To Love the Lord is to Hate Evil – Ps 101
We can tell a lot about ourselves by what makes us angry and what we hate.
Psalm 97:10 Ye that
love the Lord, hate evil…
In Psalm 101, we see how David’s love for the Lord caused him to want to put away anything that displeased the Lord from his life and his kingdom.
As he sings of mercy and judgment which are foundational to the Lord’s character, he then elaborates on his desire to behave himself wisely and walk within his house with a perfect heart. As a king, he could have abused his power, but instead he led by example, seeking to live a holy life so he could draw close to the Lord. The greatest tragedy of sin is that it hurts our fellowship with God. Notice v.2 ‘O when wilt thou come unto me?’ which is David’s desire for the Lord’s presence.
The remainder of the Psalm is David’s explanation of measures he has taken to live a holy life – putting away wicked things, hating those who turn aside, wanting nothing to do with sin, frowardness, slander, pride, deceit, lies, or wickedness. In particular, David was determine to promote the faithful and the righteous and put away the wicked. He knew that those he had around him would greatly impact his kingdom and his personal life.
So, how determined are we to live in a way that pleases the Lord? If we truly love Him, we will love what He loves and hate what He hates. Will we take serious measures to guard our hearts and to seek to live right. We will be careful who influences us. What wicked thing do we need to put away? What or who is fostering sin, pride, slander, deceit, and sin in us? May God give us wisdom in how to life holy in this wicked and fallen world.
Prayer: Father, thank You for Your mercy and judgment. Thank You for how holy You are. Because You are holy, I want to live holy. I want to draw close to You. Will you help me to have the courage and the strength to put sin to death, to put away wicked things that hurt my fellowship with You. And will You give me wisdom in how I relate to those who do not know you or fear you?