If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  

James 1:5 

How often do we encounter situations which require wisdom? What kind of circumstances are they? James refers to the various trials we have which test our faith. These trials requires wisdom. What should we say? What should we do? What will be the consequence of this or that course of action? Even the smallest of decisions may prove to be pivotal in the larger course of life. The circumstances where we require wisdom are numerous and frequent. Therefore, James advises that we ask for wisdom in all these situations with the promise that God will give it to us. If Christ is our Head and we are His Body, He has a vested interest in our success in every way. Our success in navigating the path of life depends upon wisdom. In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Therefore if we need wisdom as often and as much as we do, Christ is the Person to Whom we must go. He wants us to be wise. He wants us to handle situations well. He is willing to dispense to us liberally the wisdom we so consistently need.  

Our Gracious God and our Savior, 
we rejoice that You are an inexhaustible supply of wisdom. 
We praise You that we can come to you consistently, 
when we are in need. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  

James 1:5 

How shall we obtain the wisdom we need for our everyday dilemmas? Life presents us with a constant stream of knotty problems for which we often do not have a ready solution. We find ourselves casting about in our mind for what is the right answer and course of action when complex issues arise. Our text provides the first course of action. The kind of wisdom under discussion is what a particular situation requires. We seek wisdom in the broader sense, but this text refers to the kind of wisdom we need to meet a particular circumstance. We are aware that we face may situations for which we need far greater wisdom than we possess. Where will we gain it? James counsels, ‘Let him ask of God.’ If, as Colossians says, in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, then we go to Christ to give us the wisdom to solve the  knotty problems we encounter daily. He is the inexhaustible storehouse of wisdom. He will give us the wisdom we need when we ask Him and will not reproach us for asking.  

Our Gracious Master and our God, 
we rejoice that You that You have what we need. 
We praise You that when we ask You for it, 
You will not deny us. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the LORD. 

Proverbs 8:35

 

To find wisdom is to find life. Our text makes this categorical statement. Where shall we find this life-giving wisdom? According to Colossians 1 all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. Therefore if we find Christ, we find wisdom and thereby life. These pursuits are inseparable. The person who would have wisdom and the accompanying life will find them in Christ. Christ declared Himself as, ‘the way, the truth and the life.’ Therefore, if we are to gain all in one package Christ is that package. This is the favor of the Lord. To know Christ as Savior; to pursue the knowledge of Him daily; to understand more of Him; to begin, even in the smallest ways to see things from His perspective, is life. Christ said, ‘and this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.’ We have been speaking much of knowledge and wisdom lately. Every discussion has brought us again to Christ in whom are hid all the treasures of knowledge and wisdom. These things we so highly prize are bound together with Him.  

Our Gracious God and our Savior, 
we rejoice that You have revealed Yourself to us. 
We praise You that as we come to know You, 
we find wisdom and life. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. 

Proverbs 8:34 

Seeking Christ is a lifelong pursuit. He is such a vast storehouse of wisdom and knowledge we can never exhaust the resources in Him. Certainly our minds and hearts can barely comprehend a tiny fraction of the wealth He contains. Our text holds out the promise of blessedness for everyone who listens to Him. The remainder of the text depicts the daily pursuit of the wisdom that is in Him. It  involves a daily watching and waiting. Wherever we look for Him in the Scripture He is there. From the gateway of Genesis to the doors of the Gospels we behold Christ again and again. When we come to the close of Scripture, we behold the revelation of Him. The more we find Him, the better off we are. The more we contemplate Him, the more He gives us wisdom and knowledge to imitate Him. As we pursue Him throughout life we grow to be like Him until we see him face to face. This is a blessed life indeed. It is a life with the greatest purpose and ends in the highest good. To pursue Christ brings us to wisdom that surpasses every philosophy and all other purported revelations. Christ is all and the highest good.  

Great God of Wonders, 
we rejoice that You speak wisdom to our souls. 
We praise You that, as we listen to You, 
we continue to grow more deeply.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning