Psalm 23
Ephesians 4: 26, 29-30 (NRSV)
Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, … Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only that which is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.
Devotion
CS Lewis, in The Screwtape Letters, refers to hell as the Kingdom of Noise. Sometimes it seems as if the same could be said of earth. Wars, murders, natural disasters, road rage, kidnapping, civil unrest, and a general level of incivility. It’s enough to make one anxious and angry at the same time. Read a provocative news story and the judgmental response springs up immediately. What were they thinking? How could they do that? If only they would have…
It is so easy to get trapped by this kind of thinking and respond angrily at each new story, news report, or glitch in some system that thwarts carefully laid plans. It seems that the world, and everyone in it (including me), is in a perpetual state of turmoil.
Thank the Lord that we have been handed down ancient wisdom for dealing with times like these. Our ancestors surely knew them, and surely turned to the same sources for comfort and guidance. Psalm 23 needs no introduction. To read it is to immediately feel solace and quieting of the spirit. It is as if the Lord is present and putting his hand on your shoulder to guide and comfort you.
The words of Paul in Ephesians are a reminder not to respond in anger. Forgo upset when people do not do what you would like and plans go awry. Instead respond with compassion and patience and without malice. Be tenderhearted. When I remember this, I feel the anger with the situation draining away. I will sometimes say a short prayer for somebody who has upset me in some way. It almost immediately changes how I feel about the situation and the person. These words are a reminder to love our neighbors as God and Christ love us, and a blessing for daily living in Lent and beyond.
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for your words of guidance and comfort in Scripture. As we walk alongside you during this Lenten season, help us to remember that you are always walking beside us, supporting us, directing our path and blessing us with your steadfast love. Amen.
Debbie Leavens