Kids Bible Devotional for September 3, 2024
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Focus Verse
Ephesians 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath. (KJV)
Jump Start
What does an angry bear and an angry person have in common?
Like any of God’s creatures, when we get angry, we can make a lot of noise. Growls, grunts, and grumbles. All the “Grr” sounds you can think of. We want to be heard. We want our displeasure known.
Is it wrong to be angry? Well, no. Anger is a human emotion, just like sadness or happiness. It’s what we do with that anger that can lead us into trouble. Angry people can say mean things, say bad words, throw things, break things, and act a little crazy, if the emotion is not controlled. Let’s face it. We’ve all acted a little crazy at times when we have gotten angry.
What helps us to avoid the pitfalls of overly passionate petulance? The Holy Spirit along with godly wisdom with how to keep our chagrin in check.
Today's Devotion
Alex stormed in the front door. “Mom! I need to talk to you!” he yelled.
Mom slid open the glass door to the backyard. “What’s the matter, Alex? I heard you all the way from the garden.”
“Wyatt is no longer my friend. Don’t let him in the house,” he bellowed. “You should also call his mom and tell her that her son is a liar and a thief.”
“Let’s just take a deep breath for a second. Tell me what happened.”
“He took my blue baseball cap without asking and then lied and said it was his.”
“You mean the blue baseball cap that your dad got for free from the Feed Store? Is that the one?”
Alex nodded. “That’s the one.”
“Come on,” his mother motioned him to the back yard. “I want to show you something.”
She led him to the old Chinese Tallow tree in the corner of the yard. She broke off a dead branch with ease. “I was about to cut this tree down when you came home. It’s dead. Do you know why?”
Alex scratched his head. “Not really.”
“These vines hanging all over the tree drained it of its life-giving nutrients. They blocked out the sunlight, too. Eventually, it was too much for the tree to overcome.”
“Okay, but Mom, I need your help with Wyatt. It’s a matter of life and death. He stole from me.”
“I’m getting to that. Just stay with me.”
Alex sighed. “Okay, sorry.”
“Now, if we caught it early enough, we could have killed the ivy and saved the tree. This is what anger can do if you aren’t careful. Roots of bitterness can spring up and cause resentment to grow. You and Wyatt have been friends for a long time. Do you just want to throw that away over a disagreement?”
“Disagreement? But he –” before he could finish, she pointed to the baseball cap on her head. Alex realized she was wearing the cap he had accused Wyatt of stealing. He suddenly remembered that she asked to use it a few days ago.
“I’ll be back later, Mom. I need to apologize to Wyatt.”
“I think that’s a wise choice,” she said. “Kill the ivy, save the tree.”
Wrap Up
James wrote in his epistle that we must be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Anger does not produce righteousness, he said.
It’s okay to be angry sometimes, but it’s not okay to say or do mean things. It’s also not okay to let the anger control you. Nothing should control you. God has given you power to overcome all sin and temptations by the Holy Spirit.
If you have an anger problem, pray, “Jesus, please help me control my anger and keep my actions in check. Do not let me become bitter.”
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