Nougat 10

Here’s today’s Holy Nougat

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” James‬ ‭1:5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

And here we are, somewhat full circle since reflecting on Jesus’ proposal that we ask for the gift of God’s Spirit. And we have discerned that there’s more to the manifestation of God’s Spirit than speaking in tongues. We’ve chewed on some aspects of God’s Spirit and nibbled a bit on why having God’s Spirit is worthwhile. We even noted that there’s scope for Wisdom and Revelation from God’s Spirit.

Now we note that we can ask for Wisdom in direct ways and God will comply. Somewhat repetitive; perhaps. But what we note here is that God wants us to be wise. We have the assurance that in asking for Wisdom, God will respond affirmatively, without judgement or criticism. And that the outpouring will be abundant.

This brings to my mind Solomon’s request for Wisdom, which God honored; pressed down, shaken together and overflowing. In fact, he received Wisdom and Wealth in abundance. So we have a precedent to corroborate James’ claim.

Further, we note that Solomon himself speaks of Wisdom as the excellent gift, understood in some circles as the persona of God’s Spirit. If that premise is correct, we receive wisdom as part of the outpouring of gifts, although we can ask for Wisdom as a stand-alone gift.

This matters in a world where we are often making snap decisions without having all the facts or enough time to process. (Can we imagine what a difference this would make had we opted for Wisdom in some of our past decisions?!) Perhaps it is time to take advantage of that offer. There are several decisions that are awaiting our input and Wisdom is crucial for the bottom line.

So, with God’s Spirit already indwelling our lives upon confession; we have access to Wisdom whenever and wherever there is need. It is now a matter of how we interact with or integrate the gift. You see, some of us treat spiritual gifts like expensive jewelry or fine crystal pieces – locked away with scope for occasional use.

That’s all well and good; we don’t want to abuse what God has bestowed upon us. But, it’s even better when we use the gift as it is truly a gift that keeps increasing with constant use. Generously bestowed, ours for taking; benefitting all (okay most). May our God grant a double portion of Wisdom today.

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May all we seek be found in Christ