Got Wisdom?
James 1:5-8
August 12, 2007

What has sin done to your wisdom?
Our Desperate Need for Wisdom

What are the noetic effects of sin?
What do we need wisdom for?
Wisdom for being a servant of God
Wisdom for finding joy in your trials
Wisdom for reading the hand of God’s providence
Wisdom for resting in God’s providence when we cannot read.

What is wisdom? (James 3:13, 17)
Wisdom is the godly use of intelligence.
Wisdom is knowing how to please God in every situation.

Our Rich Source for Wisdom
God is the source from wisdom. (Job 28:28; Proverbs 2:6;Psalm 111:10)
Is God a giving God?
How does God give?
Generously?
Simply?
What does Jesus say about asking in faith? (Matt 21:21-22; 7:7)

Our Necessary Prerequisite for Wisdom
How do we ask in faith?It is trusting God, asking according to his will for what he has promised to give; and expecting God to answer, knowing that he will. (Jer 29:12)
What is doubt?

Do you acknowledge your lack of wisdom?
Are you willing to submit to God’s purpose for your life,

Do you pray in faith? Stand on the promise of the wisdom giving God, then live a godly life.

MEDITATION
Be Patient (Ephesians 4:2)

The word used here carries the idea of not lashing out or retaliating when wronged. Do you have a quick temper? A short fuse? Are you easily stirred to irrational anger that betrays itself in over-hasty words or actions? Patience is the quality of accepting mistreatment and abuse without retaliation. Some Christians are so prickly that you can feel the needles every time you talk with them; they are programmed always to misunderstand. Are you an angry Christian? Are you angry with another Christian or with your leaders? Even when we feel that we have a just cause to be angry, we have no reason to become impatient and resentful. Calvary, as ever, is our pattern, for ‘When he was reviled, he did not revile in return, when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.’ (1 Peter 2:23).

That last reference to Christ reminds us that patience is also accepting the hand of God with quiet serenity when it seems to be against us. It is a silent spirit with God’s ways. Have you a quarrel with God? Are you arguing with him because things have not worked out as you designed, or because some great disappointment has broken into your well ordered plans? Have you forgotten his great patience with you? Or as Paul so well states, ‘Do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience?’ (Romans 2:4). He asks me to have patience with his wisdom and care, whilst at the same time he shows patience with my rebellion and indifference. Someone may ask, ‘If only you knew my circumstances you would not write so easily about patience.’ But I don’t need to know about your circumstances, I only need to know about the God of more abundant grace for sanctification. – Brian Edwards, Grace Amazing Grace