God's Roadmap

Now may the Lord Jesus Christ and our Father God, who loved us and in his wonderful grace gave us eternal comfort and a beautiful hope that cannot fail, encourage your hearts and inspire you with strength to always do and speak what is good and beautiful in his eyes (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 TPT).


Friday, February 11, 2022

The Fragrance of God's Crushed Rose

 

by Barbara Latta

Flowers are the most popular Valentine’s Day gift. Florists work tirelessly to fill orders and deliver the precious floral displays of love.

The perfume of flowers permeates the air in rooms where they are displayed. Vases overflow with colorful blooms decorated with shiny ribbons. Delivery drivers take special care to ensure their precious cargo arrives at the destination with no damage.

Doorbells ring and excited recipients receive the expensive and beautiful presentations which express love and affection. Oohs and aahs followed by toothy smiles greet the delivery person.

But what if you opened the door and instead of a crystal vase filled with abundant blooms you received a box of rose petal pieces? Would you think that gift reflected love?


If you read a card on the box that said, “Please accept these crushed rose petals as a token of my love to you,” what would you think?

Would you be insulted or think it was a joke?

The Father in heaven presented a crushed rose to humanity--and it was no joke. And not in a flower box, but in the body of His Son.

Jesus’ life exuded the essence of His Father’s love. Everything he did brought health and wholeness to those He touched.

But His death was more fragrant than His life.

Mankind’s sin pounded God’s Rose and the effusion of salvation released a pleasing incense to God.

But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. (Isaiah 53:10-11 NLT)

In His death, Christ bore the wrath of His Father’s judgment against sin. We think of death as a stench, but to God this death brought a pleasing aroma because it paid for the sin of mankind.

Crushed flower petals release more fragrance than when they are still attached to the stems. A smashed petal loses it’s physical beauty, but the perfume that drifts from the fragments present to us a more beautiful gift. 

Only Christianity’s God gave His Son as a human sacrifice. The greatest love the world has ever known exuded its scent through the crushing weight of our deliverance. The stench of sin pulverized the Rose of Sharon's body. The cross was not beautiful, but it was fragrant. The beautiful smell of salvation. 

Resurrection brought God’s Rose back to life. Because He was crushed, we can live whole.

If you are gifted with a floral bouquet this Valentine’s Day, may the petals bring to your remembrance the fragrance of God’s crushed Rose because He loves you so much.

No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:39 NLT)

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Join the conversation and share your thoughts.

In His death, Christ bore the wrath of His Father’s judgment against sin. We think of death as a stench, but the fragrance of heaven’s crushed Rose drifted to the Father and paid for the sin of mankind. (click to tweet)




18 comments:

  1. Love this post Ms. Barbara. Can I ever be worthy of this gift from God? No, no man can. But God's word doesn't way we have to be worthy, for He is worthy. It says we must simply, honestly, and whole-heartedly accept it. Offered to all, accepted by few, the sweet fragrance of salvation is one that permeates our very being and can remain for eternity. Oh, that only we would surrender ourselves to allow it to grow sweeter with time. God's blessings, and Happy Valentines Day sweet friend.

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    1. You said that beautifully, J.D. Our salvation is the sweetest fragrance our senses can receive. Thanks for sharing and may you and Ms.Diane have a wonderful Valentines Day. Blessings!

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  2. God loves us more than we could ever imagine. I am thankful for His love and glory. Happy Valentines Day!

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    1. We have much to be thankful for. Thank you, Melissa, for sharing. Happy Valentines Day to you! Blessings!

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    1. Thank you DiAnn. Blessings and Happy Valentine's Day!

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  4. What a compelling way to share the story of God's gift of His Son for our salvation, Barbara. I don't think I will ever look at flowers petals again in the same way. Your metaphor is excellent in showing us the enormity of God's love for His people. I am especially touched by this sentence: "Resurrection brought God’s Rose back to life. Because He was crushed, we can live whole." Thank you for this inspiring message.

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    1. We can be so thankful for the fragrance of salvation. The pain of His crushing gave us life and we will never be able to comprehend the magnitude of what He suffered. But we can show our gratefulness by accepting His sacrifice and exuding the aroma of Christ through our lives. Thanks for sharing, Katherine. Blessings!

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  5. Even though we think of the beautiful, intact flower as the gift, the individual petals keep giving even after they've fallen off or been crushed. God's gifts go far beyond what we think we see. And we can be used in ways we don't expect -- even when we feel alone or crushed or imperfect. Thank you for the reminder!

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    1. It is amazing how long the fragrance lasts on petals that fall and even when they are dried. But thankfully, Christ's gift from the fragrance of salvation lasts forever. Thanks for sharing, Leigh. Blessings!

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  6. This is a meaningful and moving post. A visual and fragrant way to share the story of our deliverance by God's love. No other love can compare. Happy Valentine's Day!

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    1. When we think of our deliverance we can remember the aroma of Christ who was crushed so we could be whole. Thanks for sharing, Candyce. Blessings!

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  7. Barbara, those petals ARE beautiful, aren't they? Fragrant, such an expensive gift. Extravagant. No recycling or saving for another day. And it gives me hope, too, because I feel like my petals of crumpled and broken at times. But I need not be ashamed as God continues to use me even in my crushed state to share His love with others.

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    1. Barb, we can be so grateful our crumbs are held in our Father's hands and so carefully breathed upon with His breath of life. His crushing heals our brokenness. Thanks for sharing. Blessings!

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  8. Love this Barbara. The theme of the fragrance of Christ has been one of those that continues to grow in my appreciation. This post added another element, and I appreciate it so much. Thank you for bringing even greater perspective!

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    1. It is difficult for us to comprehend the fragrance of His sacrifice but we know that God accepts us based on what His Son did. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Sylvia. Blessings!

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  9. Beautiful imagery of God's love, Barbara. My senses are awakened to the fragrance of Christ's salvation.

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    1. His fragrance is one for us to always carry with us, isn't it? Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Annie. Blessings!

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