Asking for Wisdom

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” James 1:5

This verse contains a promise, but it also gives us some insight into the nature of God and the character of man. The opening phrase, “If any of you lack wisdom,” shines the light on what we think of ourselves. Of course, all of us need more wisdom than we have, but are we willing to admit our deficiency? Those who refuse to recognize their need for wisdom are bound to continue in their current state of depravity. God is the source of wisdom. We are not capable of manufacturing it or conjuring it up on our own. Once we recognize our need, we are encouraged to ask God to give us wisdom. He gives wisdom to everyone who asks, and He gives it liberally. He wants to give us a lot. Next, it says that He “upbraideth not.” To upbraid means to scold, rebuke, or reprove. No matter how often we ask for wisdom, God never gets tired of hearing our request. This tells us that God wants us to ask for wisdom. He wants us to constantly remind Him that we are looking to Him as the source of everything that we need to know. This is in and of itself a form of worship. When we ask God for wisdom, we are telling Him that we believe Him to be wise. He wants to hear this from us and He wants to give us the wisdom that we need. Hence, the promise, “and it shall be given him.” Do you recognize your need for wisdom? Are you asking God for wisdom each day? He wants to hear and answer this prayer.