5 If any of
you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without
finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you
must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the
sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect
to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded
and unstable in all they do.
James starts off by talking about the importance of seeking
God for wisdom. The reason we seek God for wisdom is because wisdom only comes
from Him. Now, we should make mention that there is a DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE.
knowl’edge \nol’ij\ is a general
awareness of information, facts, ideas, truths, or principles.
*Everyone can gain knowledge, obviously some people are able
to gain more than others. We gain knowledge through education, reading,
experience, etc.
wis’dom \wiz’dəm\ is a God given
gift that enables us to make sensible decisions and judgments.
*We seek wisdom from God, because it is His to give and He
wants to give it to you!
KNOWLEDGE COMES FROM
MAN, WISDOM COMES FROM GOD!
James says if any of us lack wisdom we should ask God for
it. We ask God for wisdom, because WISDOM HELPS US UNDERSTAND WHAT GOD
ULTIMATELY WANTS FROM US. Wisdom leads us to understanding how God wants us
to live. It is essential for understanding God’s purpose and plan and therefore
helps us to live accordingly. You and I are in desperate need for wisdom. Oh and by the way, THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO GAIN WISDOM: YOU HAVE TO ASK FOR IT! “Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and
you will find. Knock and the door will be open to you.” You and I need to
start asking for what God is desperately wanting to give: WISDOM.
We need to ask because He wants to generously give! God
doesn’t want to give you a taste of wisdom. HE WANTS TO GIVE YOU SO MUCH WISDOM THAT IT STARTS SPILLING OUT OF YOUR
PORES. God wants to give you a wisdom overload, because he wants you to
understand his purpose and plan for your life. All you have to do is ask!
“YOU HAVE NOT,
BECAUSE YOU ASK NOT.”
WHEN YOU ASK FOR
WISDOM, YOU NEED TO BELIEVE THAT GOD IS WILLING AND ABLE AND WANTS TO GIVE IT
TO YOU. Do not doubt, but be certain that God is going to give, because
that’s what He promises and God cannot lie.
James says those who do not believe that God will give them
wisdom are LIKE A WAVE TOSSED BY THE
WIND. These people are always going back and forth, up and down. James says
these people should not expect to receive anything from the lord, because of
their lack of faith! In fact, James calls these people DOUBLE-MINDED AND UNSTABLE in all they do. In other words, they are
the people who say one thing, but believe something else. Yes, we’ve all been
guilty of this. In fact, we do it with God far too often. We pray one way, but
believe the opposite.
So this passage leads us to some questions:
·
ARE YOU
SEEKING GOD FOR WISDOM?
·
DO YOU
BELIEVE HE CAN GIVE IT TO YOU?
·
IF YOU
DO, WHY AREN’T YOU ASKING HIM FOR THE WISDOM?
Why should we seek God for wisdom?
·
We seek Him for wisdom in order to DEAL WITH OUR TROUBLING TIMES that we
go through. We ask for wisdom so we can consider those moments a pure joy.
·
We seek God for wisdom TO GET A GLIMPSE OF HIS PURPOSE AND WILL for our lives. I mean, we
all want to know right?
·
We seek wisdom from God SO WE CAN LIVE CLOSER TO HIS EXAMPLE. When we seek His wisdom we
become more like Jesus, which is kind of important!
So, this obviously begs the question: In what area of your life are you in desperate need of wisdom?
·
Are there some IMPORTANT DECISIONS you need to make in the near future?
·
Do you need wisdom in order to RAISE YOUR CHILDREN?
·
Are you in need of some wisdom so you can RELATE BETTER TO YOUR SPOUSE?
·
Do you need wisdom so you can LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR?
·
Are you trying to figure out GOD’S PLAN/PURPOSE for your life?
Ask god for wisdom and believe that he can and wants to give it to you!
Grace & Peace, Marc
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