Asking God for Wisdom

The too many of us.

The trial try to manage the difficulty in our own strength.

We look for answers based on our own wisdom rather than asking God for what we really them Truth for Life.

Alastair Meg highlights not only the wisdom were missing, but how we can get in our study today in James chapter 1 JB Phillips is paraphrase. We've come to enjoy together.

Paraphrases verse two when all kinds of trials crowd into your lives don't resent them as intruders but welcome them as friends and that little paraphrases I think helps to set in our thinking very quickly and clearly the opening salvo of James is rapidfire approach to practical Christian living. James shoots from the hip. He gets it out and nobody is really in any doubt about what he saying and in that respect it is tremendously helpful in verses 2 to 4. He is urged his readers and where his readers to recognize that trials are a privilege which God the father allows his children to experience and in order that we might as a result become verse four mature and complete and not lacking anything. And when that is the perspective then and only then we will be able to discover joy in the midst of the test. We've already noted that this is counterintuitive is certainly countercultural joy and trials do not coexist in the minds of our contemporaries.

In fact, trials are in many ways the antithesis of joy. For if you want to have joy you need to remove trials if you want to enjoy life than all of these dreadful circumstances need at least to be set aside or overcome. James has no and paradoxically he sets joy and trial, together with each other the way in which we understand that, of course, is in relationship to the ultimate purpose of God. The ultimate purpose of God is to work in all things for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. And what is that ultimate good. It is that we might become mature and complete and not lacking anything other words, that we might become complete Christians that we might be conformed to the image of Jesus himself to begin in this way is important because if we are honest, which I think we want to be. If we are realistic, which I hope we are, then it is not easy nor is it natural to adopt this kind of perspective when going through this particular process and it is on account of that I believe that James moves so quickly to the statement in verse five.

Most of us have quoted verse five. From time to time in relationship to making a decision about a job or about our marriage or raising of our children or whatever it might be and James five stands alone in that respect.

If anyone likes wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all generously and without finding fault, but verse five is actually after verse four and before verse six. It's in this opening paragraph, and therefore it is important for us to understand it contextually and to understand it specifically. And when we look at that, then we recognize that what he's saying here about wisdom is directly tied to what he has just said about trials and testings so essentially goes like this, you should count it all joy. If you face trials of various kinds, because the trials in your life will actually produce perseverance. Faith will be tested. You will grow you will be mature and complete, and you will become the all rounded Christian. However, if you're not getting this. If you find yourself responding to this in a way that isn't buying it.

If you are tempted to think differently from what I have just sent to you that you better ask God for wisdom because it is wisdom that you require in order to think properly about these issues of life to get there is a process that is going on and if in the process, you don't know what to do that. Let me tell you what you needed to mention that so that we don't unearth verse five and make it just a verse that sits on its own. It does standalone the truth exists an absentee form from the surrounding context. It is applicable but is not the way in which it is used. First of all in the text, so I want to do is ask three questions.

Their straightforward questions and and find the answer in the text question number one what do we need question number two what should we do.

Question number three what will we find.

First of all, what do we need what we need an answer in a word, wisdom.

Wisdom I James is very gracious. He doesn't say you know you are a bunch of deadheads and you're all desperately in need of wisdom. He says if any of you lacks wisdom, which is a very inclusive way of approaching it because who's going to stand up and say no I don't need any wisdom.

Thank you very much for mentioning know if any of you likes wisdom. I think that includes as all absolutely correct what we need. We need wisdom. Wisdom did anyone use the word wisdom this week.

Did you read it in the paper to come up frequently. The word wisdom I would wager, not because Weston is almost an old-fashioned word now is a biblical word and Winston has been obscured by words like insights or information or intelligence. Each of these things on their own or the three of them together. Do not add up to wisdom. Indeed, education cannot be equated with wisdom because education despite what our culture suggests is not a great panacea for all ills. If education really was the answer to AIDS. Then we would've fixed it by now. If education really was the answer to premarital sex. It would all be over if education was the answer to the things that were told, is the answer to that. We are highly intelligent culture we have enough information, enough intelligence enough education to include all these things.

The bad we know enough to do the right things and we know enough to make sure we don't do the wrong things. But did you read the paper this week. While was a full deleted all these wrong things and failed to do all the right things was missing wisdom. Wisdom you see when you come to wisdom in the Bible. Wisdom is not simply cognitive wisdom is not simply mental wisdom is moral wisdom is if you like the behavior that emerges from a belief system you have that, for example, when Jesus deals with the story of the wise and foolish builders. The wise man built his house upon the rock and the waves came tumbling down. The rock stood firm. The Houston for the foolish man built his house upon the sand and it collapsed was the point Jesus is making who is the wise man the wise man says Jesus is the one who hears my words and puts them into practice.

The foolish man is not a person who doesn't hear the words of Jesus because the foolish man also hears the words of Jesus, but fails to act with wisdom fails to put them into practice wisdom is the information that God supplies turned to action. Humility is a precursor to biblical wisdom to what he says.

So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. That's wisdom that's why incidentally, that an educational system that is relativistic that sets aside the notions of right and wrong must inevitably collapse on itself. Small wonder then that when Solomon decides to write his Proverbs. He writes as follows. The Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, King of Israel for attaining wisdom and discipline for understanding words of insight for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life doing what is right and just and fair, forgiving prudence to the simple knowledge and discretion to the young let the wise listen and add to their learning.

Let the discerning get guidance for understanding, Proverbs, and parables.

The sayings and riddles of the wise fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. What we need wisdom. Wisdom means acting in the light of God's revelation of himself in the varied circumstances of life with her in joy or sorrow, wisdom is knowing how to live God's way in God's world and to the extent that that becomes the hallmark of a life it will be so radically different from the culture. It was in Corinth and it is in Cleveland, Paul in writing to the Corinthians. Remember he says one of the philosopher. The writer and the critic of this world to show for all their wisdom. A rhetorical question is and then he says hasn't God made the wisdom of this world look foolish. That's right. Jim says you will never ever grab hold of this paragraph, unless you get what you need what you need is was second. What should we do if what we need is wisdom. What should we do well in a phrase, ask God. Verse five.

Ask God the God whom he identifies in verse 17 is providing every good and perfect gift that's comes down from the father of the heavenly lights, who doesn't change like shifting shadows is not one-way on a Sunday and another way on accused. He is abiding in his faithfulness and says James you need to ask if you're going to receive. Did he remember Jesus words ask and it will be given to you seek and you will find knock and the door will be open to you. For everyone who asks receives, maybe. How should you ask simply if anyone likes wisdom, let him ask God. Dear God, I need wisdom.

Dear God, I'm tempted to regard this is a major intrusion in my life as a stumbling block and is an expression of whatever I need your wisdom on this one. I'm asking you for wisdom simply and asking him properly properly. There is a proper way to make a request is please. Thank you for responding to my request and when we come before God. Remember he is God he is the creator of the universe. Yes, he then says come boldly into his presence. Yes, Jesus opens up access whereby we may call him father, but he remains God, and it is imperative that we come before him properly that when we come before him, we come before him with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith what James says here is that we need to believe and not doubt to believe here is more than intellectual assent to believe. Here is an expression of trust is an expression of devotion. Doubt is more than simply saying I wonder if this is the case.

Doubt is to refuse to entrust ourselves to see God knows what we want our help is a sincere request or is it somebody who is playing the game using the language singing the song deep inside the sick, but if this wisdom comes out that I don't like then I reserve the right to do what I good well please. That person is a doubter.

That person is a known trust or that person is not a believer in the face of trials and fears and disappointments to come to him properly is to come to me in childlike trust, asking God to help us to see things properly asking him to help us to see that our trials that he identifies here of many kinds that our sufferings are light and momentary afflictions, not worthy to be compared to the glory that is going to be revealed in us is going to take wisdom to see things in that way is anyone likes wisdom about this.

They should ask God, but ask in such a way so that you know and God knows there were serious about getting an answer you seek everyone asking properly. We need to ask him for the wisdom that we require so that we can live in the way that we should, and God knows whether we want to walk in his way or not. I know this can be true, but sometimes I think to myself, I'm sure.

I'm sure God goes all turn channel 3 off as bag again turn them off for now will talk will be will bring them back and when he serious will bring them back and when he is honest because honesty lies at the heart of any appeal to an earthly father of two heavenly father and our earthly fathers are pretty good at knowing whether were coming right around our heavenly father is absolutely unerring in his understanding of what we need wisdom, or should we do ask. Finally, what will we find what we find. Let's do this in reverse order, negative, and then refinish on a positive note, what will we find what we will find that when we try to hedge our bets right when he asked he must believe and not doubt. We try to hedge our bets if we try to ride two horses at once one horse is called faith and the other is called doubts. Not only will we find ourselves at all odds within ourselves, but says James categorically that man should not think verse seven he will receive anything from the Lord while I thought you always got stuff that I had asked you know any time, anywhere, any whatever you always those guys are apparently not running up there's a way to come before God in prayer and get zilch.

I don't like the sound of that. Neither do you. So I need to find out what it is that causes that so that I won't happen so that when I come to God in prayer. I'm on the receiving end of his bounty in his goodness and his fatherly provision. That's a fair expectation. What's the issue here.

James is addressing the issue of divided loyalty, divided loyalty. I don't think what James is saying here is that if a person is ever had any doubts, intellectual doubts cognitive dissonance in their minds about the truth of God's word that he can ever come to God and asking for things because he will give the men any thinking person doubts even if it's only for a moment or two, while central and what we need to do is to learn how to doubt our doubts as much as we doubt our certainties. No, I think what James is on the boat here is that the doubter is the person who's prayers and whose actions are so clearly all odds with each other. They come in for a garden. Ask for things they had no intention of doing what he asked for is like Augustine's famous prayer Lord, make me pure, but not yet see that man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord because he is a doubt that he doesn't ask in faith, he says I want to be a pure person but is Friday is not a good time to start this letter started Monday. Now no, it's not going to work to receive the gifts of God the gift of wisdom at all that comes with it is to say no to hypocrisy the kind of hypocrisy which prays for wisdom and action foolishness which says certain things before God and the quietness of our hearts. But deep inside we know when I really want this Lord I want your wisdom what my wisdom is that you sever this relationship because it is wrong. Thank you for that are not interested in it. What I want is my way and I like you to bless it. Sorry, no can do know the prayer for wisdom is the Solomon's prayer, the discerning between right and wrong and when we pray for wisdom and ask God for wisdom and his wisdom returns and says this is in and this is out. The only way forward is to adjudicate in and out according to what God says to try and do it the other way is a fiasco is a disaster and that kind of individual is like I wave of the sea, tossed and blown about by the wind.

He is verse eight, a double minded man and he's unstable in all he does to say a word to the girls here. I could do it for the man that I choosing to feel favorably towards my sisters this morning. If you are dating. This kind of character. Dump him immediately dump them immediately. If he squares up we can have a conversation if he doesn't, it's over and you have a party and have all your friends given the goodbye Charlie party because he is out the door. If the woman buckled down when you're dating and you don't have a chance of doing anything with them after you're married to God might fix them. We know that, but you either crying out or cry. Then choose when you want to cry. And that's just a little parenthetical thing for the girls. Let me end on a positive note when we need wisdom. What should we do ask what will we find will find that if we, this try to go up the escalator and down the escalator simultaneously will rip ourselves apart and everybody else with however if we come to God. Sincerely and in complete honesty. He promises James says to give generously to all and without finding fault. He doesn't make us feel guilty or foolish for coming back to him with the same or a similar question. He's not like a really bad high school teacher like a really good high school teacher to the nth degree. But God our father is not waiting for the chance to go.

Oh no you again. Come on, how many times are you going asked me the question no, he gives generously to all and without finding fault.

That's why I was quoted Friday night at Moody that they are Johnny Cash song from his man in black album.

You know, I talked to Jesus every day, and he is interested in every word I say I know Sec. ever tells me he's been called away.

I talked to Jesus every day, and often about the same stuff, why because the trials are real and the disappointments are obvious, and the hills or state and I need wisdom in Sunni. That's why when you come to someone who has that empathetic capacity, like the late Archbishop of Canterbury, Donald Cogan, who was a wonderful pastor to his own flock before ever he assumed the position that was that became hits. It was said of Cogan.

Listen to this.

He gave consistent advice to the puzzled warm encouragement to the promising and compassion to the perplexed consistent advice to the puzzled warm encouragement to the promising and compassion to the perplexed that I suggest to you is godlike godlike in the midst of any trial or assignment is to cry out to God for wisdom and then trust without a doubt that his way is best listing to Alistair Begg this is Truth for Life. Your Truth for Life. We are passionate about teaching the Bible and also about providing you with books to help you and your family. Learn more about what God's word says that's why today we want to recommend a Bible story book that you can read aloud to your children or your grandchildren. The book is titled Bible stories every child should know it's a collection of more than 120 stories from Genesis to Revelation is perfect for preschool or early elementary age children. There are old colorful illustrations.

The your kids or grandkids will love and most importantly, the stories stay true to Scripture which we know you'll look requester copy of the book Bible stories every child should know you donate to support the teaching you hear on this program simply The image of the app or visit our website Truth for Life.org/donate Bob Lapine.

We live in a culture that focuses on success and achievement moving forward without any regard for what anyone else around us may be experiencing tomorrow. Alistair Begg urges us to step back and look at our circumstances from a political perspective Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by truth or lying with the learning is reliving