If you lack wisdom

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

‘If any of you lack wisdom’ is one of those verses that sounds like ti might have been written just for me because I spend most of my time feeling like I lack the wisdom to deal with situations. Though I understand the truth, there are times when I can’t figure it out and don’t really know what to do about it. 

Though I think this lack of wisdom can apply to any number of situations it looks like in this case it does apply to wisdom in dealing with trials. We should never be afraid ti ask God for the wisdom we lack – but especially when it comes to trials and tribulations. 

I have often been there. I find myself in a situation where I just haven’t any idea what to do or how to handle things. 

I like the notion that God invites us to ask Him. There are two reasons. I want to look at the second one first. 

We can ask God for wisdom with assurance that God is not going to reproach us or be angry with us for asking. Several years ago I found myself in a challenging situation where I didn’t know what to do. I was actually angry with God. I went for a walk on our canal and found a bench where I could sit down and ‘have it out with Him.’ I told Him what I thought and I asked Him what I was supposed to do next. By the time we got done my whole attitude had changed. God gave me the wisdom I needed through His word. 

And God doesn’t give wisdom begrudgingly – he gives it liberally. He pours at His wisdom if we let him and if we receive it. 

The wisdom God gives us may not always be what we want. It may not make sense to us – but His wisdom is, as James puts it a little later - from above [and] is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

May I have the faith needed to trust His wisdom.