Bible reading: Proverbs 6:16-19
Dear friend, we are on a journey to understand and know God. As part of this journey, we will meditate on the various attributes of our dear God. The Bible is the best place to learn about God. Our God himself wrote 66 books in the Bible to show the world who He is. God is a person with a personality. He has a character. He is loving, kind, Holy, righteous, and ever-forgiving. The Bible teaches about what God likes, dislikes, and hates. Today we will meditate about things God hates.
Why do we need to know what God hates?
Understanding what God hates helps us to live a life in a way pleasing to Him. Doing things that God hates leaves us far away from his presence. Our prayers filled with weeping and crying never reach His glorious heaven. We might ask, seek and knock on the doors of heaven. But it might remain shut forever until we search our hearts and realize our past mistakes. Hence it is important to search the word of God and understand the things God hates.
Things God hates in our life
God hates when we worship any other God. The Bible says, “Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole beside the altar you build to the Lord your God, and do not erect a sacred stone, for these the Lord your God hates.” – Deuteronomy 16:21-22
He hates when people have multiple Gods in their life. The other Gods in our life could be money, status, or earthly positions. We might end up worshiping money more than anything else. God hates when we worship anything other than himself. He is our God. He alone is worthy to be praised and worshipped.
God Hates those who love violence
The Bible says, “The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion.” – Proverbs 11:5. Come what may, God is our judge. We can’t attack someone by taking the judgment in our hands. God says, “For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us. the Lord is our judge” – Isaiah 33:22
Six Things God Hates
There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community. – Proverbs 6:16-19
God hates a person with arrogant behavior with pride or someone who looks down on others. The Bible says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Pride could be a silent internal enemy living within our hearts. It could be silently living within our life for many years. Jesus can search our hearts and show us who we are and how we have behaved in our past.
God hates the lying tongue and false witnesses who tell lies. Lying has become common in our personal, professional, and even religious circles. We even classify it as a white lie and lie. A white lie is termed a good lie (told for a good cause) and is widely accepted. But the Bible says God hates lying lips. Unlike us, who classify lies as white lies, and black lies, God combines everything as lies.
God hates when innocent blood is shed. Many children are getting killed. These are innocent children. They do not know what is right or wrong. They are killed before even born. Their parents say they have not planned it. The mothers say the baby was conceived a mistake and it is an accident. We can argue and debate what is right and wrong. But God hates the one who sheds innocent blood.
God hates those, who come up with wicked schemes and the feet that rush to do evil. They could be highly successful. They can achieve a lot more than all their peers. But Jesus knows everyone’s heart. The Bible says, “A person may think their own ways are right, but the LORD weighs the heart.” We might think we are right in cheating others. But God searches every heart and judges every act planned in our hearts.
Finally, God hates those who cause unrest in communities. God created all of us as one family. He never created communities based on color, nationality, sect, religion, and caste. For Him, all of us His dear children. God expects us to live in harmony. He is the God of peace.
Dear friend, let’s go to the presence of God and ask Him to search our hearts. King David wrote in Bible, “Search me, 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.” Let this be our prayer today. Jesus wants to help us to walk in ways that please Him.
Let’s pray to Jesus. Please place your hand on your heart and call upon the name of Jesus. Pray the below prayer along with us.
Dear Jesus, I come to you with a humble heart. You are my God. You alone can search my heart and reveal all my thoughts. I want to live a life pleasing to you. I want to follow you with all my heart. Please show me if I am hurting you in any way. Like a father corrects his children, please correct my ways. Please lead me. Forgive all my past mistakes. Jesus, keep me away from lying. I do not want to have any other God in my life apart from you. I do not want to serve money or any other possession. You are my portion. I want to hold on to you forever. I believe in you. I put all my faith in you. In the mighty name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Dear friend, Jesus loves you. He wants to reveal to you more about Him. If you want to know more about the God who created the heaven and the earth please continue to seek Him. Search for him in the early morning. Cry out to Him. He is our savior and answers to all our prayers. He is our hope. May Jesus bless you and continue to lead you.