Holiness is the very nature of God. "Holy" in the Scripture means to be set apart. God is set apart because there's none like Him. He alone is the Creator. He alone is absolute perfection. And He alone is total purity. Therefore, it would be impossible to encounter the all-powerful God without leaving with His presence with the sweet aroma of His holiness.

Holiness is at the very core of who God is. And it must be at the very core of any legitimate encounter with God. That's why the author of Hebrews wrote, "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14 NIV). We can't see the Lord today without holiness, and we'll never see Him in the future without holiness.

God has been so gracious to allow me to meet Him in the private place of prayer so often. All of those times are special and some are so special that the fragrance of those moments lingers with me for years. They've shaped my beliefs, character and vision. Yet, those encounters have not always been "hallelujah shouting" times. Most often, they have been "Oh, God, have mercy on me" encounters!

Several years ago, I was preaching at a pastors' conference in South Africa. I had spent time alone with God prior to the conference, and He impressed upon me how powerful He really is. The time with Him was one that left the sweet fragrance of His love and holiness upon me until this day. In fact, I had an artist in South Africa make a painting of that special place, and it's hanging on a wall in my office today.

At the close of my message at the pastors' conference, God met with us in an indescribable manner. We began to sing a song of praise and worship. But we found ourselves sobbing and weeping in the presence of a holy God. The leader tried to dismiss us, but no one could leave. We lingered for hours in the presence of God. Pastors who had held grudges against one another asked forgiveness. There was confession, then repentance; then forgiveness flowed from the throne of God. Oh, how wonderful it was to taste of His grace!

I've never forgotten that encounter with God. And I learned an invaluable lesson. To pursue God is to pursue holiness. For He alone is holy. A holy heart isn't a proud heart, but rather a humble heart. And God only hears the cry of the humble heart. In all of your getting, get holiness! It comes from those sweet moments with Him.