself in His presence and the fragrance of His presence will make all the difference in your life.
Stay blessed!
Chichi Onoriobe.
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