Daily Devotional

-February 7, 2021-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

-Love The Lord, Hate Evil-

“You who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.”

(Psalm 97:10).

We live in a sinful, evil, and wicked world. We as believers are called to be light and salt in this world. People should know we are Christians by our love. Jesus said, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. As believers we are to be wise, have insight, looking to to the Lord for help; we are also to be as innocent sheep and harmless as doves.

We who love the Lord must hate evil. It is hard to look around us and see all the terrible things happening in the world today. There is fine distinction that we must be mindful of: love the sinner but hate their sin. It should bother us when we hear of crime, especially against children and the elderly, injustice in any form, and oppression and corruption by those in authority.

Paul wrote in Romans 12:9, “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” He also said, “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men” (Romans 12:17). We are in this world but we are not of it. Our home and citizenship is in heaven.

2 Peter 2:7-8 tells us of Lot, “And delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds).” Lot was a believer, albeit a carnal and weak one, Peter nonetheless calls him righteous Lot, and describes him as a righteous man with a righteous soul. It was not easy living in Sodom and Gomorrah, and it is not easy for us to live in our world today. It is oppressive and uncomfortable. We are like fish out of water.

This should keep us on our knees and praying for our government leaders and for more souls to be saved in these last days. Time is short and the task of evangelism is great. Our words of testimony and witness are so needed. We also must make sure our lives back up what we say. Let us remember to love the Lord and hate evil. He will preserve and deliver us from the hand of the wicked just as delivered and preserved the Jews from wicked Haman in the book of Esther.

Have a blessed day loving God and hating evil. Let your life be like light and salt. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean