Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: James 3-4 and Psalm 41

Speaking of “the tongue” as symbolic of the way we speak, James writes:

“⁹ We use it to give thanks to our Lord and Father and also to curse other people, who are created in the likeness of God. ¹⁰ Words of thanksgiving and cursing pour out from the same mouth. My friends, this should not happen!

This week at Walmer Methodist we’re preparing for our Thanksgiving Services next Sunday. We’re intentionally focusing on the importance of thanking the LORD for all His goodness to us. How appropriate then to be reminded that all the goodness of our thanksgiving to God can be undone by the harsh, negative words we speak to and/or about others.

God’s heart is delighted by our thanksgiving, but His heart is broken when we curse others. No matter how we may feel about others, ultimately they are His beloved, created in His own image, and He cares a great deal about the way we treat them.

In that context, James makes a very sobering observation: Water coming from a spring reveals whether the spring is fresh or salty; and so too our words actually reveal the true nature of our hearts. What is in our hearts oozes out of our mouths in the words we speak. So it is a complete contradiction when sweet, fresh words of thanksgiving, and bitter, brack words of gossip, slander or malice against others come from the same mouth. “This should not happen!” writes James.

Life application: Just as we examine our lives to help us express meaningful thanks to the LORD for all His goodness to us, let’s also examine our speech this week to see what it reveals about our hearts. And when we see evidence of a “brack-water-heart”, let’s confess that to the Lord and ask for His forgiveness and for His heart-cleansing power.