The Coffee-Bean Bowl

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread are reading titled the coffee bean bowl was written by Dave Brandon. I'm not a coffee drinker, but one sniff of coffee beans brings me a moment of both solace and wistfulness when our teenage daughter Melissa was making her bedroom uniquely hers. She filled the bowl with coffee beans to permeate her room with a warm, pleasant scent. It's been nearly 2 decades since Melissa's earthly life ended in a car accident at age 17, but we still have that coffee bean bowl. It gives us a continual aromatic remembrance of Mel's life with us. Scripture also uses fragrances as a reminder, song of songs refers to fragrances as a symbol of love between a man and a woman. In Hosea God's forgiveness of Israel is said to be fragrances like a cedar of Lebanon and Mary's anointing of Jesus's feet which caused the house of Mary and her siblings to be filled with the fragrance of the perfume pointed ahead to Jesus's death. The idea of fragrance can also help us be mindful of our testimony of faith to those around us. Paul explained it this way in second Corinthians chapter 2 we are to God. The pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing, just as the scent of coffee beans reminds me of Melissa. May our lives produce assignment of Jesus and his love that reminds others of their need of him. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional Scripture reading is from John chapter 12 verses one through seven, six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived whom Jesus had raised from the dead hear a dinner was given in Jesus's honor.

Martha served while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.

Then Mary talk about a plaintiff to Bernard and expensive perfume.

She reported on Jesus's feet and wiped his feet with her hair in the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him objected. Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor. It was worth a year's wages. He did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief as keeper of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. Leave her alone. Jesus replied it was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.

Let's pray father may our lives carry the sweet aroma of your presence.

Help us to spread your love and forgiveness to all who encounter us and open their hearts to receive you, thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today I'm Steven. And today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread ministries