Change Of Heart

January 19, 2021

Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret— it only causes harm.

~Psalms 37:8~

Before I knew the Lord I was a very angry person. I can remember just feeling the need to scream at times from an outpouring of tension and frustration. Most of the times I had no explanation why. Other times it led to incidents of me hurting myself, just as David warns here it can do. My anger got so bad that at times I would physically punch at things and hurt my hands, further injuring myself mentally as well. I now look back and see how irrational I was being but my emotions were controlling me more then anything else. Anger in the heart can truely create worse situations in our life to arise. When the Lord delivered me He gave me a new spirit and a new heart, which led to a new attitude; "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."

(Ezekiel 36:26)

Now, every single individual's walk with God is different. We cannot compare what the Lord does with one or another. We must focus only on our personal relationship with Jesus and what He is trying to tell us. There were many moments after I came to Christ where I was directed by the Holy Spirit to be more obedient. I was very stubborn and rebellious and Jesus needed to change that around so I no longer felt this kind of irrational anger or pain in my life anymore. David knew how damaging anger could be as he had his fair share of temper tantrums. Dont get me wrong, feeling a type of emotion is not completely absurd, some things will naturally make us upset for good reason. However, we have to understand to quickly cast our emotions down and give them to Christ so that we are not making ourselves vulnerable to the elements around us.

"casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." (I Peter 5:7)

When we are feeling uncontrollable anger, we need to ask the Lord what it is that this is stemming from. Yesterday's devotional I had mentioned the story of Cain and Abel. After the Lord did not accept Cain's offering, he became angry. His anger got so bad that it led to the murder of his own brother; "Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him." (Genesis 4:8)

Originally this anger Cain felt stemmed from jealousy toward his own brother as the Lord favored Abel. Once Cain took it to a whole new level, his anger caused such harm. To Abel and most of all to himself. Not to say your feelings will automatically cause you to do terrible things but whose to say it could not eventually lead you down that path in time? I know when I was full of wrath I felt like just getting rid of people, I am not proud of it at all, but it is true. The bible says there was a man who wanted to just "get rid of someone," his name was Saul, he was king at the time. Saul ended up resenting David for the favor that rested upon him; "Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?”

(I Samuel 18:8)

David was predestined and annointed before time. Saul only liked him until he realized David may take his place, so he sought to kill him. His heart was filled with negative feelings rather then the love of God. David watched as anger in Saul's heart was causing him to fret and become violent.

With the Holy Spirit residing in us we have the ability to fill ourselves in every part of our personality with Him and not leave room for any negative feelings. The more we fill ourselves with God's word we are filling our hearts with His word. "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." (Luke 6:45)

Whatever our heart feels, we will speak it out loud. If we are only focusing on Jesus and His word that brings forth life, that we will speak. If we are focusing more on our negative circumstances or on our own desires, that we will speak.

Words are powerful. "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:37)

Jesus knows our heart. Jesus can make us new. We need to be willing to change ourselves and be willing to give up what the Lord is showing us to give up. It will not be easy. It will not feel good to break down walls we once had up, but Jesus needs us to be more transformed into His image in order to be sent out as His representatives.

Bad situations either shape you or break you, just as it did for Cain and Saul. Let us choose to be shaped for Christ. Just as Jesus set aside His own emotions before taking up the cross for all of us; we too must set aside our emotions to be filled with the love of God. All anger does to us is cause harm, create more tension and causes separation. Separation in our relationships, separation in our spirits and separation from the fullness of God; "to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:19)

Have peace with God and others, including yourself.

Prayer:

Father God, thank you for Your patience with me as I may stumble at times. Thank you for allowing me understanding that You know what is in my heart. I pray that my heart remains full of Your divine joy, that I may go forth and present Jesus in me to others, not myself. Help me to break down any wall that is causing a barrier between myself and my calling You have for me. Help me have self control in the way I speek, may it always be seasoned with grace and be used in edification rather then tearing others down. Lord I wish to be more like You. I know You are always beside me and those whom You love You chasten. Allow me to understand what I need to do for You. I wish to glorify Your name to those You place in front of me. All praises be to You for Your longsuffering and kindness You have given me all these years. Help me to have that same fruit in my life. I receive it by faith and rejoice at the new beginnings You have for me. In Your Mighty Name I pray, Jesus Christ. Amen.