A Daily Devotional – James, the Epistle – Personal Meditation (9)

A Daily Devotional – James, the Epistle – Personal Meditation

Comment: Over forty years ago, I knew a pastor of a local church who was a very good teacher of the Old Testament and the Hebrew Language. I attended his Hebrew Language class for several months. I also learned something else, he had an untamed tongue. Also a few years later he got out of ministry and began working a secular job in another state. I say this only to describe the effects of things that are the cause for many of us to stumble. There are many ways to stumble in life, if these are left unchecked (for whatever reason) these obstacles of personal faith will destroy one’s walk. We KNOW this; do we not? Yet, in our heart we willingly overlook the obvious stumble, as something small or controllable, and fail to realize the harm we are inserting to our personal faith; even the personal faith of others.

Devotional: Personal sin opposes personal faith; now that is not a ‘rocket science’ statement, it is a simple basic truth that if I am not able to control the obvious (that others observe) then what am I doing ministering to others. Just as obvious is the stricter accountability of judgment by God for actions that fail the worthiness of “FAITH”. Being mature in faith is being opposed to personal sin, and if we are seeking spiritual maturity we ought to be be spiritually responsible.

The analogies that James uses, the bridle for the horse and the rudder for the ship, these are easily understood by anyone who reads. One is the powerful horse created by God, and the other, a powerful ship built by man. Without the bridle for the horse, it would not obey its master, without the rudder, the ship could not be driven to the master’s destination. 

Likewise, without one’s responsibility over his or her tongue, or the many personal obstacles that interfere with personal faith, we would not find that promise of rest that God provides to those who love Him; James 1:12. Personal faith that sanctifies the child of God is first justified by the gospel, then it is made perfect by humbleness of heart to the promises of God. We will pick up the remainder of Chapter 3 tomorrow, thanks for reading and may the LORD of Glory bless your day.