GEMS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR SATURDAY JUNE 21, 2014.
PROVERB:
In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.
Proverbs 16:9
PROMISE:
If the Lord delights in a man’s way, He makes his steps firm.; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand.
Psalm 37:23-24.
PRAISE:
I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 16:7-8
June 22, 2014
Trials: June 20, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2014.
TRIALS
DEFINITION:
Being tried or tested; subject to suffering, grief, distress, affliction or trouble; a test of faith, patience, or stamina through subjection to suffering or tribulation.
SCRIPTURE:
Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. James1:2.
Do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering as though something strange were happening to you. I Peter 4:12.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
You will notice in the verse above found in James 2:1 that it does not say “if” you face trials. He says “when” you face trials. Peter warns us in I Peter 4:12 (above) not to be surprised when we suffer trials. Both James and Peter suffered persecution as leaders of the early Christian church. Being a Christian will not exempt us from trials. None of us should be surprised when a trial comes into our life.
James says to consider our trials “pure joy.” How is that possible you may ask? Trials are troubles that disturb our sense of well being and they break our daily pattern of comfort, joy and happiness. James is not telling us that we must be happy about our trials. There is a difference between joy and happiness. When James tells us to consider a trial with real joy he means for us to evaluate our trial with a positive attitude.
God allows trials to come into our life because we can profit and learn from them. The testing of our faith serves to strengthen our faith and draw us into a closer relationship with the Lord. As James says, the testing of our faith as we go through trials develops our perseverance. As Peter tells us, trials are painful and cause suffering.
Those who are walking with the Lord will know that the Lord is right there with them as they go through the testing of a trial. When we successfully persevere through the test we will experience the “pure joy’ of victory in the midst of our trial.
Peter wrote to warn the believers as to what they will be facing after the burning of Rome and the beginning of about 200 years of Christian persecution to come. Peter speaks from experience, as he suffered much persecution and many trials for his faith. In the fourth chapter of I Peter, Peter tells us that there are four attitudes necessary for us to be triumphant in persecution. We are to expect it, rejoice in it, evaluate its cause, and entrust it to God.
Perhaps your world has collapsed. It may be a deep personal loss, a tragedy in your family, a loss of a job, a financial setback or even a family spat. Jesus is bigger than any crisis you may face. He can rebuild your life and at the same time turn any trial into an opportunity. All you have to do is to acknowledge that you cannot conquer the crisis you are facing by yourself. Turn your trials over to God, and humbly allow Him to guide you and then watch Him work in your life.
Possibly you say that you have tried to turn your trial over to God but it just does not work. There is a key. First, make sure you have accepted Jesus as your Savior and asked Him to forgive you of your sins. Then read the Bible each day and study what you have read. God’s Word helps us to recognize what needs to be changed in our life. Then spend time praying to your Lord and tell Him your needs. Make a commitment to put God first place in all you do in life. This may be a radical life changing experience for you but if you want God to be with you in your trials you will need this kind of a relationship with Him.
No trial is too large for God to intervene and no person is too small or to wicked that God does not care for them. When we put all of our concerns in the hands of our Lord, God will work within us to do something wonderful in our lives.
Happiness keeps you sweet, trials keep you strong, sorrows keep you human, failures keep you humble, success keeps you glowing, but only God keeps you going.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Luke 2:14.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.
PRAYER:
Thank You that Your Word gives me the assurance that You are with me through every trial I face. Help me not to be fearful when a trial comes my way but to turn to You and let You work in my life to strengthen my faith and deepen my relationship with You
TRIALS
DEFINITION:
Being tried or tested; subject to suffering, grief, distress, affliction or trouble; a test of faith, patience, or stamina through subjection to suffering or tribulation.
SCRIPTURE:
Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. James1:2.
Do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering as though something strange were happening to you. I Peter 4:12.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
You will notice in the verse above found in James 2:1 that it does not say “if” you face trials. He says “when” you face trials. Peter warns us in I Peter 4:12 (above) not to be surprised when we suffer trials. Both James and Peter suffered persecution as leaders of the early Christian church. Being a Christian will not exempt us from trials. None of us should be surprised when a trial comes into our life.
James says to consider our trials “pure joy.” How is that possible you may ask? Trials are troubles that disturb our sense of well being and they break our daily pattern of comfort, joy and happiness. James is not telling us that we must be happy about our trials. There is a difference between joy and happiness. When James tells us to consider a trial with real joy he means for us to evaluate our trial with a positive attitude.
God allows trials to come into our life because we can profit and learn from them. The testing of our faith serves to strengthen our faith and draw us into a closer relationship with the Lord. As James says, the testing of our faith as we go through trials develops our perseverance. As Peter tells us, trials are painful and cause suffering.
Those who are walking with the Lord will know that the Lord is right there with them as they go through the testing of a trial. When we successfully persevere through the test we will experience the “pure joy’ of victory in the midst of our trial.
Peter wrote to warn the believers as to what they will be facing after the burning of Rome and the beginning of about 200 years of Christian persecution to come. Peter speaks from experience, as he suffered much persecution and many trials for his faith. In the fourth chapter of I Peter, Peter tells us that there are four attitudes necessary for us to be triumphant in persecution. We are to expect it, rejoice in it, evaluate its cause, and entrust it to God.
Perhaps your world has collapsed. It may be a deep personal loss, a tragedy in your family, a loss of a job, a financial setback or even a family spat. Jesus is bigger than any crisis you may face. He can rebuild your life and at the same time turn any trial into an opportunity. All you have to do is to acknowledge that you cannot conquer the crisis you are facing by yourself. Turn your trials over to God, and humbly allow Him to guide you and then watch Him work in your life.
Possibly you say that you have tried to turn your trial over to God but it just does not work. There is a key. First, make sure you have accepted Jesus as your Savior and asked Him to forgive you of your sins. Then read the Bible each day and study what you have read. God’s Word helps us to recognize what needs to be changed in our life. Then spend time praying to your Lord and tell Him your needs. Make a commitment to put God first place in all you do in life. This may be a radical life changing experience for you but if you want God to be with you in your trials you will need this kind of a relationship with Him.
No trial is too large for God to intervene and no person is too small or to wicked that God does not care for them. When we put all of our concerns in the hands of our Lord, God will work within us to do something wonderful in our lives.
Happiness keeps you sweet, trials keep you strong, sorrows keep you human, failures keep you humble, success keeps you glowing, but only God keeps you going.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Luke 2:14.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.
PRAYER:
Thank You that Your Word gives me the assurance that You are with me through every trial I face. Help me not to be fearful when a trial comes my way but to turn to You and let You work in my life to strengthen my faith and deepen my relationship with You
Victory: June 19, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY JUNE 19, 2014
VICTORY
DEFINITION:
The winning of a contest or battle; any successful performance or outcome; triumph over an enemy.
SCRIPTURE:
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 15:57.
For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. I John 5:4.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In the verse above from 1 John, John clearly defines who the ones are that overcome the world. They are all that are believers in the Lord. The Greek word for “overcomer” means to conquer and to have victory. Because of our union with Christ as believers we have continual victory to overcome the evils of the world we live in.
God first spoke of victory in Genesis 4:6-7, when He was talking to Cain. Cain was very angry at his brother Abel because God accepted Abel’s offering and rejected Cain’s. God said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you must rule over it (have victory over it).
Cain did not celebrate victory because he could not handle failure. He allowed anger to rule in his heart which led him to kill his brother Abel. Cain lost the victory. Every day we have the challenge in our lives of being victorious over sin or losing the battle to Satan. When we sin, Satan wins and he then has victory over us.
Victory over Satan’s temptations to sin is what we as believers must continually strive for. As Paul reminded us in I Corinthians 15:57, we can be thankful that we do not fight the battle alone and that through our Lord Jesus Christ we have victory over Satan.
As we look at the state of our world today it would seem that Satan is winning the battle. Through Christ and His gift of salvation, we as believers, have the power to overcome the world by our faith in Him. (I John 5:4) On the cross Jesus defeated Satan and his power. Jesus is the victorious Lord and ultimate ruler of this world. Satan has only temporary rule of those who choose to follow him.
All six of our children played several sports while in school. They and their teammates always strived for victory in their games. We tried as often as possible to be at their games. In fact we both coached several of our children when they were younger. When we coached we shared with the children and their parents how easy it was to celebrate victory and how difficult it was to accept defeat.
We taught the children that we had the privilege of coaching that just as in sports, in real life there are winners and losers. A victory in our spiritual life is far more important than a victory in sports. All of us need to learn to lose graciously because it will help us get through the disappointments and failures that we will have in life. No one ever wins all the time. Whether in victory or defeat we should reflect the love of Jesus in our lives.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Luke 2:14.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.
PRAYER:
Thank You Lord for the victories You continue to give me in my life. Give me courage and faith to claim victory over sin and the evil that I face in this world daily.
VICTORY
DEFINITION:
The winning of a contest or battle; any successful performance or outcome; triumph over an enemy.
SCRIPTURE:
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 15:57.
For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. I John 5:4.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In the verse above from 1 John, John clearly defines who the ones are that overcome the world. They are all that are believers in the Lord. The Greek word for “overcomer” means to conquer and to have victory. Because of our union with Christ as believers we have continual victory to overcome the evils of the world we live in.
God first spoke of victory in Genesis 4:6-7, when He was talking to Cain. Cain was very angry at his brother Abel because God accepted Abel’s offering and rejected Cain’s. God said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you must rule over it (have victory over it).
Cain did not celebrate victory because he could not handle failure. He allowed anger to rule in his heart which led him to kill his brother Abel. Cain lost the victory. Every day we have the challenge in our lives of being victorious over sin or losing the battle to Satan. When we sin, Satan wins and he then has victory over us.
Victory over Satan’s temptations to sin is what we as believers must continually strive for. As Paul reminded us in I Corinthians 15:57, we can be thankful that we do not fight the battle alone and that through our Lord Jesus Christ we have victory over Satan.
As we look at the state of our world today it would seem that Satan is winning the battle. Through Christ and His gift of salvation, we as believers, have the power to overcome the world by our faith in Him. (I John 5:4) On the cross Jesus defeated Satan and his power. Jesus is the victorious Lord and ultimate ruler of this world. Satan has only temporary rule of those who choose to follow him.
All six of our children played several sports while in school. They and their teammates always strived for victory in their games. We tried as often as possible to be at their games. In fact we both coached several of our children when they were younger. When we coached we shared with the children and their parents how easy it was to celebrate victory and how difficult it was to accept defeat.
We taught the children that we had the privilege of coaching that just as in sports, in real life there are winners and losers. A victory in our spiritual life is far more important than a victory in sports. All of us need to learn to lose graciously because it will help us get through the disappointments and failures that we will have in life. No one ever wins all the time. Whether in victory or defeat we should reflect the love of Jesus in our lives.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Luke 2:14.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.
PRAYER:
Thank You Lord for the victories You continue to give me in my life. Give me courage and faith to claim victory over sin and the evil that I face in this world daily.
Word: June 18, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY JUNE 18, 2014.
WORD
DEFINITION:
The Word of God; the Bible; a specific revelation of God; speech; a graphic expressing an idea; a unit of language.
SCRIPTURE:
So then faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Romans 10:17.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Word is a term for the sounds that comes from one’s mouth. It also is used as a term for what we know as the Bible and is used to refer to Jesus. The Bible is called the Word of God because it is God’s written Word to us. In II Timothy 3:16 it reads.” All scripture is God-breathed.” This means that it was written by believers as God revealed His person and His plan to them. The Bible is not a collection of stories or myths of human ideas about God. It is the Word of God.
God gave us His Word, the Bible, to teach us, correct us, rebuke us, and to train us in righteousness. We can be sure it is true because it is the Word of God. Proverbs 30:5 says that God’s Word is pure and flawless. John 17:17 says that God’s Word is truth. If God’s Word is not true then God is a liar and is not truth.
Jesus is also called the “Word.” In Revelation 17:13, John writes concerning Jesus that, “His name is the Word of God.” John 1:1 reads. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God and the Word was with God in the beginning.”
There are also words that come from our mouths. Sometimes these words are good and at other times they are considered bad. Words do speak volumes about the person that says them. Thus, it is so important for parents especially to watch what words they use in their conversations because their children are listening and watching.
In James 3:2-8 we are reminded that the tongue is a wicked weapon. James says in verse 10, “out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.” One of the 10 commandments is to not take the name of the Lord in vain. When children hear their parents cursing using God’s Holy name in vain and disrespecting the name of God, they will feel it is acceptable for them to do the same. The tongue can also serve a very useful purpose. We can use our words to praise our Lord and Savior and our Father in heaven. This is what children need to hear from their parents.
In Ephesians 4:29, the apostle Paul advises us to let no corrupt word proceed out of our mouth but to only use the words that would be helpful for building others up according to their needs.
There are just four letters in “WORD” but so much significance. We encourage you to “let the WORD OF CHRIST dwell in you richly. (Colossians 3:16) “And let the WORD’S of your mouth be pleasing to God.” (Psalm 19:14)
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Luke 2:14.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.
PRAYER:
Help me to choose the right words in all of my conversations. May the words that come from my mouth always exalt Your name. May the words that I speak be words of encouragement for my spouse, my children, my family and my friends and that they will build them up and exemplify that the Word of Christ dwells within me.
WORD
DEFINITION:
The Word of God; the Bible; a specific revelation of God; speech; a graphic expressing an idea; a unit of language.
SCRIPTURE:
So then faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Romans 10:17.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Word is a term for the sounds that comes from one’s mouth. It also is used as a term for what we know as the Bible and is used to refer to Jesus. The Bible is called the Word of God because it is God’s written Word to us. In II Timothy 3:16 it reads.” All scripture is God-breathed.” This means that it was written by believers as God revealed His person and His plan to them. The Bible is not a collection of stories or myths of human ideas about God. It is the Word of God.
God gave us His Word, the Bible, to teach us, correct us, rebuke us, and to train us in righteousness. We can be sure it is true because it is the Word of God. Proverbs 30:5 says that God’s Word is pure and flawless. John 17:17 says that God’s Word is truth. If God’s Word is not true then God is a liar and is not truth.
Jesus is also called the “Word.” In Revelation 17:13, John writes concerning Jesus that, “His name is the Word of God.” John 1:1 reads. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God and the Word was with God in the beginning.”
There are also words that come from our mouths. Sometimes these words are good and at other times they are considered bad. Words do speak volumes about the person that says them. Thus, it is so important for parents especially to watch what words they use in their conversations because their children are listening and watching.
In James 3:2-8 we are reminded that the tongue is a wicked weapon. James says in verse 10, “out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.” One of the 10 commandments is to not take the name of the Lord in vain. When children hear their parents cursing using God’s Holy name in vain and disrespecting the name of God, they will feel it is acceptable for them to do the same. The tongue can also serve a very useful purpose. We can use our words to praise our Lord and Savior and our Father in heaven. This is what children need to hear from their parents.
In Ephesians 4:29, the apostle Paul advises us to let no corrupt word proceed out of our mouth but to only use the words that would be helpful for building others up according to their needs.
There are just four letters in “WORD” but so much significance. We encourage you to “let the WORD OF CHRIST dwell in you richly. (Colossians 3:16) “And let the WORD’S of your mouth be pleasing to God.” (Psalm 19:14)
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Luke 2:14.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.
PRAYER:
Help me to choose the right words in all of my conversations. May the words that come from my mouth always exalt Your name. May the words that I speak be words of encouragement for my spouse, my children, my family and my friends and that they will build them up and exemplify that the Word of Christ dwells within me.
Appreciation: June 17, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY JUNE 17, 2014.
APPRECIATION
DEFINITION:
Thankful recognition; gratitude; recognizing the worth of.
SCRIPTURE:
Now to God and Father be glory forever and ever. Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. Philippians 4:20-21.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Paul is closing his letter to the church at Philippi (above verses) but has one more item to cover that we can learn from. He expresses his appreciation to God and for his fellow believers. This doxology in verse 20 is Paul’s praise in direct response to the great truth that God supplies all the needs of the saints. This is Paul’s praise to the character of God and His faithfulness.
Paul wants to remind us that God is to be praised as God, the Creator and Sovereign ruler of the universe. Secondly, Paul wants to remind us that God is to be praised because He is our Father. By praising God we show Him our appreciation for all that He does for us.
We have noticed that many people, believers, today do not take the time to praise God. Do we forget so easily that God has given us all that we have? Isn’t that enough to stop and praise Him daily?
As believers, God has adopted us as His sons and daughters and yet in spite of this so many believers find reason to criticize, grumble, and complain about how God does things and totally forget all the blessings He bestows on us each and every day.
In Psalms 103, David lists all the good things God does for us. In verse 2 he tells us not to forget all His benefits.
The unbelievers have rebelled, rejected, questioned and denied Him. They have chosen to live as they please and to do their own thing rather than to be obedient and follow Him. What a sad commentary for the world we live in. Where is the appreciation for God and what He has done for us?
There is so much that we as believers need to be thankful for. We need to show our appreciation for who God is and all that He has given us. In I Chronicles 16:25 we read, “For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise.” Praise is how we show our appreciation toward God. When we truly appreciate God we will give God all the glory as Paul did. Appreciation for God and for others changes our attitude and our outlook on life and the way we treat others.
In the world we live in today very few people show appreciation to anybody or for anything. Children show very little appreciation to their parents. This is because they are not taught appreciation. Spouses show very little appreciation to one another and this is what the children see and follow.
In the workplace hard work and a job well done often go without a word of appreciation from a superior. Because of this every worker strives to do only what is necessary to make themselves look good even at the expense of others.
As a child of God you should always be mindful to show your appreciation to others and not take what they do for you for granted. When we appreciate others it changes their attitude toward us.
The Apostle Paul in all of his letters sets an example for his fellow believers teaching them to show appreciation first and foremost to God for all that He has provided for us in spite of the fact that we are mere sinners saved by grace and unworthy of His great love for us. As you pray today, show your appreciation to God by giving Him praise and glory.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Luke 2:14.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.
PRAYER:
As my God and my creator I honor You this day with my praise and appreciation. I thank You for Your great gift of my salvation through Your Son Jesus. I am so thankful for my family and friends and I ask You to bless them and meet their every need. Help me to lead my family to show appreciation to You for all that You do for us.
APPRECIATION
DEFINITION:
Thankful recognition; gratitude; recognizing the worth of.
SCRIPTURE:
Now to God and Father be glory forever and ever. Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. Philippians 4:20-21.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Paul is closing his letter to the church at Philippi (above verses) but has one more item to cover that we can learn from. He expresses his appreciation to God and for his fellow believers. This doxology in verse 20 is Paul’s praise in direct response to the great truth that God supplies all the needs of the saints. This is Paul’s praise to the character of God and His faithfulness.
Paul wants to remind us that God is to be praised as God, the Creator and Sovereign ruler of the universe. Secondly, Paul wants to remind us that God is to be praised because He is our Father. By praising God we show Him our appreciation for all that He does for us.
We have noticed that many people, believers, today do not take the time to praise God. Do we forget so easily that God has given us all that we have? Isn’t that enough to stop and praise Him daily?
As believers, God has adopted us as His sons and daughters and yet in spite of this so many believers find reason to criticize, grumble, and complain about how God does things and totally forget all the blessings He bestows on us each and every day.
In Psalms 103, David lists all the good things God does for us. In verse 2 he tells us not to forget all His benefits.
The unbelievers have rebelled, rejected, questioned and denied Him. They have chosen to live as they please and to do their own thing rather than to be obedient and follow Him. What a sad commentary for the world we live in. Where is the appreciation for God and what He has done for us?
There is so much that we as believers need to be thankful for. We need to show our appreciation for who God is and all that He has given us. In I Chronicles 16:25 we read, “For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise.” Praise is how we show our appreciation toward God. When we truly appreciate God we will give God all the glory as Paul did. Appreciation for God and for others changes our attitude and our outlook on life and the way we treat others.
In the world we live in today very few people show appreciation to anybody or for anything. Children show very little appreciation to their parents. This is because they are not taught appreciation. Spouses show very little appreciation to one another and this is what the children see and follow.
In the workplace hard work and a job well done often go without a word of appreciation from a superior. Because of this every worker strives to do only what is necessary to make themselves look good even at the expense of others.
As a child of God you should always be mindful to show your appreciation to others and not take what they do for you for granted. When we appreciate others it changes their attitude toward us.
The Apostle Paul in all of his letters sets an example for his fellow believers teaching them to show appreciation first and foremost to God for all that He has provided for us in spite of the fact that we are mere sinners saved by grace and unworthy of His great love for us. As you pray today, show your appreciation to God by giving Him praise and glory.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Luke 2:14.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.
PRAYER:
As my God and my creator I honor You this day with my praise and appreciation. I thank You for Your great gift of my salvation through Your Son Jesus. I am so thankful for my family and friends and I ask You to bless them and meet their every need. Help me to lead my family to show appreciation to You for all that You do for us.
Anger: June 16, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY JUNE 16, 2014.
ANGER
DEFINITION:
A strong feeling of displeasure aroused by a real or supposed wrong; a sudden violent displeasure accompanied by an impulse to retaliate.
SCRIPTURE:
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Ephesians 4:31.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Anger is a strong and dangerous emotion. Anger motivates people to make bad decisions that often lead to violence. People do things in a fit of anger that they otherwise would never do. We see this to be true each and every day, and it has been going on since the fall of Adam because as we read in Genesis 4:5, Cain was very angry and his anger led him to kill his brother Abel.
God does not say that we will not get angry. He wants us to control our anger and handle it wisely and appropriately. The writer of Proverbs (29:11) tells us to be wise and keep our anger under control. Paul’s advice to us in Ephesians 4:26 is to not allow anger to cause us to be evil and sin.
Yes, God himself gets angry but this does not justify our anger. What angers God is the godlessness and wickedness of people (Romans 1:18). In Numbers 32:13 we read that “the Lord’s anger burned against Israel and He made them wander in the desert for 40 years, until a whole generation of those who had done evil in His sight was gone.” God’s anger is always justified and His punishment is always just.
Every family has to deal with times of anger between its members. It happens in the best of families. There is no perfect child that has never made his or her parents angry. When parents get angry with a child they need to stop and think if their anger is justified.
One of the concepts we attempted to teach our children, using verses from the Bible, was that when one was angry he or she never came out a winner. In Proverbs 17:27 it reads, “He who has knowledge restrains his words.” This means that we need to keep to ourselves words that we know could ignite anger in others. Certain personalities have trouble with this concept because just by their nature they want to stir up conflict. It seems to be inheritant in all of us to want to get in the last word.
Words spoken in anger and things done in anger are really regretted after the fact. But then it is too late to undo the harm that was done. Angry words are rather like toothpaste; you cannot put it back into the tube.
In Proverbs 17:27 we read that, “A man of understanding is of a calm spirit.” A man of understanding is someone who is truly wise. To be of calm spirit means to be even-tempered. To be a person of understanding and a calm spirit we need to follow Paul’s instruction and get rid of all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking. (Ephesians 4:31)
The key to controlling anger is to stop when a conflict begins and ask God for a calm spirit and a cool head. Remember what the Proverb says in 15:1, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
Thomas Jefferson said on February 21, 1825: “When angry, count to ten before you speak; if you are very angry count to one hundred.” May we add that while you are counting ask God for a calm spirit, a cool head, and a tender heart.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Luke 2:14.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.
PRAYER:
Help me to control my anger and restrain me from lashing out with mean and hurtful words when others give me cause to be angry. Give me self-control in all of my words and deeds and may others see the fruits of the Spirit controlling my life.
ANGER
DEFINITION:
A strong feeling of displeasure aroused by a real or supposed wrong; a sudden violent displeasure accompanied by an impulse to retaliate.
SCRIPTURE:
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Ephesians 4:31.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Anger is a strong and dangerous emotion. Anger motivates people to make bad decisions that often lead to violence. People do things in a fit of anger that they otherwise would never do. We see this to be true each and every day, and it has been going on since the fall of Adam because as we read in Genesis 4:5, Cain was very angry and his anger led him to kill his brother Abel.
God does not say that we will not get angry. He wants us to control our anger and handle it wisely and appropriately. The writer of Proverbs (29:11) tells us to be wise and keep our anger under control. Paul’s advice to us in Ephesians 4:26 is to not allow anger to cause us to be evil and sin.
Yes, God himself gets angry but this does not justify our anger. What angers God is the godlessness and wickedness of people (Romans 1:18). In Numbers 32:13 we read that “the Lord’s anger burned against Israel and He made them wander in the desert for 40 years, until a whole generation of those who had done evil in His sight was gone.” God’s anger is always justified and His punishment is always just.
Every family has to deal with times of anger between its members. It happens in the best of families. There is no perfect child that has never made his or her parents angry. When parents get angry with a child they need to stop and think if their anger is justified.
One of the concepts we attempted to teach our children, using verses from the Bible, was that when one was angry he or she never came out a winner. In Proverbs 17:27 it reads, “He who has knowledge restrains his words.” This means that we need to keep to ourselves words that we know could ignite anger in others. Certain personalities have trouble with this concept because just by their nature they want to stir up conflict. It seems to be inheritant in all of us to want to get in the last word.
Words spoken in anger and things done in anger are really regretted after the fact. But then it is too late to undo the harm that was done. Angry words are rather like toothpaste; you cannot put it back into the tube.
In Proverbs 17:27 we read that, “A man of understanding is of a calm spirit.” A man of understanding is someone who is truly wise. To be of calm spirit means to be even-tempered. To be a person of understanding and a calm spirit we need to follow Paul’s instruction and get rid of all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking. (Ephesians 4:31)
The key to controlling anger is to stop when a conflict begins and ask God for a calm spirit and a cool head. Remember what the Proverb says in 15:1, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
Thomas Jefferson said on February 21, 1825: “When angry, count to ten before you speak; if you are very angry count to one hundred.” May we add that while you are counting ask God for a calm spirit, a cool head, and a tender heart.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Luke 2:14.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.
PRAYER:
Help me to control my anger and restrain me from lashing out with mean and hurtful words when others give me cause to be angry. Give me self-control in all of my words and deeds and may others see the fruits of the Spirit controlling my life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
