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The Fragrance of Time Well Spent

Nesting is one of my favorite things to do! When my husband, Ken, and I moved into our first home I began to make that house feel like home. After living on a bus for the first few years, with half a dozen other people sharing that same space, I was thrilled to have our own place...and that it wasn't on wheels!

One of my favorite authors of that era was Emilie Barnes. Emilie wrote over 80 books and while I haven't read all of them I've read quite a few over the years. She spoke to the busyness and clutter of my life and her book "Welcome Home" taught me some wonderful ways to really create the feeling of HOME in our house.

I'll never forget one of my favorite stories about her quiet time with God. Emilie would burn a scented candle every day while she was reading her Bible and praying. She said that long after she had blown out the candle and gone back to dishes and laundry and taking care of kids...she could smell the fragrance of that candle and it reminded her of her time spent alone with the King.

It reminded me of Esther who won the heart of the king and became Queen. Can you imagine a solid year of daily spa treatments? Six months of the oil of myrrh and six months of spices and cosmetics. Esther quickly found favor with the one in charge and found herself in the best rooms of the palace with attendants to take care of her every need. I'm convinced that during this time there was something happening in her heart as well. God was preparing her for the purpose and plan that He had for her. It is a beautiful story of courage and honor that is so worth reading from beginning to end if you haven't in a while.

Esther 2:17 tells us, "The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight... so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen."

I believe that the first thing the king smelled when Esther came before him...was her perfume. Her consistent daily regimen had prepared her to capture the attention of the king. And it opened the door for her to find favor with him.

Did you know that we have a fragrance too? Our worship is a beautiful fragrance before the King! And it delights His heart. God's heart is already FOR us but when we worship the Lord that sweet fragrance connects our heart with His so much that when we get busy in our day the fragrance of our time with God will still be noticeable. Not only will we be reminded of our time with Him...but I'm convinced that others will notice as well!

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside
https://deniseharper.blog