The Riches of God’s Wisdom
If any of you lack wisdom, let them ask of God, that gives to all people generously, and without finding fault, and it shall be given.
James 1:5
Discovering God’s Wisdom
It is critical that we understand that God’s Wisdom is a gift. According to this verse it is not obtained through research, investigation, analysis, nor experience. There is only one source of God’s Wisdom. There is only one method for obtaining God’s Wisdom. You must ask God. It is as simple as that.
The Apostle James provides several key factors regarding God’s Wisdom. First, the child of God must recognize the need for wisdom. Second, there must be a realization of the capacity for wisdom. Third, the believer must initiate the process for obtaining wisdom. Then lastly, the believer must apply the wisdom appropriately. It is absolutely wonderful that God has made His wisdom available as a Kingdom Resource for anyone who needs it. Notice how James advertises God’s wonderful wisdom: if any of you lack wisdom. This wisdom is not exclusive to scholars or certain technically minded souls, it is available to anyone who needs it. Whether the situation be extremely dire or however minute, anyone can request the Wisdom of God.
Please understand that wisdom is different from information. Some people assume that wisdom is knowing all the facts or understanding deep mysteries. That may describe earthly information, but it is not the same as God’s wisdom. God’s wisdom is not the collection of data, nor is it the process of applying data. Wisdom is knowing God’s direction in the time of crisis. Wisdom is possessing the right way to respond in any given circumstance or condition. Wisdom is knowing the mind of God and how to respond appropriately to bring about God’s Glory in the midst of challenges. There are many smart people in the world, but only those who receive God’s Wisdom are truly wise. Wisdom is both discerning and responsible. The Child of God knows what to do, how to do, and why to do the things that need to be done. God’s Wisdom is both informative and inspirational at the same time. It gives the child of God the knowledge of what to do in any given situation and it gives the child of God the motivation to do the right thing for the right reason and with the right attitude. God’s Wisdom is a very precious gift that no believer can afford to leave out of their life. In other words, you need God’s Wisdom.
This points to the interesting presentation that James makes. In his statement, “if any of you lack wisdom,” it suggests that people don’t always recognize that they need God’s Wisdom and as a result they set out to create their own “wisdom” plan. In this case, the twelve tribes who were scattered throughout the Roman Empire were in a dire state and needed to know what to do to survive as a nation. They were at the point where they needed to choose between God’s plan and their own plan. There were Jewish nationalists who turned to a political and economic solution to their dilemma. There were Jewish zealots who saw their only solution as war and conflict. Still others saw their survival solution as fleeing to some other land for safety. Amid all these alternatives, James delivered God’s Word on the matter. Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith works patience, but let patience have its perfect work that you may be complete and lacking nothing… If you lack wisdom, ask of God… James 1:2-5 (paraphrased). James was saying essentially, you can do it your way, or you can do it God’s Way. Only one of those options comes with a guarantee of God’s provision.
The need is there, and the conditions probably won’t change automatically. If you lack wisdom, the thing to do would be to ask God. At this critical juncture, the Christian must recognize early in the conflict that the only option is to choose God’s Wisdom. Rather than attempting to sort through the various options, just turn everything over to Jesus and allow Him to guide through the process. That is the treasure of God’s Wisdom.
If the child of God plans to follow God’s Will, they have no other choice than to seek God’s Wisdom. One of the distinctions between King Saul’s style of leadership and King David’s style of leadership, is the way they sought God’s direction. King Saul only sought God’s direction when things went wrong or when the matter was beyond his ability to deal with it. King David sought God’s leadership before he faced any challenge or before he went into battle. He would turn to the “ephod” (priestly garment) and ask the Lord for guidance and direction. He recognized two great truths. First, you will always need God to bless you in your endeavors. Second, you should never attempt any undertaking without God’s approval. While King Saul was seeking a name for himself, which turned out to be his undoing, King David sought to please God, and that turned out to be the establishment of his kingship over Israel.
So, here you are facing your challenges and asking which way do I turn? How do I deal with these struggles? James points to the solution by asking the question, “do you lack wisdom?” Then he hastily gives the solution, “ask for God’s Wisdom.”
Do you Really KNOW, What You Really NEED?
There is a stark difference between a want and a need. You may want a Cadillac or a Mercedes, but what you really need is a good car. You may want a two week vacation in Hawaii, but what you really need is some time off to rest and recuperate. You may want a million dollars, but what you really need is to have your bills paid and enough to save up for lean times. God never promised that He would supply all your wants, but He did promise to supply all your NEED according to His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19.
When you start evaluating what you want versus what you need, that is the starting point for applying God’s Wisdom. You must understand the need. In results-oriented training, the critical question is asked, “what is the NEED.” If you cannot define the need, it is fruitless to try to develop a way of meeting the need. The sad indictment against many of our prayers is that we go to God with a list of wants and have done a very poor job of bringing to God our needs. These are the prayers of spoiled children and not the prayers of mature saints in Christ.
James later warns, “you have not because you don’t ask” and then when you do “ask but you don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives.” James 4:2-3. It all comes back to the problem of not knowing what to truly ask for. Here is where the Wisdom of God helps us to understand what we truly need. Jesus said, “seek first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33. So, for you and me, we should pray with God’s Kingdom in mind. Before we even suggest what we want, we should inquire as to what God wants. That is what King David did, and it worked. He sought God’s interest and the Lord gave David victory. What is it that you really need?
I close with an application of this principle of recognizing the need for God’s Wisdom as found in 2 Chronicles 20. King Jehoshaphat, a descendant of the line of David, found himself surrounded by a confederation of forces from Moab, Ammon, and Mount Seir. The King humbly confessed to God, “O God, will You not judge them? For we have no might against this great company, nor do we know what to do: but our eyes are upon You.” Not only did Jehoshaphat recognize the need of his nation; he also placed his total dependence on God for the answer. The events that followed are truly remarkable.
First, God’s Word of Wisdom came through one of the Levites named Jahaziel that God Almighty had a victory plan. The plan was revealed that the battle did not belong to them, but it was the Lord’s battle. 2 Chron. 20:15. Second, it was revealed that they did not need to fight but to show up for the praise when they witnessed the Salvation of the Lord. 2 Chron. 20:17. Then the King received more Wisdom from God, that since they did not need to fight, they should use a different approach when marching down to the Cliff of Ziz. They needed to put the praise team ahead of the army. 2 Chron. 20:21. They came to the battlefield singing, “Praise the Lord; for His Mercy endures forever.” Verse 22 states that the moment they started praising God, the Lord ambushed their enemies and threw the attackers into a fit of confusion. They destroyed each other. Meanwhile in the camp of Israel, they were counting it all joy, because they had followed God’s battle plan.
They were delivered because they relied on God’s plan and not their own. In these pressing times, we too must rely on God’s plan because the plans of man are so confusing, and they are half-truths. God’s Word is the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth because God’s Wisdom is revealed. Let’s all take James up on the invitation to seek God’s Wisdom today. If any of you lack wisdom, let them ask of God, that gives to all people generously, and without finding fault, and it shall be given.