“Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.” Psalm‬ ‭139:21-22‬ ‭ESV‬

Having meditated on God’s great love for him, the psalmist reciprocates with great love and loyalty to his Lord. His anger is stirred against those who oppose and blaspheme God’s wonderful name. In deep sympathy with God and His cause, he so identifies himself with the Lord that he hates what God hates and he loves what God loves. He is grieved and distressed by all the evil and immorality around him. It begs the “if, then” statement: IF we too who have truly seen the Lord’s salvation, His loving kindness and tender mercies; THEN we should find no love within ourselves for the world’s values, belief system, and ungodly ways.

Ponder what you love. Remember Lot’s wife. The psalmist continues with, “Search me, O God”. It’s an appropriate prayer for every believer. The heart is deceitfully wicked, “search me and know me! Know my heart and look in there and see if there’s any wickedness!” A little leaven, leavens the whole lump. Any amount of love for something other than the Lord first, has an opportunity to draw us away from Him. The love for the world and it’s ways, selfish ambitions, unrighteous endeavors choke out the Word. Ponder what you hate. What you hate reveals a lot. Do you hate sin and disobedience? Let the Spirit reveal what you love and what you hate- for where your treasure is, there will be your heart. #runyourrace

To Learn More About Pastor Crystal please visit the Leadership Page