“The bloodthirsty hate a person of integrity and seek to kill the upright.”

I suspect that, if you’re like me, you read this verse and feel pretty certain that no one hates you enough to want to kill you. Certainly, we find it hard to identify anyone we would call “bloodthirsty” in our sphere of influence. Does that mean we can ignore this verse and assume there is no application to our lives? Perhaps. However, there is an assertion in this portion of scripture that those of integrity seek to protect the innocent or vulnerable from the violent. In a civil society, this can be done through laws and justice systems. Dare I say that lawyers can be great allies to the vulnerable? We are all aware that there is a violent and dangerous world at the edges of society, one that preys on the vulnerable. Jesus also challenged His followers to be a force for good and to protect the vulnerable in our communities. Widows and orphans had a special place in His concern, and He expects them to have a special place in our lives as well. The reason there is a target on the upright and those of integrity is that, when living for God, they present a threat to the evil in our world. In a very literal sense, Satan hates all of us, and his top two desires are to see us dead spiritually and physically. Living with a clear sense of that truth at the forefront of our minds makes us a line of defense for the vulnerable. Today, stand firm against evil. #BeTheEdge

“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” Isaiah 1:17 NIV