By Proverbs 14:29 “Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.”
Once a year I get invited to participate in a golf tournament that the company I work for partly sponsors. It is a blessing for me to have a day off and actually get paid to golf. This annual golf tournament was on Tuesday of this week, and it was my first time out for the year. The tournament is a best ball style, and my team scored four under par. This was good for a bunch of wannabe golfers.
When I was in late middle school and early high school, by parents would get me a summer golf membership for my birthday at the nine hole course in North Branch. I would wake in the morning and do my chores for the day. I would then head out the door and bike the six miles it took for me to get into town. I left my clubs at the course so I didn’t have to carry them on my bike. I would golf two or three rounds, bike to a friends house when I finished, and wait for my mom to pick me up after she was done with work.
I was an angry golfer. I lost many balls due to my unwillingness to watch it land. If I hooked a drive far to the right or left, I would scream, slam my club into the grass, and never watch the ball land. Sometimes I would even throw my clubs down the fairway. Maybe you remember the part in the movie Brave where the three contestants are having an archery challenge to see who might have the chance to marry Merida? The blonde hot shot contestant who missed, threw a fit, and hurled his bow out into the audience; yah, that was me. Merida rightly exclaims, “oh, that’s attractive.” I was a boy filled with a hasty temper who exalted his folly often.
“Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.”
I am no longer an angry boy. The grace of God has changed by heart so that I am now slow to anger. I still struggle with it at times, but the battle has been won. I just have to deal with the occasional enemy who wanders into camp from time to time. Tuesday’s golf outing showed me again how much the grace of God has manifested itself in my life. The Proverb tells us that whoever is slow to anger has great understanding. I am not confessing to you that I think I am a man with great understanding. I often times get frustrated with my inability to understand the things I should. I am preaching to myself the truth found here in the Bible. God tells me that because he has changed me into a man who is slow to anger, I now have great understanding. I may not understand many facts outside of myself, but knowing my own heart, and thanking Jesus for each victory is enough.
Proverbs 20:5 “The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.”
Draw down deep into your own heart this day. A person of understanding will find their purposes and motives there.
Leading Family Devotions 