"Trusting God's Wisdom"

James 1:5-8 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

I. Intro

Have any of you been in your prayer time, and it seems as if your prayers aren’t getting past the ceiling? I know I have. Today, we will talk about one of the reasons your prayers don’t reach Heaven. I can remember when I was growing up my parents would oftentimes say that what they were telling me was going in one ear and out the other. As a child, I didn’t want to hear what my parents had to say, because i thought I knew more than them. When they were trying to correct me and instruct me, I ignored them because as a teenager, i was smarter than them.

If a student is too lazy to study, they shouldn’t complain when they receive an “F” on a test. If a Christian is too lazy to find out what God says about a subject, he shouldn’t be surprised when he lacks the understanding he needs to handle situations in his life.

Wisdom requires knowledge and understanding. Just like it takes both a man and a woman to come together and form a new baby, when knowledge gets married to understanding, it has a baby, and that baby is called wisdom. When knowledge, the true nature of a thing, meets understanding, which is the enlightened purpose of that truth, a baby is born, and it is called wisdom.

How many times have we, knowing what God’s Word says, do something completely different because we want to do it our way because we think our way is the best way and we don’t fully trust in God’s plan for our lives. When you watch the weather on tv, and the weather man tells you its going to rain, why do people place their trust in him and bring their umbrellas when he is wrong half the time, but we don’t place our full trust in God who is never wrong?

II. Understanding the need for Wisdom

The importance of wisdom in navigating life's challenges

Have you ever thought about why we need wisdom? James has a great deal to say about wisdom.

James 3:13 “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.”

The Jewish people were lovers of wisdom, as the book of Proverbs is evidence. Someone has once said that knowledge is the ability to take things apart, while wisdom is the ability to put them together. Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. We all may know people who are very educated, have many college degrees, but they are not very smart. So the big question still remains. Why do we need wisdom while we are going through trials? We always seem to ask for strength, grace or sometimes deliverance. But how many times do we ask for wisdom in our trials? We need wisdom so we will not waste the opportunities God is giving us to mature. Wisdom helps us to understand how to use these circumstances for our good and God’s glory.

Asking in Faith

James not only explained what to ask for (wisdom), but he also described how to ask. We are to ask in faith. We do not have to be afraid, because God is anxious to answer our prayers. James 4:6 “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” He also gives more and more wisdom. The greatest enemy to answered prayer is unbelief.

James compares the doubting believer to the waves of the sea, up one minute, and down the next.

While in vacation in Florida, I can remember a time I was in the water, swimming with the kids. I learned that you can’t trust the waves. They are very inconsistent. I was a pretty good ways out in the water, enjoying the waves and the sunshine. My back was towards the the waves, as I was watching the kids play and the birds flying around looking for food. All of a sudden, I was taken under by a huge group of waves. At one minute, the waves were re somewhat calm, then in the blink of an eye, their personality changed. The lesson I learned that day was-Never turn your back on the waves. This is the experience of the double-minded man. Faith says, “Yes!” But unbelief says “No!” Then doubt comes along and says “Yes” one minute and “No” the next. It was doubt that made Peter sink in the waves as he was walking to Jesus. Matthew 14:25-31 “And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” When Peter started his walk of faith, he kept his eyes on Christ. But when he was distracted by the wind and the waves, he stopped walking by faith and started to sink. He was double-minded, and he almost drowned.

Many Christians live like corks on the waves: up one minute, down the next; tossed back and forth. This kind of experience is evidence of immaturity. Paul used a similar idea in Ephesians 4:14 “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;” If we have believing and united hearts , we can ask in faith and God will give the wisdom we need. Instability and immaturity go together.

III. Conclusion

James 1:5 seems to shift to another thought , but it is actually closely related to enduring trials. “But if any of you lacks wisdom,” James adds, “let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” What does wisdom have to do with enduring trials? It may refer to some solution or answer to the trial, or it may pertain to the wisdom to trust God. I lean towards it meaning the wisdom to trust God, because in the classic case of Job, no solutions or explanations were given to Job concerning his trial. Instead, God taught him why it was wise to trust Him, without knowing why his suffering was taking place. However, trusting God often means doing nothing at all-simply waiting on God. God delights in encouraging us to trust Him, for one of the major goals of the Christian life is dependence on God. However, James warns us that the request for wisdom must itself be made in faith, for the whole process is a test of faith, and tests of faith require the exercise of faith.