Day 21: The Sweet Fragrance of Sabbath
Scripture Focus:
The Fragrance of His Presence
Can you imagine how wonderful the Mishkan must have smelled on the Sabbath?
Freshly baked challah.
The rich, warm aroma of flour and oil.
And the sharp, yet sweet, fruity, pine-like scent of frankincense filling the air.
It was an invitation—not just to the priests, but to the Holy One Himself.
The Sabbath is His day. A day to stop. To remember. To return to Edenic intimacy.
It’s not about rules. It’s about relationship.
It’s about delight—a moment in time set apart to experience the sweetness of being in His presence.
A New Dwelling Place
The Tabernacle is long gone.
But the dwelling place of God hasn’t disappeared.
He no longer chooses a mountain—not even Sinai.
He no longer chooses a city—not even Jerusalem.
He no longer chooses a building—not even a temple.
He chooses you.
Your heart, your mind, your soul, your body—
That’s where He wants to dwell.
You are the sanctuary. You are the dwelling place.
And every Sabbath, He calls us to stop and remember.
To make sure the fragrance we’re releasing into the world is at least as sweet as fresh-baked bread and frankincense.
Awestruck Heart Challenge #21
To remove every toxic attitude—every word, behavior, and habit—that releases an unpleasant odor in our lives and relationships.
To replace it with the fragrance of the Bread of Life—the aroma of humility, gratitude, kindness, prayer, and worship.
If the world chooses to hate us, may it be because we are too much like the King for their taste—
Not because we stink of pride, arrogance, argumentativeness, rudeness, hypocrisy, or self-righteousness.
Awestruck Heart Exercise #21
A. Read
- Exodus 25:8 – The Holy One desires to dwell among His people.
- Romans 8:5-18 – We are no longer slaves to the flesh.
- 1 Corinthians 3:16 – We are the temple of God.
- 2 Corinthians 6:16 – His presence abides in us.
B. Reflect
What kind of fragrance do you carry into a room?
Do people sense something sweet and life-giving when you speak and act?
Or do your words and actions release something toxic—fear, arrogance, bitterness, or hostility?
C. Meditate on
- Ezekiel 36:25-27 – A new heart and a new spirit.
- Ezekiel 37:26-27 – His dwelling place among His people.
- Leviticus 26:2 – Keeping the Sabbath and reverencing His presence.
D. Tell the King
GLORIOUS KING, YOU ARE SWEETNESS ITSELF!
YOU LEAVE THE FRAGRANCE OF WISDOM, KINDNESS, AND MERCY EVERYWHERE YOU GO.
FORGIVE ME FOR COVERING UP YOUR BEAUTIFUL AROMA WITH MY OWN SELFISHNESS, PRIDE, FEAR, OR ARGUMENTATIVENESS.
FEED ME WITH FRESH BREAD FROM HEAVEN THIS SABBATH—AND SHOW ME WHO YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO SHARE IT WITH.
SPRINKLE ME WITH FRANKINCENSE, AND LET ME RELEASE YOUR PLEASING, FRAGRANT AROMA OF KINDNESS, WISDOM, AND MERCY WHEREVER YOU SEND ME.
A Final Thought
Every Shabbat is an invitation.
An opportunity.
A moment to stop and ask ourselves:
What fragrance am I releasing into the world?
Because He has chosen to dwell in us.
And He desires our hearts to be filled—with the sweet aroma of His presence.
So this Sabbath, may the fragrance of Heaven fill our lives.
And may the world take notice.