The Rudder | Daily Devotional 1616

You're listening to the My Morning Devotional Podcast episode 1616. Today's Dvo is called The Rudder.

Hey there, we're the Alessis, a ministry family working together in our church in Miami, Florida. And if you're like us, when days get busy and to-do lists get longer, it can be hard to find devotional time. That's why we've partnered with our friend Allison to produce a five-minute daily dose of heaven. This is the My Morning Devotional Podcast.

Hello, everyone. My name is Lauren Burgos, and I am your host for this week. This whole month, we have been reading and doing devotionals out of the book of James. Um, the first week we took James one, the second week we took James two, and this week we are taking James three. So I am so excited to be leading in this reading with you because when we said we were gonna be doing and reading out of the book of James, I went ahead and was like, I'm gonna dive deep and like listen to the book of James myself. And it has been kicking my butt. So as like the day that I read James 3 this week, that was like Monday. And then this week um I'm recording it. So I'm super happy to be talking about and reading out of James 3 with you all today. So today's episode is called The Rudder, and James 3 basically has two major themes. One of them is talking about how we speak and our mouth and how everything we do from the heart flows out from the mouth. So let's jump right in. I highly encourage you to go back and read all of James 3, even though I'm going to pick out one specific verse. Just go ahead and read the whole chapter. It's really, really good. But today's verse is James 3, 4, and it says this look at the ships also. They are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder. In this part, James starts off, James 3 talking about how not everyone should become teachers because when you are a teacher, you get judged very harshly. And what you say just immediately becomes harshly judged. So it's really hard to be a teacher because you're constantly being questioned and judged for what you say. And here he talks about the bits in horse's mouth, how you can lead a huge animal just by being able to feed it. And then he also says, look at the ships also. Though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder. And here, James is comparing a big ship and a big horse to the tongue in our mouth. How we have big bodies, but it's kind of amazing how much power our tongues have. And he's comparing that to a rudder on a ship. This massive boat, this massive ship, and what guides it all is a very, very small rudder. So both are very tiny compared to what they actually control. And that's the kind of uncomfortable truth we have to come to and we have to come to terms with when it comes to our tongue and when it comes to our mouths, and when it comes to the words that come out of our mouth. And I don't know about you. I'm kind of somebody that I take a little bit to process before I just speak. I take a little bit to like think about what I want to say before I say it. But then there's others that they just go ahead and say it. They don't think at all. And it there's no better or worse one because the truth is sometimes I'll process and process, and then I just get flustered and angry, and then I'll say something that's super, super harsh. And then the worst part is that I mean it. I can't even go back and be like, Well, I didn't mean that. Like, I mean it. And it could be something so harsh and so cruel. And hear what James is saying is like the tongue rules the whole body. Your mouth rules the whole body, and it's something so small, but it really is, it's showing your cards, it's showing your heart. And whether you're somebody who just says without speaking, or you're somebody who says with speaking, it doesn't really matter. It's it's still coming out of your mouth. And the Bible also says, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. So today I want to challenge you with this. What words are coming out of your mouth? And we're going to be talking about this for a couple days now, but kind of reflect on today as you go on about your day. If you're listening to this in the morning, which I hope you are, it is the my morning devotional. Um, if you're listening to this in the morning, kind of reflect throughout the day. What words are coming out of your mouth? Words of encouragement or words of just putting people down all the time? Words of joy or words of sarcasm? That's a tough one for me because I could just be sarcastic all the time. Words of building people up or words of comparison and jealousy and bringing people down. We have a really great gift of being able to encourage people and lift them up. Are we doing that with each other, with the people around us? Are we doing that with our families? So I want to challenge you today to look at this verse. Look at the ships also. Though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder. So are you, friend. So are you, person listening to this? Though you have a big role to play, you are guided by a very small rudder, and that is your tongue. So watch what is coming out of your mouth. So let's pray. Dear Lord, help us go throughout this day and really reflect, Lord, even myself as I'm doing this devotional, what words are coming out of my mouth? Are they words of blessings and encouragement, or are they words of cursing, Lord? Are they blessing others or are they just putting others down? And Lord, as we go throughout this week, show us what your word wants us to do. Show us how your word wants us to bless others around us. In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen. So there you have it, your five minute daily dose of heaven. Thank you so much for tuning in today. We pray these devotionals empower you to take on your day. If you've found value in this devotional, share it with a friend, leave a comment or review for us on the app you're using right now. Until tomorrow, we pray that your latte is strong, but your love for Jesus is stronger.