Ephesians 4:26-27
26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
27 Neither give place to the devil.
James 1:19-20
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
Proverbs 29:11
11 A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.
James 1:20
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
Well, it is certainly no coincidence that God spoke so much about anger in His Word. This does not even come close to covering all the verses on the topic.
When my children were younger I would get frustrated easily, many times if they did not do what I asked, how and when I requested it. Sometimes their actions were in disobedience, but other times it was merely because they had minds of their own and they wanted to try something a way they knew how. Neither way of doing a particular thing was wrong, but I more times than not, insisted that mine was right and that was how it should be done. Aggravation tended to yield its way to anger and then someone usually got a “time out” or grounded.
There are so many things in our lives that can lead us down the path to anger. Let’s take a look at this from God’s perspective. Where He mentions anger, what terms are usually associated with it, foolishness. In keeping our temper and maintaining self-control, we see that He attributes these to righteousness and wisdom. Clearly we know where we belong as Believers.
Rather it is a child acting out, an annoying, unmotivated, undisciplined co-worker or an inconsiderate, reckless driver, it is healthier for us, mentally, physically, emotionally and most importantly, spiritually, to start looking at each “offense”, everything we determine as a justifiable reason to lose our cool, in the vast scope of eternity. What good is it going to do to get upset?
Luke 9:54 And when His Disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt Thou that we command fire to come down from Heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?55 But He turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.56 For the Son of Man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
Anger is very real and has been something in human nature the Lord has dealt with since the beginning of time. Do Cane and Abel ring a bell (Gen 4:8)? How about Moses throwing the tablets, written on by the very Hand of God, down the mountain (Exodus 32:19)? In the above verse, we see the Disciples in just one example of wanting to unleash the wrath of God by calling down the elements. What about in the Garden where Simon Peter cut off the ear of a soldier who was there to collect Christ. Jesus Himself did not condone the action. He healed the man, showing mercy to one there to serve his purpose in history, although to escort the Lord to meet His destiny. (John 18:10-12)
1John 2: 13 And the Jews’ Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:15 And when He had made a scourge of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not My Father’s House an house of merchandise.
Yes, Jesus Himself got angry, yet He did not sin. His anger was not out of selfishness, it was the result of seeing His Father’s House perverted by thieves. We too are permitted to be angry. Molested children, torture of the innocent, apostasy, heretical teachings: Whatever God hates, I believe He does not expect us to embrace or accept in the name of “tolerance”. Actually quite the contrary as I understand the Word. Following our Father’s Lead, we are to reject what He does and are righteous and justified in doing so.
PRAYER
O Gracious and Loving God
We thank You for showing us in Your Word
That anger is not a new issue humans face
Many have struggled with it before us
And more will who follow
You, Heavenly Father
Demonstrate what is permissible
And convict us of what is not
Jesus’ Disciples became frustrated many times
When the children wanted to come to Him
When those who wanted and needed healing and the touch of the Savior, hovered around their Teacher And they wanted nothing more than to get Him away from the crowds
How many people would have missed a blessing if He abandoned His direction in response to their urging?
Thank You for displaying Your love through the pages of Scripture
Allowing us to see that our ancestors, even godly men and women, were imperfect, human
You are our Standard, but You give us a glimpse into lives of real individuals
And view not only their triumphs, but their struggles as well
Almighty God, You teach mercy, grace and patience
We know, too, one day, Your children will be called Home
One day, Your wrath and judgment will be poured out upon this earth
We know how intimidating it is to see human anger
But Yours is The Force
Above contestation
As Your Word tells us in the Book of Genesis about Noah and Sodom
And again in Acts as He dealt with Ananias and Sapphira
On kingdoms and individuals
You exact Your justice
O God, may we pray ever more sincerely for those who are lost
For the ones who have not understanding of what is to come if they do not repent
All praise, honor and glory to You forever and ever
For the Sacrifice Jesus made
The security of salvation
Believers face no fear in death
No judgment nor condemnation in Christ
Through the Power of His Blood
AMEN
Video:
“https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5H6tv4IUssWatch The Lamb”
Songs:
“In Christ Alone”
“Hallelujah! What A Savior”
“I Know Whom I Have Believeth”
credits: FATHER, SON, HOLY SPIRIT, SCRIPTURES
The verses given to me from the Word of God to study
The ability to celebrate Christ and His Word through these devotionals
The strength and ability to send them daily
Family and friends who love and encourage me each day
Material and topics from the Bible and the life experiences of family and friends and those things the Lord has allowed me to personally go through so I could turn it back to His glory
