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.”

Question: Think of example(s) where God has given you the wisdom you were asking for.

Examples

It’s easy to think of this verse applying to daily prayer, as wisdom for the day is something I know I need each day, but this question is looking for something more definite. That makes me think of those times when I have faced tasks which I know are beyond any natural skill I have been given, and leading a bible study group is a clear example.

During the five years I led an online BSF group, each week before the meeting began I would realise anew that this was beyond my ability, I was not up to it. I would take that load to God in prayer to hand it over to Him and pray for all I needed to do His will during the meeting, including His wisdom. And God richly blessed those meetings.

Wisdom

But the nature of the wisdom I ask for is different to what the secular world desires, it is not the mental skills needed to get a university degree or to do rocket science. The mental and physical skills to do tasks are part of the daily bread that God provides to carry us through each day.

The wisdom I pray for is referred to in Proverbs 9:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Knowledge of God refers to both knowing His nature, who He is, and a personal knowledge, of trust and living in dependence upon Him.
Knowing who He is leads us to fear and reverence. His infinite and perfect might, holiness, righteousness, goodness, justice, and truth, and His creation of life and provision of all we need – this leads us to quiet awe and humble submission before Him.
And knowing His loving kindness, His longing for us to repent and turn to Him and live in His presence, and His sacrificial love that brought Jesus to die on the cross for us, leads us to adore Him, to give Him our greatest love and obedience, and an eagerness to know and do His will.

Because we know that God has perfect wisdom, and has prepared the best of all possible paths for our lives, wisdom consists in putting aside our puffed up pride and rejecting the myths and fantasies that our world calls knowledge, and turning to the truth of His word, and seeking to know and follow His will.

It was a great pleasure to see the Holy Spirit speaking through the men in my BSF group. To invite God to lead was the real wisdom I needed.

Praise God for His gift of wisdom!