Wink or Bark?

Dogs aren’t the only animals that bark.  According to Mr. Bill, squirrels and chipmunks love to bark at deer hunters.  Not only is the barking annoying to a hunter, it warns other animals (including deer) of danger.  The barking, however, does [unknowingly] put the little barkers in imminent danger!

What angers you?  For me, it’s usually petty annoyances which tend to strike early and intensify throughout the day.  What doesn’t sin make me mad?  More specifically, my own sin?  Spurgeon wrote, “He who is not angry at transgression becomes a partaker in it.”  I fear Believers wink rather than bark at sin.  God said, “Ye that love the Lord, hate evil … “ (Psalm 97:10)  Now, I personally do not like tomatoes (yeah, yeah, I know … ) and because I don’t like them, I don’t grow them, buy them, can them, put them on my plate or in my mouth.  The reason for these choices is clear and simple – I do not like tomatoes!  If I love the Lord, I will love what He loves and hate what He hates; thus, hate sin.  Christians are to be troubled, sad, even weep at their sin; “let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.” (James 4:9)  In other words, sin is no laughing matter!  Don’t laugh or wink at it.  Those little forest creatures know the hunter, high in the tree and hidden amongst the leaves, represents danger so they sound the alarm. Sin is real and the threat to godliness.  The choice is ours -- wink or bark?

Dear Lord,

Show me the sinfulness of my heart; keep it ever before me so I may be broken and humbled in Your sight, O Lord, my Redeemer.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.