Proverbs 4:14-17 – God-haters
How often does friendship with those who hate God damage our own faithfulness and love of God! Their path is so contrary to the one God has told us to follow that to even take a step down it is to forsake the way of God. Their very character imitates their father, the devil – first they are sinners, then tempters. To cause trouble is what they live for. With almost inexhaustible enthusiasm they try to hurt God and the people of God. They don’t care to what extremes they go, as long as they can drag others with them. The history of the Church is full of those who tirelessly pursue God’s people. Have they all disappeared? Are there none like this in our town? We are not speaking of those who do not know God and are dead in their sins with no interest in God; we are talking of those who actively hate God and hate God’s people and are happiest when they can hurt and destroy anything to do with God. We are, perhaps, naive if we think they do not exist anymore, that this is a tolerant age and the time of persecution is past. The more open and forthright we are about what we believe, the more these people will be revealed to us. They do not show their hatred openly because they have no need to, they are not threatened by any outspoken Christians, the churches are too silent. But if the people of God started speaking more openly of the things of God, rest assured that the enemies of God would surface.
So, how can we protect ourselves from these God-haters? First, by prayer. Second, by doing what God wants. If we are busy serving God we will have no time for those who try to persuade us to turn from Him. We will see their path for what it is, and we will avoid it, we will flee from anyone or anything that keeps us from following God.
Questions
- What do those who hate God try to do?
- How can we protect ourselves from those who hate God?
Prayer Points
- Pray that God would protect our young people from temptation.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.