Read James 1:5-8
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. (James 1:5-8)
God may not answer the prayer of a Christian student who has neglected his studies throughout the year and then, before the first paper begins, asks God for wisdom to get straight A’s!
A person who is mature is “complete, not lacking anything” 1:4. We will never reach this level of maturity during our earthly life. Our character will be lacking in many aspects including wisdom.
We often refer to “the wisdom of Solomon.” We are told that Jesus, “grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” (Luke 2:52). Note that Jesus grew in wisdom. At the age of twelve He did not have the same measure of wisdom that He had in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus promised His disciples that when their persecutors were questioning them: “I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.” (Luke 21:15). A young English missionary in communist China, when being interrogated concerning his exit permit, said innocently: “I cannot possibly leave without my elderly senior missionary because she is using my cutlery!” Then both of them were given their permits to leave the country!
J.B. Phillips translates the beginning of verse 5: “If anyone does not know how to meet any practical problem.” This captivates the meaning of wisdom beautifully. Thus the thought here is not primarily that of intellectual knowledge – such as being well versed with the content of the Bible – but rather being able to apply the teaching of the Bible to meet all the situations, including trials, which we will face in our everyday life.
If we deny that we lack wisdom, we go our own way and the situation gets worse. If we ask, do we believe that we will receive?
Are we growing in wisdom? If not, why not?
This meditation is extracted from “Transformation from Belief to Behaviour: 39 Lenten Meditations on the Letter of James” by Peter Young and used with permission by the author. It may be used solely for personal, noncommercial, and informational purposes. Republication or redistribution of this devotional is prohibited.
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