Circumstances may be such that love for someone else dominates your life, while at other times, you hate someone because of what he does or says. You hate what he is doing against the will and work of Christ. That is why David writes in Psalm 139:21–24: Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord, and do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
A child of God hates what these people are doing against God and his church and Kingdom. But when these people find themselves in need, we are called to help them. Then God's children will show that Christ has taught them to love their enemies (see Matthew 5:44–45). The course of history may be such that you live in a time of war. Fortunately, there are also times of peace.
All these examples make it clear that as a human being, you cannot determine the course of history or of your own life. The Lord controls this and no one else. He is the Lord of history and the Lord of time.
8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.