WHAT A LOVELY HOME
Part 3

“Thanks be to God who leads us, wherever we are, on his own triumphant way
and makes our knowledge of Him spread throughout the world like a lovely perfume!
We Christians have the unmistakable “scent” of Christ,
discernible alike to those who are being saved and to those who are heading for death”
(2 Corinthians 2:14 JBP).

God wants your home to be a . . .

FRAGRANT HOME

Our homes should be “like aloes planted by the Lord” (Numbers 24:6). In the Bible,

aloes are associated with incense, scent, or perfume. God wants our lives and our homes to be filled with worship and overflowing with the fragrances of Christ. Do you remember when Mary anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair? The whole house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. Along with spikenard, aloes would have been one of the ingredients used in that anointing oil.

In Bible times, the oriental women perfumed their clothes with oils and spices so that even their slightest movement would release sweet odors to everyone around. Wouldn’t it be nice to duplicate this in the spiritual realm? Oh, that every word, every movement, and every look would be like lovely perfume to the Lord and to everyone in the house.

Psalm 45:8 gives us a beautiful picture of our Messiah coming forth from the heavenly “ivory palaces” with His garments scented with “myrrh, and aloes, and cassia.” He wants us to be filled with His heavenly scent too.

Solomon 4:13-14 describes the bride of Christ emanating the beautiful fragrances of Christ, aloes being one of them.

This Scripture reminds us that God plants the aloes. It is only what God plants that gives off a lovely fragrance. It is only as we walk in the Spirit that we will have about us the “unmistakable scent of Christ” (2 Corinthians 2:14 J BP). We cannot give off any fragrance of our own flesh. In fact, our flesh stinks.

What kind of aromas do you have in your home? Does your family inhale the sweet fragrances of the fruit of the Spirit or the bad smells of the flesh? I’m sure we don’t want the testimony of God’s people in Isaiah 3:24 where it says: “Instead of sweet smell there shall be stink.”

Tension and strife give off bad smells, as do unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, bickering, arguing, and bad moods. Self pity is a stinky one too. Everyone in the home is affected. Gloom, despair, and negativity fill the house with bad odors. Ungratefulness and unthankfulness give off awful smells. And what about the “silent treatment” when a husband and wife will not talk to one another? The children hate that stench! It’s the worst of all.

Are any of these bad smells lurking in your home? Perhaps it’s time to have a clean out. Let go your fleshly “rights” and ask the Holy Spirit to come in and do His work in your heart. Abide in Him and let Him abide in every area of your life. As you do, He will plant His beautiful attributes in your life and your home with be filled with the fruit of heavenly fragrances.

PRAYER:

“Father, please convict me of anything in my life that is making a bad smell in my home. Sometimes I get so used to my own bad smells that I don’t realize how offensive they are and how they affect my husband and my children. Dear Father, I yield my life to the working of Your Holy Spirit within me. Plant in me the beautiful fruits of Your life so that my home will be filled with heavenly fragrance. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

I want to have about me “the unmistakable scent of Christ.”

FURTHER SCRIPTURES ABOUT ALOES.

Numbers 24:6; Psalm 45:8; Proverbs 7:17; Song of Solomon 4:14; and John 19:39.