"...Or Else..."

"The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence His soul hateth." (Psalms 11:5) In this verse we have two very interesting ways that God will view man; both of which are dependent upon the man and his actions. If there ever could be an argument for how much our actions do matter, then this might be a verse to bring to the table. To understand the first part of this verse, we must understand what "the righteous" are in the context of this verse and what David is saying within this Psalm. The meaning is that of being just in rewarding and dispensing judgement; a little unusual twist to the standard meaning of this word, but one which requires an attention to detail; because that is what the word "trieth" is speaking about; whereas, God will scrutinise our judgement. The main idea that is being put forth, is that God will examine the heart of the righteous, to prove their heart, and to rub upon it as to test the life that is within it. The point about rewarding and dispensing judgement has to do with the hearts reaction to love, and to the affects of love; in other words, what makes the heart tick! James 1:2 & 3, says, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience". If there is one thing that I have come to understand more than anything, it is how love is patient; besides being forgiving, there must be a patience that is slow to anger and not quick to judge! Try it some time, and see if I am not right! Say to yourself, I am going to show love for the next 20 minutes, and then see if there is a difference in how your heart reacts to certain circumstances. I say only 20 minutes, because I think we need to remind ourselves every 20 minutes about what our character should be!!! My point is; the God will put forth His hand upon the life of those who are loving with a sincere heart; something that He will know, for God cannot be fooled; and in His knowing, He will try that heart, in an effort to bring forth more love, and to conform it more to His heart. However, "the wicked and him that loveth violence" are those that have a unrighteous cause and are wrong in their justice; meaning that there is something missing in their hearts; something called love! Of which, "His soul hateth"!!! When we are talking about the soul of God, we are talking about the person hood of God; which means His character and His will, will meaning His desire towards us. Also, hate is a pretty strong word, but it is one which speaks of opposing, as one would oppose an enemy in battle. Therefore; as we consider what this verse is speaking about, and reflecting back to yesterday, how that God is watching our hearts, and He is concerned about how we treat the widows, the orphans, the stranger; our brothers and sisters, our fellow servants, and our leaders; we must realize how important it is to get real, or else...