Daily Devotional for Wednesday, March 13

Iniquity of the Tongue

“And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell,” James 3:6.

Have you ever thought about all the idioms we have in the English language that involve the tongue? If you do not “hold your tongue,” you might give a “tongue-lashing” when you give someone “the rough edge of your tongue.” The tongue can be sharp, forked, silver or loose and can wag to name a few more. These are all indicative that the tongue often instigates problems in our society. Jesus taught, “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man” (Matthew 15:11).

As mentioned before, James is called the wisdom book of the New Testament. Like its Old Testament wisdom counterparts, Psalms and Proverbs, which have fifty-eight references to the tongue, this letter teaches about and warns of the destructive potential of the tongue. It is a “world of iniquity,” and it defiles the whole body. It sets the course of nature ablaze with devilish fire. James used strong language to describe such a tiny member of the body. One commentator wrote, “No other ‘member’ of the body, perhaps, wreaks so much havoc to the godly life.”

As we study James’ warnings, let us consider these verses from

Proverbs as well:

Proverbs 12:19, “The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.”

Proverbs 15:4, “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.”

Proverbs, 17:4, “A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.”

Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

Proverbs 21:23, “Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.”

THOUGHT
Wounds from words sometimes never heal, but sweet, encouraging words can last a lifetime.

Kelli Reynolds