Psalm 37:8-9 (NIV), “8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret it leads only to evil. 9 For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.”
It’s pretty easy to see that the world we live in has become a very angry place. Many people are extremely unhappy and feel very empty inside. They are attempting to fill the void in their hearts in ways that are only creating more emptiness.
Anger usually happens when we feel that we have been cheated out of something in life. Rather we caused the misfortune in our lives ourselves, or rather someone else did it to us, we feel hurt. Constantly living in this pain called anger can lead to evil. When we are angry it can cause us to say and do things that bring harm to others. That’s why God tells us to refrain from anger and turn away from wrath. It’s natural to get angry in certain situations, but it’s how we handle that anger that determines our destiny. We have to learn how to give our angry feelings to the Lord, so that it doesn’t destroy our lives or our relationships.
We don’t have to fight anger alone. God has given us options that will keep us out of trouble. Prayer, meditating on scripture, exercising, talking to someone you trust, journaling, or spending time doing your favorite hobby, can help release anger. It also helps greatly to remember what God says about you. His opinion of you is what matters most. We are priceless to Him, no matter what others may think. The inheritance we have in Him is greater than anything we could ever achieve on our own. When we hope in Him we will never be put to shame (Psalm 25:3)
Keep Reading: A Look at Psalm 37 (verses 10-11)
Drawing Closer to Christ 