While we have talked together so much lately of the wonderful love of God, and how He has shown this love by giving up to us His own only begotten Son, have you not felt your heart warm with love for Him who has “so loved” you. “We love Him, because He first loved us.” As we behold what manner of love the Father both bestowed upon us our hearts are drawn to Him in love.

Very likely at this season you have been receiving many gifts and little love tokens from your parents and kind friends. Perhaps you have been thinking what you can give to them, not only in return for their gifts, but because your love for them makes you want to do something to make them happy.

And as you think of the “unspeakable gift” of God,—His Son Jesus Christ in whom He has freely given as all things,—do you not long, dear children, to do something to show your love to Him in return, something that will please Him and make Him glad?

When you want to make a gift to anyone, you try to find out, do you not, just what that person most likes, or is in need of, so that your gift, besides being a token of your love, will give pleasure in itself, or be of use.

Now I want to tell you just what God is longing for,—what will please Him more than anything else, and make Him rejoice “in the presence of the angels.” And that is, that you should take the gift that He has freely given, the Lord Jesus, to dwell in your heart by faith. For if you do this, He will see the Son of His love whom He gave up for you “formed in you,” and so you will be able to give Him His own again.

You know that when seed is thrown upon the ground it seems to be quite lost to the one who sows it; but by and by, green leaves, and sometimes sweetest blossoms, and at last many seeds, are brought forth from the one seed that was given up.

God gave His only begotten Son that He might “bring many sons unto glory,” all bearing His perfect image, and showing forth His beautiful, fragrant character. Then what will please Him more—or so much—as that you should give Him your heart to be the soil, the ground, where this precious Seed is sown?

“Wouldest bring a gift to Jesus
That He would count most sweet?
Say, ‘Lord, my heart I give Thee;’
And lay it at His feet.”

Then as His beautiful life appears in you, you will be “unto God a sweet savour of Christ” continually. Do you not enjoy a sweet smell? How much more we prize the fragrant flowers, even the little modest violet, than those which have no odour, though they be as large and showy as the gaudy peony.

As God sees any of the beauty of His Son in you,—as He sees you giving up your own will and ways for the sake of others; making little sacrifices that you may give help to those in need; being obedient and helpful to your parents; speaking loving, gentle words, and doing kind deeds,—these things are to Him “an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God.”

In the temple worship of the Jewish people, sweet-smelling incense was offered with the sacrifices, to be to the people a figure of the beauty and perfection of the character of Christ, the Lamb of God, the one acceptable Sacrifice, whose goodness and purity atoned for their sins.

We have nothing of our own to bring to God, but we can take His own gift and give it back to Him in lives lovely and fragrant with the beauty and sweetness of His own Son whom He has freely given. Then like King David we can say, “All that we have is Thine; and of Thine own have we given Thee.”

The Present Truth –January 11, 1900
E. J. Waggoner

Story in pdf  A Sweet Savour