…You Who Love the Lord
2004 : Week 47 | Website Version
Today’s verse, like so much of the Bible, is direct and to the point. It allows for no varied interpretations, and the reader must determine to heed the Lord’s instruction on the matter. We are looking at verse 10 of Psalm 97, which states,
“Hate evil, you who love the Lord…”
It’s such a direct statement, that it might catch us off guard. So much of today’s world is based on relative standards. People often qualify things as good or bad, based on circumstances and other variables. By doing so, they blur the standard of right and wrong and good and evil that continues to exist. Rather then stating things for what they clearly are, the world is immersed in a gray fog that attempts to keep us from seeing the truth.
The reality is that a standard of truth continues to exist, regardless of what people think. Truth, God’s truth, stands unaffected by human notions of what it should be. Our standards can change from moment to moment, but God’s standards have never shifted. They continue to be carved in stone, and while people may fear to take a stand for the truth today, our God remains steadfast in His proclamation that truth exists. He is unmoved by dissenters on this issue, and He doesn’t try to appease an opposing viewpoint by watering down His words.
Our verse today reminds us that evil exists, but that leads to the logical question of, how do we know what is evil? Not surprisingly, the answer is found in the words of the Bible. There we receive the Lord’s guidance and instruction on these matters and how we are to live. In some cases, the Lord has left us with direct statements to explicitly advise us about what is bad and what is good.
In other cases, the Holy Spirit will guide us by giving us discernment. Our verse today seems to hold an important message to teach us about discerning right and wrong. It’s easy for our eyes to be drawn to the first part of the verse that states, ‘Hate evil’, but the second part must not be neglected, since it is of utmost importance. The second part states, “…you who love the Lord.”
Loving the Lord should be our first goal. The more we love the Lord, the more we draw closer to Him. The closer we are to Him, the more we see His light, goodness and truth. The more we see His light, goodness and truth, the more we can see things in ourselves and our world that are not light, goodness and truth.
Perhaps that’s the deeper message of this brief verse; that we are to spend our time falling in love with God and drawing closer to Him. By loving the Lord in a deep and powerful way, we cannot have room in our hearts to accommodate evil. A similar point is being made in Psalm 101 verse 4, “A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will know no evil.” (NASB) If our hearts are filled with a love for God, they will not crave evil.
As Christians the Lord has blessed us with an ability to discern what is right and wrong. By loving Him and drawing closer to Him, we will be able to continue to develop our sensitivity to what His will is for our lives. Love the Lord more with each passing day; He will make sure your spirit is in tune with His standards and truths. By His Holy Spirit living within us, we will be led down paths of righteousness.
May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you today and always…
