This past Tuesday began another year of Bible Study Fellowship for me. This is my tenth year as part of BSF and my fourth year as Substitute Teaching Leader. If you know me, then you’ve heard about BSF because I absolutely love it! It is an international Bible Study, so there is most likely one in your area. Check it out!
Anyway, at the close of the morning, about 200 local women, spanning across denominations, ethnicity, economic status, and age, all joined together to sing the Doxology acapella.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him, all creatures here below
Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
It was breathtakingly beautiful.
It reminded me of the story in John when Jesus was at dinner in Lazarus’ home. Martha and Mary were there. Martha was busy serving Jesus and making sure dinner was perfect. Mary, on the other hand, poured expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. But here is the part that gets me…
“And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” (John 12:3)
We all know the story. The others weren’t happy with what Mary had done, but Jesus was pleased.
Mary worshiped Jesus.
Jesus knew her heart and it’s almost as if the delightful smell of the perfume filling the house was a sensory image of her love and worship of Jesus.
The house was full – her heart was full – of praise to Jesus.
In the Old Testament, animal sacrifices were made as an act of worship to God and it was a pleasing aroma to Him.
Today, thanks to Jesus, we do not have to make animal sacrifices as an act of worship, but our worship is still a pleasing aroma to God.
As I listened to the ladies proclaim with their voices praise to God on High, and the room was filled with another sensory image of our love and worship of God, I couldn’t help but tear up a bit.
Our voices were a pleasing aroma to God.
Singing is not the only way to praise. We praise God in our acts of love and service towards others. We praise God when we fully believe we are known by Him, forgiven by Him, and loved by Him. We praise God when we live out the calling He has for us. We praise God when we take in the beauty of nature. We praise God when we tenderly love our sick children or our aging parents. We praise God when we invest in our marriage. We praise God when we are part of a community of believers. We praise God when we forgive another. We praise God when we ask forgiveness of another. We praise God when we invite others to our table. We praise God when…
Our acts of worship can look different, but they all are a pleasing aroma to God.
May your house, your heart, be full of the fragrance of worship to our living God.
Thanks be to Him.
“And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:2
God, may my life be a pleasing aroma of praise to you.
I’ve always loved hearing you sing.