Ephesians 4:26-27 (NIV)

26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.

Exodus 34:4-7 (NIV)

4 So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the LORD had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. 5 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

Psalm 103:8-12 (NIV)

The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Reflection:

The Lord is compassionate and slow to anger. He does not treat us as our sins deserve. But the enemy of God is also our enemy. He will do anything to cast a dark shadow on the glory of Christ’s death and resurrection that has saved us from the anger and wrath of God. God’s enemy wants us to taste being treated or treating others as our sins deserve – anything to breed disunity and unforgiveness. There are certainly times to be appropriately angry according to God’s ways, but we are also to not stay angry because it will lead us to a sinful path.

Response:

Let’s be mindful that the enemy wants to divide God’s people, but let’s not allow him any opportunity to gain that foothold. Let’s ask God to extend His mercy toward us during those times when we become angry or feel mistreated, so that the devil will not gain a foothold in our hearts and our anger leads us toward sin. During those moments, may we come before the Lord and ask for His Spirit so our hearts may be changed.