Daily Devotional: Friday, Oct 23

Speaker: Jeremy Johnson

Theme: Taming the Tantrum Within You

Weekend Music links on iTunes: All the Earth Will Sing Your Praises by Paul Baloche; Sing, Sing, Sing by Chris Tomlin; Love Came Down by Ben Cantelon; You Saw Me by Hillsong.

Read:  Genesis 4:1-16

Proverbs Challenge Chapter of the Day:  Proverbs 18

Think:  The first biblical account of a person being angry is found in Genesis 4:5.  As you read this story of Cain, son of Adam and Eve, you see him getting angry because his offering was not looked upon with favor by the Lord.  The Lord asked Cain why he was angry and Cain did not reply, instead he invited his brother Abel to go out to the field with him. Cain attacked his brother and killed him. When questioned by God as to where his brother was and asked what he had done, Cain's response was a complaint regarding the consequences of his actions. 

Cain did not follow the first four steps to honoring God with our anger (as part of last weekend's message).  The fifth and last step Jeremy shared was "to deliver our anger to God".  Cain failed this one too!  He had refused to acknowledge, delay, define, diffuse and deliver his anger to God.  As a result, Cain was in bondage to the anger he harbored.  His irritation, resentment and hate drove him to kill his brother and then become a restless wanderer living away from the Lord's presence. 

That seems to be a description of hell... living in separation from God due to refusal to admit sin and seek forgiveness.  Romans 8:6 says, "The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God.   It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.  Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God."

Focusing on the subject of anger this week has made me aware that this is an area in my life that is not fully submitted to God and His desire for me. It is one thing to work on a flaw when one is constantly aware and accountable to write on the subject, it is another to do the right thing when the spotlight has dimmed and the audience is gone.

Do:  Let us stop delighting the devil with our demonstrations of anger. Join me in deciding to deal with life's irritations in a way that is honoring to God.

Pray: Father, help me with to deal with my anger in ways that are in line with what You ask of me. Give me strength to do the right thing. Give me gentleness and the ability to be quiet when I need to be quiet - and when I do speak, help me to speak in love. In Jesus' name, Amen!

The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.

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