Thank you for joining us for another lesson from God’s Word. We praise Him for the Bible and ask for His guidance as we look into it together.
Last week, we began our study in James. Today, in our second lesson, we find a theme woven throughout the book: God’s wisdom. It comes up right here in the beginning, and later in chapter 3, there is a specific section about it. In this short book, wisdom is often mentioned; if we want to be wise, we better pay attention. This wisdom will never be outdated, and you don’t have to worry about some discovery being made that renders it obsolete. It won’t happen; this is a timeless truth.
The title of today’s lesson is “God’s Wisdom Workshop.” J Mark gives us three tools to help us get wisdom. This made me think back to the time when I worked in construction. It was a small company, and we built and remodeled houses. We had many tools to help us accomplish the job and do it right. However, just because the tools were there didn’t mean everyone knew how to use them. The tools didn’t guarantee a good job; the people using them, myself and the others I worked with, had to know how to use them. This is how it is with all tools. We have to understand how to use them; we usually get better at it the more we use them.
This also applies to studying God’s Word and the tools J Mark mentions in our lesson. Let’s go to James 1 and learn from God’s Word about God’s wisdom.
In my previous teaching, we examined the potential benefits of trials in our walk of faith. Our study today is from James 1:5-11. Verse five introduces the subject of wisdom and how we ask for it. These verses are in the context of the benefits of trials and suffering. Keep that context in mind as we study together. I’ve titled the message “God’s Wisdom Workshop.”
“What is wisdom?” Wisdom is not the same as intelligence. Many intelligent people are not wise. Some of the most educated people in our world are fools, according to Psalm 14:1. Nor is wisdom the same as knowledge. Today, we have access to more knowledge than any previous generation, but as a whole, we’re certainly not wiser than previous generations.
How, then, do we define wisdom? Here’s a definition I often use: “Seeing and responding to life’s situations from God’s point of view.” That definition fits the context of James’ instruction. We need to see our struggles and trials in the light of what God wants to do in our lives.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
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.
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation,
10 but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away.
11 For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So, the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.
As we explore our text, we’ll discover three TOOLS to help us maximize our productivity in “God’s Wisdom Workshop.”
The first TOOL is,
The Tool of Desire
The simplest definition of a tool is “a means to an end.” You want to drive a nail into a piece of wood. The hammer is the tool you need. The hammer becomes a means to an end. There may be other ways to get the nail into the wood, but a hammer is the quickest and most efficient.
Desire is also a tool, a means to an end. Advertisers know this. Create a desire in the consumer’s mind, reinforce it through repetition, and support it with positive images, and people will most likely buy the product. Desire is such a powerful tool that it controls people and their behavior in destructive ways.
Let’s consider desire as a tool in God’s wisdom workshop. The first desire in verse five is our desire for wisdom. James says, “If we lack wisdom, we can ask God for it.” As followers of Christ, we often lack wisdom (remember our definition). It’s not something we have naturally, so we need to ask God for it.
The Bible teaches us that our acquisition of wisdom will be proportional to our desire. Proverbs 2:1-6; “My son, if you will receive my words, and hide my commandments with you; So that you incline your ear unto wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; Yea, if you cry after knowledge, and lift up your voice for understanding; If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hid treasures; Then you shall understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom: out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.” Did you catch all the verbs, the action words that describe the strength of our desire for wisdom?
In the Antarctic summer of 1908-1909, Sir Ernest Shackleton and three companions attempted to travel to the South Pole from their winter quarters. They set off with four ponies to help carry the load. Weeks later, with their ponies dead and their rations exhausted, they returned to their base without reaching their goal.
Shackleton records that on the return journey, time was spent talking about food—elaborate feasts and sumptuous menus. As they staggered along, not knowing whether they would survive, every waking hour was occupied with thoughts of eating. Shackleton’s obsession with food offers us a glimpse of God’s passion for our pursuit of wisdom.
In verse five, there’s another tool of desire: God’s desire. God’s willingness to grant us wisdom is often greater than our desire to receive it. He longs to give His wisdom to us.
The end of verse five tells us that if we only ask God for wisdom, He will respond generously and give it to us. Not by the spoonful, like some nasty-tasting medicine, but by making it a living stream that flows out of our inner being, bringing us life and vitality in the Spirit. He knows we need wisdom, so he does not rebuke or scold us for coming and asking.
Desire produces action. James challenges us to bring our desire to receive God’s wisdom up to His level of desire to give it to us. When we do that, our desire will be a powerful tool God can use to make our lives more productive.
The Second TOOL is,
The Tool of Decision
We must develop and use this tool in God’s wisdom workshop. In verses six through eight, James shows us how important the tool of decision is.
When we ask God for wisdom, we must believe He hears and will answer. To have faith, or to believe, is a decision, an act of the will. We can have all the facts and be more knowledgeable than anyone else on a given subject, but what good is it if we do not act on that knowledge?
Have you ever asked God for something, and in the back of your mind, you thought, “It will never happen?” Our text says, “Don’t even think God is going to hear that kind of prayer.” Too often, I verbally ask God for His wisdom, but in my heart, I’ve already decided what I will do. I am learning that faithlessness carries a higher price tag than I’m willing to pay. I’ve had to learn the hard way the consequences of being double-minded.
To be double-minded or two-spirited means to be indecisive. One day, we’re ready to see life in God’s way and follow His leading; the next day, we look to the world’s ways for guidance. James warns that those with that lifestyle will never lay hold of God’s wisdom.
The first decision we must make to gain wisdom from God is to seek Him diligently. In the past, I have asked God for wisdom when all I would have needed to do was look into His Word. Asking God for wisdom on a subject where He’s already given a clear command is evidence of being double-minded.
James assures us that if we exhibit double-mindedness, God will not be able to give us the wisdom we need to face the trials and tests of life. So, we must learn to use the decision tool effectively to know God’s wisdom. Wise decisions produce confidence in God.
The final TOOL is,
The Tool of Design
In our search for wisdom, we must understand that God designs the circumstances and events of our lives to motivate us to seek His wisdom. Romans 8:28 says, “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” God designs the pressures of life to put us into a position of helplessness where we have no one else to turn to but Him. Interestingly enough, James helps us understand that whether we’re poor or rich, some pressures accompany either condition.
We tend to look at those who are richer than we are and think they have an easy life. But that’s not true. Those who are poor should rejoice in their dependence upon God and His provision. They are in a position to learn God’s wisdom.
God wants to reveal His wisdom to everyone, but often, we’re not open to receiving it if we have everything we need. But when we’re facing a deadline, when the rent is due tomorrow, and the money isn’t coming until next week, God’s power and wisdom can be demonstrated.
The rich have other concerns. They worry about whether they have enough. They understand there are many ways to lose what they have. James tells them to rejoice when their wealth is taken away. Now, they must depend on God. God’s design is to show them that riches are fleeting and transitory. Riches cannot be trusted, but God can and will always be there. So, when the trials come, and they will, they create tension and pressure in our lives. How do we find release from the tension? By deciding to turn toward our Heavenly Father, humbly submit to His will, and ask Him for wisdom. God doesn’t force us to turn toward Him, but He can design circumstances to make us willing.
In these last three verses, we discern that the particular circumstances we find ourselves in are not the primary issue. The primary problem is, “Will I seek God’s wisdom no matter my circumstances?”
How great is your desire for God’s wisdom? Have you learned to use your desire as a tool to know Him better? How well are you using the decision-making tool? Are you fully committed to God’s ways, or are you still relying on man’s wisdom? What about the tool of design? Do you want to see God’s purpose in every circumstance of life? When that becomes your goal and mine, we can use all these tools with skill. Using the tools given to us in “God’s Wisdom Workshop,” He will make our lives productive for Him as we see and respond to life’s circumstances from His point of view.
Thanks, J Mark, for sharing these tools with us, summarizing wisdom, and seeing and responding to life’s situations from God’s point of view. That’s a good definition, and we have room for growth. May we keep growing and seeing things like God sees them.
Thanks again for being with us today. If you have any questions or want to contact us, here is how to reach us. Email is a good way. Our email is hope@heraldsofhope.org. You can also contact us on our website, heraldsofhope.org. And of course, you can write to us. Our address is Hope for Today, Box 3, Breezewood, PA 15533. We would love to hear from you. Please contact us, however it is easiest for you.
Today, we talked a lot about Godly wisdom. As we end our time together, think about this question and answer from James 3: “Who is wise and understanding among you?” This is what we all want to be, and he gives us the answer. “Let them show it by their good life, deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
*This episode is an exposition by J. Otis Yoder, re-recorded by J. Mark Horst, with an opening and closing by Arlin Horst.
