Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 139:19-24
Ps 139:19-24
If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord, and abhor those who rise up against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Acts 26:9-11
"I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests, I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.
The Jewish people were told to destroy all of the people who lived in the land of Canaan. These people worshipped idols and they were the enemies of God, which made them the enemies of the people of God. For David, the real battle was not so much against other kings or nations as it was against the enemies of God. As such, he hated these evildoers and wanted to destroy all of them.
Saul of Tarsus was raised with this same national and religious zeal for God and accompanying hatred for all who opposed the Jewish people and who therefore hated God. The early Christians were teaching against the status quo, and this made them enemies who needed to be stopped and even killed.
We need to have that same zeal for God. No, we are not to hate our enemies. In fact, Jesus said we are to love our enemies and pray for them. But when it comes to hearing people discredit God, blaspheme his holy name, take it in vain, or do anything that dishonors God and his name, we should be stirred and angry. But we should feel compassion, try to teach them, and lead them to Jesus. We show them love and tell them of the mercy and grace of God that can lead them to be forgiven of all of their sins. God loves them. Jesus died for them.
O Lord God, holy and reverend is your name in all the earth. Thank you for loving me when I was not showing any love to you. Give me wisdom and strength to be ready to stand up for you and your name. Thank you for this great nation in which I live and for all of the freedoms I enjoy. Thank you for the good economy over the years that has allowed me to enjoy an abundance. Help me to be willing to use what you have given me to help others when I have the opportunity to do so. Be with those who are sick and those who are grieving. I pray in Jesus’ name.
Robert
