For Reading and Meditation:      Proverbs 18:15-21We are seeing that the first step the psalmist took to save himself from falling was stopping himself from saying what was on the tip of his tongue. In other words, he took himself in hand. This is an extremely important issue. What a lot of heartache would be saved if Christians would take heed to this and learn to put a bridle on their tongues. Expressions which convey the idea that the Lord acts unjustly or unkindly, especially if they fall from the lips of men and women who have a long experience in the Christian life, are as dangerous as sparks in a timber factory. Despite his doubts, the psalmist recognised the importance of self-discipline, and that proved to be a saving virtue. People sometimes claim: "It is impossible for me to control what I say. It slips out before I realise what I've said." This is nonsense, of course, for what we say is the result of what we choose to say. Sometimes we may feel as though we have no control over what we say, but that is all it is - a feeling. Dr Lawrence Crabb, a Christian psychologist, tells us: "The loss of felt choice does not mean the loss of real choice." When you give a person "a piece of your mind", as we say, there is always a moment, albeit a split second, when you can choose to speak out or stay quiet. We cannot hide behind the excuse that our tongue is not under our control. What we do is what we choose to do. The psalmist, though beset by many doubts and difficulties, chose to control his tongue - and so can you. Father, help me see that the things I do and say are not the result of compulsion but of choice. I am free to obey or free to disobey. Help me to use my freedom in the right way. In Jesus' Name I ask it. Amen.<div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>James 3:1-18</li><li>James 1:5</li><li>Luke 21:15</li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>What does James teach about the tongue?</li><li>What are we to ask God for?</li></ul></div></div>

Let a little light into your soul every day with this wonderful devotional from English pastor Selwyn Hughes.

Every Day Light with Selwyn Hughes

"The tongue has the power of life and death " (v. 21) 

For Reading and Meditation:      James 3:1-18We continue making the point that we cannot be peacemakers until we first find peace within ourselves. A psychiatrist was interviewing a man full of conflicts. In the middle of the interview the telephone rang, and because the receptionist had put a call through to him when he had given instructions not to be disturbed, the psychiatrist swore. He lost his peace and he lost his patient, for the patient saw that he had little to give except verbal advice. The fact is that when we lose our peace with others, it is usually the projection of an inner conflict within ourselves. A church in the Far East has this statement engraved over the door: "Let every Christian begin the work of union within himself." This is the place to begin - within yourself. For, as the Chinese saying puts it: "He who has peace in himself has peace in the family; he who has peace in the family has peace in the world." A prominent member of a peace movement in the British Isles who said he was dedicated to peace wrote a stinging letter to a member of the British Parliament which was published in the press. As a result, his advocacy of peace was blurred. People said: "This man's idea of peace needs an overhaul. It is simply verbal, and not vital." A missionary said: "God and I are not at peace; we seem to be at cross purposes. And my relationships with others are becoming more and more difficult." Of course - for when we are not in harmony with God, then we are not in harmony with ourselves or others. O Father, I long to become so harmonised with You that my life becomes an example of harmony to others. Make me a peaceful and peaceable person. For Jesus' sake. Amen.<div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>John 16:25-33</li><li>Luke 1:78-79</li><li>Romans 8:6</li><li>Romans 14:17</li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>What does peace spring from?</li><li>Why can we take heart?</li></ul></div></div>

"' those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness." (v. 18, TLB)

For Reading and Meditation:      James 3:1-18We continue meditating on the meaning of the word "meek" as used by Jesus in His third Beatitude. "Meekness," said one commentator, "is essentially a true view of oneself, expressing itself in attitude and conduct with respect to others." If that is so, then meekness involves two things: (1) our attitudes towards ourselves, and (2) our attitudes toward others. The meek person is so sure of himself that he does not need to demand anything for himself. He does not see his rights as something to be rigidly held on to, but follows the spirit of Jesus as outlined in Philippians 2:6-7: "Who, although being essentially one with God ' did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained; but stripped Himself of all privileges ' and was born a human being" (Amplified Bible). That is the place to which you and I must come if we are to understand the principle of meekness. The Christian who is meek will not be over-sensitive about himself, or defensive; he realises that he has no rights at all and delights to leave everything in the hands of God. When he is called upon to suffer unjustly, he remembers the Word of the Lord that says, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay" (Romans 12:19), and trusts God to work out the situation in His own time and in His own way. The poet Browning put the same truth in these words: "He who keeps one end in view makes all things serve." When that one end is the purpose of God, then indeed - all things serve. O Father, instil into me such a spirit of meekness that such things as anger, impatience, irritation, distrust, suspicion and unbelief die within me. Help me to see that only meekness must survive. For Jesus' sake. Amen.<div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>1 Peter 2:18-25</li><li>Matthew 11:29</li><li>Matthew 26:52</li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>What was Peter's exhortation?</li><li>Why was Jesus able to display meekness?</li></ul></div></div>

"' By his good life let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom." (v. 13, RSV)

James 3:1-12The exhortation, "Not many of you should presume to be teachers" is a warning against the spirit which is always giving advice to people, trying to direct their lives and control their opinions and their movements. Some people are ready with advice on every subject. No question of duty in other people's lives is so delicate, that they cannot settle it at once. Where wise, thoughtful men are silent - they speak out with boldest self-confidence. They are always obtruding advice unsought upon others. They understand your business far better than you do yourself. They know what you ought to do in every experience. They are as much at home in spiritual matters as in local gossip, and can tell a distressed soul what to do as glibly and as unfeelingly as they can give advice about farming or sheep-raising.Perhaps James did not have this sort of "teachers" in mind - but it would be a blessing to the world if some of them would take his reproof to heart. There are very few people fit to give advice to others. Especially are there few who are fit to guide others in spiritual matters. It does not matter so much if it be only the cut of a coat or the color of a dress - but when it is the eternal interest of a soul, only one who is living near the heart of God and has learned by long and deep experience, should dare to give advice. The ambition to be recognized as leaders is a sure mark of vanity! It is better to be the propeller of a ship, hidden under the water, than the figurehead, vaunting itself on the prow."We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check." The tongue is the most sensitive to impression from within, and most quickly interprets the emotions and feelings, good or bad. It is also the hardest of all to control. Therefore, if we can control our tongue, there is no doubt that we can control all our other members. Our tongue is the wildest and most wayward thing about us. People who in every other way live almost faultless lives, are constantly stumbling in their speech, speaking words they ought never to utter. It is a wise rule in all self-culture and discipline, to give most attention to those things in which we are most lacking, to strengthen the weak points, to curb the wayward elements, to put the restraint where there is the most tendency to defy control. Every tongue, therefore, needs watching. With most of us, this is the weakest and the strongest point - the weakest in its self-control and the strongest in its wild waywardness."The tongue is a small part of the body - but it makes great boasts." Two admirable illustrations of this are given. The great, strong horse is controlled by a bridle, and the largest ship obeys the rudder even in the wildest storms. What the bit is to the horse, what the rudder is to the ship, that the tongue is to the body. Not only does the speech express the inner emotions - but it reacts again upon those emotions. Thus uncontrolled speech does double harm.Evil words spoken, while they do harm to others, kindle also into still intenser flame, the inner passions which first prompted them. "You cannot deliberately besmirch your neighbor's reputation, however bad a woman she may be, without making yourself a worse woman." We are not done with wicked words, when we have uttered them. While they go out into life on their career of hurt and injury - our own life has in it a new element of evil because of their utterance!Our duty is to get and keep our tongue well in hand; to get a rider on the horse who shall guide the fiery animal; to get a pilot on the ship whose hand on the wheel shall be instantly recognized and instantly yielded to in the fiercest gale. The tongue is capable of wonderful mastership over the life, if only it can be made servant to a good heart and a strong will."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 old hunter lit his pipe, then threw down the match among the dry leaves and passed on. In a little while the whole forest behind him was ablaze!A kerosene lamp was upset by the kick of a cow in a stable, and soon almost the whole city was in ruins!A boy's Fourth of July firecracker carried a spark to a dry roof, and another city suffered from a terrible conflagration!A spark from a passing locomotive flew into the dry grass, and a prairie was over swept by fire!There are many people like the old hunter, throwing burning matches among the dry leaves in almost every conversation. There are men and women who are continually upsetting lamps among the hay and starting conflagrations. The tongue is a fire, and words are sparks. Ofttimes the words burn into some tender heart, almost extinguishing its life!"No man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison!" This may seem rather a discouraging word. We must not conclude from it that the tongue cannot possibly be tamed. No man can tame his own tongue or the tongue of another - but Christ is able to get the mastery for us over every power of our own being.The story of Moses is suggestive. When he went out, at forty years of age, thinking he was able to begin his work, he had not yet mastered his tongue or his temper. God took him into the wilderness, and for forty years had him in training. Then he came out, at the age of eighty, and was ready to become the leader and the lawgiver of his people. This may seem discouraging, too - that it took forty years to tame a man's tongue. Perhaps most of us will find that it does take a good many years to get perfect mastery over our speech. At the same time, there is no sin in us so masterful, so resistless, so perverse - that the grace of God cannot bring it into full subjection."With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing." It is inconsistent that the same tongue which is given to praise God - should tomorrow, out in the world, speak bitter words against men. No doubt many good people are sometimes led by sudden impulses to speak words that are not true or loving, to or of others. But every Christian should understand that the tongue which has been given to Christ, should never speak any but Christly words.We are to be Christ to others, and our words should be Christ's words. We should train ourselves, under God's grace, to nourish only good thoughts, kindly thoughts, loving thoughts, and instantly to quench in our heart every thought of bitterness or cursing. If the evil thoughts are quenched, there will be no flame of anger or passion bursting from our lips. If our heart is filled with love - our speech will not give vent to bitterness, to wrath, to anger, to scandal, to anything that is not beautiful."Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom." A man may achieve the honors of his class in college and be a walking encyclopedia of information - and yet have no wisdom for the ordinary affairs of life. His knowledge does him no good. One may know all the precepts of the gospel concerning love, gentleness, or patience - and yet if he does not show these qualities in his daily life - all his knowledge is worthless. Knowing how to live is good - but doing is the test of true knowing.The tongue is an index of the heart. Out of the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks. We must, therefore, show our wisdom in our words. The kind of speech that proves our wisdom, is that which is filled with the Spirit of Christ. On the day of Pentecost the disciples got new tongues. Only the Holy Spirit can enable us to speak the language of heaven, the language of love - the soft answer which turns away wrath, the word of blessing for one who curses, the word of gentleness in reply to rudeness, the prayer for those who persecute us.

A unique type of devotional from the writings of James Russell Miller, published between 1908 and 1913.

Devotional Hours Within the Bible

James 3:1-12

The Power of the Tongue

If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? They rebelled against His Spirit, so that he spoke rashly with his lips. Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man. A whisperer separates the best of friends. § There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health. The truthful lip shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment. § No man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. § Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language … Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds. § For this is the will of God, your sanctification. § In their mouth was found no deceit.

Daily Light on the Daily Path or Daily Light is a Christian daily devotional scripture reading published by Bagster & Sons about 1875. It has been reprinted continually since then. It consists of brief groupings of scripture passages which speak to prominent Biblical themes—two themes (morning and evening) for each day of the year. It appends no commentary, but simply allows scripture to speak for itself.

Evening Daily Light

 Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep  watch over the door of my lips. 

10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

James 3:10

 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

From Wikipedia: 

The New International Version (NIV) is an English translation of the Bible first published in 1978 by Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society). The NIV was published to meet the need for a modern translation done by Bible scholars using the earliest, highest quality manuscripts available. Of equal importance was that the Bible be expressed in broadly understood modern English.

The NIV is published by Zondervan in the United States and Hodder & Stoughton in the UK. The NIV was updated in 1984 and 2011 and has become one of the most popular and best-selling modern translations.

OT: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia; additional sources;
NT: UBS Greek New Testament; Novum Testamentum Graece; additional sources;

New International Version

 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

Bible Verse of the Day

February 17, 1889

James 3:10 NIV

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