“Wisdom from God” (James 1:5–8)

“Wisdom from God” (James 1:5–8)
Cameron Jungels/Eastside Baptist Church/Sunday AM, May 31, 2015

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.  6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.  (James 1:5–8, NIV)
 

1.    We all lack wisdom; none of us have completely arrived (verse 5).

2.    The only source of true wisdom is God, so we should ask Him in prayer (verse 5).
a.    The All-wise God
b.    The Generous God
c.    The Gracious God

3.    Our prayer must be a single-minded, God-devoted prayer of faith, not a half-hearted seeking after the wisdom of God (verses 6–8).
a.    We must believe that God can and will answer our prayer for wisdom.
b.    We must have God and his wisdom as the supreme focus of our search, not the wisdom or pleasures of this world.

4.    God may very well use trials to provide the wisdom we lack in order to make us complete in Christ (see verse 4).