A Devotional by Margot Cioccio
James 1:5
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. |
| Part of the Nautical Prayer Loft Installation by Margot |
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
James is a great place to find tips and tools for going through trials and temptations. We find our selves at "Wisdom".
To start with, there is a difference between wisdom and knowledge. Knowledge (the more you know) comes from education, books, training. Wisdom comes from God. Psalm 111:10 tells us when we gain a realization of the fear or reverence of the Lord - we have at that point found the beginning of wisdom.
Solomon, who became ruler of Israel at a young age prayed and asked, not for treasure, land, riches or power. He asked instead in 1 Kings 3:9 for wisdom, a discerning heart to govern God's people and to be able to distinguish between right and wrong. God was so pleased that he not only gave him wisdom, he gave him treasure, land, riches and power too.
In 1 King 4:29 it says that God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding. Heres my favorite part he gave it as "measureless as the sand on the sea shore."
I have in the past prayed for God's wisdom in particular situations, and when I originally wrote this devotional in my journal about five years ago I was moved to ask God for wisdom to understand His word so that I could apply it better to my life and so that I would be able to share His wisdom with other through my songs, writing, speaking and in the course of my daily life. I wrote in that journal these words. "For so long I have struggled to have a daily devotional time. I would struggle to find time, when I did it was hit and miss." I have come a long long way from that point. My quiet time in the morning has become a regular part of my daily life. There was a point about five years ago when I realized the shabby condition of my spiritual life. For far too long I had been living on old bread and the crumbs from the tables of others. I decided to pick up my own spoon and fork begin to feed myself on God's word and at the table of his presence.
I have to say that that I have discovered that asking for wisdom is a lot like asking for patience. God is gracious to grant you opportunities to gain His wisdom. He does not generally just download it into your brain like in the Matrix. It comes from the stuff you walk through with him on a daily basis. Those opportunities are often a harder than you think and seem to come when you reach the end of your own means, and no one you know, knows what to tell you to do. The self help books don't have the answers and the so called experts have no advice to share. In those times I have found I have to press in to God and ask him to help me. Much like in the story of Hagar who finds herself out in the desert crying and thinking she will soon watch her young son die of dehydration. She sets him in the shade under a small bush and cries out to God and he shows her a near by well that in her distress she had not seen. God did not "poof" put a well there he it was there all along and Hagar just could not see it in her emotional distress. When she finally turned to God he showed her where it was.
Maybe if you stopped running from this person to that person trying to find someone to tell you what you should do, and went directly to God for yourself you would find that he would show you the answer. Too often he is our last resort and we could have saved ourself a lot or grief if we had gone to him first.
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| Go to God and ask Him to show you the way |
Colossians 2:2-3 (NIV1984)
Do you see the word hidden in the verse above? The treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. You need his help to see them. You get his help when you spend time with him.
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