Four Things God Hates

​St. Augustine wrote in Augustine Confessions: 
"Thus they hate the truth for the sake of that other thing which they love because they take it for truth. They love truth when it enlightens them, they hate truth when it accuses them. Because they do not wish to be deceived and do wish to deceive, they love truth when it reveals itself, and hate it when it reveals them."
We like genuineness when it suits or helps us, but not so much when it exposes us or shows our wrong motives or conduct. Perhaps that is why there is a Jewish parable that says, “Truth is heavy, so few men carry it.”

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Regardless of how we feel about truth, Winston Churchill proclaimed, “The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.”  And maybe that is why we should understand that Almighty God, pure and holy, compelled His prophet Zechariah to teach his rebellious countrymen important lessons about veracity.
 
Meditation
Zechariah 8:16-17—These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another; make true and sound decisions within your gates. Do not plot evil in your hearts against your neighbor, and do not love perjury, for I hate all this”—this is the Lord’s declaration.
 
God hates it when people lie, make false and unsound decisions, plot evil against their neighbors and commit perjury.  Three of those four deal directly with truth. All four things cause harm by damaging lives. So we would be wise to obey God and to treat people well by honest living.  

I enjoy setting goals at the beginning of each year and then reviewing them at the end to see how I fared. Part of that review also means conducting a life inventory.  How did I do overall?  What could I have done differently or better?  What do I need to change?  What do I need to preserve?  

One area this next year that I know I need to put more focus on is making true and sound decisions within my gate!  I made some decisions this year that hurt people because they were unsound.  As an activator it is not hard for me to make quick decisions and move out.  To make true and sound decisions sometimes means putting on the brakes and being more thoughtful. It means not letting emotions run ahead of wise reasoning.  The Holy Spirit is a perfect Guidance Counselor. Nothing that comes from Him will be untrue or unsound.  

How about you?  What area of truth in your life needs addressing?   Examine the four things and ask Him to help you remove what He hates.  Something to think about . . . in reveration!  
 
Inspiration
Each area of your life where truth is not ruling has for its substitute an “activity of error.”—Francis Frangipane in Holiness, Truth and the Presence of God
 
©2021 Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)