{"id":22283,"date":"2020-05-11T14:04:07","date_gmt":"2020-05-11T19:04:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=22283"},"modified":"2020-05-11T14:04:07","modified_gmt":"2020-05-11T19:04:07","slug":"the-wonder-of-smell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-wonder-of-smell\/","title":{"rendered":"The Wonder of Smell"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t

by Whit Sasser<\/p>\n

God\u2019s design of the sense of smell is a wonder to experience and ponder. Who hasn\u2019t experienced the sheer joy of smelling honeysuckle, freshly cut grass, brewing coffee, and hundreds of others similar? Some folks like the smell of gasoline, a new car interior, cigarettes (if a smoker), and such like. And then there is the billion-dollar business of perfumes and colognes. All of this is just to say, how much a blessing it is to smell.<\/p>\n

And just think of how\u00a0God has given scents to millions of different things for the nose to smell and then distinguish. Amazing, too. Some smells are odorous, repulsive, and almost sickening. This is a blessing, too. A decomposing body smells terrible (John 11:39). This is good. We need to go bury it. The smells of our bodies excrement need to be buried or removed to somewhere else. Certain gases are poisonous \u2026 \u201cQuick, call the gas company!\u201d<\/p>\n

But, let us ponder smell briefly. How does it work? I read this description<\/p>\n

\"\"“Lining the tiny bones inside the nose are millions of olfactory sensory neurons that actually detect odor chemicals in the air. And they accomplish this feat using a mechanism, which is equal parts complex, simple, and random. Each olfactory neuron makes proteins called odorant receptors, which are transported into long hair-like structures called cilia found at the upper tip of each neuron. When an odorant enters the nose, it diffuses into a layer of mucus and binds to an odorant receptor on the cilia. This interaction kickstarts a cellular chain-reaction that eventually results in the generation of an electrical signal called an action potential. This electrical signal runs along the olfactory neuron\u2019s cable wiring \u2014 technically known as its axon \u2014 and finally reaches the brain.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ok. I do not understand that, but it is indeed impressive \u2026 to put it mildly.<\/p>\n

“And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, I will never again curse the ground because of man<\/em>” (Genesis 8:21).<\/p>\n

“And he shall take from it a handful of the fine flour and oil, with all of its frankincense, and the priest shall burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD<\/em>” (Leviticus 2:2).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

God loves sweet-smelling aromas, and so do we who are made in His image.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Whit Sasser God\u2019s design of the sense of smell is a wonder to experience and ponder. Who hasn\u2019t experienced the sheer joy of smelling honeysuckle, freshly cut grass, brewing coffee, and hundreds of others similar? Some folks like the smell of gasoline, a new car interior, cigarettes (if a smoker), and such like. And…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[302,709],"class_list":["post-22283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-creation","tag-evidence"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":35198,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-do-you-deal-with-a-man-who-stinks-so-bad-it-is-hard-to-talk-to-him\/","url_meta":{"origin":22283,"position":0},"title":"How do you deal with a man who stinks so bad it is hard to talk to him?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 11, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, I have a question concerning a man who has been coming to the Lord's church recently. This man has been coming for about three months now and does not seem to be all there in the head or he is just really weird. From what he has told\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16902,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-cigar-smoking-wrong\/","url_meta":{"origin":22283,"position":1},"title":"Is cigar smoking wrong?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 30, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I saw\u00a0your articles on smoking. I have always believed heavy smoking is bad when it is something done constantly. Actually I hate cigarettes and the only time I do smoke is about three times a year. I have a cigar with one of my best friends as we sit\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1889,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-can-i-get-my-8-year-old-son-to-stop-wetting-his-pants\/","url_meta":{"origin":22283,"position":2},"title":"How can I get my 8-year-old son to stop wetting his pants?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 2, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: We have a strong-willed eight-year-old son that occasionally wets his pants (once every two to three months when he's too busy playing and the like). Recently, after a wetting episode, I decided to discipline him by diapering him. My wife felt it was not appropriate, and that I should\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Parenting"","block_context":{"text":"Parenting","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/parenting\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":41494,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-have-an-incurable-body-odor-issue-why-should-i-continue-to-live\/","url_meta":{"origin":22283,"position":3},"title":"I have an incurable body odor issue. Why should I continue to live?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 8, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: My question straight forward and honest is would God send me to hell if I'm tired of living?\u00a0 Let me explain.\u00a0 For many years, I have been dealing with an incurable body odor issue, which causes me to smell of ammonia, regardless of how hygienic I am.\u00a0 This is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":43319,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-wrong-to-scold-someone-do-i-rebuke-every-bad-thing-a-person-does-does-a-little-bit-of-immorality-make-a-show-bad\/","url_meta":{"origin":22283,"position":4},"title":"Is it wrong to scold someone? Do I rebuke every bad thing a person does? 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