Focus: Proverbs 10:12 - KJV
12. Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.
1 Peter 4:7-11
Hatred is simply defined as intense dislike or ill will. It is some kind of resentment felt for a fellow being borne, perhaps, out of some form of offense or misgiving. When hatred is found in one, it brings strife and disdain in the heart of one towards another and at times the feelings are mutual. This however, is not the way of the Lord. As for the Lord, because He is Love, He would rather forgive an offender and go to any length to bring the same back into fellowship with Himself. He wants us to do the same. Hence, when we take up the attribute of love, it covers all sins that anyone may have committed against us and sees the person, not with strife or eyes full of hatred, but with the heart full of love and compassion.
What love does is to heal all wounds. It is never proud, neither is it self-seeking. Those who live in hatred may not realize it, but they do so strife because of the pride in them, not allowing their hurt to be cast away. How do we explain the kind of hurt that caused Cain to kill his brother, Abel? It’s just the hatred he allowed to build up that must have accounted for the final blow. But see Esau: when his brother hurt him sore, he swore to kill his brother. However, over time, he allowed love to take over his heart, and rather than kill his brother when he met him, he received him with a kiss instead. Love covered in him, the sin that Jacob committed. This is what the Lord expects of us all. If there be any hatchet, we are to leave it for God to deal with even as we bury our hatchets. No matter what we think anyone has done, it is important we know that God is the righteous judge and not any of us.
Beloved, there is a height of love that the Lord wants us to attain. It is the height where we are able to let go and let God. No wonder He says if we discover that any one has a hurt against us as we go to the altar to give an offering, and we recall it, we should first put our offering aside by the altar and reconcile with the same first. A refusal to eschew hatred is a barrier to godliness in the way the Lord prescribes. Please allow love to reign in your heart. If it does, everything that you considered hurtful hitherto, would fizzle out and you will soon be able to embrace the one you think you hate and somehow, he may be more important in your fulfilment of destiny. Who knows: all the hatred that you feel may just be the program of the enemy for you to miss that great place the Lord had preplanned for you.
SOLUTION: Never say never! Please let bygones be bygone. Never allow hatred to destroy you in any way. Rather embrace the spirit of love and let it rule your affairs, that you may forgive and forget all hurt, so that you may do the good that the Lord has purposed for your life. Love, hate not.
Please pray: Father, as difficult as it may be for me in this hurting part of my life, help me to forgive and forget, that your love may reign again in my life, in Jesus’ name. Please Lord, let me by your power, reconcile with everyone that had hurt me in the past, in Jesus’ name. By this new position, take me to the heights you had prepared for me that had been difficult to attain, now, in Jesus’ name.
If you are blessed by this post, kindly share with your contacts, as well as others, that they may be blessed also. Thank you and may God bless you abundantly as you do so, in Jesus’ name.
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