The Danger Of Anger

Sin is not a behavior to belittle. When it no longer frightens us, we have lost contact with God. A small sin can lead to a large tragedy. And, all sin has consequences.

One day, while the children of Israel were on the path to the Promised Land, they came to a place that had no water. Rather than trusting their God who had always provided for their every need, they became frightened. And, when fear, rather than faith, takes over one’s life, faultfinding and blaming others for what is happening always follows. 

Our Psalmist gives us a vivid report of the consequences of their “faithless” behavior: it “angered” Moses. So, the Lord told him to take his rod, gather the people together, speak to the rock in their presence, and it would provide the water they needed. 

But Moses did not speak to the rock. Instead, he struck it twice with his rod. Then, in anger, he spoke harshly to the people. Rather than doing what God asked him to do, he did what he wanted to do, and it led to tragedy, and eventually his downfall.

Notice what occurs when you place a “d” in front of “anger.” It becomes “danger.” His disobedience aroused his anger which should have been a “danger signal.” There is always a great danger when we become angry and are disobedient to God. In this instance, anger led to disobedience, which led to sin.  As a result, he lost the great honor and privilege of leading his people into the Promised Land.

How sad. How tragic. Moses did many great and glorious things. He had worked hard and did well. He was so close to reaching the goal God had given him. But he disobeyed God, lost control of his emotions, and had to pay the consequences. A moment of anger can destroy anyone at any time and in any place. Remember the letter “d!”

Prayer:  Thank you Lord for always providing what we need. Only You can give us victory over our emotions that will so easily destroy us. May we learn the value of patience and being faithful to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: At Meribah, too, they angered the Lord, causing Moses serious trouble. Psalm 106:32 

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