Ask God

One of my friends was asked to help pastor a church while the church’s pastor was on sabbatical. About the same time as the pastor was going on sabbatical, he received news of a tragedy in his family that also impacted the church. My friend was preaching the first Sunday after this tragedy. He and his wife needed godly wisdom to love, walk with, and counsel this church body. They needed wisdom to Biblically respond to the range of emotions – grief, anger, and betrayal – and the myriad of unanswered questions. This church body needed godly wisdom to walk well through this trial to grow in their faith and their knowledge of God.

Last week we looked at counting it all joy when we meet various trials because trials can strengthen our faith and help us mature spiritually (vs 1-4). Today we will consider the role of godly wisdom in our trials and in general life.

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.[1]

James 1:4-8

Verse 4 ended with James stating the blessing in the trials and the testing of our faith: we may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Then James immediately follows with, “If any of you lacks wisdom…” (vs 5, emphasis added). James clues us in on one area we may be lacking but don’t have to remain lacking: wisdom.

Before we dig into the text, let’s examine some descriptions and benefits of wisdom remembering style and content of the book of James reflects Old Testament wisdom literature such as Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon.

Douglas Moo writes, “wisdom is above all a practically oriented virtue that gives direction for the life of the godly person. ‘Insight’ into the will of God and the way it is to be applied in life are both given by wisdom.”[2]

“For whoever finds me [wisdom] finds life and obtains favor from the LORD” (Proverbs 8:35).

“Teach me Your way, O LORD, that I may walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name” (Psalm 86:11).

Proverbs 2:1-15 instructs us that wisdom comes from God (vs 6; Colossians 2:3), and we should seek it as we would a hidden treasure. Solomon also relays benefits of wisdom: we will understand righteousness, justice, equity, and every good path (vs 9), wisdom will come into our hearts and knowledge will be pleasant to our souls (vs 10), and discretion will watch over us and understanding guard us delivering us from evil ways and people (vs 11-15).

True wisdom views the world and everything in it from God’s perspective and shows us how to act accordingly, how to please God in our motivations, thoughts, words, and actions. Wisdom enables us to the have the right perspective on various trials (vs 2-4). We need God’s wisdom for trials if our faith is to be proven genuine, if we are to remain steadfast, and if steadfastness is to have its full effect making us perfect, complete, and lacking in nothing.

We learn from other areas of James’ teaching that we are accountable to use the wisdom we receive from God – knowing another’s need and not helping (2:15-17), faithfulness in teaching what we have learned (3:1) and knowing what is right to do and failing to do it (vs 4:17).

We need wisdom in our own trials and wisdom as we counsel and walk with others in their trials. I have been guilty of dumping passages like James 1:2-4 or Romans 8:28 on someone who is suffering. Yes, these passages are true and even applicable, but wisdom would guide when to share Scripture. Wisdom would lead us to listen and show compassion first, to enter into the other person’s suffering. Some of you have likely been recipients of someone’s good intentions, but lack of wisdom in their timing or choice of words in your suffering. Job’s friends had the wisdom to just sit and grieve with him initially. They lacked wisdom in what they later spoke and their application of truth. We need wisdom in trials.

How do we get the wisdom we need? We ask God. James says it simply, but as we saw in Proverbs 2, we should be painstakingly seeking wisdom from God. Wisdom doesn’t just magically happen. We need to pursue it by asking God and by studying Scripture. It’s not a one time asking. We continue to ask God for wisdom because we need wisdom continually. In asking God for wisdom, we confess our dependence on Him and submit to His wisdom and sovereignty.

We ask God, who gives. The Greek literally reads “giving God.” Giving is in accordance with who God is, His nature, His character.

We ask God, who gives generously. The Greek word is haplōs meaning simply, openly, or frankly. Douglas Moos writes, “James’ intent, then, would be to highlight God’s unreserved, uncalculating, unwavering intent to give his gift of wisdom to those who ask.”[3] God gives without any expectation of return on His giving, and He gives without reservation.

We ask God, who gives generously to all. God does not play favorites with His children because God’s giving is based on His character not on our merits.

We ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach. God gives without rebuking us for our past failures and sin. Unlike us, He gives without trying to make us feel guilty about what we are receiving. Unlike us, He gives without shoving the value of the gift in our face. We can ask God for wisdom because He is a giving God, undivided and unwavering in His intent, and gives without reproach.

We ask in faith. Faith is expectant, knowing of whom we ask. James sets faith in opposition to doubting. Faith takes our questions and trusts them to God. Throughout the psalms, we hear the psalmists crying out to God with their lack of understanding, but they are crying to God. They are trusting God and His purposes even when they don’t understand.

James echoes Jesus: “And Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, “Be taken up and thrown into the sea,” it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith’” [4](Matthew 21:21-22).

Douglas Moo defines doubt as “a basic conflict in loyalties.” Compare this to the steadfastness produced by faith (vs 3-4) or God’s own character (vs 5). The doubter is further described as double-minded and unstable. Double-minded is literally double-souled. David expressed this idea in Psalm 12:2: “Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak” (emphasis added).

The doubter is compared to “a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind” (vs 7). These are not the waves on the shore that continuously roll in, but the waves that are further out. They shift in response to the wind. They are anything but steadfast and consistent. Likewise, “the divided person has no fixed beliefs or direction” (Douglas Moo). The doubter, James asserts, will receive nothing from God because he is divided in his loyalty to God and insincere.

Contrast this double mindedness to a faithful person who seeks God with their whole heart (Psalm 119:2) and loves God with all their heart, soul, and mind (Deuteronomy 9:5; Matthew 22:37). This person, Jesus states, who asks in faith, will receive whatever they ask.[5]

We need wisdom for our own trials and as we walk with others experiencing trials. The good news is that God invites us to ask Him, the giving God. God who has perfect wisdom for what we need, the way we need it, in the timing we need it. God who has all power to give us the wisdom (and all things) that we need. God to whom all things belong including all wisdom, so He has the wisdom we need and delights in giving us wisdom.

Reflection

1. How often do you ask for wisdom? What wisdom do you need right now for your own trial or walking with someone in their trial? Ask God. His Word contains everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). If you aren’t sure where to look in Scripture, seek out a spiritually mature friend to help you and pray with you.

2. When you ask God for wisdom, are you asking in faith, asking expectantly based on God’s character and nature? What about our giving God has encouraged you as you seek Him for wisdom?

3. What do you do with your questions and doubts? Do you take them to God trusting Him or do you let the doubts go unchecked, let them divide your heart? Are you like a wave of the sea letting your circumstances like the wind drive you this way and that? We don’t always realize it, but like the waves, our beliefs about God can shift in trials if we do not go to God in faith, seeking His wisdom, loving Him with all of our heart, soul, and mind. Don’t be afraid to tell God, “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jas 1:5–8. [2] Douglas J. Moo, James: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 16, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 65. [3] Douglas J. Moo, James: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 16, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 66. [4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 21:21–22. [5] The person asking in faith is asking according to God’s will not their own will.