Daily Devotions
My next-door neighbor has a cabin. In March, he awoke to a great racket on his roof. In his pajamas, he staggered into the back yard to find a woodpecker on the TV antenna. Relentlessly, the bird was pounding its little brains out on the metal pole. Angry at the bird for disturbing his sleep, the man picked up a rock and threw it. The rock sailed over the house, hit his car and broke his windshield. In utter frustration, the man took a vicious kick at a clod of dirt, only to remember — too late — that he was still in his bare feet.
When he told me that story, I had to fight back a smile. That is not always my reaction when I hear about people who lose their tempers. Have you noticed that the world seems to be filled with people who are always walking around angry and upset? The smallest problem triggers a response way out of proportion.
I would not presume to say that the Lord Jesus can take away everyone’s rage, but I do know a lot of people who have found, in Christ, a peace that passes human understanding. When an individual shares his cares and burdens with the Lord, they are easier to bear, and harder to maintain.
From a devotion originally written for “By the Way”
THE PRAYER: Gracious Lord, may the power of your Holy Spirit guide and direct me to serve you in your Kingdom today. Fill me with meekness and Your peace as I face things in my life that make me angry. In Your Name. Amen.