James 3:17-18 Wisdom and Peace Like a River

He Leadeth Me 

James 3:17-18

17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

True wisdom comes knowing the Lord Jesus Christ, and I study the fruits of the Holy Spirit, that true peace and gentleness is also that is 100% pure from God. Many people spend a lifetime trying to find peace of mind and wondering why you and I exist. I remember when I was a very young boy, my father asked me why am I alive, and he told me, “ Because me and your momma pray for a son and you were born and likewise for my sister and brother.’ I know now my father was only answering the question of a young boy with a mind of , “why,why, why daddy?” King David and his son King Solomon both wrote that the fear of God is the beginning of fear.

Psalm 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; All those who follow His commandments have a good understanding; His praise endures forever.

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

What good is it to have and gain wisdom from God, well James 3:16-17 tells us Christians In that the Lord’s wisdom gives peace, mercy and kindness so where does this wisdom come in handy? Well let take a old church hymnal song history story for example and this song is “I Got Peace Like A River,” This hymn is known a negro spiritual or African American gospel song. This old hymn is song that was sung by people were being oppressed into slavery and laboring during very hot summer weather from sun up to sun down. The African slaves didn’t know how to read or write but they had enough wisdom to know they had peace like a river in their soul, peace like the ocean in my soul, and finally I got joy like a fountain in my soul.  Being a southern man myself I know  the summer in the south is very hot, and sweaty, I can imagine these poor people would love to take a dip in a cool river and just like the hot summer heat go away real fast, but cool rivers are sometimes very far away. The word of God tells us if you trust the Lord, you will be blessed like a tree beside a cool river that helps the tree grow delicious ripe fruit.

Jeremiah 17:7 “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord     and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. 8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank,     with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat     or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green,    and they never stop producing fruit.

Can someone who has no knowledge how to read and write have the wisdom that the Father God gives from up above to His children down below. Well apparently so, the gospel tells Christian of one Jesus’ disciples Peter. He was a fisherman by trade, which really doesn’t require a person with the knowledge of writing and reading. In fact many of Jesus’ disciples were illiterate  or low education, but Jesus gave them the wisdom of God’s word. Peter’s books Peter 1 and 2 were words he told to someone else and that person wrote everything Peter said. In fact many believe the gospel of Mark, is actually Peter telling Mark everything Peter saw and heard following Jesus for 3 years Peter walked with Jesus. He even said in 2 Peter 3:14, that having wisdom in the Lord, will give peace during longsuffering times. So what can we learn from African slaves with now intelligence of how to read and write? It is that in times of suffering in hardship, the fear and the wisdom of God will give you and I peace like a river in our soul. God bless you all, the Lord Jesus loves you and so do I. Samuel Head

2 Peter 3:13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found spotless and blameless by Him, at peace, 15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you,

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