Many of us have childhood memories that we'll carry throughout our lives. Some memories are good and some are not. It has always intrigued me that very often memories are associated with scents.

I can remember specific scents that are associated with unforgettable memories of great significance in my life. As a child the scent of fresh-cut lilacs off a spring bush sitting on the dining room table always brought to my memory the first time my mother snipped the blooms and placed them in the vase. The aroma penetrated every inch of the house with a sweet-smelling savor indeed. My mother would stand nearby at her ironing board and time after time just stop to take a deep breath and comment on the fragrance. She loved lilacs and they seemed to have a tranquilizing effect on her . . . in those moments she was peaceful regardless of the circumstances at home. Oh what a joy it was to walk in from outdoors and just stand there, smelling and watching her enjoy the beauty of the lingering fragrance so strong that it made an impact on the small child I was at the time.

This time of year holds special memories for me. We lived in metropolitan Cleveland and there was a "valley" nearby. Every fall for several years, my dad and I would go for walks in the valley on Sunday afternoons. We'd tread through the fallen leaves, wet with dew and the occasional rainfall. The squirrels would scurry across the branches high above our head and an occasional deer would cross our path. You could hear horses from the nearby stables as they announced their presence! But even with all of nature's most awesome finery, the most significant part of our walks in the valley was his strong hand wrapped securely around mine as we plodded on unforged paths, tripping over fallen trees and stumbling into puddles. But what lingers in my memory is the scent of fall, a scent that catapults me back to these intimate moments with my dad on chilly Sunday afternoons. It was delightful, but even more than that; it has been a memory to treasure all these years later.

So, too, is the sacrifice that Christ, because of His love for us, made nearly 2,000 years ago . . . and the aroma from that sacrifice is still a sweet-smelling savor in the nostrils of the Father! Why? Because that one obedient act of total submission by His Son bought entrance for us into His holy presence.

"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor." (Ephesians 5:1-2)

Oh, what a savored memory in the nostrils of God!

Oh, what a Saviour!

Oh, what a Love Divine!

Father, I love You! May my life be an acceptable sacrifice unto You, a sweet-smelling savor in Your nostrils. Burn out of me everything that is not pleasing to You. Lord, teach me to walk in love and to be a complete, total "follower of God". Help me, Lord, to be constantly reminded of Your unfailing love as I live and breathe surrounded with the handiwork of your creation. My prayer is that the fragrance of my worship and obedience rise to Your throne as a sweet-smelling savor unto You. Father, this is my desire today, tomorrow and every day until I have become nothing and You have become everything in me! In the precious Name of Jesus I pray, Amen!

© Jan Ross
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