5"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, which giveth to all men liberally,
and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6"But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering, For he taht wavereth is like a wave of the sea
driven with the wind and tossed.
7"For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.
8"A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."
and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6"But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering, For he taht wavereth is like a wave of the sea
driven with the wind and tossed.
7"For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.
8"A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."
*The Bible says that wisdom is an essential characteristic for every Christian. It is the foundation of growing in Christ. Understanding Him, His Word, His plan only comes when we have wisdom. God speaks of wisdom as a prize, a rare treasure, something priceless.
*You can see these verses about wisdom: Prov 4:7; 16:16, 21; 19:8; 23:4;
*You can see these verses about wisdom: Prov 4:7; 16:16, 21; 19:8; 23:4;
~What to do When We Lack Wisdom~
1. Ask God-vs. 5
*He Giveth to All Men Liberally
-When we ask with a right heart, and ask for things that are inside God's will-such as wisdom-He will give it to us! Remember, if you have accepted Christ as your personal Savior, then God is your Father, and He wants to give you the desires of your heart. He wants to bless you and give you and take care of you in a way that only a Father can!
*He Upbraideth Not
-Before doing this study, I had no clue what upbraideth meant! When reading James, I assumed it meant God isn't an indian giver, which He isn't, but that is not what this phrase means. To upbraid means to criticize or reproach severly. To find fault with, or scold vehemently. So, God will not say, "What? You stupid! You want WHAT? Ha! Why would I give YOU wisdom? You stupid little human! Don't ever ask me for anything again!" OK, so most likely, God's scolding wouldn't sound quite like that. But that's how I imagine it would be! This little verse assures us that we can approach the mighty throne of God and ask Him for wisdom and He will freely give it to us!
2. Ask in Faith-vs. 6
A: Don't be a Wave of the Sea
*Driven with the wind
*Tossed
-don't be controlled or influenced by outside forces. 1 John 2:15 says "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world, if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." Stay far away from the world. God says to be in the world but not of it. This world is not our home, and so although we are in the world, we are not to act like it. Make God our only counsel. It is so important to be surrounded by godly company, because who our friends are determines who we are. Don't let the craziness of the world change our direction, or take our eyes away from God.
-Faith is the basis of our belief. Be strong in faith, and never take your eyes off Christ! When our faith wavers, we will fall. Be strong in your faith walk. Otherwise, you are as dangerous, reckless, and directionless as a wave of the sea.
*Double Minded-vs 8
-a double minded man is unstable in all his ways- you never know what he is going to do!
-he shall not receive anything of the Lord!-vs. 7-we cannot expect God to give us anything when we are not living a lifestyle that please and honors Him. When we are right with God, that is when He blesses.
*He Giveth to All Men Liberally
-When we ask with a right heart, and ask for things that are inside God's will-such as wisdom-He will give it to us! Remember, if you have accepted Christ as your personal Savior, then God is your Father, and He wants to give you the desires of your heart. He wants to bless you and give you and take care of you in a way that only a Father can!
*He Upbraideth Not
-Before doing this study, I had no clue what upbraideth meant! When reading James, I assumed it meant God isn't an indian giver, which He isn't, but that is not what this phrase means. To upbraid means to criticize or reproach severly. To find fault with, or scold vehemently. So, God will not say, "What? You stupid! You want WHAT? Ha! Why would I give YOU wisdom? You stupid little human! Don't ever ask me for anything again!" OK, so most likely, God's scolding wouldn't sound quite like that. But that's how I imagine it would be! This little verse assures us that we can approach the mighty throne of God and ask Him for wisdom and He will freely give it to us!
2. Ask in Faith-vs. 6
A: Don't be a Wave of the Sea
*Driven with the wind
*Tossed
-don't be controlled or influenced by outside forces. 1 John 2:15 says "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world, if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." Stay far away from the world. God says to be in the world but not of it. This world is not our home, and so although we are in the world, we are not to act like it. Make God our only counsel. It is so important to be surrounded by godly company, because who our friends are determines who we are. Don't let the craziness of the world change our direction, or take our eyes away from God.
-Faith is the basis of our belief. Be strong in faith, and never take your eyes off Christ! When our faith wavers, we will fall. Be strong in your faith walk. Otherwise, you are as dangerous, reckless, and directionless as a wave of the sea.
*Double Minded-vs 8
-a double minded man is unstable in all his ways- you never know what he is going to do!
-he shall not receive anything of the Lord!-vs. 7-we cannot expect God to give us anything when we are not living a lifestyle that please and honors Him. When we are right with God, that is when He blesses.
How important are these verses?! I am embarrassed to think of how many times I've said, "I just don't understand what the Lord is doing?" or "Why would God let this happen?" or "What does He want from me?" This is a great reminder that the Lord wants us to understand things. More importantly He wants us to understand Him. Thanks for the encouragement!
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