THE
HARBORED HOSTILITY OF BITTERNESS
BREAD
10 As it
is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who
understands, no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away, they have together become
worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” 13 “Their throats are open
graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their
lips.” 14 “Their
mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed
blood; 16 ruin
and misery mark their ways, 17 and the way of peace they do not know.” 18 “There is no fear of God
before their eyes.” Romans 3:10-18 (NIV)
29 Do not
let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for
building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who
listen. 30 And do
not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of
redemption. 31 Get
rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every
form of malice. 32 Be
kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ
God forgave you. Ephesians 4:29-32
(NIV)
5 Put to
death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality,
impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of
God is coming. 7 You
used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must rid yourselves
of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language
from your lips. 9 Do not
lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self,
which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Colossians 3:5-10 (NIV)
5 Those
who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that
nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their
minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind
controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mind is hostile to
God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful
nature cannot please God. Romans 8:5-8
(NIV)
26 “In
your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a
foothold. Ephesians 4:26-27 (NIV)
14 Make
every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no
one will see the Lord. 15 See to
it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to
cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews
12:14-15 (NIV)
9 With
the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have
been made in God's likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My
brothers, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same
spring? 12 My
brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a
salt spring produce fresh water. James
3:9-12 (NIV)
21 “There
is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
Isaiah 57:21 (NIV)
BUTTER
“Bitterness is a figurative term denoting that fretted and
irritable state of mind that keeps a man in perpetual animosity – that inclines
him to harsh and uncharitable opinions of men and things – that makes him sour,
crabbed, and repulsive in his general demeanor – that brings scowl on his face, and infuses venom into the
words of his tongue.” John
Eadie
“Bitterness is a smoldering resentment. It is the end result of suppressed anger, and
it defiles us. Anger must not be
suppressed – it must be dealt with. If
it isn’t it leads to more wrath and anger.” J. D.
Watson
“The Hebrew word shalom is often translated ‘peace,’ but its full meaning
has a deeper richness to it. Shalom is a sense of completeness and soundness
and living well. It implies safety, good health, prosperity, tranquility, and
contentment. Shalom means favor, fulfillment, restoration, harmony, and
reconciliation. God is Jehovah Shalom, the God of peace. Shalom meets the human
heart's deepest longings and is the greatest measure of contentment. True
shalom cannot exist in a heart that is void of Jesus Christ. Shalom cannot
exist in a heart that is divided between a love of God and a love of the world.
There is no room for peace in a heart that is harboring anxiety, distrust,
greed, anger, or bitterness. The Messiah is referred to as the Prince of Peace
in Isaiah 9:6. Although the text translates to ‘prince,’ the original meaning
of the word embodies the power of the king. The prince here has the full
authority, delegation, and dignity of the king. Only when the Prince of Peace
rules in our hearts and minds can we have peace. Until we submit to His
authority and power, our peace will be incomplete.” Michael
Youssef
“All the commandments of God are commandments
of love tending to our real good and great happiness; far from being grievous
to those who have faith and love, the practice thereof is life and peace. The world may think it a grievous burden;
but this is a great mistake indeed. Sin
is grievous. In hatred, envy, anger,
revenge, pride, there is nothing but torment and slavery; but in love there is
a sweet rest and pleasure. Thus a sinner
always punishes himself, and is robbed of great peace and blessing, by
transgressing the commandments of God.” K. H.
Von Bogatzky
“When you cling tightly to bitterness, anger, resentment, and unforgiveness, elevating them above your relationship with God, they become "idols" in your life. For each idol you are willing to destroy, you will gain more than you lose. Each time you surrender something to God, you will remove another hindrance to a productive life of faith and prayer. Every idol that is demolished will bring you new treasures of grace and peace.” Michael Youssef
“Forgiveness saves us the
expense of anger, the cost of hatred, the waste of spirits.” Hannah More
HEART SAVOR
- · Bitterness is suppressed anger – a harbored hostility of which I am to rid myself of.
- · I am to watch my life against continued anger and bitterness as they will destroy the vessel containing them.
- · I am to live a life of love as love never fails. Scripture states: 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV)
