Devotion
Release your anger
David Jacobs
In my younger and more rash years, I would often use the word 'hate' to describe things: "hate it when it is cold", "hate flying", "hate this song." What a negative energy it is to use such a strong word, a word that is the opposite of love! It took me some time to realize how often I was using the word 'hate', and took more time for me to learn to stop using the word hate. This Psalm and the teachings of Christ were two major reasons I started working towards removing the word from my lexicon.
It may seem that cursing the wicked and our enemies is noble in a way, but I am struck by the vocabulary used in these verses. Can you imagine Jesus speaking like this? Of course not! Look up how many people Christ says you can hate; better yet, I will save you the time and tell you: none. Nobody. Zero. You should not hate your enemies according to Christ. In fact, you should love them (Matthew 5:44, Luke 6:27-36).
This Psalm of the emotional King David shows how far God's word had evolved by the time of Christ. Jesus' life led to a transformation, but it seems as though David longed for what Jesus would later preach. He claims to hate his enemies and those that hate God. However, in the last verse, he asks God to search him for any wickedness, and lead him in the way everlasting. This verse foreshadows what is to come, generations after but from King David's bloodline. Jesus Christ will teach devout men like Christ, like you, and like me, to do away with the word hate, replacing it with his favorite word: love.
Prayer
All you need is love...love is all you need. –the Beatles
Night Prayer
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Inspiration
We despise the thought of a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. The outside is easy to clean; it's the caked-up residue on the inside that's so difficult to remove. Jesus compares the scribes and Pharisees with dishes that have been wiped clean on the outside while dirty inside. The Pharisees took exceptional care of their outward appearance and neglected their inward spirits. We are guilty of allowing our hearts to be left filthy as well. We look and act as we should while our souls are full of darkness. We must continue to converse with the Holy Spirit daily and trust His guidance to cleanse our sinful nature.
Prayer
Dear God, Please forgive our sinful nature. We yearn for cleansing from within, so we are genuine witnesses to Your name. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
