Almost every week, I recieve emails like this one below which transforms my life. I get them directly from the communication team of Pastor Joseph Prince of New Creation church in SIngapore. This is because I subscribed on the app and accepted to recive regular encouragement. I have found them very helpful, thus the need for this post.
Hey Sarah
Have you ever stepped into an elevator with someone wearing a strong perfume? After just a few seconds, the scent clings to you—you step out carrying it on your clothes, in your hair, even without trying.
Just like how a scent might linger on and cling to us even if we are not consciously aware of it, an encounter with God’s Word has the ability to leave a lasting mark on us, though we may not fully understand it at first.
Job 14:7–9 paints a beautiful picture of what happens when we come into contact with not just any scent, but the scent of water, which is a symbol of the Word:
“For there is hope for a tree,
If it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
And that its tender shoots will not cease.
Though its root may grow old in the earth,
And its stump may die in the ground,
Yet at the scent of water it will bud
And bring forth branches like a plant.”
What transforms my life?
Sarah, this is how God’s Word works!
Like water, the Word refreshes, restores, and revives whatever it touches. As we go about our daily lives, we naturally pick up dust from the world—negative thoughts, fears, worries, and cares—that accumulate and weigh us down. That’s why it is so important that we immerse ourselves in the Word and allow it to wash us clean every day!
And if you’ve been feeling cut-down or weary, and finding it hard to open up the Word lately, can I encourage you with this truth? Even the slightest exposure to God’s Word has the power to spark new life and bring transformation!
Each time you choose to stay close to the flow of God’s Word—whether by listening to a sermon, attending small group sessions and services, or spending time with friends who encourage you with the Word—you’re positioning yourself to receive its life-giving power. Before you know it, what might appear dead will come alive and begin to bud again!
And unlike the scent of perfume which simply lingers on us, God’s Word lingers in us. It works deep within our hearts and minds, ministering to us and planting seeds of hope, strength, and encouragement.
So, can I invite you to stay close to the stream of God’s Word? I believe that as you do, you will see amazing things begin to happen. The Lord is faithful and His Word never returns void (Isa. 55:11). Even if you don’t see or feel it immediately, His Word is alive and actively at work to make all things beautiful for you in His time (Eccl. 3:11).
Sarah, if this thought has blessed you, tune in to Pastor Prince’s latest sermon, Stay Near the Scent of Water, to find out more about the power of God’s Word and how it brings life to every dead situation!
My life transforms everytime I read these devotionals too.
