James 3:18............. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. NKJV
Anyone who lives by the Word in the Bible
..........specifically what Jesus spoke and did.......will ultimately see the
Word manifest and hold a standard against anything the world tries to bring or throw at you
or me. It can come like chaos and even accusations. It can come in the form of
those who choose to lie and envy another person.
How many see that
happening today? How many see that which is self-seeking and looking to destroy another
with words of hate and violence?
In this day and time, we see the "importance" of
relationships. We see how vital they are, not only in the family and with the
next door neighbor but also in the work place!
In this verse, James is talking about the social situation.
God's purpose is set forth for us to see and learn that the fruit that He wants for us is from His way of life, and the kind of character that He wants in us has to be produced
in peace. It is never and will never be produced in war or in any kind of
conflict! We are to remain, established and settled in His truth of peace.
Looking at the third chapter of James we find the stumbling a person does, occurs when not bridling the whole body. By verse 6 we see it is the tongue
that defiles. And oh, how the little tongue can defile. We are told that it is
an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. By verse 10, we see it bless and curse.
And the question to us in verse 11 is "does a spring send forth fresh
water and bitter from the same opening"? No spring can yield both salt
water and fresh.
So as we are to be fresh and flourishing and spring water to
the those coming to meet with us like scripture states:
John 4:13-14........13 Jesus answered and said to her,
"Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of
the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall
give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting
life." NKJV
Should Jesus truly be Lord of our lives, then our character is
to be the one who has this living fountain of water springing up and bring it
to others to satisfy the thirst for those who need a good "long
drink" of life everlasting! It will be in
our character to be the giver of life giving water given in much "peace" to
others we come in contact within any social environment.
I thought of this today when viewing the noon news. Actually
was checking on the weather for the week, but heard this appalling report and
this scripture written above came to my mind.
Yes, you have probably guessed it by now. Some folks were
invited to bring their young children to an egg hunt at the capitol of this
state. Many children came with their parents and the grounds was packed to an
over capacity of the amount of ground needed, and yes, you guessed it right
again, some parents jumped in to help "their" kids find the good
candy. There was so many people on that
small amount of "green" I was not sure anyone could even spot a
colored egg of any kind with all the heads of so many children bobbing up and down. Oh, my. the carrying on and cursing some
adults showered onto other people's children that ensued was total chaos and
many, many young children went home crying!
I could not help but think of all those parents wanting
their children to get the good candy and the pain that was lashed out over other
people's children was terrible.
Was that a display of "good character" in peace?
No!
On the opposite side is the news on CBS of the two big churches working together in Texas for the Passover Week to bring all peoples of every color under the shed Blood of the Risen Savior Jesus Christ. What power when we come together in the peace of God and become one people who have one God!
So is there any butting and disturbance against you? Check out how David handled it!
2 Samuel 16:5-14...........................5 As King David
approached Bahurim, a man from the same clan as Saul's family came out from
there. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he cursed as he came out. 6 He
pelted David and all the king's officials with stones, though all the troops
and the special guard were on David's right and left. 7 As he cursed, Shimei
said, "Get out, get out, you man of blood, you scoundrel! 8 The LORD has
repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place
you have reigned. The LORD has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom. You
have come to ruin because you are a man of blood!"
9 Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why
should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his
head."
10 But the king said, "What do you and I have in
common, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the LORD said to him,
'Curse David,' who can ask, 'Why do you do this?'"
11 David then said to Abishai and all his officials,
"My son, who is of my own flesh, is trying to take my life. How much more,
then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the LORD has told him
to. 12 It may be that the LORD will see my distress and repay me with good for
the cursing I am receiving today."
13 So David and his men continued along the road while
Shimei was going along the hillside opposite him, cursing as he went and
throwing stones at him and showering him with dirt. 14 The king and all the
people with him arrived at their destination exhausted. And there he refreshed
himself. NIV
It is amazing how David was cursed by this Shimei who was of
the family of Saul. As we read on about this
Shimei, we can see how some people can resent terribly the loss of royalty to
their family. They can look on it as an injustice as Shimei was. In this part
of the world during David's time, any cloud of dust was significant and was a
way to demand public justice on a criminal. (Acts 22:23) The act of even
throwing actual stones seems harsh, but likely this Shimei wanted some justice
immediately for what he thought was wrong done to the family of Saul.
But in all this, David stayed so patient with this word from
Shimei. With many looking on while Shimei displayed his hostile actions, David remained confident God had it and would see him through it.
In reality people probably did believe and think that Absalom would
take the crown and rule over the house. The truth is some probably got together later to discuss it, but David never took sides. David had mercy. He gained his respect for the man Shimei and he could not want or desire for Shimei to die for David knew that righteousness of
God serves not the wrath of man.
But we also remember that David had joined himself with the
Philistines when leaving the palace. He was not taking anything of what Absalom
and his cohorts were doing in the palace at the time. Sin is sin!
David was not provoked. He set himself to remember those who
had lost and those who look to getting answers for the reproach done to them.
But those humble in spirit will have God lead their way into victory.
David did not react, he waited on the Lord. verse
10............"the Lord hath said told him to do it, Curse David and gain,
so let him curse, It may be that the LORD will see my distress and repay me
with good for the cursing I am receiving today."
David had committed some sins that he did repent of, but he still acted in a way that caused the
death of Bathsheba's husband, the death of his son with Bathsheba, and even the
causes for Absalom to rise up and take the throne.
But God is to be our justice. Sometimes people just rise up
to do some "unthinkable" things to get their say, their way, and their voice heard for the 15 minutes or such,
but we can call on God to hear us when we have some complaint. When we have
something going on, then we must take it to God for the answer!
Proverbs 23:29-35..............29 Who has woe?
Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions?
Who has complaints?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who has redness of eyes?
30 Those who linger long at the wine,
Those who go in search of mixed wine.
31 Do not look on the wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the cup,
When it swirls around smoothly;
32 At the last it bites like a serpent,
And stings like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
And your heart will utter perverse things.
34 Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of
the sea,
Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying:
35 "They have struck me, but I was not hurt;
They have beaten me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?"
NKJV
What terrible problems that come when we desire or want what
we either should not have, or do not need. It is like becoming intoxicated with
the thing "we so desire" to have or control, to have "my
way", or add to our collection of things we think we need at the time!
And being intoxicated with those desires, our want can cause
us to start those quarrels that end no where, but in the place of many wounds
JUST because "we want that thing".
In some respect, some will even go searching for those who
will join in with them to agree for that "thing desired". And however good the appearance or thing may
sound at the time of our desire, one will certainly know after some time has
gone by, that it can come back to bite you in a big way! You can see that from
some reports of the news of people wanting their thing done NOW! Certain peril
will be evident like not making your payments on bills you owe, or putting
yourself in danger to get something that may be wrong from the start for us
like doing drugs or even stealing someone else's stuff! Some people just go and take from their
neighbor and think it is okay. Well it means stealing to most people of the
civilized world. I heard the other day of a guy throwing ALL his mail away
because it had bills in it he had to pay and he did not want to do it! He had
charged so much and so much again, that he owed more than what he brought in to
his account each month! He wanted to have "fun" and do whatever he fancied and decided he would not pay any bills at all!
But God!
Psalm 72:1-4.........Give the king Your judgments, O God,
And Your righteousness to the king's Son.
2 He will judge Your people with righteousness,
And Your poor with justice.
3 The mountains will bring peace to the people,
And the little hills, by righteousness.
4 He will bring justice to the poor of the people;
He will save the children of the needy,
And will break in pieces the oppressor. NKJV
Proverbs 21:15..............It is a joy for the just to do
justice,
But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity. NKJV
Proverbs 29:4...........4 The king establishes the land by
justice,
But he who receives bribes overthrows it. NKJV
Psalm 11:7.............For the LORD is righteous,
He loves righteousness;
His countenance beholds the upright. NKJV
Proverbs 29:26........26 Many seek the ruler's favor,
But justice for man comes from the LORD. NKJV
Dealing in justice might be hard for some to comprehend and
actually do as a participant in the kingdom of God. But from the scriptures
above, it is God who will judge His people with righteousness and keep us in
the safety of justice. He holds the land we stand with justice when we seek His
ways and plan for our lives. We too, like David, can walk in justice and expect
the right result when we keep our focus to remain patient and look forward to
the justice that only God can bring to us. For he loves righteousness and His
countenance beholds the upright. It is always His justice that we desire for
the right thing when it is to be ours!
Whether it is an Absalom or a Shimei that has come to make
some kind of grievance against, it is known that the proud certainly fill their
heads with the wants of others. They seek to take what is not theirs. In the
end they can certainly find death, but we desire as the righteous that all men
would have life and know God as we have known Him as the Father of Light! James
1:17-18...........17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and
comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow
of turning. 18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that
we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. NKJV
For it is the rebellious that will get a reward they did not
count on. And what we, as a people seek to gain and make for our glory will only come up like a
heap of stones to dishonor. We certainly do not desire that!
No we must stand and know God is our Father and He is with us!
Let us put James 3:18.................(18) Now the fruit of
righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. N K J V..........in the
forefront of our confession and sow in peace each day that the God Emmanuel is
with us and that we surely want HIM on the scene!
Father, we thank You for the fruit of righteousness that is
sown in peace by those who make peace. As we learned today Father, David sowed
peace and would not turn on Shimei, but seek Your plan. May we be those men and
women who continually seek Your plan in peace with and toward others. I pray
that we would be those men and women who will participate with Your plan in the
kingdom of God. It is Your justice we seek to prevail in our lives according to
Psalm 11:7.............For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright. and
Proverbs 29:26........26 Many seek the ruler's favor, But justice for man comes from the LORD.
It is not about us but about You and Your plan to reach
other people and their families with the peace of God. May we seek to know that
peace up close and personal.
Your peace has the strength to root out, root up and
demolish every single work of darkness that is meant to keep God's kingdom from
advancing. Father thank You for Your
peace that is not only our refuge but a weapon. May we be those who will carry
Your peace from Your heart and know our trust is in You and we KNOW YOUR
NAME...........(Isaiah 26:3) Father we thank You for courage to stand in the
face of any enemy whether as of a report of sickness, disease, personal
conflict to believers, with those on the outside, or a family situation or
trial and know that Your the Father of Light has given us Your knowledge, Your
wisdom, and we choose to come into Your place of refuge to find help in time of
trouble. Our trust is in You and You alone. Thank You Father for hearing and we
receive instruction to move forward when chaos may come, but we expect Your
peace to continue in our lives IN JESUS' NAME. We will guard that peace and
hold it in our hearts. AMEN.
