Wisdom In Trials
September 11, 2024
Pastor Mark Bauer
James 1:2,
James says words that may be somewhat surprising to many who are in the midst of trials. We're encouraged here to count it as joy when we're in the midst of trials. But how then and why would we see it as a joy to be in the midst of trials? Well, he goes on to help us understand that trials are given to us to have a purpose in our lives. There is a purpose for trials. Trials are given to us, as it says here, to test us, to test our faith. And as our faith is being tested, that testing itself produces steadfastness, patience. And then the trials go on to help us to grow and to become more mature Christians. James then goes on in verse 5 to say these words, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” James understands that this task of counting it joy and remaining faithful in the midst of trials, is no easy task. It's not easy for us to be able to do these things. And then, in the midst of trials it is very necessary for us to have wisdom. We need wisdom.
As I was meditating on this, I was thinking, what is wisdom? I found this quote from a Puritan preacher and author who lived in the 1600’s, a man by the name of George Swinnock, to be somewhat helpful for me. He defines wisdom this way, “Wisdom entails perceiving things accurately and then taking action in accordance with those correct perceptions.” In effect, he is saying that there's two aspects to wisdom. The first is the need to be able to perceive things accurately; to be able to know and understand what is happening and why it is happening. Well, how do we do this? I suggest that it's critical that we must look to God's Word. Psalm 19:7 says, “The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” So how do we accurately perceive things? We need to look to God's Word. In a world that's filled with lies, with deceit, the only source of truth for us is God's word. It's God's law. We're told here, “It's sure.” It's that touchstone against which we can measure all things. It's that which is trustworthy. It's something that we can have confidence in, that we can be certain of that it's always true, it never changes. So for us to be able to perceive things accurately as we're looking at those trials that come into our lives, it's so critical that we must know God's word, that we must understand his word, and it is by his word that he will make us wise.
So we need to perceive things accurately. But then he goes on to say this, “That we must not only perceive things accurately, but then we must take the appropriate actions in accordance with God's Word.” As we know and understand God's word, we must then correctly apply it to our circumstances. We must use that standard as that which helps us to make decisions; to know what is right, to know what is wrong, to guide us and to direct our lives. However, I think many of us would acknowledge that in the midst of trials it can be very difficult to be able to perceive things accurately. For Satan attacks us in our weaknesses, does he not? And he seeks to twist God's word, and he seeks to cause us to perhaps doubt, to despair, to even sin. And therefore we may find that it's very difficult for us to know the proper actions to take, the wise actions to take in response to a trial.
So if we lack wisdom, where do we go? Who do we turn to for help? How do we find and get help for our lack of wisdom? James tells us, “If we lack wisdom, let him ask God.” We are to turn to God, we are to pray to God. We're to pray to God for wisdom. We're to go to God because it is God who is the source of all wisdom. It is the Lord who is the one that gives us wisdom. God has promised that He'll hear our prayers, he'll answer our prayers, and he will give generously to all. He will give us wisdom. He will give us wisdom so that we might have knowledge and understanding in the midst of our trials. He will give us help to be able to know how to correctly apply his word as we are suffering trials and he will give us wisdom to know how to conduct ourselves in a godly way in the midst of trials.
Regarding our prayer for wisdom, this quote by Matthew Henry I found very instructive. He writes this, “We should not pray so much for the removal of an affliction, as for wisdom to make right use of it.” How do we grow? How do we become more steadfast? How do we become stronger in our faith in the midst of trials? Well, it's important that we use wisdom to make a right use of the trials that we face. And then he goes on to say this, “Who is there that does not want wisdom under any great trials?” We need wisdom to guide us in judging of things that we face. We need wisdom in the government of our own spirit and temperament. How do we respond emotionally? How do we respond with the right heart in the midst of trials? And then we need wisdom in the management of our affairs. He then goes on and says, “To be wise in trying times is a spiritual gift of God, and to him we must seek for it.”
So then, when we find ourselves in the midst of trials, if we lack wisdom let us ask God. Pray to God who is the one in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are his. For God has promised to answer our prayers for wisdom, and to give us generously so that we might act wisely in the midst of our trials so that our faith, as it is tested, that testing will produce steadfastness that we may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
Pastor Mark Bauer
James 1:2,
“Count it all joy, my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds.”
James says words that may be somewhat surprising to many who are in the midst of trials. We're encouraged here to count it as joy when we're in the midst of trials. But how then and why would we see it as a joy to be in the midst of trials? Well, he goes on to help us understand that trials are given to us to have a purpose in our lives. There is a purpose for trials. Trials are given to us, as it says here, to test us, to test our faith. And as our faith is being tested, that testing itself produces steadfastness, patience. And then the trials go on to help us to grow and to become more mature Christians. James then goes on in verse 5 to say these words, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” James understands that this task of counting it joy and remaining faithful in the midst of trials, is no easy task. It's not easy for us to be able to do these things. And then, in the midst of trials it is very necessary for us to have wisdom. We need wisdom.
As I was meditating on this, I was thinking, what is wisdom? I found this quote from a Puritan preacher and author who lived in the 1600’s, a man by the name of George Swinnock, to be somewhat helpful for me. He defines wisdom this way, “Wisdom entails perceiving things accurately and then taking action in accordance with those correct perceptions.” In effect, he is saying that there's two aspects to wisdom. The first is the need to be able to perceive things accurately; to be able to know and understand what is happening and why it is happening. Well, how do we do this? I suggest that it's critical that we must look to God's Word. Psalm 19:7 says, “The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” So how do we accurately perceive things? We need to look to God's Word. In a world that's filled with lies, with deceit, the only source of truth for us is God's word. It's God's law. We're told here, “It's sure.” It's that touchstone against which we can measure all things. It's that which is trustworthy. It's something that we can have confidence in, that we can be certain of that it's always true, it never changes. So for us to be able to perceive things accurately as we're looking at those trials that come into our lives, it's so critical that we must know God's word, that we must understand his word, and it is by his word that he will make us wise.
So we need to perceive things accurately. But then he goes on to say this, “That we must not only perceive things accurately, but then we must take the appropriate actions in accordance with God's Word.” As we know and understand God's word, we must then correctly apply it to our circumstances. We must use that standard as that which helps us to make decisions; to know what is right, to know what is wrong, to guide us and to direct our lives. However, I think many of us would acknowledge that in the midst of trials it can be very difficult to be able to perceive things accurately. For Satan attacks us in our weaknesses, does he not? And he seeks to twist God's word, and he seeks to cause us to perhaps doubt, to despair, to even sin. And therefore we may find that it's very difficult for us to know the proper actions to take, the wise actions to take in response to a trial.
So if we lack wisdom, where do we go? Who do we turn to for help? How do we find and get help for our lack of wisdom? James tells us, “If we lack wisdom, let him ask God.” We are to turn to God, we are to pray to God. We're to pray to God for wisdom. We're to go to God because it is God who is the source of all wisdom. It is the Lord who is the one that gives us wisdom. God has promised that He'll hear our prayers, he'll answer our prayers, and he will give generously to all. He will give us wisdom. He will give us wisdom so that we might have knowledge and understanding in the midst of our trials. He will give us help to be able to know how to correctly apply his word as we are suffering trials and he will give us wisdom to know how to conduct ourselves in a godly way in the midst of trials.
Regarding our prayer for wisdom, this quote by Matthew Henry I found very instructive. He writes this, “We should not pray so much for the removal of an affliction, as for wisdom to make right use of it.” How do we grow? How do we become more steadfast? How do we become stronger in our faith in the midst of trials? Well, it's important that we use wisdom to make a right use of the trials that we face. And then he goes on to say this, “Who is there that does not want wisdom under any great trials?” We need wisdom to guide us in judging of things that we face. We need wisdom in the government of our own spirit and temperament. How do we respond emotionally? How do we respond with the right heart in the midst of trials? And then we need wisdom in the management of our affairs. He then goes on and says, “To be wise in trying times is a spiritual gift of God, and to him we must seek for it.”
So then, when we find ourselves in the midst of trials, if we lack wisdom let us ask God. Pray to God who is the one in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are his. For God has promised to answer our prayers for wisdom, and to give us generously so that we might act wisely in the midst of our trials so that our faith, as it is tested, that testing will produce steadfastness that we may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
Posted in Pastor Devotional