James 3 - 5.28.24
SCRIPTURE: James 3:7-9 "All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing, My brothers and sisters, this should not be."
OBSERVATION: The writer of this letter was Paul. His focus was on how faithful Christians were speaking about other human beings made in God's image. The Book of Proverbs teaches us that, 'the tongue has the power of life and death." Words have so much influence that they can cause a person's entire life to change, for good or for bad!
APPLICATION: God's Word teaches us that our tongues are small, but they are capable of wreaking great havoc! As sinful human beings, our tongues are untamable. The ONLY way we are able to over-come the temptation to speak unkind words towards or about someone is to ask for God's wisdom, and to depend on His Holy Spirit to guide us. A prayer that I often pray is for God to guide my actions AND my reactions.
I remember the night the Good News was shared with me, and how it not only changed my heart, it changed the entire course of my life! The words that were shared lifted me out of the deep dark depression I was in, and those powerful words that were prayed over my life brought forgiveness, healing, deliverance, redemption, clarity, focus, inner joy, and a deep abiding peace that I experience to this very day since those precious ministers of God introduced me to Jesus, and led me in the sinners prayer.
PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for helping me to tame my tongue. When I have been tempted to go off on someone, it was You Who helped to control it!
Justin Eaves has made a powerful impact in my life! He taught me how to speak life over people. He taught me to look for the gold in them! That teaching has made such a difference in my life because now when I'm with others, I don't try to find their flaws, but I focus on discovering the gold that's in them!
That's exactly what God does! He sees us through the lens of Jesus' perfect sacrifice on the cross, Who bore ALL our sins! God's Word is full of adjectives that describe so beautifully how He sees us, and when we read those words, we are filled with amazement and encouragement! His loving words compel us to love Him more, and they are meant to give us the desire to live up to our new identity in Christ.
Since I am not able to tame my tongue without God's help, I give Him permission to control it! I pray that no corrupt talk or careless words will come out of my mouth, but only what is good for building others up, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29).
And, I pray that the words I choose to speak will bring hope and encouragement to others that will last a life-time!
I release the Word of God in my life by choosing to read it, believe it, declare it, and to act on it. Amen.
- Robin Orefice
