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. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.  

James 1:5-8 

God wants us to have utter confidence in Him.  When it comes to the discussion of wisdom, James makes a point of saying that when we ask for wisdom to address a particular situation, we should ask in  faith with no doubting. He goes on to illustrate his point by saying, ‘he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.’ One of the most significant reasons we have for having complete confidence in God to give us wisdom when we ask for it is our vital union with Christ in whom are hidden all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge. Because Christ is our Head and we are His Body, we have an indissoluble union with Him.  What He is and has is ours. If the Head has it, the body has it. If the Body needs it, the Head supplies it. Therefore, when He give us a promise like this we have every reason to have fullness of faith that He will do all He has said. A clear sight of Christ with a good understanding of our relationship with Him will go a long way toward bolstering and increasing our faith. God is as good as His Word.  

Our Glorious, Living Head, 
we rejoice at what You are to us. 
We praise You that You give us, as Your body, 
everything of which we stand 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 often may we ask God for wisdom before He loses patience with us? The kind of wisdom we are discussing is what will enable us to navigate the circumstances in life we face daily. These are innumerable. They range from the moral and ethical to the most practical. We are constantly in need of wisdom. Like children, we come to God asking for the same thing over and over again, perhaps many times in one day. Will God grow impatient with us for our repeated asking for this same thing? Our text tells us He will not. God knows we need wisdom. All the treasures of wisdom are hidden in Christ. He knows we are going to be looking to Christ and asking for wisdom often. He declares that He will give us the wisdom for which we ask and not scold us for asking so often. How often in a day does our body communicate with our head in order for us to function in the world? If Christ is our Head and we are His Body, we should expect there to be the same amount of communication. He expects that. Therefore, He does not reproach us when we repeatedly ask for wisdom.  

Our Great and Gracious God, 
we rejoice at how willing You are to hear us. 
We praise You that You do not lose patience with us, 
even though we ask You for the same things many times.  

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 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