For a description of the (Y2) reading plan, see the “About” page.
James 3
What do you learn from this chapter about taming your tongue? What about that would you most like to change? “Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.” (Jms. 3:2b). Wow. That is a BIG statement! What is it about “the tongue” that makes it such a powerful, untamable beast? Words cannot be seen or held, yet they hold a lot of power. They can build up or tear down, heal or destroy. I think this is because words penetrate deep into the hearts and minds of all who hear them, speaker and listener alike.
Therefore, what I say impacts me as much as it does those around me. What comes out of my mouth is really just a reflection of what is in my heart and mind. Yet somehow, forming those thoughts and feelings into words and expressing them solidifies them, giving them validity. This is the power behind both speaking affirmations and Goebbels “law of propaganda” that says, “repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth.” If we could tame our tongues to only express the good and worthwhile things within us, the truth that comes from God, James says that we would then be able to control our entire body. This sounds a lot like the old “good dog, bad dog” analogy. The dog you feed is the one that thrives. Our words are the food for those dogs inside us.
Is. 11-12
Another beautiful prophecy about Jesus and His reign. What are the characteristics of God’s Kingdom in this prophecy? How can we live into it now? “He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth; with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.” (Is. 11:4b). I like that. Jesus did not come with a sword made of steel, but with the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Eph. 7:17b). From His temptation in the wilderness to His death on the cross, He fought evil with truth, convicting the hearts of men and bringing to light their wicked ways.
Another cool thing I see in this prophecy is that God will not only restore us, He will also restore all of His creation from the curse of sin. Wolves living with lambs, children playing with vipers – this is how it was meant to be from the start. “They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” (Is. 11:9). And just as nature will turn from its destructive ways, so also will mankind. “Ephraim’s jealousy will vanish, and Judah’s hostility will be destroyed” (Is. 11:13a). The NIV notes “hostility” as an alternate translation for the word “enemies” in this verse, and I like it because it shows how God will remove our wicked, destructive attitudes and desires. What an awesome thought that is!
One last little observation about this prophecy of Jesus comes from Isaiah 12:3. “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” That, of course, takes my mind straight to Jesus’ meeting with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. “Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14b). Jesus is that well of salvation of whom Isaiah wrote.