Night-time Aroma

I remember the sweet smelling aroma just outside my bedroom window as I was growing up. I knew it as the night-blooming jasmine, although it was officially known as Cestrum nocturnum, a species of Cestrum in the plant family Solanaceae, native to the West Indies. All I knew was that a powerful, sweet perfume was released at night. I would later learn of the night-blooming cereus, the common name referring to a large number of flowering Cereus cacti that bloom at night in the desert. “The night seasons” is a phrase used by the Psalmist (Ps. 22:2) and the 19th century hymn writer, George Young (“God Leads us Along”) referring to times of difficulty. I have often taught the greatest witness borne by the believer is in times of difficulty. The truth is that the non-believing world knows that we believers do well in the good times, the bright sunshine times. What they are waiting to see is how our faith holds up in the bad times, “the night seasons.” The popular saying says, “Bloom where you are planted.” Rather, let the sweet aroma of our blooming be not just in the daytime, but also in “the night seasons.” The Apostle Paul said it this way, “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place” (2 Corinthians 2:14).

Join me this week in praying for the following global concerns:
• Pray for Patricia as she proof-reads the Gospel of John in the Yambetta and Nugunu languages.
• Pray for Martha and the students from Germany on their Vision Tour of California campuses.
• Pray for Caleb and Michael, who will work with Joe in Donetsk, Ukraine for 2 1/2 months.
• Pray for the EMIGRATE CONFERENCE for new personnel, March 11-16.
• Pray for Steve and April as they transfer from Prague to Naples, Italy this month.