“The Lord hates what evil people do, but He loves those who do what is right.” (Proverbs 15:9).
As confident as we can be that evil and those who are evil are never approved of by God … to that same degree we can be confident and encouraged by the truth of knowing He loves those who do right! Yes, the Lord hates what evil people do and so do we, don’t we?
- Who among us has not found ourselves in that place where we say, how did I get to this point? I can’t believe I said that … or thought that … or did that?
- Who among us enjoys being evil-spoken of?
- And who among us is not disheartened by the willingness of others to believe untruths and falsehoods without even asking us how/why?
- Who among us really enjoys being mistreated by others, whether by family, friends, co-workers … or even other Christians?
- Who among us really gets comfortable with all of the violence in the world, in our own country, our own cities, our own schools, our own neighborhoods?
- And who among us really enjoys betrayal … at the hands of a mate, a child, a parent, a friend, or a brother/sister in Christ?
You see, our hearts are tender … the wounds can seem to last forever … the hurt, the disappointment, the heartache are sometimes just more than we believe we can take! Are you with me on these thoughts? Are you reading and reflecting on their truth in your own life? Every one of us has been to this lonely, dark, and difficult place … and it’s just no fun!
The central issue to any future peace is found in forgiveness … of others … and of self! It is making the decision to no longer be a prisoner to something … to someone else … or to some past event! We need to realize that living without forgiving leads to bitterness, isolation and misery. This is the time of year where gifts are often exchanged between family members and those we love. Opening the box that has forgiveness inside is the gift that will keep on giving … for both here and eternity!
Our verse affirms that “The Lord hates what evil people do.” But the next part is where we should really be focusing our hearts and minds which in turn will affect our thoughts, words and actions in a really good way “… He loves those who do what is right.”
Think long and hard about where you are when it comes to forgiveness … may we learn to become more like our Savior who could say as He hung on the Cross in anguish and pain … seeing through His own blood, sweat and tears the very ones responsible for putting Him up there, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
“Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” (Colossians 3:13, 14).
Bill Fairchild, Jr.
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