PT-1 Receive the Word (James 1:19-20)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 09-01-03

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Receive the Word Part one

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  James 1:19-20

 

            Message of the verse:  “19  So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”  (NKJV)  “My dear brothers, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.  Your anger can never make things right in God’s sight.”

            It is good to remind myself from time to time as I go through this study of James that I am studying it from the perspective of becoming a more mature believer in Jesus Christ, for that is one of the goals that God has for us as we walk with the Lord, as Paul puts it in Romans 8:29, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son.  This will happen perfectly when believers get to heaven, but while on earth we are to continue to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.  One of the ways that God brings maturity to the believer’s life is through His Word, and this speaks to that, as it explains three responsibilities we as believers have towards God’s Word.  If we follow these we will have and honest walk with God and man.  The first of these responsibilities is to “Receive the Word,” and that covers verses 19-21.  I will look at the first two verses in today’s Spiritual Diary.

            James says in verses 19-21 that believers are to be 1) swift to hear, 2) slow to speak, 3)slow to wrath, & 4) slow to get angry.  I must say that as I look at these verses I get the idea that James must have known many of the proverbs from the book of Proverbs.  Jesus spoke of hearing in Matthew 13:9, ‘“He who has ears, let him hear.’”  Jesus also said, “He who has ears let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches,” when He was speaking to the seven churches in the book of the Revelations.  It has been said many times that we have two ears and one mouth so we should listen twice as much as we speak.  The second thing that James says is that we should be slow to speak, and he may have gotten this idea from Proverbs 10:19 “When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise.”  A person should be slow to speak so that he will not speak in anger, and be sorry latter on for what he has said.  When we do speak we should speak in the correct way as Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.”  James next says that believers should be slow to wrath, and this seems to go well with not speaking quickly.  Proverbs 14:29 speaks to this issue, “He who is slow to anger has great understanding, But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.”  This proverb also speaks to anger, which is the next thing James speaks of, which comes from James 1:20.  There is good anger and there is bad anger, but I believe that James is speaking to the selfish or bad kind of anger in this passage.  I do not believe that the Bible teaches that God was ever angry until sin entered the world, and then because of His righteousness it was right for Him to become angry over unrighteousness.  This is what the OLB has to say about anger, “The emotion of instant displeasure on account of something evil that presents itself to our view. In itself it is an original susceptibility of our nature, just as love is, and is not necessarily sinful. It may, however, become sinful when causeless, or excessive, or protracted #Mt 5:22 Eph 4:26 Col 3:8 As ascribed to God, it merely denotes his displeasure with sin and with sinners #Ps 7:11, “Psalms 7:11  God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.”  KJV

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  James speaks of the Word of God as a mirror later on in this chapter, and says that if we look into this mirror and see something wrong that we need to care for what we see wrong.  I know that in my life I need to care for being slow to speak, and a lot of times this has to do with pride, for I think that I always have something good to say that will profit others, when on many times I have not said the correct thing and have looked foolish.  By God’s grace I will do better at this in the future.

 

The Word of God has brought conviction to my heart as I read it this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To trust the Lord to give me victory over speaking to swiftly, and sometimes in anger.  I want to be filled with the goodness of God so that He will control what I say.