A Lingering Stench

This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 11. Here is what I learned.

For the Lord is [rigidly] righteous, He loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold His face, or He beholds the upright. Psalm 11:7 (AMP)

God’s business is putting things right; he loves getting the lines straight, Setting us straight. Once we’re standing tall, we can look him straight in the eye. Psalm 11:7 (MSG)

That God may give grace without glory is intelligible; but to admit a man to communion with him in glory without grace, is not intelligible. It is not agreeable to God's holiness to make any inhabitant of heaven, and converse freely with him in a way of intimate love, without such a qualification of grace: "The righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright; he looks upon him with a smiling eye, and therefore he cannot favourably look upon an unrighteous person; so that this necessity is not founded only in the command of God that we should be renewed, but in the very nature of the thing, because God, in regard of his holiness, cannot converse with an impure creature. God must change his nature, or the sinner's nature must be changed. There can be no friendly communion between two of different natures without the change of one of them into the likeness of the other. Wolves and sheep, darkness and light, can never agree. God cannot love a sinner as a sinner, because he hates impurity by a necessity of nature as well as a choice of will. It is as impossible for him to love it as to cease to be holy. Stephen Charnock

I was watching the skunks play outside last night. They are cute little things. Scampering around playing tag with each other. They made me laugh. However a short time later, my apartment was filled with the stench of skunk! Something had scared the little guys and they sprayed.. it was so strong it stung my eyes. At that point and time, I did not think the skunks were so cute. 

As God watches me go about my day do I please Him? Does enjoy watching what I’m doing? Or does His smile turn to disgust as I choose sin? Every action, every thought, every word, every attitude is a choice. I have the choice to choose righteousness or I have the choice to choose sin. 

Thankfully, God is gracious and merciful and a forgiving God. The stench of sin can only be removed by accepting His forgiveness. 

To create a positive day, I need to choose God’s righteousness so that I can look Him straight in the eye-for the only other option is choosing sin—which simply produces a lingering stench.

First NOTICE then React

This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 29. Here is what I learned.

The voice of the Lord makes the hinds bring forth their young, and His voice strips bare the forests, while in His temple everyone is saying, Glory! Psalm 29:9 (AMP)

God’s thunder sets the oak trees dancing A wild dance, whirling; the pelting rain strips their branches.

We fall to our knees—we call out, “Glory!” Psalm 29:9 (MSG)

The voice of the Lord twists mighty oaks and strips the forests bare. In his Temple everyone shouts, “Glory!” Psalm 29:9 (NLT)

"In his temple doth every one speak of his glory." Those who were worshipping in the temple, were led to speak of the greatness of Jehovah as they heard the repeated thunder-claps. The whole world is also a temple for God, and when he rides abroad upon the wings of the wind, all things are vocal in his praise. We too, the redeemed of the Lord, who are living temples for his Spirit, as we see the wonders of his power in creation, and feel them in grace, unite to magnify his name. No tongue may be dumb in God's temple when his glory is the theme. The original appears to have the force of "every one crieth Glory," as though all things were moved by a sense of God's majesty to shout in ecstasy, "Glory, glory." The Treasury of David 

When something gets our attention, we usually act on it. We take notice, and then react, or we take notice and ignore it. But we do notice! 

When God does something, and gets our attention, we need to first NOTICE it, and then we need to react. Our reaction should be one of praise and honor to God. 

This morning, I heard a noise outside my window, when I looked out, there

Two of the skunks running to safety.

were three little skunks playing. I watched them for a bit as they played tag around the tree. When I stepped out on my balcony to take a picture, the flash startled them. Two of the skunks ran for cover, the other simply keep exploring the area. Two kinds of reactions. Two were scared and knew where to go for safety. The other felt safe enough to keep having fun. 

When God gets my attention, could be with a thunderstorm, a sunset, a blessing, or a tragedy—first do I NOTICE? Secondly, how do I react? Do I ignore Him and what He is doing? Or I run and hide.... seeking safety? Do I praise God because of Who He is, knowing that I am safe in His care? 

To create a positive day, when God acts, I need to first NOTICE then react with praise and honor to Him simply because of Who He is.