Today's Verse: Psalm 97:10

Thursday, February 7, 1946

Celebrating 30 Years of Heartlight!

See highlights from 30 years of Heartlight and plans for the future of this ministry.

30 Years of Heartlight
Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Now you can listen to Today's Verse on iTunes, Spotify, Echo devices, and more!

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Hate - what a bold and powerful word. Jesus does not want us to hate people, not even our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48). However, we MUST HATE evil and the evil one. While balancing our hatred of the evil one with our love for others can be challenging, it is absolutely vital. Evil is here because of the evil one - the champion of hate, lies, murder, and death (John 8:44). We can and must daily pray for deliverance from evil and the evil one (Matthew 5:13). So, when evil rears its ugly head, let's be courageous and oppose the evil one and his work. As we resist the evil one, he will flee from us (James 4:7) as we draw near to God and are strengthened by his presence (James 4:8; Hebrews 10:22). Let's choose to be used by God to be redemptive as we pray for those trapped by evil and the evil one's tentacles. In so doing, we are not overcome by evil and the evil one, but we overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21).

My Prayer...

Almighty God, make my heart pained by the evil in the world around me. Please also give me a holy revulsion to things opposed to your will and character that emanate from the evil one and propagate evil in your world. At the same time, dear Father, I know that you redeemed me by grace and rescued me while I was a captive to sin and the evil one. So, please give me the courage and compassion to care for those in the evil one's embrace and are captive to his evil ways. Please bless me as I try to balance my absolute disdain for the evil one and my love for those who have been hurt and made captive by his evil ways. Through Jesus, my Savior, I pray. Amen.

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

1 Related Resource by Heartlight

Illustration

Illustration of Psalm 97:10 — Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Thursday, February 7, 1946

A daily guide from the gospels that challenges readers to live for Jesus.
"[Jesus continued,] "I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be..."
A daily devotional about God's power for our battles.
"When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his...."
A daily devotional featuring wise counsel found in Scripture.
"The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after him."
A daily dose of Christian quotes to inspire and encourage.
"When you come to the end of all the light you know, and it's time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things will happen:..."

About This Devotional

Today's Verse is a free daily devotional that includes a Bible verse, thought and prayer.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.