October 9, 2025

Hey guys,

I hope you’re having a great week. This week’s Thought comes from Numbers 28:2. “The offerings you present as special gifts are a pleasing aroma to me.”

These are God’s words through the mouth of Moses to his chosen people of Israel. There are three words in this  verse that really stood out to me, and I want to break them down for you. The first one is offerings. When we hear that word, we probably think of throwing an extra couple of dollars in the offering plate at church, right? Maybe we envision making a donation to a local charity. While all of that is true, that is only part of the definition. If you look farther into the definition of offering, you also see the words sacrifice and atonement. The idea of offerings here is not just tossing something in the offering plate, it is something sacrificial. That made me think of King David in II Samuel 24:24. There, he is getting ready to offer a sacrifice to the Lord so that Lord lifts a plague that has fallen on his people. Someone offers David everything he needs for a big, elaborate sacrifice. David says, “No, I will not offer up to the Lord that which cost me nothing”. It’s almost impossible to separate the idea of offering and sacrifice.

“The offerings you present as special gifts are pleasing aroma to me”. Special gifts was the second combination of words that stood out. You are gifted in a certain way. I am gifted in a certain way. You may have the beautiful gift of music, playing an instrument, or singing. I have neither, and if I start playing an instrument or singing, people begin to cry out, “Please stop!” Maybe you can organize and cast vision no like no other, but it’s not just the gifts given in their various degrees that is important, I think the combination of gifts that you’ve been given shows the way that God has uniquely gifted and equipped you and me. 

Finally, the words, pleasing aroma, stood out. I couldn’t help but think, I want God to be pleased with the aroma my life gives off! Think of it this way. If we are in a room and I light a candle, I’m not the only one that smells it. Everyone in the room smells it. If we’re outside and we start a bonfire, it can be smelled for hundreds of yards, if not miles away. Aroma is not just pleasing to God, but it impacts and influences those around us. So, if we put that all together, the sacrificial offering...of the unique gifts that God has given you...impacts and influences those around you. 

Love you guys,

John