When I was a child, I was pretty sure that what I put on my Christmas wish list would end up under the tree. I didn’t ask for too many things nor did I ask for extravagant items like a pony, a car, or a house, but I did ask for things like a Barbie doll, a Cabbage Patch Kid, or a microscope set… I knew what I was allowed to ask for. In a similar way, the Bible clearly defines what we may ask for.
One thing explicitly outlined in the Word that we may ask for is wisdom: “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.” James 1:5. What a comforting promise! However, what happens when we ask for wisdom but don’t seem to receive it?
James addresses this: “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” (vs 6) If you’ve asked, but it seems like you haven’t received the wisdom you need, it is possible that your faith is weak—harsh but true, and if that’s the case, the prognosis is not good: “That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” (vs 7,8)
We all need wisdom, but in faith we must believe that the Lord provides it, and then we must believe the wisdom He provides is true.
–Katie Botello
