ANGER SPILLS BLOOD

The body was still laying at the spot where he had been fixing his granddaughter's pink bike. The Detective wearing plastic gloves lifted the sheet covering his body, looking for clues regarding the angle and trajectory of a bullet. A fire truck stood nearby with firemen poised to hose off the bloody sidewalk. Yellow "Crime Scene" tape kept a large crowd away from the area of investigation. Somebody had fired a gun and killed a grandfather fixing his granddaughter's pink bike. Why did he die?

A burned out tree is a cairn of carelessness.

There are sometimes in life when there are really no words to say. Praying almost seems hypocritical in the face of such extreme personal agony. Yet, praying was the only sensible thing we could do. We hugged and cried as we sat in a state of disbelief. Voices in the large crowd began to create a history with words that hung in mid air: "He was a great neighbor and friend." "He would do anything to help you." "He was a wonderful Dad." "He was a loving Grandfather." "He worked really hard when he was my employee." Why was such a good man dead?

One moment of anger can burn many futures.

A little over a year later, a man was arrested and subsequently convicted of murder. From testimony at the trial, we know that anger caused a man to pull the trigger that resulted in a good man's death. The day before the murder, the convicted man had an argument with another man. He wanted revenge. Most of the witnesses for the Prosecution were involved in illegal activities and were either currently incarcerated or had pending charges. It seemed like everyone involved in the trial had something in their lives that helped beget anger and violence. Some of the words used during the trial were: drugs, gangs, guns, stealing, jail sentence, - any one of those words could lead to another of those words. On some days when the drug business is good and you're in the same gang, you've got peace. That doesn't last long. There's always the threat of being arrested and subsequently betrayed by someone looking to save their own skin. There really is no honor among thieves and murderers. Anger amidst people involved in illegal activity lead to the death of an innocent man.   

There is always hope amidst barrenness.

Today's Wise Saying is taken from proverbs 24:1-2.

Proverbs 24:1-2

New International Version (NIV)

Saying 20

24 Do not envy the wicked,
    do not desire their company;
² for their hearts plot violence,
    and their lips talk about making trouble.

Proverbs 24:1-2

The Message (MSG)

Intelligence Outranks Muscle

19

24 ^1-2 Don’t envy bad people;
    don’t even want to be around them.
All they think about is causing a disturbance;
    all they talk about is making trouble.

 

Proverbs 24:1-2

Amplified Bible (AMP)

24 Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them;

² For their minds plot oppression and devise violence, and their lips talk of causing trouble and vexation.

Proverbs 24:1-2

King James Version (KJV)

24 Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.

² For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.

The very first recorded murder in the Bible was caused by jealousy and anger. Here is what the Amplified Bible records in Genesis 4:5-8:

⁵ But for ^[a]Cain and his offering He had no respect or regard. So Cain was exceedingly angry and indignant, and he looked sad and depressed.

⁶ And the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry? And why do you look sad and depressed and dejected?

⁷ If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.

⁸ And Cain said to his brother, ^[b]Let us go out to the field. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

 Anger rooted in disrespect will destroy.
 
 Heart-Storming Challenge:

• How do you control anger?
• When do you feel disrespect? 
• Can you identify activities that lead to envy of evil?
• Is it easy to apologize when you have disrespected someone?
• How do you "master the sin at your door?"

Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.

Jesus loves you and so do we.