Wisdom...It's Here For Us

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5)

I remember Granny’s supper. It was there for me. That was what she told me when I came in after playing out on the farm. Oh, I had heard her call us for supper. But we were busy trying to squeeze the last of the daylight out of the day. So we ignored her until it became too dark to play. When we came into the kitchen, the table was cleared and dishes were being washed. “Granny, where’s our supper?” I asked. As I asked the question, I could see the dogs in the yard, eating what appeared to be the scraps from the table. “Son, it was here for you,” she said.
Often we are faced with decisions that require wisdom beyond our capacity and we delay coming to place where wisdom is found. How many times have I prayed as a last resort, knowing while I am praying that I should have sought God sooner? I often wonder if I ignore God's call to feed me wisdom as much as I ignored my Granny's invitation to supper...taking for granted it would be there whenever it suited my purposes.
The good news is that we can ask God for wisdom. The Bible says so. If our pride keeps us from asking God for wisdom, our pride is keeping us from God. The writer of the book of James talked a lot about wisdom. He thought it was something that we need. Do you need wisdom? Or do you have all the answers?

I. WE ARE NEVER WISER THAN WHEN WE KNOW WE LACK WISDOM. The person that knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool. The person who knows not, and knows that he knows not, is teachable. When we admit that we lack wisdom, we are ready to receive it.

II. WHEN WE KNOW WE LACK WISDOM, WE SHOULD KNOW WHERE TO FIND IT. The next logical step after acknowledging our need for wisdom and admitting our lack of it is to find out where wisdom is found. God is the source of wisdom. Wisdom is applied knowledge. It is not only knowing the right thing to do, it is knowing how to do it. It is not only knowing what to say, but knowing when to say it. Only God has the wisdom to use in different situations. It seems wise to ask Him.

III. THE WISEST REQUEST WE CAN MAKE IS FOR SOMETHING WE LACK AND KNOW THAT WE NEED. The Bible says we have not because we ask not. It also tells us that we should make our requests known to God through prayer. God wants us to know His wisdom is available, abundant, and sufficient for the asking. He wants us to sense our lack, our need, and be dependent on His provision. Like Granny’s supper, it is there for us! Have you received wisdom beyond your own? Will you tell others where to find it? Or are you still trying to squeeze all the joy's out of the world's pleasure and seek to find answers to the complexities of life without God's wisdom? For then we can claim that we can solve our own problems and live on our terms without God's inconvenient interruptions. Don't be a fool...seek the wisdom of God. It is there for you.