Reading your Bible for Today August 10

August 10: Matthew 5:21-24

KJV Key Verse: Matthew 5:22
22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Devotion:
Have you ever thought about the 6th commandment, about what it actually means? At first glance we may see the simple text “Thou shalt not kill”. But when you start to think about what man does before he gets to the stage of killing... just maybe we are all guilty of it!

How many times have you built up anger and other ill feelings towards someone before letting go and giving them a mouthful of what you think they deserve (rightly or wrongly)? When we start to see things going against what we would like to see, we start to build up resentment against that person. The more we see things straying from what we want to see, the more resentment we build up, getting to the stage of being consumed by our ill feelings. It is at that stage we all do something out of character; be it shouting at them or simply telling a lie.

We don't have to look too far into society to see how people are pushed over the edge and commit suicide or harm themselves because of what has happened or been said to them. We don't have to look too far to see people in problematic situations seeking what they think is the easiest way out in desperation... Who or what has pushed them over the edge?

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to realise what we do or say to others out of anger can affect them a whole lot more than we first realise. You yourself may have been badly affected by what someone else has said to you. Jesus saw what was in people's hearts and wanted them to clear their hearts so that they could worship with a clean heart, releasing the resentment and anger that was building up within them before it was too late. What we need to do is to ask God to help us in our lives so that we can move on in our lives and heal with His help before we say something that may push someone over the edge...

Points to Ponder:
Who are you the most angry with right now?

How can you diffuse that anger? (Ask God's help)