“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” -James 1:5

Here is a small gem that ought to be tucked safely away in a Christian’s heart, and brought to remembrance when needed. It is a promise in Scripture, that God will freely give wisdom to those that would ask Him.

The verse above states that God is willing to bless us with wisdom, if we would only ask Him, and not endeavor to go about life on our own smarts. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Scripture says that God gives to all men liberally, (or freely/generously), and does not upbraid—in other words, God does not take back the gifts that He gives us. If He gives us wisdom, He freely gives it to us and will not take it from us.

Yet there is only one listed requirement for God to answer us, and that is faith. The passage about asking for wisdom continues with these verses:

“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.” -James 1:6-7

• Recognizing Our Ignorance
• Searching for Wisdom
• The Wisdom of Age
• Wisdom: Spiritual Engineers
• Don’t Ask How

Filed under:
Christian Devotions/Bible Study by Dean