By David ReayWednesday 11 Dec 2019LifeWords DevotionalsFaithReading Time: 2 minutes
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. (NLT)
There are some things which we wonder about whether we should pray for them. Might it be too self-indulgent, might it be too outrageous? One thing we can always safely pray for is wisdom.
Wisdom is applied knowledge. It is being able to respond to life situations in the most appropriate way. Mere knowledge is not enough, having information is not enough. Wisdom is to do with what we do with such knowledge and information. We can be knowledgeable fools, we can act improperly despite having information warning us against it.
Having wisdom does not mean knowing all there is to know. In fact, wisdom is knowing what you don’t know. Wisdom and humility go hand in hand. And so wisdom is not to be acquired by accumulating facts or being well educated. It is a gift of the all-wise God.
Our text reminds us that those who ask for it must believe they need it and that God’s wisdom is worth embracing. We do not doubt or waver in this belief. Our faith may be weak and our prayers feeble, but as long as we are committed to embracing God’s wisdom we are assured of getting it.
God will give wisdom to us, but it seems he will do so on the condition that we intend to use it when we get it. He won’t waste his wisdom.
Blessings
David