This post is Day 14 in a series of studies about “James”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

Feel free to comment below with your own thoughts about each verse and how you will be acting on each thought. Also, if you haven’t yet signed up to receive the notifications of new studies, you can do that today (the form is at the bottom of the page).

James – Day 14

James must have suffered a lot from the words of others, and you can feel the bitterness behind what he says, and imagine in your mind the pictures he uses in stressing his point. The chapter continues the message about the use of our tongues giving different examples.

James 3:3-6

When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.
The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

The Thought

On reading verse 6 here, it is tempting to make the decision never to speak another word! What a condemnation! James must have suffered a lot from the words of others, and you can feel the bitterness behind what he says, and imagine in your mind the pictures he uses in stressing his point. The chapter continues the message about the use of our tongues giving different examples.

The book of proverbs too has much to say on this subject. On day 9 we mentioned Proverbs 18:21 and 21:23 but there are many more verses.

On every page in the 31 chapters of Proverbs you can find at least one verse about words or the mouth or the tongue.

The Bible tells us to speak to each other with “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:19) to bless and not curse. Let’s do that today.

Action

Read the 18 verses of James 3 and pray for help in improving the things in your life that need improving.

Ask God to help you in disciplining your tongue. Pray for the inspiration to bless and not curse.

Praise God for His forgiveness when you fail. (All of us do while we live on this side of Heaven!)