Daily Devotional – Friday, February 4, 2022
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret—it only causes harm.
Psalms 37:8 (NKJV)
Jonah never thought he would ever be a prisoner. To him, only the despicable and irredeemably evil people deserved to be jailed. However, one fateful day, his anger spiraled out of control and he found himself behind bars.
Jonah, a sixty-year old farmer in Africa, was trimming his hedge when he heard some unusual sounds coming from his neighbour’s farm. On closer inspection, he saw the unthinkable. His wife and his neighbour were in a compromising situation.
Regrets for Yielding to Anger
In a television interview from prison, Jonah told the reporter that he could not explain what came over him. What he remembers is slashing the body of his neighbour with the machete he had been using to trim the hedge.
Jonah regrets killing his neighbour. He wishes he had left the scene before committing the crime. Given another chance, he says he could have allowed his wife to marry the adulterous neighbour.
Cease From Anger and Forsake Wrath
As he serves his life sentence, he hopes the government will pardon him one day. While he has made peace with the family of the deceased and with his wife, Jonah regrets allowing anger to control him.
Like Jonah, we all are prone to anger, which can easily overpower us. We must always remember God’s counsel through David, to “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret—it only causes harm.” (Psalms 37:8).
Allow the Holy Spirit to Control You
“The wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” (James 1:20). If we fail to control anger, we can speak words that will hurt others for a lifetime. Like Jonah, we may end up hurting or killing others and live to regret our actions.
If only we hesitated before taking any action when angry! Would the outcome not be significantly different if we allowed the Holy Spirit to take control of us when we are provoked to anger?
Prayer
Loving Father, I know my anger can spin out of control with devastating effects for others and me. Let the Holy Spirit always control my life so that I don’t yield to wrath.
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