ASK FOR WISDOM

 

ASK FOR WISDOM

James 1:5 If you need wisdom--if you want to know what God wants you to do--ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking.  NLT

      When I think of wisdom, I think of King Solomon.  He inherited his kingship over Israel from his father David.  Solomon was blessed by God with the opportunity to ask for anything he wanted with the promise it would be given him.  Solomon understood his limitations and knew he was not wise enough to rule his people so he asked God for wisdom to rule his people in a way that pleased God.  God was pleased with Solomon’s request and gave him wisdom unlike any other human has ever had.  Not only that, but because Solomon’s heart was at that point in his life right with God, he was blessed with wealth and fame beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.

      God does not withhold wisdom from His children who sincerely seek it.  He doesn’t mete out the wisdom of Solomon, but He does give His children the ability to discern what He wants them to do and the understanding of how to do it.  The Lord does not want us to wander around in the dark; He wants us to fulfill the role He has ordained for us to fill.  He gladly shows us what to do when we ask Him to do it.

       If we have no clear sense of purpose for why we are here, we will never find fulfillment in our lives.  There is no joy in Christ if there is no sense of our worth in the Kingdom of God.  Each of us is created in Christ for good works and wise is he who asks the Lord for wisdom to know the work he is to do.

     Wisdom is granted to those who are humble in heart.  A proud soul is incapable of exercising wisdom.  The humble heart understands that Jesus is the focus of all we do.  He is the one who deserves honor and glory.  He is the one who gives understanding.  He is the one who gives direction and opportunity to use the gifts we are given.  A humble soul is a hungry soul.  He understands that he must continue to seek the Lord and learn from Him.  He knows the importance of feasting on the riches of the Word.  He knows the joy of waiting before the Lord.

      God grants wisdom to all who seek Him with a pure heart.  Ask Him for it and He will gladly give it to you.  Wisdom is the natural fruit of those who learn to love the Lord with all their heart, mind, and soul.

       Wisdom does not come naturally to most.  It is something that is gleaned from living life and learning from life’s mistakes.  It comes to those who have a desire and willingness to learn.  It characterizes those who know they don’t know it all.  Wisdom is a never-ending process of God giving us what we need when and as we need it for life and applying it properly to living.

        Simply put, wisdom is seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness in all we do.