The Scent of Water
Its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump die in the soil,
yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant.
Job 14:8-9
A friend recently asked me what I’ve learned from my experience of month after month, struggling with debilitating pain with no clear answers and no definite end in sight. About a half a dozen themes ran through my mind, but one is summarized meaningfully in Job 14:8-9. Any believer that has experienced extended periods of discouragement, loss, or pain may relate to these two verses.
In the midst of the darkness, God has a way of meeting His loved ones in the emptiness, and He breathes a fragrance of hope. It’s not an answer. It’s not conclusion. It’s simply enough to calm or refresh the soul and enable one to continue forward. That breath doesn’t necessarily come when you yearn for it to come, but it does come when you need it. Sometimes it comes subtly, and other times it comes in a burst of joy.
What changes afterwards? Nothing… Everything! Circumstances are exactly the same, but perspective and the perseverance to endure are different—refreshed. Thinking about the scent of water reminds me of the smell of rain before a rain shower. There is something about that scent that refreshes and calms, even though the rain has not arrived yet. It is a smell of hope and promise. Yet even if the rain doesn’t fall, it is a scent that does not disappoint. Instead, it sustains until a future time. When one smells rain, nothing has changed yet. No rain has fallen, but one’s senses are refreshed.
I have experienced this refreshment from the “scent of water” in a variety of ways over the past several months. I remember rejoicing with a friend on a particularly rough day. I was surprised to find that in spontaneously celebrating with her, my pain and symptoms were reduced. It was a moment of relief that refreshed me. Also, God encouraged me by speaking meaningfully through a Bible verse or a friend. I clung to some of those messages during rough times. Perhaps the most meaningful for me were a few special dreams where I felt God gave me pictures of hope. During some very difficult times these were “scents of water” that sprung shoots of life and budded hope in my soul.
My parents have a delightful story about witnessing the effects from the scent of water. It was early in their marriage, and they had traveled four hours on a surprise visit to my grandparents. When they arrived, they found that my grandmother was ill. She had taken to the couch and had very little strength. They all sat in the living room and talked, while my grandmother rested on the couch, too exhausted to sit up or participate in conversation. Eventually, my dad revealed that there was a reason for their impromptu visit – the two of them would be grandparents (again… for the ninth time). My grandmother jumped off the couch, sending her blanket flying! She practically jumped up and down with joy and began chatting with excitement. My grandfather could not stop laughing. They all joked that my grandmother was miraculously healed.
Good news is a scent of water that brings joy and allows us to soar over existing difficulties. In that moment, nothing else carries weight except for the joy in good news. The gospel—the ultimate good news—is also a scent of water. It enables us to persevere through difficulty. We have a promise and inheritance waiting for us. However, the gospel is also grounding and allows us to get traction. Salvation is for the here and now. God has made us alive and new creations. We can rest in His love, knowing that we are secure no matter what happens. These thoughts have also sustained me.
Has there been a time when you experienced refreshment from the scent of water? Something that brought meaningful encouragement that refreshed or calmed your soul during a time of hardship? It didn’t change your circumstances, but enabled you to persevere through them. Please share a thought or memory in the comments.
We aren’t called to an easy road, but God is faithful and meets us with the scent of water to sustain us until our journey’s end.