Scripture

Psalm 97:10 (CEB)

Those of you who love the LORD, hate evil! God guards the lives of his faithful ones, delivering them from the power of the wicked.

Consider

How would you define “the wicked”? The psalms and proverbs of the Bible often describe the wicked in contrast to the godly—two extremes of the human condition, one hopeless and without God, the other secure in the knowledge and friendship of God.

In a broader sense, “the wicked” could also be any thing that entices us away from God and God’s ways. Money, sex, and power are obvious pursuits that can be perverted into temptations that lead us away from God into dark paths.

Temptations to abandon God’s ways also can arise from less obvious sources. Our love relationships, political interests, ethnic pride, denominational loyalty, dedication to career, or passion for a social cause may be good and wholesome concerns when Christ is lord of our lives. But in each of these arenas, the power of the wicked can twist our motives toward selfish acts and attitudes. For example, our passion for social justice may tempt us to ridicule or attack those who disagree with us. We may excuse jealous outbursts as evidence of love, or justify the neglect of family by claiming a strong work ethic. Often in very subtle ways, we give “the wicked” power over our lives and relationships, forsaking what we know to be right and good for an evil alternative.

In our psalm verse, God promises to guard and deliver us from the power of the wicked if we will hate evil and reject it as an alternative. The best way to reject evil is to fill ourselves with God—by reading God’s Word, thinking about God’s laws, and praying to know God more intimately. As love for God fills us, the wicked in our lives will be crowded out, losing its grip on our hearts and its power over our desires and our relationships.

Pray

FATHER, I praise you for your good and righteous ways that never move, never change. Help me to recognize “the wicked” in my life and to notice its power to lead me away from you. Alert me when my feet take me down a wrong path. Awaken me to your faithful presence. Fill me with your Spirit that I may learn to hate what is evil and serve only you.

Reflect

Proverbs 4:14; Amos 5:14-15; Matthew 6:13

Ponder

How might reading the Bible weaken the power of the wicked over you?