Daily Bible Readings-Week 7

Rev. Doug Heiman - October 19, 2021

Starter Question
When was the last time you were really angry?

October 18
James 1:19-21, My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

In developing good relationships, we come to the third point. We have already discovered that a strong foundation must be built on good listening skills and using life-giving words. If we are slow to listen and quick to speak, then we do not value others in a way that will create a positive environment for relationships to flourish.

As we are to be slow to speak so we are to be slow to become angry. That is easier said than done in many circumstances. Slow to become angry means to be slow to express it. When we are impulsive, it may reveal something deeper is going on inside.

We may have an unresolved hurt from the past, major frustrations in the present, or some fear of the future. So, when we sense ourselves becoming angry, we should consider the source of our anger.

Have you ever noticed there are times when you become angry with other drivers who are driving too slowly and then there are times it does not bother you? Why is that? For me, it is when I am rushed, in a hurry, and frustrated that I am not getting where I need to be on time. But that same scenario could play out when I am relaxed, not in a hurry, and I am totally chilled, and do not feel a need to express my angry frustration.

The emotion of anger is a secondary response to a deeper need. Various life experiences and events can trigger such anger to become uncorked unexpectedly on someone else. The slow driver is my excuse and outlet for anger, not the core cause.

Questions to Consider:
What is a trigger for you to express your anger? Do you ask, “Why am I responding this way?”

Weekly Memory Verse:
James 1:19-20, My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

October 19
James 1:19-21, My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

James makes it clear that human anger is not the response God is looking for in our relationship with Him. We know anger is an emotion that is legitimate like joy or sadness. The emotion itself is not a sin, but how we express it could be.

Since James makes the designation about human anger, he indicates there is also appropriate righteous anger. This is the anger God displays on occasion.

One of the great verses that is repeated several times in the Old Testament speaks of the nature of God. It says,

Psalm 86:15, But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

Thankfully, God is slow to become angry, or we would all be judged and condemned quickly! So, when James tells us to be slow to anger, he is telling us to be like God.

However, we know that God does get angry. There comes a tipping point when He has had enough. It took several hundred years for that anger to emerge against the southern kingdom of Judah, but we read this,

2 Chronicles 24:18, They abandoned the temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God’s anger came on Judah and Jerusalem.

Because of continued idolatry, immorality, and injustice, God’s anger finally was unleashed. It is appropriate to be angry about the things God is angry about. So, when we see injustice at work in our world, we should find appropriate ways to express our holy anger to bring about positive change.

Questions to Consider:
What are examples of sin/injustice in which we should have holy anger? What are appropriate ways for us to express such anger?

October 20
James 1:19-21, My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

James continues to dig down to the root of our anger problem. He tells us to get rid of moral filth and evil that is so prevalent. One of the causes of inappropriately expressed anger is our sinful nature.

So, to work on our anger, we need to work on our soul. Just as we take off our dirty clothes, we need to do the same with ungodly attitudes and behaviors that have taken hold of us. We must make the decision to stop engaging them. We may not see the clear connection, but they are a source fueling our anger. We will look at this again tomorrow.

Then, we need to humbly accept the word planted in us. It reminds me of Jesus’ parable of the soils. There are four spiritual options, only one of which is viable.

We can be the hardened path where the Word does not take any root. We can be the shallow soil where the Word begins to grow, but when trials come along, we fail to persevere and fall away. We can be the soil where our faith grows, but we are, also, filled with the worries and stresses of the world which chokes out our growing faith. Or we can choose to be the dark fertile soil that I saw recently in Iowa where the corn and beans were beautifully green and weed free along the rolling landscape.

In our redemption, the Word of God has been planted in us. What are we doing with it? When we recognize our need for God’s salvation and healing, we will humbly surrender ourselves to Christ and His Word.

By faith, we believe the Word has the power to save us spiritually and eternally. It, also, has the power to transform our lives daily. So, the more we engage and welcome the Word of Life into the deepest parts of our being, it brings healing to our souls and, increasingly, makes us whole.

Questions to Consider:
How are you receiving the Word into your life? How are you finding it to bring transformation into your life?

October 21
James 4:1-3, What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

James expands upon the anger issue as he said it led to fights and quarrels among the believers to whom he was writing. Imagine that, fights in church! I must say from where I sit, we have had very few major quarrels in our fellowship. There will always be conflict because of our differing views and opinions, but this seems to take it to a whole new level.

This inappropriate expression of anger in the Body of Christ originates from the desires that are battling within them. James spoke of these evil desires in our battle with temptation. Here, those desires include coveting what others have. They were frustrated they did not have what others had. So, the theme of materialism returns as well. Was it out of their poverty that they were fighting? Or was it the wealthy who wanted more?

James uses the strong language of “killing” to describe what they were doing to each other. Surely, this is not to be taken, literally, because murder does not fit the context. James would have had so much more to say about it than one passing comment.

James appears to use Jesus’ language in the Sermon on the Mount where hateful speech and attitudes are equated with the sin of murder. Though it may not be a literal killing, the spiritual act results in the same kind of sin.

James made it clear that it was not the fault of others or unjust situations which were causing the quarrels within the fellowship. It was the evil desires in their own hearts. So, he challenged them to look within themselves for the cause of the strife around them. A covetous heart can bring out a response of inappropriate anger in “killing” one another.

Questions to Consider:
How have you seen covetousness or other evil desires expressed inappropriately through anger in others? In your own life? Have you had it directed toward you?

October 22
James 4:1-3, What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

James asked, instead of quarreling and “killing” each other with covetous fighting, have you ever considered asking God? They were not acting like God existed in the way they were treating one another and in failing to pray for their own needs.

James said it simply and clearly, “You do not have because you do not ask.” Let those words sink in. How much time and energy have we spent fretting, being frustrated, and becoming angry but never took the time to pray about the situation?

Scripture tells us God’s desire to hear from us:
Psalm 55:22, Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.
1 Peter 5:7, Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
And James went on to say, if they did ask, they did so with wrong motives. They merely wanted more for their own pleasure rather than to meet their need or to share with others in need. It sounds like they were a mess! Surely, we are not like them, right?

Instead of getting anxious and angry about what we do not have in life, what if we gave thanks for what we do have, and asked God for what we need? Would we not receive what Paul promised?

Philippians 4:6-7, Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Questions to Consider:
What is going on in your life today that you should ask for help through prayer? How can others pray for you? What is your thanksgiving?