In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross! Philippians 2:5-8.

In reading 1 Samuel 18, I can’t help but think about the difference between the heart of God and the heart of Satan. How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit. Isaiah 14:12-15. In the notation for Mount Zaphon: Or of the north; Zaphon was the most sacred mountain of the Canaanites.

Satan is authoritarian and seeks to impose his will on everything. God offers choice.

When God’s Spirit left Saul, he became fearful. Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David but had departed from Saul. v. 12. And we see how that affected Saul. From that time on, Saul wanted David to die. He was consumed with jealousy. When we look in our own hearts today and at the world around us, do we see jealousy, envy, hate? Saul could have turned to God and humbled himself. He could have asked God for help to overcome his jealousy and rage. Being king made Saul proud. His heart was opened to all that Satan hurled at him. Saul wanted to use his daughter Michal who loved David to become a snare to David. David’s heart? “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law? I’m only a poor man and little known.” v. 23. David earned the right to be his son-in-law by accomplishing the task Saul required in the hopes David would die. Saul asked for the foreskins of 100 Philistines hoping that effort would end in David’s death by the Philistines. David and his men gave Saul 200 foreskins. When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David, Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days. v. 28-29. Can you imagine living in Saul’s heart?

Today in 2023 we are witnessing a resurgence of hate and violence that has reared its head over and over and brings misery and destruction. But woe to the earth and sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short. Revelation 12:12.

In trying to understand the hate of our time which is the hate Satan has for every one of us, I keep thinking of what my Dad said in an interview he gave years ago for the Dallas Holocaust Memorial Museum. They were interviewing survivors and liberators of the death camps of Nazi Germany and my Dad and his unit were liberators of Ohrdruf which was part of the Buchenwald concentration camp network. When asked at the end of his interview what would he say to young people today about all he witnessed, he thought for quite awhile and then he said beware of intolerance. Intolerance led to this.

Satan has intolerance for everything God stands for. Intolerance is hate.

What heart do we truly want in us? We have each of us tasted hate and intolerance and what has that given us? The very tears God will heal in His great love. He will never impose His love on anyone’s heart. He will simply love them. “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:3-4. Thank You, Lord, for so great a love!