Have your Bible handy to reference the scriptures used in this blog. You can view the video of the lesson on YouTube under the same name.

(James 1:5-8) Verse 5 in this passage says that if you need wisdom, ask our generous God to give it to you. He will not rebuke you for doing that.

Just what is wisdom? Wisdom can be defined as the quality of possessing experience, knowledge and good judgment. But wisdom doesn’t stop with simply having experience, knowledge and good judgment. It also involves the ability to apply these traits to the situations we encounter in life.

Wisdom is not just having knowledge. We can learn new things constantly, but acquiring new data does not guarantee wisdom. We can set out to experience everything in life we can cram into a day, but having those experiences does not guarantee wisdom. We can do research and try to make good decisions based on the research, but having stacks of research does not guarantee wisdom. If those things are true, just what do we do to gain wisdom?

(Psalms 111:10; Proverbs 9:10) These verses tell us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. That word “fear” doesn’t mean we are to shake in our boots when we hear about God. He is not the villain in a horror movie. The verses refer to holding God in awe and high respect because of who He is as creator and giver of all life and knowledge. In other words, to respect and gain knowledge about God, to have a relationship with God, will begin to give us an understanding that can lead to our having wisdom.

Allow me to repeat myself. We are told to ask God for wisdom. God, who is the source of all knowledge, will help us develop wisdom. If we simply ask Him to help us, then He will do that, and He will not scold us for asking.

Think about this for a moment. If you have plenty of something that is a resource, and you know that the resource can benefit the life of someone close to you, wouldn’t you share it with them, especially if they asked you to do that? Wouldn’t you give them a generous portion of the resource? That is exactly what God desires when it comes to giving you wisdom.

So, if you lack the wisdom you need in order to deal with some trial, problem or test in which you find yourself today, then ask God to give you the wisdom you need. Oh, by the way, when you ask, expect to receive it.

You might ask how in the world will God send wisdom to you when you need it. Allow me to recommend something to you. Read your Bible after you ask for wisdom. The Holy Spirit of God has a way of directing our thoughts to wisdom as we read scriptures. Read the Old Testament book of Proverbs. Read the teachings of Jesus found in the New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. As you read, ask God to reveal to you the knowledge you need and how to apply that knowledge to your situation.

And exercise some patience in your search for wisdom. Gaining wisdom is not like going to the drive-through window of a fast food restaurant. Gaining wisdom will not necessarily be a “shipped overnight to your door” situation. Don’t try to rush the process. God doesn’t always send wisdom immediately, but He will send it.

Allow me to pray for you as we conclude today’s lesson.

“Heavenly Father, I intercede for anyone reading this blog right now. I ask you to help them gain the wisdom they need in order to deal with the trials and problems they now face. In your mercy and generosity to them, please speak to their hearts through your Holy Spirit and help them discover the knowledge they need and how to apply it to their lives. I ask this in the name of Jesus, Messiah and Lord of Lords. Amen.”

In the next part of Lesson 2, we’ll look at the concept of being double-minded and its effect on our lives. If these lessons are a blessing to you, please like and share them. We would appreciate it if you would leave any prayer requests or testimonies in the comments space. Also, to keep informed about future posts, please check the boxes below the comments space before submitting your comments. We do not share your email with anyone.

God Bless & hope to see you online again soon.