Nougat 21

Today’s Holy Nougat is a promise that doesn’t seem to be a bestseller among many of us.

“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” ‭‭James‬ ‭1:5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Ever wondered whether James thought his congregation was acting a bit fool hardily? For why would he just offer them God’s wisdom in such a manner? But then, we note the preceding words of advice regarding the certainty of trials of faith.

If we consider James’ comment as a continuation of the warning-advice, then we hear James recommending God’s Wisdom to carry them through. Which is perfectly in keeping with what many of us seek in times of trial. Yet, we don’t always seek godly wisdom, and even less so, wisdom from God. I know, I know – we consult our pastors, our older Christian siblings (by human or spiritual blood) and some of us go in search of even prophets and apostles for ‘A Word’ from God. On a few occasions, we might even consult the Bible.

Amidst all of our consultations however, do we actually ask for God’s Wisdom? I suspect that we do sometimes, but not always. Or maybe in our consternation it feels like we’re seeking God’s Wisdom when in actuality we sought substitutes or mediators. But it’s The Mediator Who sent us Wisdom in the first place; we don’t need other go betweens to ask for God’s Wisdom. Remember, Jesus promised God’s Spirit will teach us all we need to know and will bring to our memory at just the right time(see John 14; and Luke 11). Certainly, the right time is in times of trial.

So what pushes you and me to seek other sources – albeit possibly worthwhile ones? Is it that, like the Children of Israel we prefer that ‘Moses’ enters the Holy of Holies rather than us? Or do we suffer from the mistaken notion that God’s Wisdom is only available to a specific set of people in the believing community? On the off chance that we bought into that particular lie; remember that James wrote to a congregation not a pastor. Perhaps not a congregation in the strictest sense but he wasn’t writing to an audience of one.

With that, and with our memory of Jesus’ promises about the way God’s Spirit operates, then claiming this promise ought to be a bit simpler. We simply ask God for Wisdom. Let’s practice with the ‘small things’, so when trying times come we are already used to seeking God’s Wisdom directly; instead of using a mediator.

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May all we seek be found in Christ