Anger is not sinful, yet the source of one’s anger sometimes does manifest one’s sinful heart. Perhaps the prophet Jonah best demonstrates this truth. When the Lord first approached Jonah about the need in Nineveh, Jonah clearly displayed his displeasure in seeing the Lord work in the lives of the Ninevites. After experiencing the Lord’s chastening, Jonah appeared to have a heart change. Yet, it did not take long before his anger revealed his true feelings and thoughts. As the hearts of the Ninevites were becoming tender toward the Lord, the prophet’s heart was becoming hardened through anger. His anger revealed that he wanted his own will and not God’s.
Men get into trouble when they begin to think too highly of their own thoughts. If they are not careful, these opinions will become the driving force in their decision making. This will mean that the word of God finds itself in competition for the seat of authority. The sad truth is that men often fail to notice within themselves this substitution of authorities. While their mouths may falsely testify of a loyal submission to the scriptures, their actions testify that their opinions are instead leading the way. The Devil works subtly because he knows how to gradually lead men astray by keeping them from noticing any abrupt changes within their hearts and outward deeds. By the time rebellion is detected, the Devil has a stronghold only broken by prayer and heartfelt submission to God.
Loyalty is a godly trait, and like most godly traits, difficulties can accompany it. The story of David and Uriah serves as a prime example. David sinned against the Lord when he committed adultery with Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife. His actions caused her to become expectant with child. In an attempt to cover his wickedness, he sent for Uriah, his faithful soldier. David knew that his only opportunity to hide his sin from man was for Uriah to go home to Bathsheba. However, Uriah was a faithful soldier. He simply refused to enjoy the comforts of being with his wife while his fellow soldiers were enduring the hardness of battle. Uriah instead chose to sleep at the door of the king’s house. This loyalty caused David to reevaluate his devious plan and escalate the consequences. He decided to order Uriah to the hottest part of the battle insuring certain death. It was not just the enemy that killed Uriah, but also his loyalty to an unfaithful man!
Only a foolish man thinks he can hide anything from the Lord. This includes his thought life. The Lord knows all man’s thoughts (1 Chronicles 28:9) which includes the good (Malachi 3:16) and the bad (Psalm 94:11). David expressed this truth to the Lord when he said, “Thou knowest . . . my thought afar off. . . . For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether” (Psalm 139:2-4). The Lord Jesus Christ often exhibited this capability during His earthly ministry (Matthew 12:25; Luke 5:22; Luke 6:8; Luke 9:47; Luke 11:17). Even the written word of God reveals this ability by being “a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
