Incense Beaten Small

“Ashes to ashes…dust to dust….” I watched them. I watched the parents as we lowered the body of a young Marine into a freshly dug grave on the side of that Virginia mountain. You aren’t supposed to bury your children – your children are supposed to bury you. We had all prayed so earnestly for healing. But in God’s sovereign plan, it was not to be. The cancer had viciously stolen their son.

I watched them that day. In the face of grief I cannot fathom, they worshiped God. “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the Name of the Lord.” They lifted their hands up through the dark shroud of sorrow and confusion and praised the Lord.

Now, I know that we should praise God even for the little things – for helping us find our keys when we lose them or for that bigger-than-expected tax refund check we got in the mail. But there is something different about the worship of a person who is in affliction. When a person is walking through a dark trial that life has dealt, yet continues to bless the Lord – that is worship of a deeper sort. Sometimes God doesn’t answer prayers like we think He should or allows things to happen that we don’t understand. The worship we offer during those times is worship that is deep and rich. When the answer hasn’t come or the miracle is nowhere to be found yet praise still rises from our lips – that is worship with a fragrance unlike any other.

The incense offered to God behind the veil was unique. Into a censor filled with burning coals from the Altar, the high priest would place “incense beaten small” (Lev. 16:13). The smoke and fragrance from that burning incense would fill the Holies of Holies like a cloud and cover the Mercy Seat. This special incense produced by a crushing, beating and pressure was what was most glorious to God. Incense beaten small produced a fragrance reserved for the Holiest of All.

Perhaps the worship that brings the most glory to God is the worship we give while in the crucible of affliction. There is a unique fragrance produced when we give praise to God even when we feel like tests and trials are crushing us. When you’re in tribulation or heated spiritual battle, yet rejoice and praise God, you are producing a fragrance of worship like none other. When you feel like the adversities and disappointments of life are beating you small – breaking you to a fine powder – yet you still trust and praise Him, you are giving an offering of worship that is a sweet incense to God. God doesn’t take pleasure in our suffering. But when we praise and worship Him during adversity, it must surely bring Him deep joy.

In Revelation 7, the elders asked, “Who are those people?” Who are those people worshiping before the throne with palm branches in their hands? The angel said those are people who have come through great tribulation! Adversity had not silenced their worship. Great tribulation had not dampened their praise. The elders took note! The angels remarked! Perhaps what captures the attention of the world more than the blessings of God on our lives is the praise we offer to God in the midst of life’s difficulties!

Can we still worship even when going through great tribulation? When the mortar and pestle of adversity seem to crush us to powder, can we still offer praise to God? When we feel beaten small by sorrow and disappointment, will we be faithful to God? When we don’t understand why God has not answered our prayer, will we still give glory to His Name? Worship that emanates from incense beaten small yields a fragrance unlike any other.

– Pastor Ball