5
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. 6 But let him
ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea
driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he
shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in
all his ways. 9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is
exalted: 10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of
the grass he shall pass away. 11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a
burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and
the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away
in his ways. (James 1:5-11)
In verse 1:4 of our introduction to this Book, reference is made to the
perfection expected of the saint through patient endurance. Now the necessary
accoutrements of perfection are articulated by James in in verses 5 and 6, and
then we are advised of those attitudes and behaviors that diminish perfection
in verses 7 through 11. The description continues as well in the following
verses through verse 19. The entire first 19 verses describe the trials and
temptations of the righteous. It might be noted that were it not for
imperfections, there would be no perfection. IT is through our imperfections
that God works to makes us wholly perfect. It was through faith that valiant
men were made strong out of their weakness: “Quenched the violence
of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed
valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”
(Heb 11:34)
Without wisdom, there can be approach to perfection in Christ. So how is wisdom
obtained? 5 “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.”
In fact, wisdom has already been placed squarely in the hands of every man that
truly seeks after it – in the form of the Holy Bible. But the Holy Bible is a
Book whose Words and meaning far surpass the mortal mind’s ability to
comprehend. So being armed with the tool of learning, the Bible, let us pray to
God to open our eyes to its meaning as we read through the eyes of the Holy
Ghost! “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek,
and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one
that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it
shall be opened.” (Matt 7:7-8) There is never any shame
associated with the asking of God for wisdom. He is most happy to supply it
through His Holy Word and enlightened by the Light of the Holy Ghost.
How should we ask wisdom of the Lord and by what attitude of our prayers? 6 But
let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of
the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” Faith is confirmed in truth.
If it is the truth we seek and believe, our faith is renewed and we ask out of
no doubt of grant. If we lack faith and assurance, doubting the power or will
of God to grant us wisdom, then we are victims of every wind of doctrine which
is of men, and not God’s, invention. Without the North Star of Truth to Guide
us, we are driven hither and yon by the winds of the eternal sea.
We cannot serve God and Mammon, or God and Baal. We must settle on the pure
faith in God when we seek that wisdom desired. 7 “For let not
that man thinks that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.” If we
doubt the reality of God, why pray to that which we doubt. I am emboldened when
someone asks me to help them. Why? Because I know that they believe I am ABLE
to help them. If we are going to ask anything of God, we had best first believe
that He is ABLE to deliver. If our prayers are tentative, they may as well be
whispered on the wind. This applies not only to wisdom, but to any petition we
make to God.
Why is adultery such a sin? Or idolatry which is its spiritual equivalent?
Because it undermines the institution of MARRIAGE. In the case of adultery –
marriage between a man and a woman. In the case of idolatry – marriage between
Christ and His Bride (the Church). When we place an equal value on any other
woman than our own wives, or any other material or spiritual value on anything
but God, we are double-minded. 8 “A double minded man is unstable
in all his ways.” A double-minded friend is one who sides with you
to your face, and with your enemy to your back. Heaven knows we have had our
experience with such men in the ministry of our churches – forever seeking to
better feather their beds with power, prestige, or even money. Such men cannot
be trusted and are never to be depended upon.
In reality, we are faced with diametrically opposed temptations – one of
ADVERSITY, and the other of prosperity. These two are alike only in the fact
that our response to each depends on whether it is pleasing to God.
9 “Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted.”
The man who is a brother in Christ and who is of lowly estate may rejoice in
the fact that he is exalted in the Lord according to his faith. Even spiders
dwell in king’s palaces. “The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is
in kings' palaces.” (Prov 30:28) It may be a blessing to be lowly for
it is a protection against the temptation of riches that often turn our heads
from the straight and narrow Way. 10 “But the rich, in that he is
made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.”
Indeed, the rich may be made lowly in spirit in the same was as Ebenezer
Scrooge in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” He did not cast all of his
wealth away, but rather began using it for the purposes God intended. He became
humble and lowly in spirit – a characteristic of our Lord Jesus Christ! Money
brings much pleasure and a good fragrance, but those qualities are vain and
short-lived as the desert flower that blooms one day and blows with the wind
the next.
Wealth and glory are likewise fleeting. We may enjoy opulence for a second
compared to the eternity that we shall spend elsewhere. 11 “For
the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and
the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so
also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.” One fine morning,
the Sun of Righteousness shall arise, and the heat of His Righteousness shall
wither away all of the external graces of wealth and beauty. At that time, the
soul is left naked, as is, before the Great Judge of all men. What will that
soul, at last, be and how shall it stand before God. Will it wither in the
fires of Hell, or blossom anew in the courts of New Jerusalem? Have you
sought wisdom by the diligent asking and seeking of it from God? If you have
known wisdom, you will have known the Author of Wisdom as well – the Lord Jesus
Christ!
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