Verses three and four–My earliest memories of travel involved horses and wagons. Having grown up riding and handling horses, the Lord’s Words concerning the use of bits rings familiar. In verse 3 He notes that men place bits in the mouths of horses by which they force the animals to obey them and go in the direction the animals often do not want to go. I have had many a battle with an animal that had to be forced to obey my commands. As verse 3 says, the whole body, often weighing two tons or more, was controlled by the use of a small piece of metal weighing less than a pound. At that time in my life I probably did not weigh more than 75 pounds. But by using a bit I had placed in its mouth, I controlled  mounds of muscle and orneriness many times my size and strength. Admittedly, I did not always come out on top initially. But in the final analysis, I got my way. I cannot help but believe that the Lord was preparing me for my future life. Only in this scenario I was the horse and He was the Rider. The bit was His Word. You can visualize the lesson He was teaching me about myself, my stubbornness, and His relentless work to turn me to Himself and away from Satan. Thank God His persistence paid off. I cannot imagine what life would be like if I had not yielded to Him, taken His “bit” and gone where He wanted me to go. May we all yield to Him by obeying His Word.

Verse 4 applies the same principle using a ship’s rudder to control the direction of a huge, multi-ton vessel that is driven by the wind. This makes the horse-bit example pale by comparison. I am amazed that such a small apparatus can cause such an enormous vessel to defy the logic of landlubbers such as myself. The most important part of verses 3 & 4 is found in the final four words in which James states that the vessel, against tremendous resistance, goes: “whithersoever the governor listeth.”

This is, of course, symbolic of God’s dealing with human beings. Simply stated, in order to join the “Governor” in His kingdom–where He listeth–we must yield to His written Word/bit/rudder. There is a well-known statement in the secular world that summaries this principle perfectly. It is called the “Golden Rule” and goes as follows: “He who owns the gold makes the rule.” Biblically speaking, God owns the “Gold” and makes the “rule” for attaining it. We must obey His rule/Word in order to arrive wherever He–the Governor–dictates. As verse 4 states, great winds–spiritual powers in heavenly places (Eph. 6:12)–constantly attack those who are intent on serving God. These are temptations, trials, tests, etc. designed by Satan to force them off God’s narrow path and onto Satan’s broad path. Sadly, most God-seekers yield to those winds (Mat. 7:13,14). Those of us who are intent on spending eternity with the Lord must look intently, relentlessly and with lazar-like focus into His Word/bit/rudder and go “wheresoever the Governor listeth.” L.J.