The Goldfish Smell...Like sin!

Dear Ladies,


Remember in the last post, I mentioned those goldfish I was dreading.   Well, they have proved me wrong once again!


To refresh your memory:

• You know how I was hesitant to have them, but Joanna had her heart set on them.
• My cheerfully, wonderful hubby was glad to get them for her.
• Upon their arrival, Joanna gave them names that reminded me of what God has done in our family. Led to some wonderful conversations (see last post for full details).

So, I walked into her room to day and gagged.  It smells so bad in there.  My hubby is going to remedy the cloudy, stinky water with a filter system, but in the mean time I would like to borrow a gas mask.


I ask Joanna if she could smell it.  She confirmed that I was not crazy.


I told her that the smell reminded me of sin.  It is stinky.  


Then we talked about God's word and how God used smells to show us many things about worshiping Him, sin in our lives, and being restored to Him.
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Our sin is smelly.

• Amos 4:10

“I sent a plague among you after the manner of Egypt; I slew your young men by the sword along with your captured horses, And I made the stench of your camp rise up in your nostrils; Yet you have not returned to Me,” declares the LORD.
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Noah offered a sacrifice to the Lord after getting off the Ark.  The Lord responded by blessing future generations even though they were sinners.

• Genesis 8:21

The LORD smelled the soothing aroma; and the LORD said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.
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For the forgiveness of sins a sacrificial system was set up by God Himself.  He described what the priestly tribe should do to minister to the people before the Lord.  Notice how God describe the smell as soothing.

• Exodus 29:25

You shall take them from their hands, and offer them up in smoke on the altar on the burnt offering for a soothing aroma before the LORD; it is an offering by fire to the LORD.

• Exodus 30:20

when they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, so that they will not die; or when they approach the altar to minister, by offering up in smoke a fire sacrifice to the LORD.

• Numbers 15:3

then make an offering by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering or a sacrifice to fulfill a special vow, or as a freewill offering or in your appointed times, to make a soothing aroma to the LORD, from the herd or from the flock.

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If people sin against God the smell is not soothing.

• Leviticus 26:31

I will lay waste your cities as well and will make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will not smell your soothing aromas.

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Sin can cause God to have to chasten us.  God gives earthly consequences for our sinfulness.  He loves us enough to do it and bring us back to Him.

I don't think her room is on God's hit list, but sinfulness is directly related to our access to God.   For those God has redeemed, called His own, a child of God, He will never leave us nor forsake us.  The Bible does talk about our prayers being hindered.  We may even feel far from Him.  Practicing any kind of sin has a way of doing that.  It quenches the Holy Spirits work in our lives.  

But God continues to mold us before Him.

• Ezekiel 20:41

As a soothing aroma I will accept you when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered; and I will prove Myself holy among you in the sight of the nations.

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Creating a thanksgiving in our heart because of what Jesus has done.

• 2 Corinthians 2:14

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.

• Ephesians 5:2

and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

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Today, when we smell her room it reminds us that we are sinners, redeemed by God and that we can be a sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.

If you have a smell animal, feel free to use this.

PS  Joanna just walked up with a fist full of coins and say, "This is enough for 16 more Goldfish!"