The Fig Tree – 7

This post is Day 7 in a series of studies about “The Fig Tree”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

Please 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).


The Fig Tree – Day 7

James 3:12-13

My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree produce olives? Can a grapevine produce figs? In the same way, a pool of salt water can’t produce fresh water.
Do any of you have wisdom and insight? Show this by living the right way with the humility that comes from wisdom.

The Thought

Just before the verses quoted above James talks about the tongue. He describes it as a flame of fire, a world of evil. Here he is telling us that each tree bears its own fruit and in the same way every word we speak will bear fruit. The Old Testament book of Proverbs has much to say about the tongue and the words we use. Maybe the most well known and the most challenging verse is Proverbs 18:21 The tongue has the power of life and death. … A scary verse!

In the James verse above we see once more the fig tree and the vine mentioned together. They are used as an example for life in general. In the Epistle of James we learn much about the way we should live as believers, and as “church” in the world today. Most of the listeners of James’s time would be very familiar with the fig tree and the vine and the lessons that could be learned from them. If you read the full chapter of James 3 (or even the whole book which has only 5 short chapters), you will understand that James is trying to teach us to do and say the right things, not according to the world’s judgement, but the Lord’s.

Action

Read more of James and challenge yourself with some of the things he writes.

Pray for more evidence of Jesus in your life, and for His help to live as He would like you to live. Pray that you would say what He would want you to say at the right time and in the right place.

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