Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate.  Therefore, let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach.  For we have no continuing city here, but we seek one to come.

 
 
 

Going to Jesus

Daily Thoughts

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Thought for Today
Aug. 15

THE SEVEN ABOMINATIONS, PART FIVE

"These six things doth the Lord hate; yea, seven are an abomination to Him."
David, to his young son Solomon, in Proverbs 6:16

This is the fifth of the seven sins concerning which David warned his young son Solomon that God especially hates.

"FEET SWIFT IN RUNNING TO MISCHIEF"

King Saul practiced "mischief" against David when he tried to capture and kill the righteous young man (1Sam. 23:9). Saul was being unjust and unreasonable. A Syrian king named Hadad is said to have done mischief against Solomon because he abhorred Israel (1Kgs. 11:25). David said that wicked men may speak peace to their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts (Ps. 28:3). Solomon said that God's favor is with the man who earnestly desires to know and to do what is good, "but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come to him" (Prov. 11:27). And when the mischief that a wicked man pursues does "come to him", it comes to him from God, and it will fill his life with misery (Prov. 12:21). Mischief causes trouble for all concerned, and those who love trouble are already in trouble-with God.

The root cause of falling into mischief is a lack of the fear of God (Prov. 28:14). The fear of God will keep us from entertaining the spirit of mischief, for the fear of God is to hate evil. Those who do not fear God cannot hate evil, and their minds are constantly searching for new ways to sin; they even lie awake at night devising new mischievous schemes (Ps. 36:1-4). Sad as it is to see, some of God's own people drift so far away from His love that in their hearts they, as Satan once did in heaven, begin to conspire to work mischief against others in their heavenly Father's kingdom. They cause trouble among the saints with their strange thoughts and self-willed deeds. God said that His children work mischief against Him when they pursue the ways of other gods instead of maintaining His righteous paths (Hos. 7:13-16). Whenever any child of God in this covenant fails to walk in the Spirit, he is following the spirit of mischief, which always leads to trouble.

It is clear from the Scriptures that mischievousness is evil. It is as much evil as peacefulness is good. Mischief brings about an end of peace; it is pursued by those who do not want peace. Mischief is made for the saints by those who set themselves in opposition to the beauty and love that God brings into the lives of fallen man. Jesus said, "Blessed are the peace makers, for they shall be called the children of God" (Mt. 5:9). I dare to add, "Cursed are the mischief makers, for they shall be called the children of the devil."

Peace is precious. Without it, the children of God cannot learn, cannot grow in the knowledge of their heavenly Father, cannot attain to fellowship in the light. Mischief stirs up trouble and prevents peacefulness from being established in the family of God. Those who run toward mischief are running right into the hands of a furious God, a God who loves His children and will utterly destroy the peace breakers with an eternity of worse misery than they have brought upon others. Whether it be a backslidden believer or an unconverted sinner, all who run swiftly toward mischief are an abomination to God, just as all who strive to make peace are His delight.

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