Psalm 97:10, 11 
Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light shines on the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. (NIV)

God loves all who hate evil, 
And those who love him he keeps safe, 
Snatches them from the grip of the wicked. 

Light-seeds are planted in the souls of God’s people, 
Joy-seeds are planted in good heart-soil. (MSG)

—

Love God. Hate evil. Live in the light of God’s goodness. Harvest an abundance of joy! 

These verses make my heart sing whenever I read them. This is the second time through the Psalms this year. These verses always make me pause and ponder. They bring fond memories to mind of my friend Jon Randles. Jon was an evangelist, pastor, college football chaplain, philosopher, and joke teller. He cut his hair once a year. If he had donned camel hair and eaten locusts, people would have thought John the Baptist was back. 

Jon taught the teams at Texas Tech and Oklahoma and elsewhere it is not enough to say you love Jesus. You also have to hate sin. The recipe for a carnal Christian, as Avery Willis explained so well in his MasterLife discipleship toolkit, is to have one door open to Jesus and another to sin. The sin door needs to be closed, locked, sealed over, and wallpapered so you can’t find it. 

Jon would teach this to those football players and then call out to them as he walked across campus, “Love God!” The football players would reply, “Hate sin!” Somebody in your life needs that shout-out. Of course, it might be you. Or me. Feel free to give me a shout-out the next time you see me. You might also take an index card and write, Love God on one side and Hate Sin on the other. Pull it out and look at it every time temptation comes your way. 

The best part is what happens when we love God and hate sin. Our friend Eugene Peterson once again amplifies this text in the most delicious manner:

Light-seeds are planted in the souls of God’s people,
Joy-seeds are planted in good heart-soil.

Harvest time in this case is no longer a seasonal phenomenon. Instead, it is a daily delight. Light and Joy belong to those who throw open wide the door to God and his goodness, and who slam, lock, and seal the door to sin and evil. 

As our friends in the group Delirious sang,

Open up the doors (Open up the doors)
And let the music play (Let the music play)
Let the streets resound with singing *

It’s Sunday, the first day of the week. It’s a day of worship and rest. It’s a day to gather with others who love Jesus and hate sin. It’s a day to sing resounding praise! It’s a day to harvest Light and Joy.

* Written by: Martin Smith, CO-WRITER UNKNOWN, MARTIN PETER SMITH
Lyrics © Royalty Network, Capitol CMG Publishing, Integrity Music
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

Our Father, thank you for light and joy and a daily harvest of your goodness. Deliver us from evil. We sing your praise with deep passion and profound gratitude. Amen.