James 1:5: "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."
James 1:6-8: "But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does."
I don't know why, but something just hit me the other day about these verses that I probably once knew but must have forgotten: They go together!
Although it wasn't really conscious, for some reason my mind always seemed to keep them separate and apply them to different things: 1:5 is about asking for wisdom, but 1:6-8 is about any and all prayer requests, as if when we ask for something, we should believe that we will get it and not doubt it. I mean, I know that "name it and claim it" is wrong, but for some reason, my mind still unconsciously applied verses 6-8 to all prayer requests.
But as I was reading that passage the other day, it suddenly jumped out at me (I probably knew it at one point, but I felt like I was learning it all over again) that verses 6-8 follow verse 5, meaning that we will get wisdom when we ask for it... as long as we don't doubt that God will give us wisdom.
God promises to give us wisdom when we need it, but if we doubt that He'll do it then we'll miss the wisdom He gives us... not because He didn't give it, but because we weren't trusting Him to do it or expecting Him to do it, and so we'll be unable to recognize it. If our minds are torn between thinking "Yes, God will guide us" and "No, He won't" at the same time - double-minded - it'll make it very hard to discern the guidance and wisdom He provides.
And even more than that: If part of us doesn't really want His guidance, or is planning on resisting it if it's not the answer we want, or simply doubts that He'll answer our prayer for wisdom, then why would He waste His time and effort to provide wisdom and guidance? We'll just ignore, neglect, disobey, or resist it anyway (and usually while we sit around moping "Oh, woe is me. I asked for help, but God didn't provide.")
Anyway, I don't know why this just hit me, but I figured I'd share it, in case anyone else was wrongly applying the "believe and don't doubt" verses too, wrongly thinking that God will give them whatever they pray for as long as they believe they'll get it, which might then leave them confused and hurt when it doesn't happen.
It's about wisdom. And it's about trusting God's character, trusting Him to keep His promises. Believe and trust that God will give you wisdom when you ask for it, and then you'll get it.
So although you might doubt your ability to discern the wisdom He gives you, don't doubt His ability to give you the wisdom you need. Bring your needs and confusion and concerns to God, ask for wisdom, and trust that He is a faithful God who wants the best for you and who will lead you the right way (you just need to be willing to follow Him when and where He leads). And then wait for and look for the wisdom and guidance He provides.
And since He promised to give you the wisdom you need, if you don't have it yet - if you're still confused and unsure about the right path to take - then it's probably that He hasn't provided it yet because it's not the right time yet. So don't make a move until He does, until He gives you the wisdom you need, a clear answer that you know is from Him. [See "How to make a right decision" for some guidance on knowing whether or not an answer is from God.]
And while you wait, get on with your life, abide in Him and in His Word, keep praying for His help and for discernment, obey whatever He asks you to do daily, thank Him for what you already have, trust Him for what you need... and when the time is right for Him to give you the wisdom you need for the next step, you'll know.
In fact, it might just be the waiting - your obedience and spiritual growth during the waiting - that leads to your answer. Maybe this is what James 1:2-4 is about: "Consider if pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
What we do during the wait - when we're waiting on God to guide and provide and help - might just be what develops our character enough so that we can become the kind of person God wants us to be, so that we're ready to get the answer He wants to give us.
So if you've prayed for wisdom but it's not coming yet, don't waste the wait. Take it as an opportunity to get closer to God, to mature in the faith, to humble yourself, to learn obedience and gratitude, to learn to trust in His character and His faithfulness and His promises (from His Word)... and when the time is right, when you've persevered through it all and reached the level of maturity God wants you to be at, He'll give you the wisdom and guidance you need for the next part of your journey.
Proverbs 9:10: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."
Proverbs 2:1-12a: "My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair - every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men..."
Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
