Do you hate God? - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) October 18, 2022

Deuteronomy 32:41 - when I sharpen my flashing sword and my hand grasps it in judgment, I will take vengeance on my adversaries and repay those who hate me.

Do you hate God? This might seem like a ludicrous question, but we need to learn that it is possible for believers to actually hate God. Such people are described in Deuteronomy 32:15-18 - ...They abandoned the God who made them and rejected the Rock their Savior. They made him jealous with their foreign gods and angered him with their detestable idols. They sacrificed to false gods, which are not God—gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared, gods your ancestors did not fear. You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.

Notice the common denominator? These people were His children who turned away from Him to serve false gods and bow to idols. They allowed their lives to be controlled by things that were not God. And as a result, these people faced His wrath for abandoning Him. According to Deuteronomy 32:19 - The Lord saw this and rejected them because he was angered by his sons and daughters.

How do we - believers - not become like those who hate God? Well, Jesus gives us a pretty good clue in John 14:15 - If you love me, keep my commands. And how do we do this? Matthew 22:37 - Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

We must remember these instructions each day and live them. We can't love God and place the quest for money, fame, or power on par with Him. We can't love God and put our fitness or beauty regimen ahead of Him in order of importance. We can't allow social media or other people to control our lives when God is supposed to be our King. And, we surely must show practical love to others, putting their own needs ahead of ours. That might mean sacrificing a snack so someone else can have their first meal of the day. Or, praying for another person rather than focusing on your own challenges.

May the Lord help each of us to live righteously, to walk in fear and trembling, acting justly, loving mercy and walking humbly before Him. That we may be among the number of those who love and not hate Him when we appear before the judgment seat, IJMN, Amen.

To read old posts related to today's topic:

1. Topic: Love

2. Let Go of Idols - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) May 11, 2021

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