“David had just said, “I guarded everything that belonged to this man in the wilderness for nothing. He was not missing anything, yet he paid me back evil for good. May God punish me, and even more if I let any of his men survive until morning.”
– 1 Samuel 25:21-22

What causes you to get angry? During the 1968 French Open, Brian Barnes set a record for the most putts ever needed to sink a three-footer. After blowing an easy putt for par, Barnes tried to rake the ball back into the cup and missed. Losing total control, he hit the ball back and forth over the cup until he finally holed out. The result—a 12!!

King David knew about anger. He had protected Nabal’s servants and land which allowed the servants to work without fear and thus produce more. When David sent some of his men for a portion of the harvest in which to feed his men, Nabal refused to give them anything. David exploded and he was ready to kill Nabal and every male in Nabal’s family. Does your anger sometimes cause you to lose control? As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to a higher standard. We are called to forgive those who anger and upset us. Sure, it’s a challenge, but if we think about the forgiveness God has given us, we might be a little easier on those we feel don’t deserve to be forgiven.

Heavenly Father, thank you for being a God of mercy and grace. Teach me today to be slow to anger and quick to forgive. Amen.