James 3:7-12
7.For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison..
Here is a comparison between animals and our tongue. It is often said that animals have more love than people sometimes. Hey: here it is in the bible.
An animal can be tamed but the tongue cannot. No one can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
We use the tongue to bless God; even our Father the almighty. Then with the same tongue we curse or say things against men that is made in the image of God. Hey; He made you and me and every living man; woman; and child. And yet; done frequently we say hurtful things that diminishes God’s creation.
We have had hurtful things said against us that would even destroy us. and has somewhat destroyed our character in the community. But I have had to realize that their tongue is full of deadly poison.
There is also the other problem of saying or not saying something that the other person expects from us. This is so hard to determine and something I am working on every day of my life. Other people have deep hurts; that we do not know of. And when we say something; we do not realize the impact we are having on that persons life. We do not know their hurts and we offend in what we say or do.
I want to urge us; that when we speak to whoever that we say a quick prayer. “Please guide me by your Holy Spirit In Jesus name Amen”
Sometimes the Holy Spirit wants to use us to shock us into reality. But let us be careful; It could be coming from the flesh and not the Holy Spirit.
10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
Yes it is realized by James that blessing and cursing does come into our speech and conversation with other people.
James says this should not happen. Why? we belong to Christ and we ought to be relying on Him for his words and thought.
Then James say’s that you cannot have both sweet and bitter coming from the same water outlet. Nor can a fig tree bear olive berries. Neither can a fountain give salt water and fresh water.
James is talking to brethren people that is, those that belong to Him.
Encouragement: These thing ought not to be so. Let us rely on the Holy Spirit to direct us.
