Tremble and do not sin…
Psalm 4:4
Be Angry But Do Not Sin – Psalm 4:4
Tremble and do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.
Reflection
Have you ever been so upset, so angry, that you began to tremble? Sometimes our anger is justified, like when Jesus turned the tables in the marketplace, a sacred place designated solely for prayer (Jn 2:14-16). But all too often it is not. Regardless of whether it is or isn’t, the Bible tells us that in our anger … we are not to sin. According to the Word of God, instead of reacting, we are to “search our hearts and be silent.”
To search our hearts and be silent simply means to calm down. We are to immediately go somewhere quiet and talk to God. He knows that we will get angry at times. He also knows that anger will try its best and get the best of us, causing us to sin and, not only hurt ourselves, but those we love including the Lord Himself. Split-second sin can cause irreparable damage and King David, the author of this psalm, experienced it firsthand.
God is not overly concerned with the fact that we get angry, as He certainly understands the emotions of His own creation. But unjustified anger is not from God. Unjustified anger finds its root in sin … and sin never brings about anything good. To the contrary, sin makes everything much worse. Amongst other things, it enslaves a soul to more sin — physically and spiritually. The psalmist knew that sin most always follows anger and thus left us with a simple yet helpful (divinely-inspired) technique: The next time you become angry, go quickly to somewhere quiet and seek God. Taking a few moments talking with your Heavenly Father will not only protect you from the temptation(s) of sin, but is a powerful display of your faith. In other words, the next time you are angry, go directly to God. Not only will He fight your battle(s) for you, He will reward you for your obedience. Win win!
“When you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent” – Psalm 4:4.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, we hope to not have any reason for anger today. But if we happen to stumble upon a trap, we pray that You will aid us on high; helping us to process our emotions in the quickest and most correct way. We wholeheartedly desire to follow the wise counsel of the psalmist and, rather than acting unjustly, take a moment with You to pray and listen for Your voice. Assist us in uniting our heart, all that concerns and irritates us, to Your most Sacred Heart. Give us strong faith to believe that You will take care of it. You are our Vindicator, Lord, and we trust You with all that ails us today. Therefore, with Your power, we resolve to not let our anger get the best of us. We love You and we thank You for working with us to become the Holy men and women You desire. We pray this all in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
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