"All day long they are a smoke in My nostrils, a fire that burns all day."
— Isaiah 65:5 (NIV)
One of the most sobering images in Scripture is that of people who live in sin but think they are righteous—whose spiritual lives emit a stench before God, though they themselves no longer notice it. Like a house that smells of mold or smoke to every guest, but not to the one who lives there, so is the person who becomes comfortable in unrepentant sin.
They may still go to church, say prayers, and talk about God—but their hearts are far from Him. And over time, they've lost all sense of spiritual smell. What once would've convicted them no longer stirs them. What once broke their hearts now barely registers.
God describes these people as "smoke in His nostrils." Not because they sinned once, but because they chose to remain in it and claimed holiness at the same time.
The Danger of Numbness
It is one thing to struggle with sin. It is another to be comfortable with it, defensive about it, or even proud of it. Sin doesn't have to be loud to be deadly. Often, it's quiet compromise over time—until the soul no longer reacts.
"You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked." — Revelation 3:17
The most dangerous kind of spiritual filth is the kind you've stopped noticing.
Application: Let the Spirit Cleanse You
If you've gone days, weeks, or even years without repenting—without letting God search your heart—today is the day to return. Ask the Spirit to make you sensitive again. Ask Him to stir you, grieve you, and renew your sense of what's holy and what's not.
Ask yourself:
Have I grown numb to sin in my life?
Do I excuse behaviors I once knew were wrong?
Am I "clean" only on the outside?
God doesn't want part of you. He wants all of you—cleansed, consecrated, and surrendered.
Prayer for Renewal and Cleansing
God, I don't want to be a stench in Your nostrils. If I've grown numb to sin—wake me up. If I've settled in spiritual filth—pull me out. Cleanse my heart, renew my mind, and make me holy. I want to live in a way that brings You joy, not grief. In Jesus' name, Amen.