When There Is Nothing
James 3:8, 11-13, 16-18
Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
This passage speaks of the power of the tongue and how it can hold the destinies of Heaven and Hell therein according to Proverbs 18:21. This reminded me of the waters of Marah, in Exodus 15:22-26, when Moses led the children of Israel to the bitter water they could not drink. Then they began to grumble against Moses and the Lord. The Lord "knows our frame; he remembers we are" but dust according to Psalm 103:14. He knew the creation he made and what they could handle. He knew them, for they were made in his own image with the essence of the Godhead therein. He knew their situation and all the ones in which we find ourselves placed. He knew they were in a desert without water that could be drunk; the longest the people could live without water was three days. The people of Israel had been chased from the only home they knew of slavery in Egypt; they were called to wander in the desert forty years due to unbelief. They had been serving many gods of the Egyptians who could do nothing for them; now, they served the one God of the Scripture who often seemed harsh or distant but provided for their every bodily need. See God's cure for their condition which resulted in their cursing him, the situation, and all their leaders. He had Moses throw the tree into the poison water. This is the answer to how God can even use Satan to murder his Son and save the world as in Jeremiah 29:11. He threw the tree, which represented the cross of Christ, into the bitterness of their circumstances which was the water; the water had been undrinkable and now it is a salvation of the people and a sweetness of life. When have you ever seen God turn a salt spring into fresh water? The waters of Marah prove that God is still in the miracle working business. Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights before being sent to minister to the people he had cursed; even so the sign of the Son of Man is the only one this generation will receive in Matthew 16:40.
but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
No man can control the tongue for it is a symptom of a heart condition; "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" as in Matthew 12:34. Thus, the only cure for this condition is a heart transplant from the Lord Jesus Christ. He will take away your "heart of stone" and replace it with a "heart of flesh" according to Ezekiel 36:26. Furthermore, James 3:5 calls the tongue a flame which can spark great raging infernos just by a little chatter. When you find you have burned your own house down and there is nothing left, what do you do?
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
The acts of the Lord are not just lip service. They are shown in quiet humility and in good deeds; these come from the fruit of the life of Christ lived in you as in Galatians 2:20. See, there is an admonition here against boasting about the deeds done in envy. With envy comes every evil work; it even brought down the devil and his angels from Heaven according to Isaiah 14:12. Watch the division and the promotion that occurred from one little heart attitude in a world that should have been at peace with each other.
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
You cannot have one fruit of the spirit without the others. That is like saying, 'well, I have a heartbeat today but no breath in my lungs;' my friend, I question whether you are still alive. The fruits of the Spirit are "peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere." Where you find the Spirit of God you will find all his ways. These will cause you to become a peacemaker; he himself has been made our peace on the cross in Ephesians 2:14 and Colossians 1:20. Just hold on to Jesus and hold on to hope. Maybe somebody else burnt your house down. Maybe you found yourself burning the house while you were still inside. The cure for both is found in Jesus. Let him build your house as in Psalm 127:1. I guarantee you it will stand.