First Thursday of Lent
Today's Reading: James 1:5-8
When I heard James decree for those lacking to ask and be ready to receive it, the first thought that came to my mind is the current financial crises our country faces. The banks, insurance and automakers have asked the federal government for money to save their companies and expected the government to just hand over the money. Maybe we do not give society enough credit when comes to reading the Bible. The CEO’s of all these companies might just have read James and followed his instructions. They went with assurance to congress for money. Yet, this is not what James was speaking about. He was not looking at money but wisdom. He was not telling people to go to a human institution for the handout. He told the readers to go to God.
James is telling us to seek within ourselves for the amount of wisdom we have. After we seek, if we find a lack of wisdom, we are then to ask God who will give us wisdom. I am struck by two thoughts in this passage. The first is who would not find themselves lacking in wisdom. I cannot think of a time in my life when I knew exactly what should be done in a given situation. So, my expectation is that most people would find themselves lacking in wisdom. I know that there is a difference between wisdom and knowledge. I am working from a perspective that having wisdom does not mean we know more, we understand better. The better we understand situations, the better we can know what to do.
The second part of this passage that struck me is the way we are to ask. James is following in a long tradition of how we should approach God with our needs. We are expected to come with a humble confidence before God. The request for wisdom is not a “I hope I get it” attitude. We are to come boldly knowing that God will give it to us. But why would God want to give us wisdom? Why should He?
I believe part of the willingness to give wisdom comes from James first teaching in verses 1-4. God wants us to gain strength in Him and not our self. The more we learn to rely on Him, the stronger we become. So, when we see our lack of wisdom and look to God for greater wisdom, we are in sense growing closer to Him and relying more on God. In the end, we make a step closer in our relationship with Jesus.
Tommorow’s reading: James 1:9-12
Today's Reading: James 1:5-8
When I heard James decree for those lacking to ask and be ready to receive it, the first thought that came to my mind is the current financial crises our country faces. The banks, insurance and automakers have asked the federal government for money to save their companies and expected the government to just hand over the money. Maybe we do not give society enough credit when comes to reading the Bible. The CEO’s of all these companies might just have read James and followed his instructions. They went with assurance to congress for money. Yet, this is not what James was speaking about. He was not looking at money but wisdom. He was not telling people to go to a human institution for the handout. He told the readers to go to God.
James is telling us to seek within ourselves for the amount of wisdom we have. After we seek, if we find a lack of wisdom, we are then to ask God who will give us wisdom. I am struck by two thoughts in this passage. The first is who would not find themselves lacking in wisdom. I cannot think of a time in my life when I knew exactly what should be done in a given situation. So, my expectation is that most people would find themselves lacking in wisdom. I know that there is a difference between wisdom and knowledge. I am working from a perspective that having wisdom does not mean we know more, we understand better. The better we understand situations, the better we can know what to do.
The second part of this passage that struck me is the way we are to ask. James is following in a long tradition of how we should approach God with our needs. We are expected to come with a humble confidence before God. The request for wisdom is not a “I hope I get it” attitude. We are to come boldly knowing that God will give it to us. But why would God want to give us wisdom? Why should He?
I believe part of the willingness to give wisdom comes from James first teaching in verses 1-4. God wants us to gain strength in Him and not our self. The more we learn to rely on Him, the stronger we become. So, when we see our lack of wisdom and look to God for greater wisdom, we are in sense growing closer to Him and relying more on God. In the end, we make a step closer in our relationship with Jesus.
Tommorow’s reading: James 1:9-12
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