Week 6: Listening through the five senses
Not Even a Hint of Smoke
Week 6, Day 4
Smell is one of our strongest memory senses: fresh baked cookies at Grandma’s house, honeysuckle in Louisiana each spring, and the air pollution in Caracas. Each of these smells brings back special memories and triggers all the emotions associated with each one.
Listening to God through the smells of nature is an obvious way to listen through our sense of smell. Paul compares his visit from Epaphroditus and the gifts sent by the Philippians to a fragrant offering, like the sacrifices the Israelites made to God (Phil. 4:18, ESV).
18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. What do we offer to the Lord that is like a fragrant offering before Him?
How are His words like a fragrant offering to you?
One of the most powerful stories in which we hear God’s answer, evidenced by the sense of smell, is found in Daniel 3. I
encourage you to read the entire chapter before I highlight a few specific portions of the story for our listening exercise today.
Any notes from Daniel 3?
After refusing to bow down to the golden statue, we see the response of the three Jewish servants of God in Daniel 3:16-18 (NIV).
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Wow! What faith! But this is not where our story ends, nor is it the focus of our listening today.
Daniel 3:26-27 (ESV)
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. 27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them.
Campfires, fire pits, bonfires, even a barbeque grill... no matter how far away I sit from the actual flames of the fire or from the smoke, my clothes and my hair always smell of smoke after a few brief moments. Yet for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, “No smell of fire had come upon them.”
What was God’s message for everyone that day, evidenced through the sense of smell? (Or as heard by Nebuchadnezzar, seen in his decree, Dan. 3:28-29?)
God’s power is unrivaled. And His ability to save uncompro-mised, no matter what the circumstances. May that truth be a fragrant offering and encouraging reminder for you today.
Additional notes, thoughts, or drawings from listening through the sense of smell:
We would love to hear from you! Please share with us what you are hearing and how you are growing in your devotion to listening.
This blog post is taken from the book Called to Listen: Forty Days of Devotion. To order a copy of this book, please visit our website and invite a friend to participate in the study with you. The book includes additional guides and questions to be reviewed in a small group context weekly.