DATE WRITTEN: Thursday, 2021-05-27
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Proverbs 6:16-19
TRANSLATION: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹⁶ The Lord hates these seven things:
¹⁷     eyes that show pride,
    tongues that tell lies,
    hands that kill innocent people,
¹⁸     hearts that plan evil things to do,
    feet that run to do evil,
¹⁹     witnesses in court who tell lies,
    and anyone who causes family members to fight.

APPLICATION: As a child we learn very quickly to avoid those things that our parents hate, or strongly oppose. In school we tend to do the same in respect to our teachers. And of course, we especially try very hard not to provoke our lifetime partner in life, our spouse, from becoming upset over us doing those things they hate. But what about God? We tend to hear more about His sacrifice; His commands; His direction to His disciples and other Bible saints; and His unconditional love for us. But in the Proverbs today we are given some things that God hates, and I believe it deserves our undivided attention:
~ Eyes that show pride, or prideful eyes, as some translations read. Jesus was the most humble person on earth, and we are to imitate Him, so where might pride come from? Satan reinforces this characteristic in those that He wants to lead astray, so he makes them proud of their personal achievements, and convinces them that they needed no help arriving at their goals. For the Christian, we recognize the source of all good things, and we live in subjection to our King. There is no room for pride, without first recognizing our source of life and all that has been provided for us by Him;
~ A tongue that tells lies – One of the names that Jesus is called in the New Testament is ‘Truth’. So when we seek to know the truth about something, we must first consult Truth – the one Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The world is known for its lies as a primary source of deception. If you belong to God, then you listen to Him and act like Him in telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth;
~ Hands that kill innocent people – Murder is never acceptable by God. He taught us to never do this in the Commandments He gave to Moses for the Israelites, and now it is reemphasized by Solomon in the Proverbs. No matter how wrong someone is, and no matter how much we learn to dislike them, we have no right to take the life of an innocent man created by God;
~ Hearts that plan evil deeds – God is in control, and not us. He will revenge the guilty, so there is no need for us to plan evil against anyone. Live like Jesus and seek to do good during your lifetime and love one another, just as Christ loved us;
~ Feet that run to do evil – Just as in the previous point, God despises the looks of evil, so anything we do to create an atmosphere of evil is an abomination to God;
~ Witnesses in court who tell lies – Witnesses in most courts will be sworn to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. How dare us make a sworn promise to God that we will tell the truth, then turn around and lie. I’m surprised that God don’t strike those guilty of this sin down right on the spot, like He did to Ananias and Sapphire;
~ Anyone who causes a family to fight – Many families are struggling to get along today. Often it is caused by at least one of the sins mentioned in this list. However, it takes one member deliberately trying to provoke trouble, arguments, and all sorts of unrest to create disharmony and internal fights among family members. God is not happy with such family members – in fact, He hates the idea of anyone causing fights among His loving family units.
FRIENDS, if you are trying to live a Godly life, then you will make every effort to seek God – His power, His wisdom, and His mercy to help you live like He intended, and not as Satan and his cohorts of this world lives. God will help you do that, if you call on Him to guide you.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God loves us way too much to see His children fail in life. He only hates our actions when He recognizes that we are trying to live life under our own terms. Keep this list handy so that you will quickly recognize when you are guilty of something that God hates!

PRAYER: Oh Lord my God, thank You for creating perfect individuals! Thank You also for not giving up on us when we fail. Today we have learned about the things You hate. Please strengthen us and embolden us to stand firm in our faith, and live lives disciplined to please You in every aspect of life. Many others need the Lord. May they see You so vividly in us that they will be encouraged to seek You while You still may be found. Please bless my readers today with a new invigorating faith and desire to live like You and serve You faithfully until You return to take us home to glory! AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!