Malice?

15 "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice in their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah, 16 therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to stretch out my hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Kerethites and destroy those remaining along the coast. 17 I will carry out great vengeance on them and punish them in my wrath. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I take vengeance on them.' " Ezekiel 25:15-17 NIV

As Ezekiel prophesies in the verses above, what stood out the most to me this morning is "because the Philistines took revenge with malice in their hearts, then..." It is a classic case of "if and then". For example, someone might say "If you choose to do this in this way, then I will have to do this". Or they could say, "Because you chose to do this in that way, I had to do this". It seems that because they acted with malice in their hearts, then now they must pay the consequences.

A further search on malice, brought me to this verse:
Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors
but harbor malice in their hearts. Psalms 28:3 NIV

And, Websters defines it in this way:
Malice -- desire to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on another, either because of a hostile impulse or out of deep-seated meanness: the malice and spite of a lifelong enemy.

I can think of several occasions when someone was speaking kind words, but behind those kind words they actually held malice in their hearts for the person they were speaking to. Sometimes people even use kind words to try and guide the person they are speaking to in the direction they want them to go, in order to see the results they are hoping for.

I have always heard, "kill them with kindness" and I will assure you that it works. If you will be kind to someone who is mean to you, then more times than not, they will start to also be kind. However, this verse sheds a whole new light on that advice for me. You may choose to be kind to them, and it may very well alter the situation. Still, if you continue to hold onto the malice in your heart for that person, then nothing has truly changed. It has only changed on the surface.

I think the better advice would be to allow God to do a work in your heart so that you truly do wish good things for this person, not that you just pretend you do. Then, pretending won't be necessary and good things will come out of it that are long lasting, not just superficial.

Sometimes it's hard to admit if we hold any malice in our hearts. In this world of being politically correct, we have been trained to say the right things, even if we don't feel the right things. The problem with that is God can see what's under the surface, and sometimes it isn't as pleasing to Him as what everyone else sees. Search your heart today to see if you hold any ill will against anyway. Ask God to help you see those things that you have pushed below the surface. And, if you find any, ask Him to help you love that person and seek good things for them. Ask Him to help you remove the negative thoughts. In the end, negative thoughts do us more harm than they ever do the other person anyway. In turn, good thoughts about others will build you up on the inside more so than the person you are thinking about. Take time today to see your heart as the Lord sees it.