Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Ephesians 3:20-21.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13.

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3 NKJV.

“She has done a good work for Me.” Mark 14:6.

I share Scripture verses from the devotionals I read each morning because each one speaks to me in a special way. When you let God’s love touch your heart and mind, it’s like the most beautiful clear light and the freshest air enveloping you and opening your very being to the radiance of God’s love. And our chapter, James 3, shows us the clear contrast between that clear light of God’s love showing us how to live freely in Him – in our world – with the darkness in choosing to not love as evidenced by our fallen, broken world. Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh. Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

What is our heart full of that spills out of our mouths? The last Scripture verse cited above was of a woman whose heart was full for love for Jesus the Son, Creator God. She said no words because no words could have conveyed the depth of her love for God. Jesus honored her by rebuking those whose hearts were not filled with love for God. “Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed for Me. Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.” Mark 14:6, 9. What was in the heart of the chief priests and the scribes and later in Judas who was offended by this woman’s love for God? And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him by stealth and kill Him…then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them and they were glad when they heard this, and promised to give him money. Mark 14:1, 10-11. Always the contrast between the light of God’s love working in us with the darkness in us from the absence of trusting God’s love. What James spoke over two thousand years ago we can plainly see today and in every age of mankind actively turned away from God and the truth of His love. From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great light, and those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, upon them a Light dawned. Matthew 4:17, 16. That Light was Jesus the Son bringing in Him the light of the truth of God’s love. And as we turn to Him, how can we not repent with grateful joy – for we too have been brought into so great a Love? But the wisdom from above is first pure…then peaceable…gentle…reasonable…full of mercy…good fruits…unwavering…without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. What a difference Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit brings into our hearts and minds! In Him all darkness flees!