Toto has been visiting us in Florida.

As he sniffs around the house, I am reminded that the world “looks” very different to a dog than to a human. Toto clearly relies on scent much more than we do to find his way around.

To find our way, we mostly use seeing and hearing. Toto relies much more on his sense of smell.

He detects odors that I don’t smell—or at least that I don’t notice until I see him smelling something. Alerted by watching Toto, I put my nose near where he’s smelling. Then I can scent a faint odor.

I thought about the verse that says, “We live by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7). I changed it to: “We live by scent, not by sight!”.

I thought, “What ‘scents’ do we live by?”.

Are we living by the scents of what the Apostle Paul called “the acts of the Flesh”. These are the scents of:

—Sexual immorality.

—Impurity.

—Debauchery.

—Idolatry.

—Witchcraft.

—Hatred.

—Discord.

—Jealousy.

—Fits of rage.

—Selfish ambition.

—Dissensions.

—Factions.

—Envy.

—Drunkenness.

—Orgies and the like.

(Galatians 5:19-21)

These scents are a stench in the nostrils of the LORD! (2 Corinthians 2:15; Genesis 8:20-22; Leviticus 1:9,13,17).

Don’t live in these ways whose foul stench drives people away from the Way of Jesus.

Live in ways that spread scents that are pleasing to the LORD and to other people.

How?

By loving the LORD our God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and by loving other people as we love ourselves. (Deuteronomy 6:4-6; Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:35-40).

Live in these ways that spread “scents” of the Presence of the LORD—scents that attract people to the Way of Jesus. These are scents of:

—Compassion.

—Graciousness.

—Slowness to anger.

—Love and faithfulness.

—Forgiveness for wickedness, rebellion and sin.

—Limits on the bad consequences of bad choices.

(Exodus 34:6-7)

Unfortunately, we are born with the desire to live by following scents of the Flesh. We need to “crucify” these scents of the Flesh with their passions and desires (Galatians 5:24). Then we will desire to live by following the scents of the Presence of the LORD.

As soon as we catch the scents of the Presence of the LORD and of the Way of Jesus, we should follow them as doggedly as a dog tracks his prey.

These scents of the fruit of the Presence of the LORD are scents of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23).

The Truth about these scents of the Presence of the LORD will attract us to the Way of Jesus, giving us Life that we’ll enjoy to the full (John 10:10).

I hope that by watching me sniff out Good and Evil, people will decide to crucify the foul stench of acts of the Flesh so that they can enjoy the pleasant scents—the pleasant aromas—of the Presence of the LORD. (Genesis 8:20-22; Leviticus 1:9; 2 Corinthians 2:14-17).

How?

By “[letting] justice roll on like a river,

righteousness like a never-failing stream!

(Amos 5:24).

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

How do you detect the stench of acts of the Flesh?

How do you detect the scents of the Presence of the LORD?

READ MORE

For more thoughts about Toto, please read my blog “Toto Begging for Food”.

For more thoughts about my pets, please read my blogs “Angel: Craving and Blocking Living Water”, “Stop Drinking Stagnant Water!”, “Angel Knocking My Book Out of My Hands”, “The Angel Beside Me”, “Eating Too Much Too Quickly”, “Eat the Right Cat Food!”, “Stop Stopping Me!”, Neelix: Specks and Planks”, Toto Begging for Food”, “The Star of Bethlehem Was a ‘Can of Tuna Fish’”, “I Love You, Gram. Bye!”, “Neelix: Fear not!”, and “Neelix Makes Bad Choices”.