The Fragrance of Love: The Specificity of God
by Cathy Baker
It began with a prayer journal entry—my asking God if writing was His desire for me.
You see, in recent years I’ve struggled with guilt. Guilt because my love for teaching the Word had begun to wane while my love for writing continued to increase. I simply wanted to be as certain as possible that God was behind my desire to write, and not my flesh.
I was growing weary of asking (wondering if I’d heard Him clearly) and I was pretty certain He too was weary of confirming every fleece I’d thrown at His feet for the past five years. My entry ended with this:
As my pen swept over the final “p” in Pappa, the phone beeped, alerting me to an incoming text. It was from my dad.
And there it was. My heavenly Father speaking directly to me… through my earthly one.
God peeled back the curtain of uncertainty, allowing me to see the situation through His parental eyes. I delight in my boys simply because they are mine. However, they choose to use their God-given gifts to glorify Him will bring a smile to my face. Why couldn’t I believe this truth for myself in relating to my heavenly Father?
It’s not so much about the gifts, but rather, the heart which motivates the desire to use them. This is what God had been trying to tell me all along.
My days of asking God to confirm whether I should be doing this or that with my spiritual gifts ended that morning. Freedom has come to stay, for His delight in me is grounded in the truth that I am His daughter, created in His image and for His glory, just like you. Whatever way we choose to use His gifts will bring Him great pleasure.
How Do I Love Thee? It will take forever to count the ways but today I celebrate God’s specificity. Nothing vague dwells within Him, especially when it comes to His children. The timing of dad’s text was divinely charged and the message was humbly received. Oh, the joy of serving a living, loving God who IS in the details of our daily life!
Your turn! What’s one specific way God has revealed Himself to you recently?
