The Devotional – A Look at the Book #657

by Jesse Abel

Meditate on this!

Jesus prayed for His disciples before He returned home with His Father; He also included all believing people in that prayer. Believing people? What does believing mean? Those who believe in Jesus Christ through the Word of Scripture written by the disciples who gave witness of Him, these are the Believers. John 17:20 and 1 John 1:1-4

Religion speaks of war… have you noticed that? War with God, war with angels, war with people and war with yourself; religion speaks of unrest, anger and fear. So if there is unrest in our souls these days it is because we live in a religious culture that wars against God; Romans 1:28-32. The angels as the man Eliphaz in Job 4:12-21. Your friends and self, Proverbs 27:1-9 or if you have time all of chapter 27. What should we do? Seek the LORD while He can be found. God calls this nation to repentance. For thus says the LORD to this nation. Seek Me and live. Amos 5:4-15. Some will say that God had Israel in mind when He had Amos pen these words. True ole chap! But while you sit on your laurels and say those things, remember that religion was the cause of Israel’s failure to evangelize and in our current day our religion reeks of the same odious condition.

James 3

I am not sure where we are in this chapter so I will pick up at verse 8. Have you ever said something to someone and wish that you had not said it? If you are honest with yourself you will say; yes. Yes I have! James clearly says that this tongue is not tamable and also that it is full of a deadly poison. Did you notice that James does not say that the tongue is poison, but that it is full of poison! So where would this poison come from? The recipe is found in the heart; this is where we cook and cool the poison we spread with our tongue, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

Have you not noticed how easy it is to bless God one moment and then as if, or maybe in the same breath unleash a curse on someone. Now the tongue sounds responsible, but again it is not the tongue that is bitter, but the heart that is a vigilant oppressor. So blessing and cursing ride on the same expressive outlet; our tongue.

Nature does not have this problem, spring water is and always will be spring water, just as the fig tree will always produce figs (unless the LORD curses it!) Matthew 21:18-19; but in this we need to understand that the fig tree did what was commanded of by the LORD, it did not produce another kind of fruit such as the wagging of the tongue will always do.