Seeking Wisdom?

I began by thinking about James 1:5: "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."

This verse refers back to James 1:2-4: "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Perhaps the "but" at the beginning of verse 5 is meant to encourage those who are unsure as to how to work out verses 2-4. It is not automatic for us to consider our various trials as sources of joy, so we often don't realize that these tests produce endurance, or the eventual outcome of endurance. If you are like me, you want the test/trial to end, period. We are short-sighted if we think endurance is only something athletes need.

Our pastor reminded us recently that the Christian life is a marathon. Then I was reminded of the parable of the persistent widow, which Jesus told in Luke 18. That chapter opens with this statement: "And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart." I was reminded of this when our pastor taught on Psalm 5 a few weeks ago. We pray expectantly, but if our prayer is not answered as soon as we think it ought to be, we must still persevere in it, with humility and regularity, seeking Him and trusting Him for the right answer at the right time.