Tuesday Reading: Proverbs 15:1-4
Key Verse: Proverbs 15:1
1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger.
Devotion:
One of the biggest fears we have is having to face up to any sort of violence or abuse and it is certainly not something that should be taken lightly at any time! But it is amazing just how much a soft voice will diffuse a situation compared to the retorting bark of an offensive string of words! This is certainly not something that is limited to modern society but something that has been with man from the beginning of his violent outbursts and will continue to be with him until we can leave these corrupt bodies behind and live with Christ away from it all for eternity.
It does not take very much to be said that will either turn someone into a violent and abusive shouter; but it takes just as small amount to keep the peace and quieten things down. Which way we are going to take it depends on how we are going to manage the situation we find ourselves in… If we rise to the bait then we shall find out the hard way that others may well have beaten us there and are already on the offensive when we should have been keeping things quiet.
No matter where we are and what we are doing, God is watching over us and He tries to get through to us that we have to be mindful of that fact. Why? Because we should be working for Him and to His glory at all times. That means we should be aware of the fact that He is watching and temper our lives to make sure that we are doing His will and His ways rather than winding Him up like the rest of society. We should have no reason to make God angry – but we are the weak ones and we do give in to the temptations and to those feeling inside of us that cause the outbursts that anger and wrath brings up. God wants us to be reminding ourselves of these facts so that we can calm ourselves down before we blow up. If we are able to take a step back and act in a calm manner then just maybe we shall be able to diffuse a situation that could otherwise be centred on us! God has given us His Word so that we can find out the correct ways of handling things – He expects us to turn back to His Word at times when we need a helping hand because He has given it to us for that purpose. His Word is not full of expletives but rather is a calm and rewarding word that displays His awesome love for us!
Points to Ponder:
What gets your back up?
Do you turn to God’s Word when you get angry?