The Scent of Devotion

And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came, having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply.

But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.” —Mark 14:3-9 NKJV

Scents have a prominent place in our lives. Some invoke unwelcome memories. Others give us needed warnings, while others take us right back into another time and place. The scent of the ocean takes my Ralph back to his childhood days. The scent of jasmine and honeysuckle whisks me to warm, sunny San Diego, palm trees, and newborn grandbabies. Wood smoke instantly transports me to my childhood farmhouse kitchen with its wood stove and Mama’s apple pies.

Scents have an even more prominent place in the Scriptures.

Sacrifices, offerings, and prayers with their incense were a sweet aroma to the Lord. Kings were anointed with fragrant oils that permeated the air as they passed by. As followers of Christ, we have an aroma about us.

What is the scent of devotion?

For Mary, the scent of her devotion was in the expensive vessel sacrificially broken for Christ, spilling out its costly oil over the King of kings and the Lamb of God.

The scent of devotion was in the humility with which she knelt down and wiped Jesus’ feet with her crowning glory, her hair, as written in John’s Gospel.

The scent of devotion was her obedience to the Spirit’s prompting to anoint Him for burial beforehand. There would be no time to do so afterward.

Devotion’s scent was in the silent graciousness with which she endured public ridicule over her abandoned worship of the One who rescued her, whose opinion meant more to her than any other person’s.

The scent of devotion was in the love she received back from her Savior, which He boldly expressed to those who ridiculed, condemned, criticized, and humiliated her.

The scent of devotion was in the spilled oil permeating every person in the room, a scent they would carry with them when they left that night. Some would tell of the waste of an expensive bottle of perfume and the disgusting behavior of a woman. Others would speak of a sacrificial love and devotion that touched them to the core and changed them forever.

Every sacrificial thought, word, and deed in His name, big and small, is a sweet aroma to God.

Devotion’s scent is in our quiet times with the Lord and in the sacrificial things we do for Him and for others when we don’t feel like it and when it costs us dearly.

That scent of devotion is in our acts when we treat others as Christ would, especially those who are not so easy on the heart.

It’s in those moments when fear or worry threatens to overwhelm us, and we choose to simply trust God and wait on Him to move in that difficult circumstance.

The scent of devotion is in those moments when we yield to Him instead of yielding to the temptation that bangs on the door of our desire. It’s in the act of the repentant heart of the one who faltered and caved to human nature for a moment in time and yet has the courage to take that one step back to Christ.

The scent of our devotion to Christ spills out and clings to those around us whether we think we’re making a difference or not. For some, our fragrance will draw them to us and to God, and they will crave more and more. For others, it will repel them. The aroma of Christ in us will be a stench in their nose, and they will run away. Either way, no matter how anyone else responds to the fragrance of Christ on and through us, our lives devoted to Christ will always be a sweet savor to the Lord.

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us defuses 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. And who is sufficient for these things? —2 Corinthians 2:14-16

I love You, Lord!

In Him,
Donna Perkins

Sweet Selah Ministries

Vision
To inspire a movement away from the belief that “busy is better”
and toward the truth of God’s Word that stillness and knowing
Him matter most—and will be reflected in more effective work and service

 Mission
To offer biblical resources and retreats that help women pause (Selah)
and love God more deeply as they know Him more intimately (Sweet)

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