Still talking about the tongue, James emphasizes the terrible damage a tongue can do by comparing what it starts to a forest fire. Think how quickly a forest fire can spread and how much harm it can cause. Satan uses uncontrolled tongues to hurt and divide people. We dare not be careless with our words because once they are spoken, they cannot be recalled and often the damage cannot be undone. vv.5, 6
No human can tame the tongue. Only God through the Holy Spirit can do that! In this life, we will never have perfect self-control in every area, but as we grow spiritually in the Word and trust God for victory, we can gain victory in this area. v. 7
vv. 9-12 teach us that we should not be contradictory in our speech. The evil that may come out of our mouths is a reminder of the sinful nature that we all have. Remember that we have a new nature, we're made in God's image, we're God's child, the Holy Spirit lives within us. God wants to change us from the inside out, and that will be reflected in what comes out of our mouths--words that please God.
Psalm 142
This psalm is a prayer David prayed when he felt overwhelmed and desperate. It reminds me of talking to a psychiatrist who can actually DO something about the problem!
- Cry out to the Lord v.1
- Plead for His mercy v. 1
- Pour out your complaints to God and tell Him all your troubles. v. 2 This is very important. We are often prone to tell all our trouble to everyone BUT God!
- Remember that God alone knows the answers to our problems. vv 3,4
- Remember that God is our refuge and He is all we need and all we should want. v. 5
- Don't forget that God is good. v. 7
- Remember to thank Him! v. 7
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