Sweet Incense
by Pam Smith
Sweet incense was to be offered every morning and every evening, in the Tabernacle, a perpetual offering on behalf of Israel, because God loved to meet with his children.
As expressed in Hebrews, all these things were shadows of things to come and this is just a small picture of the beauty of the Hebrew Scriptures being fulfilled in our worship to the Lord of Glory, in the New Testament.
Jesus wants us to offer up praise and worship from our hearts. What better time to turn our thoughts toward the Lord than when we wake, before a full day and before the busy day draws to a close, not as a ritual but as a delight. We have been made into a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5).
Aaron was never to offer any strange mixture of incense on the altar, because it was to be holy to the Lord. The Lord only wants His Church to offer ‘true worship’, that is worship in spirit and in the truth of Christ, not mixed with any false belief or man made religious ideas, but holy to the Lord (John 4:24). Such an offering is sweet and acceptable to the Lord.
As we continue to share our faith with others this really glorifies God. With Jesus’ help we will continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by telling others of the glory of his name (Hebrews 13:15). But true praise is a worthy sacrifice, and this really honours God (Psalm 50:23).
Prayer: Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting of my hands as the evening sacrifice, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Pam Smith has a background in art and nursing, has a son and two daughters and six grandchildren. She has been a friend and helper of Ellel Ministries since l992, and has been involved with Healing Through Creativity Courses. As writer of the Shepherd Love Series, she has a passion for the comfort and encouragement that leads people towards enjoying abundant Life in Jesus.
Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship. Provided full acknowledgement is made to Seeds of the Kingdom as the source, you are also welcome to use it in a non-commercial way and reproduce it in magazines or other Christian websites. The copyright for any commercial use of the material remains with Ellel Ministries International.
