Can you smell?

21 December 2019

Today I want to write about something that is really close to my heart.

To have a spiritually well-developed nose.

The book of Song of Songs describes it as a nose like a tower looking into the direction of Damascus. Paul gives it another name in 1 Corinthians 12 – the gift of the discernment of spirits.

Read what the Amplified Bible says: it is the ability to distinguish sound, godly doctrine from the deceptive doctrine of man-made religions and cults.

My mom has that skill in the physical. She has a nose that knows. She is the one that will whisper in your ear at a buffet table that you must not have the chicken. “That chicken is off”, she will say. She cannot give any reasonable explanation as to why it’s off, but she just knows. Her nose picked up on it and she knows that if you’re going to have some of that chicken, you will be in trouble.

Physical & Spiritual:

So many times, the physical and the spiritual works the same. We must have the same ability in the spiritual to smell when something is off. It is not the same as being judgemental or finding fault with everything and everyone. Pauls calls it a gifting. The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to discern and we better use it or else we’ll land in trouble.

In Song of Songs, the bride is on a journey of growing into maturity. It is very significant that we read of her nose only in the second last chapter.  When she has reached the level of a mature man in Christ.

Having the fully developed gift of discernment of spirits is a sign of maturity in Christ.

We have to ask the Holy Spirit for this gift and we have to work at growing in this gifting. There is absolutely no way that the bride of Christ will survive these last days where there are so much deception going on without this gift.

What really concerns me is that so many beautiful Christians believes that they operate in this gift when it is not so. I’ve asked the Lord why is it that people think they are discerning.  But they are not even smelling the rotten chicken, never mind the chicken that is just slightly off.

The Lord did answer me and I will be writing some future posts on this topic. We have so much to learn from the precious Spirit of Truth. If only we can just be pliable and willing to set our beliefs and our pride aside and ask Him what is His truth in a specific matter.

The Holy Spirit wants to develop the gift of discernment of spirits in each one of us, but He will only do so for the broken and contrite heart that is truly dependant on Him alone.

Think over the things I am saying [grasp their application], for the Lord will grant you insight and understanding in everything. (2 Tim 2:7 AMP)