This post is Day 17 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 17

The more we open our spirits to receive from God, the less we will find ourselves guilty of saying the wrong thing. If we submit to Jesus, and His word, we cannot help but be changed. We do not do it ourselves, He does it for us with our co-operation.

James 3:17

But the wisdom that comes from Heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

The Thought

What a pleasant verse after so many hard ones! What an encouragement it is to know that we can get in touch with Heaven and receive some of the wealth of wisdom from there.

The more we open our spirits to receive from God, the less we will find ourselves guilty of saying the wrong thing or being bothered by some of the other things we have read about during the previous few days of this study.

If we submit to Jesus, and His word, we cannot help but be changed. We do not do it ourselves, He does it for us with our co-operation. As that changing process begins and continues, we will be able to submit more to Father God. (Note the word “submissive” in the verse today). The resulting changes in you and me will have an affect on those around us and result in us being much better witnesses for Him, even without opening our mouths to say anything at all, just by being who we are in Him.

It is possible for our spirits to stay focused on the Lord even though our souls and bodies are doing everyday things.

This chapter ends with an encouragement to all of us to yearn for more of God’s wisdom. There is an unlimited source of it available if we will search for it.

Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. (James 3:18)

Action

Pray that you will stay focused on Jesus today, and that your submissive lifestyle will testify to your faith.

Praise God for His wisdom, praise Him for making that wisdom available to us.

Determine to be a person of peace. Remember that Jesus said Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God. (Matthew 5:9)