James 1:5:
“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.”
It is interesting living in Redwood City, California right now. The amount of construction going on is mind boggling. I don’t recognize my city when I drive around. So many tall buildings and condos and apartment buildings, and new houses going up everywhere. A common phrase is heard: what used to be there? No longer can we say: used to be a gas station. That was SO ‘80’s and ‘90’s.
Acronyms fly around as well as new phrases. I remember a friend who picked up on the word, “uber.” Uber in German means above. Today, in California, I hear it used as the most superlative of something. The best, the greatest, the biggest, an oh wow kind of term. And, as most know, it also is a company that has regular folks using their regular cars to be a taxi for hire. As the conversation went on with this friend, it was uber this and uber that. I will just uber it. Another phrase is flying around also, Air B-N-B. I will just Air B-N-B it! is a common phrase. Acronyms such as LOL, NATO, BTW, SCUBA are used daily. So often there are arguments about what they stand for and are they an acronym or are they initialism or are they anything at all. When a new acronym comes into being, people seem to take pride in knowing it and using it properly before anyone else. This way your friends will be impressed by your knowledge of the new and at the same time feel stupid because they didn’t know it before that moment, and looked surprised. What? You didn’t know what that meant? Wow.
In our text today, we see that we can ask God for wisdom and understanding and He will never say: What? You didn’t already know that? I can’t believe you are asking Me that. You want what? Wisdom. Go figure it out for yourself, you imbecile.
I am so glad that this phrase is expressed this way. God will never find fault if you ask Him for wisdom. We never need to worry about asking because He invites us to do so. Please ask Me for wisdom. Please don’t try to figure this out in your tiny little mind. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9) Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6). We don’t have to be afraid to ask. We can go to Him any time or any place and He will give us the wisdom we need.
One thing I find necessary is that when I ask, I am to believe that He is going to give me the answer, I do not continue to try to figure it out myself, making myself crazy. I try to lay it down. Sometimes I even write it on a piece of paper, put it into an envelope marked God, and then put it on a shelf. Whenever I try to wrestle with the thought again, I say to myself, see? You gave that to God, wait and He will give you the insight you need. He always has and always will. I just need to give Him time and produce a little patience in myself in the process.
The Life Application Study Bible Notes on James 1:5 has more to say on this:
“The wisdom that we need has three distinct characteristics:
(1) It is practical. The wisdom from God relates to life even during the most trying times. It is not a wisdom isolated from suffering and trials. This wisdom is the tool by which trials are overcome. An intelligent person may have profound ideas, but a wise person puts profound ideas into action. Intelligence will allow someone to describe several reasons why the car broke down. The wise person chooses the most likely reason and proceeds to take action.
(2) It is divine. God’s wisdom goes beyond common sense. Common sense does not lead us to choose joy in the middle of trials. This wisdom begins with respect for God, leads to living by God’s direction, and results in the ability to tell right from wrong. It is a wisdom that James will describe at length in chapter 3.
(3) It is Christlike. Asking for wisdom is ultimately asking to be like Christ. The Bible identifies Christ as the “wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24; 2:1–7)."
Go ahead, ask for Wisdom, God will be right there as He was wondering when you were going to get around to asking.
“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.”
It is interesting living in Redwood City, California right now. The amount of construction going on is mind boggling. I don’t recognize my city when I drive around. So many tall buildings and condos and apartment buildings, and new houses going up everywhere. A common phrase is heard: what used to be there? No longer can we say: used to be a gas station. That was SO ‘80’s and ‘90’s.
Acronyms fly around as well as new phrases. I remember a friend who picked up on the word, “uber.” Uber in German means above. Today, in California, I hear it used as the most superlative of something. The best, the greatest, the biggest, an oh wow kind of term. And, as most know, it also is a company that has regular folks using their regular cars to be a taxi for hire. As the conversation went on with this friend, it was uber this and uber that. I will just uber it. Another phrase is flying around also, Air B-N-B. I will just Air B-N-B it! is a common phrase. Acronyms such as LOL, NATO, BTW, SCUBA are used daily. So often there are arguments about what they stand for and are they an acronym or are they initialism or are they anything at all. When a new acronym comes into being, people seem to take pride in knowing it and using it properly before anyone else. This way your friends will be impressed by your knowledge of the new and at the same time feel stupid because they didn’t know it before that moment, and looked surprised. What? You didn’t know what that meant? Wow.
In our text today, we see that we can ask God for wisdom and understanding and He will never say: What? You didn’t already know that? I can’t believe you are asking Me that. You want what? Wisdom. Go figure it out for yourself, you imbecile.
I am so glad that this phrase is expressed this way. God will never find fault if you ask Him for wisdom. We never need to worry about asking because He invites us to do so. Please ask Me for wisdom. Please don’t try to figure this out in your tiny little mind. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9) Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6). We don’t have to be afraid to ask. We can go to Him any time or any place and He will give us the wisdom we need.
One thing I find necessary is that when I ask, I am to believe that He is going to give me the answer, I do not continue to try to figure it out myself, making myself crazy. I try to lay it down. Sometimes I even write it on a piece of paper, put it into an envelope marked God, and then put it on a shelf. Whenever I try to wrestle with the thought again, I say to myself, see? You gave that to God, wait and He will give you the insight you need. He always has and always will. I just need to give Him time and produce a little patience in myself in the process.
The Life Application Study Bible Notes on James 1:5 has more to say on this:
“The wisdom that we need has three distinct characteristics:
(1) It is practical. The wisdom from God relates to life even during the most trying times. It is not a wisdom isolated from suffering and trials. This wisdom is the tool by which trials are overcome. An intelligent person may have profound ideas, but a wise person puts profound ideas into action. Intelligence will allow someone to describe several reasons why the car broke down. The wise person chooses the most likely reason and proceeds to take action.
(2) It is divine. God’s wisdom goes beyond common sense. Common sense does not lead us to choose joy in the middle of trials. This wisdom begins with respect for God, leads to living by God’s direction, and results in the ability to tell right from wrong. It is a wisdom that James will describe at length in chapter 3.
(3) It is Christlike. Asking for wisdom is ultimately asking to be like Christ. The Bible identifies Christ as the “wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24; 2:1–7)."
Go ahead, ask for Wisdom, God will be right there as He was wondering when you were going to get around to asking.
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