7 Things God Hates Feet Swift in Running to Evil – #5
God hates feet swift in running to evil.
Proverbs tells us that God hates feet that are swift in running to evil. In the book of Proverbs, Solomon writes about wisdom, prudence, understanding, and how to live. He specifically mentions six things God hates, actually seven that are detestable to Him.
As a child and even as I grew older, I assumed those things were not something of which a Christian could be guilty. For God hates sin, and those of us who belong to Him could not possibly be guilty of doing or being something He hates! Wrong, wrong, wrong.
Recently, I decided to take a close look at all seven of these things. I’ve read this scripture every year for the past dozen years, but I’ve never dug deep under the soil of these verses to find what is hidden there. Join me on this seven-week journey to learn more about the things God hates – and why.
Running toward evil
Holiness and evil cannot coincide. Either we want holiness or we want evil. That sounds harsh, but it’s true. Feet swift in running to evil are not wanting to live in holiness. God hates feet running to evil. Why would He not?! Evil is the opposite of Who He is!
In actuality, if we are not running to holiness, we are running to evil. We cannot stand still, be stagnate, or at a stalemate. We are heading one direction or the other.
Our natural inclination is to go toward evil. Because we are born with a sin nature, our bent is toward evil. Like gravity, our sin nature pulls us down.
The solution
There is an answer to the dilemma, and that is to change the bent. It’s not that we won’t continue to struggle, be challenged, or tempted, but we will have the power to go the other way. This power is Resurrection power, and it is ours to claim when we belong to God. The same power that brought Jesus back from the dead is available to us for daily living!
When we claim and receive that power, our bent toward sin and evil changes. That power is ours for the asking. ‘Trouble is, we try to do things our own way and in our own strength. Instead, we must reckon with who we are without Christ and receive Him.
We must recognize the natural tendency, recognize the things that are strongholds and pull us down, and choose to set up boundaries in order to guard our hearts. In addition, we must have a plan of action for the temptations that come. We must be prepared so we can combat temptations we face. Be alert, and be prepared!
Rejecting our sin nature, acknowledging our sin and sinfulness, asking forgiveness, and choosing to live in the light of Jesus gives us the power to turn the other way and run away from evil. What a way to live!
