If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5
When I need help at the store finding a particular item I am looking for, I have learned to ask for help. I was not always like this. I used to spend quite a while searching, trying to find the item I was looking for. Finally, I realized how much time I was wasting when I could ask for help from someone more experienced and knowledgeable with the store. This does not just apply to shopping; it applies to all areas of our lives, particularly wisdom. In fact, Scripture teaches that if we are looking for wisdom, we should simply ask.
James, the writer of the book of James, very practically and straightforwardly writes, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you” (verse 5). When we need wisdom, we can ask God. Even more, God will give it to us. This reminds me of Solomon, who is known for being one of the wisest people on the planet. Do you know how he became so wise? He asked God for it (1 Kings 13). God generously gives wisdom to all who ask.
James does not end his teaching on wisdom with verse 5. He continues in verse 6 by saying, “But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.” What is James saying here? He wants us to ask for wisdom in faith. He wants us to have faith solely in God and His ability and willingness to answer our prayer for wisdom.
Are you in need of wisdom today? Do you have decisions to make that feel heavy? Ask God for wisdom. Ask Him to help you as you navigate what path to take and live in a way that honors Him. When you ask, ask in faith, believing that God will give you the wisdom you are asking for. Scripture teaches that when you ask, He will answer your prayer and give you wisdom.
Find a quiet place to spend time praying. Ask God for wisdom in all areas of your life. Then, ask Him for the courage to act on the wisdom He gives. Don’t forget to thank Him for readily offering wisdom to all who ask.
Read James 1:1-8 (NLT)
This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad.
Greetings!
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
©2024 Sagebrush Church
