Learning to Love, Learning to Hate
BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: He preserveth the souls of His saints; He delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.” Psalm 97:10
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
This may come as a surprise to you, but just because you’re a Christian doesn’t mean you’re supposed to love everything.
Now, we hear that Christians are to be a people of love, and that is true. But did you know that if you’re a Christian, not only must you learn to love, but you also must learn to hate?
If you love God, then you are to hate what God hates. It is true in every realm. If you love flowers, you hate weeds. If you love health, you hate germs. If you love God, you hate evil. It is just that plain.
Romans 12:9b tells us in even stronger terms to “abhor that which is evil.” A hypocrite, something none of us want to be, is someone who says he loves God, but then he doesn’t hate sin.
ACTION POINT:
Don’t tell others you love God if you don’t hate that which nailed His Son to the cross.
“Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: He preserveth the souls of His saints; He delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.” Psalm 97:10
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
This may come as a surprise to you, but just because you’re a Christian doesn’t mean you’re supposed to love everything.
Now, we hear that Christians are to be a people of love, and that is true. But did you know that if you’re a Christian, not only must you learn to love, but you also must learn to hate?
If you love God, then you are to hate what God hates. It is true in every realm. If you love flowers, you hate weeds. If you love health, you hate germs. If you love God, you hate evil. It is just that plain.
Romans 12:9b tells us in even stronger terms to “abhor that which is evil.” A hypocrite, something none of us want to be, is someone who says he loves God, but then he doesn’t hate sin.
ACTION POINT:
Don’t tell others you love God if you don’t hate that which nailed His Son to the cross.
~Adrian Rogers~
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Once again we see Joab being controlled by his anger as he kills Amasa (whom David has appointed over the army). But when Joab reaches the city of Abel, where Sheba is gathering men against David, we're told that a "wise woman" seeks him out with advice. Surprisingly, Joab listens to this woman and agrees to back off of attacking the city when she tells Joab that she will make sure the offender he is pursuing, Sheba, is killed. The woman follows through on her word, dissipating the situation and saving the entire city of Abel. What a wonderful reminder of how important it is for us to think through the best approach to a situation rather than responding based on our emotions of the moment.
How do you typically respond in the heat of the moment? Do you seek God's counsel? Are you willing to listen to advice from others when your emotions are running high?
~Tami~
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A Strong Heart
"Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD" (Psalm 27:14).
Wait! Wait! Let your waiting be on the LORD! He is worth waiting for. He never disappoints the waiting soul. While waiting keep up your spirits, Expect a great deliverance, and be ready to praise God for it. The promise which should cheer you is in the middle of the verse -- "He shall strengthen thine heart." This goes at once to the place where you need help. If the heart be sound, all the rest of the system will work well. The heart wants calming and cheering, and both of these will come if it be strengthened. A forceful heart rests and rejoices and throbs force into the whole man. No one else can get at that secret urn of life, the heart, so as to pour strength into it. He alone who made it can make it strong. God is full of strength, and, therefore, He can impart it to those who need it. Oh, be brave; for the LORD will impart His strength to you, and you shall be calm in tempest and glad in sorrow. He who penned these lines can write as David did -- "Wait, I say, on the LORD." I do, indeed, say it. I know by long and deep experience that it is good for me to wait upon the LORD.
~Charles Spurgeon~!
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Exposing the Permissive Will of God
The distinction between the sovereign will of God and the permissive will of God is fraught with peril and tends to generate untold confusion.
In ordinary language, the term permission suggests some sort of positive sanction. To say that God "allows" or "permits" evil does not mean that He sanctions it in the sense that He approves of it. It is easy to discern that God never permits sin in the sense that He sanctions it in His creatures.
What is usually meant by divine permission is that God simply lets it happen. That is, He does not directly intervene to prevent its happening. Here is where grave dangers lurk. Some theologies view this drama as if God were impotent to do anything about human sin.
This view makes man sovereign, not God. God is reduced to the role of spectator or cheerleader, by which God's exercise in providence is that of a helpless Father who, having done all He can do, must now sit back and simply hope for the best. He permits what He cannot help but permit because He has no sovereign power over it. This ghastly view is not merely a defective view of theism; it is unvarnished atheism.
Coram Deo: Living in the Presence of God
How has a false view of God's permissive will affected your Christian walk in the past? Do you have a different view of His permissive will now? How will it affect your walk in the future?
For Further Study
John 7:17: "If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority."
Psalm 37:23: "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way."
Psalm 27:11: "Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies."
~R. C. Sproul~
___________________________
Direct My Paths
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6
My mom and dad are dealing with a huge plumbing problem. The main pipe that carries their hot water from the garage to the kitchen broke underneath the cement slab. They knew something was wrong when their tile floor was warming their feet. Because we have earthquake building codes, the plumbers cannot fix the problem by digging down, but only by rerouting the pipe through the ceilings. This has caused a major upheaval to their home. The laundry room, downstairs bathroom, family room, kitchen, dining room and even the closet where they store all the Christmas decorations have been affected. All of their personal belongings are out of the cabinets and closets, and are on the couches, tables and floor. Then there are the new large holes in the ceilings and closets with dust from the holes everywhere. The plumbers have tried to be considerate by placing plastic over their personal belongings and a walkway runner on the rugs, but with all the work and workers, it is impossible to keep the décor a priority.
Well, my mother has handled it very well, all things considered but… there are times she finds herself overwhelmed with the situation. She has continued to ask the Lord to help her and to remain peaceful through it all (including the cold showers for days). God has been so faithful to hear her prayers. The other night, she went to bed praying about the pipes and when she woke up, she heard this in her mind:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your
own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him,
And He shall redirect your pipes.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (bold words are paraphrased)
The Word of God is active and living. If we put His Word into our minds and meditate on it, God has the ability to bring it back in each and every situation to maintain peace in your life. God is so good to us. He hears every prayer and cares about every circumstance. Trust in Him and He will direct your paths, and even your pipes, if you include Him.
~Daily Disciples Devotional~
In ordinary language, the term permission suggests some sort of positive sanction. To say that God "allows" or "permits" evil does not mean that He sanctions it in the sense that He approves of it. It is easy to discern that God never permits sin in the sense that He sanctions it in His creatures.
What is usually meant by divine permission is that God simply lets it happen. That is, He does not directly intervene to prevent its happening. Here is where grave dangers lurk. Some theologies view this drama as if God were impotent to do anything about human sin.
This view makes man sovereign, not God. God is reduced to the role of spectator or cheerleader, by which God's exercise in providence is that of a helpless Father who, having done all He can do, must now sit back and simply hope for the best. He permits what He cannot help but permit because He has no sovereign power over it. This ghastly view is not merely a defective view of theism; it is unvarnished atheism.
Coram Deo: Living in the Presence of God
How has a false view of God's permissive will affected your Christian walk in the past? Do you have a different view of His permissive will now? How will it affect your walk in the future?
For Further Study
John 7:17: "If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority."
Psalm 37:23: "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way."
Psalm 27:11: "Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies."
~R. C. Sproul~
___________________________
Direct My Paths
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6
My mom and dad are dealing with a huge plumbing problem. The main pipe that carries their hot water from the garage to the kitchen broke underneath the cement slab. They knew something was wrong when their tile floor was warming their feet. Because we have earthquake building codes, the plumbers cannot fix the problem by digging down, but only by rerouting the pipe through the ceilings. This has caused a major upheaval to their home. The laundry room, downstairs bathroom, family room, kitchen, dining room and even the closet where they store all the Christmas decorations have been affected. All of their personal belongings are out of the cabinets and closets, and are on the couches, tables and floor. Then there are the new large holes in the ceilings and closets with dust from the holes everywhere. The plumbers have tried to be considerate by placing plastic over their personal belongings and a walkway runner on the rugs, but with all the work and workers, it is impossible to keep the décor a priority.
Well, my mother has handled it very well, all things considered but… there are times she finds herself overwhelmed with the situation. She has continued to ask the Lord to help her and to remain peaceful through it all (including the cold showers for days). God has been so faithful to hear her prayers. The other night, she went to bed praying about the pipes and when she woke up, she heard this in her mind:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your
own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him,
And He shall redirect your pipes.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (bold words are paraphrased)
The Word of God is active and living. If we put His Word into our minds and meditate on it, God has the ability to bring it back in each and every situation to maintain peace in your life. God is so good to us. He hears every prayer and cares about every circumstance. Trust in Him and He will direct your paths, and even your pipes, if you include Him.
~Daily Disciples Devotional~
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