Author Archives: Cheryl Drake

Do any of you love the smell of freshly baked bread as much as I do?  Walking into a bakery or someone’s home where freshly baked bread has just been pulled out of the oven is a delight to our sense of smell.  In your thoughts you might be saying…”Mmmm, what’s that smell?”  Isn’t it funny how we can fill our stomachs full with a satisfying meal, and then we find ourselves somewhere unexpectedly catching a whiff of an enticing aroma, the kind of aroma that makes its way into your nostrils, weaving space into your belly, making you question your stomach’s fullness!

Our sense of smell is so powerful that it will, without permission, take you for a ride on an unsuspected journey.  Before you realize you are a passenger, you might find yourself on the beach, at Grandma’s house, in a school classroom, in a hospital room, at a cemetery, or sitting on an old church pew, smelling the aroma of a memory.

My cousin, Sandy, who is a minister of the Gospel, shared with me one of many personal experiences she has had with the Lord.  Take a step with me into the supernatural realm of God where His language communicates to our spirit.  One night, Sandy, was awakened by the smell of baking bread.  Her first thought was did her daughter bake bread and leave the oven on.  She went downstairs on a mission to find where this aroma was coming from.  Upon arriving in her kitchen, she noticed that the oven was not on and there was not a single loaf of bread sitting out on a rack to cool.  As she pondered and wondered where this aroma was coming from, the Lord spoke to her spirit and said, “I AM the Bread of Life.”

I would like to invite you to my table today.  I call it the “Table of His Presence.”  I have spent many hours feasting at this table eating freshly baked bread.  Oh…the aroma!  In John 6:35, Jesus said to the people, “I AM the Bread of Life, he who comes to Me shall not hunger…”  There is an aroma of His presence.  It’s an indescribable, delicious wafting aroma that fills every nook and cranny in the room.  It is the kind of aroma you never forget, an aroma that envelops every fiber of your being, an aroma that makes your sense of smell awaken to a knowledge of God, an aroma that dissipates the failures of your past, enabling you to continue feasting of this life-giving, life-sustaining bread at the “Table of His Presence.”  You may think you are not hungry because you don’t “feel” hungry, but when you begin to smell the aroma of His presence, you will begin to hunger and desire to partake of what you are smelling.  There is only one word I can find that describes the presence of God.  That word is “MORE.”  Once you smell Him, you’ll want more of Him.

Come to the table, sit back with me, take a slice of this Bread of Life that is freely given to all, and breathe in the delicious fragrance of His presence.  I guarantee you it will be the most satisfying, life-changing, meal you will ever partake of.  Not only will you recognize who Jesus is when you partake of this Bread (Luke 24:35), the aroma of Him will permeate your being.  We carry an aroma wherever we go.  Does the aroma you carry make others hungry for Him?  The world is sniffing out for those who have eaten at the “Table of His Presence.”  They are hungry for this Bread, the eternal Bread of Life, that they may partake and never hunger again for the things of this world.  Why not invite others to partake at your table.  The fellowship is sweet and the Lord, your Guest of Honor, always comes to the table with freshly baked bread.  It is the most perfect, delicious bread for you to share.

Are YOU hungry?

A few years ago, I purchased a garment from a retailer.  As I was in the process of removing the tags, I noticed a big tag that said “I AM WASHABLE.” I was about to toss the tag into the garbage when I heard Holy Spirit whisper in my ear….”Are you washable?”  I answered back…”What are you inferring Holy Spirit?  What do you mean, Am I Washable?”

For several days, I pondered the implications of what it meant to be washable.  I had an ongoing interactive conversation with Holy Spirit.  “Well, yes, Holy Spirit, I must be washable because the blood of Jesus washes away my sins.” (I John 1:7).  “Yes, keep pondering,” said Holy Spirit.  “Holy Spirit, I must be washable because Your Word says that You wash me with it.” (Ephesians 5:26).  “Yes, keep pondering,” said Holy Spirit.  “Holy Spirit, I must be washable because Your Word says that I am washed by regeneration and renewed by You.” (Titus 3:5).  “Yes, keep pondering,” said Holy Spirit.

“What else is there…what else do you want me to say, Holy Spirit?”  I asked.  Again Holy Spirit said, “Keep pondering.”  Hmmm, I thought to myself, I wonder what He’s getting at?  “Uh, Holy Spirit, You wouldn’t happen to be talking about my heart, would You?”  I asked.  “Yes!” said Holy Spirit, “That’s what I’m asking…IS YOUR HEART WASHABLE?”

WOW!  What a question, I thought.  Then revelation began to roll in like morning fog on quaint tiny coastal towns.  “Is my spiritual heart washable?”  Then Holy Spirit took me to Isaiah 61:3…”To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The ‘garment of praise’ for the spirit of heaviness…”  I began to see how, before the foundation of the world, my Heavenly Father had already special ordered a “tailored-perfect-fit” garment of praise   just for me!  His Word says to PUT ON our garment of praise.  He has already picked out the most beautiful, luxurious fabric for us to wear!  Holy Spirit showed me that our garment of praise is the “fabric” of our hearts.  When we wear our special made-to-order garment, that is when we allow our hearts to become washable.  Anything that is unlike God cannot not live in praise.  Any circumstance of heaviness cannot live in praise.  Any condemnation from the enemy cannot live in praise.  Any difficult situation or disappointment cannot live in praise.  Praise is like a vacuum, it sucks the oxygen out of our troubles.  The very essence of these things, are swept away in praise.

There are many references in the Scriptures to garments and apparel.  Psalms 104:1-2 declares that the Lord our God is clothed with honor and majesty, and that He covers Himself with light as with a garment.  We were created to wear our ‘garment of praise’ for eternity.  The reason we live is to worship our Creator!

“ARE YOU WASHABLE?”

On occasion, I have closed my eyes and tried to picture the Garden of Eden. According to Gen. 2:8-9, the Lord God planted quite an amazingly beautiful, life-sustaining, life-giving garden.  God is a magnificent Horticulturist!  To be chosen the very first man and woman to cultivate this most exquisite garden was an honor for Adam and Eve.  Did you know that God has given you your very own garden to cultivate?  I call it our “Soul Garden.”  A “Soul Garden” is a place where by the renewing of our mind with the Word of God, our mind, will, and emotions, come together in unison.  It is a place that needs to be tended to and visited daily. The renewing of our mind gives us the tools to create beauty in our garden.  As we learn to plant according to the will and nature of God, our “Soul Garden” begins to grow and radiates the glory of God.  His presence will permeate the atmosphere of our garden and flow out to others, as He intended.

I have noticed in the Word of God, how important gardens are to Him.  What God created was very good.  He created it with excellence.  Our arch-enemy, satan, likes to hang around God’s gardens.  We may not always see him, but he lurks and he stalks.  He is sly, waiting to see if he can bait us with his lies.  His extreme hatred for God and all of God’s creation, including you and me, spills over into all of our gardens.  What happened to Adam and Eve in the garden altered the course of all mankind.  But….then Jesus showed up!  He came to restore what God, His Father, had created, and what was lost through Adam and Eve’s sin.  He came to restore us back to our rightful relationship with God.  Jesus chose a garden to cancel out the result of sin in the first garden and to alter the course of mankind.  He prayed fervently and surrendered His mind, will, and emotions (Luke 22:41-42).  In that Garden of Gethsemane, evil was lurking, trying to get Jesus to take the bait of non-surrender to the will and plan of God.  After Jesus chose the plan of God over the comfort of His own flesh, He was arrested in the same garden (Luke 22:54).  He was crucified in a garden (John 19:41), and buried in a garden (John 19:41).  Three days later, He was resurrected in a garden tomb.  Are you beginning to see how important gardens are to God?  Historical and spiritual accounts happened in these very gardens.  I’ve got to pay attention to my “Soul Garden.”  The choices I make in my own garden will alter the course of my life, either for good or for destruction.  My desire is to be known by bountiful and delicious fruit growing in my garden (Matt. 7:16).

I love manicured, well kept gardens.  It takes a lot of work to cultivate this type of garden.  There is a tremendous amount of plowing, tilling, planting seeds, weeding out, and watering to be done.  Just like Adam was given Eve as a helpmate, the Lord has given to each one of us a helpmate in our garden.  His name is Holy Spirit.  If we allow Him to cultivate and prune our “Soul Garden,” the Word says in Gal. 5:22-23, that we will produce fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Holy Spirit knows everything there is to know about gardening.  I know I need His help, because He is the Master Gardener.  Now, that is good news!

I think I’ll take a break now and go water my thirsty garden.  “Holy Spirit, please walk with me and talk with me as I water my garden today.  Show me Your Master plan for my garden.  Cultivate in me a heart to bear fruit that is pleasing to You.”

Have you ever watched “Who Do You Think You Are” on TV?  I have and I find it very interesting.  We have an innate need and curiosity to search out who we are and where we come from.  If you’ve seen this TV show, you know that the people who are searching for their ancestry roots have a few surprises along the way.  I’ve heard some of them say, “I’m not who I thought I was.  This search has changed my life.”  It got me to thinking about our spiritual life and roots.  There is a book that will guide you if you really want to search out who you are.  It is called THE BIBLE.  I guarantee as you take a journey through the pages of this book, you might just discover you are not who you thought you were.

There is an enemy that comes to “steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10) each one of us.  This battle begins in the mind.  If he can plant thoughts in your mind that are contrary to God’s Word, he knows you just might believe his lies.  We only have two choices in which way to believe, either the lie or the truth.  I don’t know about you, but I have succumbed to the lies of the enemy at times.  He has told me many things that are simply not true….”So, you think you have something to say and people will want to listen?  Just take a good look in the mirror, too many flaws!  God doesn’t love you as much as He loves ‘so and so.’  You will never win!  You will die without accomplishing anything!”  Sound familiar?  The enemy of our soul wants us to think that is who we are.  My friend, the Word of God tells a different story.  As I journey through the pages of my Bible, I am realizing that the truth I am reading dispels all the lies of the enemy.  I have found out that He, my Creator, my God, the lover of my soul, knew me before He laid the foundations of this world.  He thought me up and thought it was a wonderful idea to create ME!  Wow!  That means He thought the same about YOU!

Let’s look at Ephesians 1:3-6 (Message Bible), ^“How blessed is God! And what a blessing He is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in Him. Long before He laid down earth’s foundations, He had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of His love, to be made whole and holy by His love. Long, long ago He decided to adopt us into His family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure He took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of His lavish gift-giving by the hand of His beloved Son.”  This scripture confirms who we are in Him. 

Last year, I came across a photo that spoke volumes to me.  So loudly did it speak that I made a copy, laminated it, and now carry it in my Bible.  I wanted to share it with you here.  As I looked at this picture, I saw who I was and where I came from.  I was so inspired by the message in this picture that I just had to write it out…

I am a warrior, the Lion of Judah is my guide

He leads me through the fire, His strength I can’t deny

Riding on wings of love, realms of glory I can see

Keeping my focus set above, where His Spirit sets me free

Blaze on o’ fire of God, let me ride in your embrace

With my sword and with my shield,

I will enter this Holy place, I am a warrior

As long as I ride with the Lion of Judah, keep my armor on, and trust His direction, I can ride blindfolded knowing I am safe.  I know who I am with Him.  He carries me through this journey called life.  Who do YOU think you are?  Why not take a journey with me through the pages of the Bible and discover who you really are.  It will be life changing.