Wisdom

Have you struggled with a tough decision lately?  Perhaps you've been forced into a 
situation where no easy solution is evident.  Maybe you've been dealing with some 
family problems and your response has been, "even Solomon couldn't figure this one 
out!"  Well, if that's the case, welcome to the real world.  It seems that every day my life 
is filled with decisions for which I feel so inadequate to make.

James, the brother of our Lord, understood the difficulties that life can deal us.  In the 
first chapter of his epistle, he offered this advice, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should 
ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given him"  
(James 1:5).  Godly wisdom is so essential in dealing with life's difficulties.  Yet, so 
many go through life without ever taking advantage of the "life lessons" that God has to 
offer.  When faced with those difficult decisions, where should we turn?  Let me make 
two suggestions:

First, we need to turn to God's Word.  In the Old Testament is a book that we call 
PROVERBS.  This book is filled with the inspired wisdom of the great sages of old.  
Many are from the pen of Solomon who was granted divine wisdom as a result of 
prayer.  In 1 Kings 3:5, we read of this incredible promise of God. "At Gibeon, the LORD 
appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, 'Ask for whatever you 
want me to give you.'"  Solomon responded with these memorable words, "So give your 
servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and 
wrong"  (1 Kings 3:9).  God blessed Solomon with incredible wisdom, much of which he 
later recorded in the Proverbs.  We would all do well to spend some time in this 
marvelous Old Testament book which provides so many modern day solutions.

Secondly, we need to turn to prayer.  As noted earlier in James' epistle, God offers to 
give us wisdom, as He did Solomon, if we will but ask.  Paul prayed for the Ephesian 
Christians that God would "give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may 
know him better"  (Eph. 1:17).  The only condition is that of faith—"But when he asks, he 
must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown 
and tossed by the wind.  That man should not think he will receive anything from the 
Lord"  (James 1:6-7).

God wants to help us with our problems and difficult decisions.  Let's take advantage of 
the wonderful wisdom God has to offer.

Leslie S. Chapman