The World Stinks
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. – 1 John 2:15-16.
So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not stink, nor were there any worms in it. – Exodus 16:24.
What is the absolutely worst smell you have ever smelled? Dial Corporation’s air freshener division has actually conducted a survey to find out. Skunks were found to have the worst rating with 59.7% saying the skunk smell was the worst. I’ve never had a real close encounter with a skunk probably because of the warnings I received from my mother who did have one when she was a girl. According to my mother it took a whole week for the smell to go away. Skunks, however, are not the only things that stink. Some of the other nominees were rotten eggs, dirty diaper bins, bathroom odors, and dairy farm smells.
Spiritually there are some very smelly things too with most of them coming from the world. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life do not come from God – they come from the world. There is a stench coming from all those worldly things that adversely affects everyone and everything they come into contact with.
Another smelly problem created by the world is worldly thinking. Moses had to deal with this after leading the people out of bondage in Israel. God sent manna to gather and to eat in the mornings. In the evenings God sent quail for them to gather and eat. The Israelites were to gather what they needed for the day but they were not to keep any of it for the next. Each day they were to gather again. However, worldly wisdom told them to try to keep some of the quail and manna for the next day just in case they needed more. When they tried to carry it over to the next day worms would come and the leftover food would stink.
God gave the Israelites another rule in regard to the Sabbath. They were to gather twice as much on the sixth day and then they would not have to go out to gather on the Sabbath. The quail and manna were supernaturally preserved for the Sabbath day. However, some using their worldly wisdom went out on the Sabbath day to gather more. But, of course, they found none to gather.
The world claims to have great wisdom and knowledge and laughs at the commandments of God. However, in spite of their claims if worldly wisdom and ways are followed it will only result in creating a terrible stench in your life. It will take much longer than a week to get rid of the awful smell. Let me summarize – the world stinks!!
(I wrote this devotional more than 18 years ago and I should have added that in our own efforts we can never remove the stench of the world but the Lord can remove it in a moment of time as He promises in 1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.)
(It may take a week to rid yourself of the smell of a skunk. However, without the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus it is impossible to get rid of the smell of the world.)