“Hidden Hatred”
Friday, April 4, 2025Key Verse
“He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.” Proverbs 10:18
Text — Proverbs 10:18
Message
The Bible gives us a proper X-ray of the heart in this way “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). A man named Joab, the captain of the army of Israel deceitfully called Amasa “my brother”. Yet in his heart, there was a bitter feeling of jealousy and hatred towards this man. Joab held Amasa close to himself as if he was a friend and wanted to greet him. But there was a sword hidden by his side ready to kill him. What wickedness! He actually killed Amasa because there was hatred hidden in his heart towards him (2 Samuel 20:9-10).We are living in a very dangerous world where enemies pretend to be friends. It is a world where people hide hatred in their hearts but speak sweet words with their mouth. We have to be very prayerful, watchful and careful of who we accept as friends.
The word of God warns us against having hatred in our hearts towards others. God says if you hide hatred in your heart and speak as if you love someone you hate or slander, you are a fool and will be punished for your wickedness. There is no excuse for hating anyone. Today, promise the Lord that you will never find any reason to hurt anyone.
Further Reading
Ephesians 4:31,32
Prayer for today
Lord, bless me with a tender and harmless heart towards everyone around me.
About Author - Pastor W.F. Kumuyi
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
What you’ve just shared pastor Kumuyi is very true. Even in the house of the Lord there are many frenemies (enemies who pretend to be friends). It’s not the new coverts, unfortunately. It’s the “seasoned” Christians who are supposed, according to apostle Paul, to be eating meat not taking milk. You see them when you are working together in an assignment in which they have self or vested interest and evil hidden agendas. They are not even afraid to pray when asked to. These are really bad times for the Church of God. Joab, as you have put it, was an evil man with an extremely evil heart evidenced by the things he did and his condescension of the weak king he took advantage of.