Safely Secured

“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. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do” (James 1:5-8).

When you are plagued with trials, you know that you need wisdom. James writes that we should pray and ask God for it. He gives wisdom generously. You may ask why something happens. God wants you to know that you can trust Him, and that you might not need to know the answer. His ways and thoughts are higher than yours. If you trust Him and ask Him for the ability to handle your trial, He will give you spiritual wisdom to deal with it. He will direct you in every trial that you face.

In these verses James not only imparts that you should pray for wisdom, but he tells you that you should pray trusting and believing that God will provide. If you pray for wisdom and feel you don't receive any, it is not because your faith is lacking. Faith that is as small as a mustard seed is great enough to move mountains. James identifies the problem as being double-minded. A double-minded man grabs hold of “but what if”, and his faith depends on circumstance instead of placing what little faith he has in God's faithfulness. A double minded man is also one who sits on the fence and can't quite commit his mustard seed faith in God. His mind has not been brought under the control of Christ. James writes that this man is unstable in all his ways. Why should God grant him wisdom? However, a person who is surrendered to the Lord, and believes in God's faithfulness, doesn't ask “but what if?” He chooses to believe in God's unwavering promise. Instead of being double-minded, He is single-minded in faith. He is focused on God's faithfulness instead of his circumstance. He knows that without God's help, He will fail. When this single-minded person cries for out for wisdom, He receives generously from the Lord.

I don't know about you, but I pray to always be single-minded, and never doubt God to supply His wisdom to handle ever trial in my life. I don't want to be like a ship with no anchor to hold me securely. Are you tired of waves buffeting you and sending your mind in all directions? Bring your thoughts under the control of Christ, and decide to believe in His faithfulness. Fight “what if”, and learn to believe in “so what, I will trust Him”. He will reward you with His wisdom, and your life will be safely secured.