James 1
5 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.
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation,
10 but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away.
11 For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.
I love James’ style of writing. The word I would use to describe his writing would be concentrated. Reading this book is like taking a can of concentrated orange juice out of the freezer, thawing it, pouring it in a glass and drinking it full-strength. Last week 5 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.
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
5 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.
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
Last week we heard James explain how we should react to trials, and next week we will hear him explain temptation in an amazingly clear way.
Listen to what he hits us with this week.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God…
How to get wisdom
1. Ask God for it
Have you ever had a time when you needed answers for a problem you were facing, but
you just couldn't come up with the right solution? You tried to hard to figure things out, did it seem like the right answer kept eluding you?
James 1:5 was written for you!
Don’t be afraid to ask. Don’t think that you are somehow bothering God. James said, “ask”. Don’t be sheepish is your asking either.
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
God is so willing to help you!
Hebrews 13:5-6 For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper…"
Anytime you find yourself facing thing that you cannot figure out, ask God for wisdom!
Look at verse 5 again.
5 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.
There are two characteristics to the way God gives wisdom.
The way God gives wisdom
1. Liberally
Have you ever worked with someone who was afraid to tell you too much? If you knew everything they knew you would get their job. So they would only tell you the bare minimum you needed to know. God is never that way with wisdom. He gives wisdom liberally “simplicity, sincerity, bountifully, generously”
God just simply pours out His wisdom into our lives when we ask.
The way God gives wisdom
1. Liberally
2. Without reproach
Listen to meaning of the word reproach.
reproach “taunt, chide, upbraid, revile”
God doesn’t mock you or belittle you when you ask Him for wisdom. God always treats His children with respect. Jesus gave us a beautiful picture of the Father is His account of the Prodigal Son:
Luke 15
17 "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,
19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants."'
20 "And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.
21 And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.
23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;
24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry.
That is the way God responds to you! You are approaching Him for wisdom, He is running toward you to give you more that you ask for! Let’s read on…
5 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.
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting…
How to get wisdom
1. Ask God for it
2. Don’t doubt when you ask
When you ask, ask in faith!
Faith is the foundation of our relationship with God!
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith…
Faith is absolutely necessary!
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Jesus taught us that it is a vital ingredient to prayer
Matthew 21:22 “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
When you ask…don’t doubt! You may say, “I just don’t feel like I have any faith.” Here is how you get it:
Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
James illustrates what doubting is like.
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
When you doubt you are like a wave in the ocean that is being driven which ever way the wind is blowing! James describes us as being “double-minded” and “double-minded people don’t receive from the Lord!
Before you throw up your hands and say, “That eliminates me, I am never going to receive anything from the Lord!” Listen to what God has to say:
Jeremiah 33:3 “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”
God will answer you when you call out to Him.
Look at the promises of Jeremiah 33:3
· I will answer you
· I will show you great things
· I will show you mighty things
· I will show you things you don’t know
Calling out to the Lord causes Him to draw near to you.
Psalms 145:18 The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.
Jesus taught us to ask!
Luke 11
9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
When you ask in faith, you will get an answer!
How to get wisdom
1. Ask God for it
2. Don’t doubt when you ask
3. Maintain humility
Listen again to James.
9 Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation,
10 but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away.
11 For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.
Hannah, Samuel’s mother said it really well.
1 Samuel 2:8 “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory, for the pillars of the earth are the LORD's, and He has set the world upon them.
The exalting that God gives is in His timing!
1 Peter 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.
If you are humble, you will be exalted, and if your are prideful you will be abased.
1 Peter 5:5 Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
When you get dressed in the morning, make sure you put on the garment of humility!
Look on final time at how James taught us to get wisdom!
How to get wisdom
1. Ask God for it
2. Don’t doubt when you ask
3. Maintain humility