Ask for Wisdom
James 1:5-8
5 If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won’t correct you for asking. 6 But when you ask for something, you must have faith and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm. 7-8 If you are that kind of person, you can’t make up your mind, and you surely can’t be trusted. So don’t expect the Lord to give you anything at all.
When we think about trials we hardly think about wisdom to go through them. I think I would be correct in saying that when trials come, the prayer on most of our lips is for the Lord to take them away and not for wisdom. I find it interesting that right after talking to us about how we should consider it nothing but joy when trials come and how trials test our faith which leads to patience and then maturity, James tells us that if we need wisdom we should ask God and He will give it to us.
Wisdom for what? Wisdom to go through the trials because that’s what James has been talking to us about. What is wisdom then you might ask? Pastor Larry Lea says “Wisdom is the God-given ability to perceive the true nature of a matter and implement the will of God in that matter”
James tells us that God is generous but he also goes on to tell us that when we ask we must do that in faith and not doubt. I don’t know about you but for me this is a whole new way of thinking when I go through frustrations because of trials in my life. Just yesterday I was going through such frustration and I must confess I was so ready to complain but because we had talked about how God is displeased when we complain, I opted not to do so lest I preach water and drink wine on the same day. Asking for wisdom was the last thing on my mind so I never asked for it, but now I know better.
Are you in the midst of trials? Do you feel frustrated? Consider it Joy, your faith is being tested so let patience do its complete work in you because the purpose is to mature you but right in the midst of that, take a pause and ask God for wisdom, the God-given ability to perceive the true nature of the trial and implement the will of God in that matter.
