James 1:5

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."  (NIV)

Prayer starter:

It is interesting that "wisdom" is generally perceived as something that people should seek out, and those who attain it are held in high esteem. This perception seems to be supported by many passages in the Bible. After all, the word "wisdom" occurs in over 200 verses. Next to Jesus, Solomon is often considered the wisest person who ever lived, for "Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt" (1Kings 4:30). Yet the very same Solomon did not much appreciate his own wisdom: "What then do I gain by being wise? . . For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered" (Ecclesiastes 2:15-16).
We need to understand very clearly that there is wisdom in the sense of knowledge and there is wisdom in the sense of divine discernment. Solomon was making light of wisdom in the sense of knowledge and human understanding. This is the kind of wisdom the world wants us to pursue: education, information, and scientific inquiry. I have spent my entire career in education, so I'm certainly not opposed to this pursuit. But the Bible makes it clear that, in matters of importance, we should be seeking the wisdom that comes from the Holy Spirit. If we want to know if the earth is round, we don't need to ask God about it. If we want to know whether a difficult decision we are about to make is the right one, we definitely should ask God about it. This is the kind of wisdom James is talking about in this verse.
Luke says about the young Jesus: ". . . he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him" (Luke 2:40). Jesus did not go to Harvard to attain his wisdom. He was simply "filled" with it. For us normal human beings, pursuing educated wisdom is a good start, but it can only take us so far. To attain true discernment, we have to ask God to fill us with His spirit-guided wisdom.
So, today, if there is a decision in your life that needs to be made, evaluate it with your educated mind, seek out the necessary information, but if that does not provide the answer, ask God for guidance and He will give generously.

Be Brightly Blessed! 


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