Arise and Shine!  We are a people called to add value to the heart of the one next to us, not just to reiterate that God is good but to demonstrate that that’s WHO HE TRULY IS through us.

One of the powerful ways in demonstrating God’s love is just by simply doing the best that we can do.  With this pure heart’s intention, we aren’t only giving honor to the God Who selflessly gave Himself to us, loving us first to empower us to love Him back, but we are also honoring those around us, whom He created according to His image and likeness.   I love what Heidi Baker said,  “We are to respect each other, respect each culture.  There are differences but we need to see each person as a child of God.”   With this in mind, I believe it will change the way we treat the people around us knowing how mindful our God is of them.  He is not a respecter of persons, but how He sees us is the very same way how He sees them, loving them to the utmost.   We are to be aware of how His mind is full of wonderful and beautiful thoughts of you and me ALL BECAUSE of the finished work of Jesus Christ.  When our confidence rises up knowing that ALL He’s got in His heart is love, love, and love, then, BEING POWERFULLY LOVED BY OUR HEAVENLY FATHER empowers us to love others the same way.   Let it be then that whatever we do be an incense, a sweet smelling aroma into His nostrils which He is well pleased.

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do ALL to the glory of God.”             1 Corinthians 10:31 NKJV

When we walk in love we become diffusers of His love, the very fragrance that displaces the stinky smell of fear in the atmosphere which causes people to be angry and cranky .  Do you know that once this powerful fragrance is diffused, it cannot be stopped?  Who can contain the aroma of His goodness?  And because the scent is too beautiful to resist, people will be wooed into the glory  realms of His love that dissolves fear and make them draw near.

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and THROUGH US DIFFUSES the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.  To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life.”     2 Corinthians 2:14-16 NKJV

When I saw this verse that we are to be DIFFUSERS of the fragrance of His knowledge, I thought of reed diffusers.  Reed diffusers are a great way to add constant fragrance to your home. The diffuser reeds soak up the fragrance oil and disperse the scent into the air. They last until all the fragrance oil evaporates. Diffusers work really well in places where you always want it to smell nice.

The bottle or jar holds the fragrance oil. The bottle is like you and me who are called to be vessels of His presence.  They can be in all different shapes, sizes and designs.  They are to have a solid base making sure that the diffuser cannot be easily knocked over when shaken.  When our solid and firm foundation is CHIRST, the solid Rock we stand, we are rooted deep and grounded well IN HIM that when storms pass, we stay standing all by His grace.

The fragrance oil is what produces the scent.  The oil is the very presence and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  We buy oil with our time spent in His presence.  The more time we bask in the Secret Place, the more immersed we are.  One commentary stated that the amount of oil that’s in the bottle determines the strength of the smell.  The fuller the bottle is, the stronger the aroma that fills the air.

The reeds are what carries the fragrance and diffuses it into the air. Good quality reeds are made from rattan. Rattan contains small channels that run the length of the reed and allows the oil to slowly travel the length of the reed and diffuse, or evaporate into the air.  These I  believe denotes how open and yielded we are to be channels of God’s blessings to others whatever the need be.  Yieldedness comes in being soaked in His presence.

The secret is spending time in worship.  In worship, we are BUYING oil that will fuel whatever it is that we are called to do.  When we are filled with His presence as vessels, our good works become WINDOWS, the reeds, where His presence is released.