Book of James & Wisdom Part III
Sometimes as we drive down the road of life, we come to dangerous intersections. We refer to them as “forks in the road.”Perhaps you feel like you are at a dangerous intersection right now in your life. The Bible speaks about a divine resource we can utilize when we come to those intersections. It is called wisdom. There are many times when we will approach one of those intersections and we’ll realize we have a shortage of wisdom.
This is the very situation James addresses in 1:5-8. James had just finished speaking about the various trials we encounter in life. These are the difficulties and suffering that come our way. BIG IDEA: Life creates a demand for wisdom which God supplies when the conditions are met.
What is wisdom?
Wisdom and knowledge are both recurring themes in the Bible and are related to each other, they are not synonymous. The dictionary defines wisdom as “the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting.” Knowledge, on the other hand, is “information gained through experience, reasoning, or acquaintance.” Knowledge is what is gathered over time through study and experience.
But it can be said that wisdom acts properly upon that knowledge - wisdom is the application of knowledge. True wisdom, according to Scripture, begins with God. Proverbs 9:10 tells us that the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” In Proverbs 1:7, we learn that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Proverbs tells us that fools hate wisdom. The fool is the person whose choices contradict God’s truth.
I. Life creates a demand for wisdom.
If any of you lack wisdom… When James began verse 5 with the statement: “Now if any of you lacks wisdom,” he wasn’t suggesting that some don’t need wisdom, but others do. Rather, James was saying: “when you lack wisdom” or “since you lack wisdom” – a lack of wisdom is a given, it is a reality. It is important to understand. If you do not realize your lack of wisdom, you will never ask for it. It is the arrogant person who thinks they never need counsel. It is the foolish person who refuses to admit his/her need for wisdom.
II. God supplies wisdom to those who ask.
If you lack wisdom, ask God. Why? God is the source of wisdom. Proverbs says that wisdom is a divine gift. You don’t get it by living a long life or experiencing many different things. You get it from God. Go directly to the source – GOD. God will give you wisdom. He will give it generously. God is not stingy with this gift. The word James uses here means “without reserve.” He will give it without finding fault. The word means without reproach or insult. God will not insult you for coming and asking Him for wisdom. God is not like that when we ask for wisdom. Jesus explained it in Matt. 7:9-11. He pointed out that a good parent never insults the child who comes asking for bread by giving him a stone. He doesn’t give him a snake if he asks for fish. So, if you, who are evil, can give good gifts to your kids when they ask, how much more will God give us good gifts when we ask Him?
III. Wisdom is supplied to those who ask in faith.
A. We must ask in faith, not doubt.
B. We must not doubt.
1. The word means “to dispute with oneself
2. The doubter is like a wave of the sea being tossed around by the wind. Very unstable and
insecure.
3. The doubter should not expect to receive anything from God.
4. The doubter is a double-minded person, unstable in all he does.
Being double-minded is like being a fence-straddler. They hope for the best, but they expect the worst. This is not the type of person who really wants God’s wisdom. Are you looking for answers but can’t seem to find any? Has your wisdom and the wisdom of those around you fallen short? There is hope. The One who is Himself All-wise delights to give His wisdom to those who ask with a trusting heart. Have you asked God for wisdom?
There was a time in Jesus’ ministry where when he would travel people would follow him around everywhere, everyone wanted to know who he is.