​The Fountain and Tree Illustrate the Power to Delight (James 3:9–12)

The Fountain and Tree Illustrate the Power to Delight (James 3:9-12)

Of course, the fountain gives man the cool water he needs to stay alive. A freshwater fountain greatly benefits a village in a less developed country. People need water for more than just drinking. They also need it for washing, cooking, farming, and many other things that are important to life.

"The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook." (Prov. 18:4). "The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life" (Prov. 10:11). "The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death" (Prov. 13:14). These verses are similar to what James wrote and show how important our words are.

Water gives life, and so do our words. But if water isn't kept in check, it can kill and destroy. The Johnstown, Pennsylvania, flood of 1889 killed 2,200 people and caused $10 million in damage. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Prov. 18:21).

But we don't usually think about floods when we lean over a fountain to drink cool water. We only think about how refreshing it is to drink some water. We need water to stay healthy. Proverbs 12:18 reminds us that some people speak like the piercings of a sword, while the wise speak words that promote health. Paul prayed that he would be able to "refresh" the saints in Rome when he got there (Rom. 15:32). He frequently mentioned Christians who had rejuvenated him (1 Cor. 16:18; Philem. 7, 20).

Water is also a cleaning agent. In the Old Testament tabernacle and temple, there was a laver where priests could wash their hands and feet. The Bible is the spiritual water that cleanses us (John 15:3; Eph. 5:26–27). But what we say to other people can also help them get rid of sin and become holy. Our words should be like the river in Ezekiel 47 that brought life to everything it touched.

The tongue is also beneficial because it resembles a tree. They help keep the soil in place, they add beauty and shade, and they bear fruit. Our words can help a tired traveler feel safe and supported, and they can also nourish a hungry soul. "The lips of the righteous feed many" (Prov. 10:21). Jesus said, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life," (John 6:63). We feed and encourage others as we share His Word with them.

The roots are the most important part of a tree. The tree won't grow well if the roots don't go deep. If we are grounded in the things of the Lord, our words will be the result of our relationship with Him. We will be like the "blessed man" in Psalm 1 and bear fruit at the right time. One reason our Lord was able to say the right things at the right times was because He talked to His Father and heard from heaven every day.

Listen to what He said: "The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned." (Isa. 50:4). "And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed." (Mark 1:35).

We need to meet with the Lord every day and learn from Him if we want our tongues to be happy. We need to dig our "spiritual roots" deep into His Word. We need to pray and think about God and let His love and truth fill our hearts.

But James warned that a fountain can't give out two different kinds of water, and a tree can't bear two different kinds of fruit. We expect the fountain to always have sweet water, the fig tree to always have figs, and the olive tree to always have olives. Nature reproduces in the same way.

If the tongue doesn't work right, the heart is very sick. I heard about a Christian who got upset at work and swore. He was embarrassed and said to his partner, "I don't know why I said that." It really isn't in me. His partner wisely said, "It had to be in you, or it couldn't have come out of you." Peter swore some oaths when he was not in fellowship with Christ, but he went outside and cried and confessed his sins.

The tongue that praises God and then curses people made in His image needs spiritual medicine right away! It's so easy to sing the hymns during church and then fight and argue all the way home in the family car. "These things should not be so, my brothers."

The issue is not the tongue; it is the heart. Our hearts can easily be filled with "bitter envying and strife" (James 3:14). "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man." (Matt. 15:18). “Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23). We can bring joy to others when we fill our hearts with God's Word and let the Holy Spirit work through us. We will be like refreshing fountains and trees.

You can talk to people about God after you talk to God about them. When we pray for people in private, it helps us when we meet them in public. We don't say "I'm praying for you" in a bragging way, like we're more spiritual than other people. We say it to comfort them and show we care enough to meet them at the throne of grace.

Yes, the tongue is the smallest but most troublesome thing in the world. But it doesn't have to be a troublemaker! God can use our tongues to guide others to a better way of life and to make them joyful during hard times. The tongue is a small part of the body, but it has a lot of power.

Every day, give your heart and tongue to God and ask Him to use you to help others.