Let’s do a mental picture—after I give you the prompt, close your eyes and imagine what I am about to describe to you. Imagine that you are an elder, by elder I mean you are the oldest living person, in a village thousands of years ago. There are people who are in charge of running the village and dealing with all sorts of conflicts. However, they never ask you for your wisdom that you have accumulated in all your years of life. Your wisdom could make a difference and help many people and situations—but again, they don’t even bother to seek your wise council. You see people hurting, situations becoming more dire—and still no one comes to you. Your wisdom, wasted, and the foolish people, who never sought your stores of knowledge, destroy the entire village. Now, after you have imagined this, answer these questions.
The Bible has a lot to say about wisdom: fools despise wisdom (Proverbs 1:7), a wise man listens to advice (Proverbs 12:15), how much better to get wisdom than gold (Proverbs 16:16) …I could keep going, but I will stop there. Wisdom is a valuable, much treasured, asset to each of us…. But you know what? —we have to ask for it.
James 1:5 “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.”
You and I have the ability, to ask God for wisdom in all situations. When making ANY choice, do you seek God’s wisdom, so that you can understand what is best? When settling disputes and arguments, do you seek God, to know what to do or say? When you are struggling with how to parent your children, or even how to care for aging parents, do you seek God’s wisdom in how to help and care for them? Literally, all you have to do is seek God—it’s that simple.
God is our source for wisdom. He is waiting for you to humble yourself, and ask for help and guidance. Think back to our mental picture from the beginning of this devotional—so often, you and I are the villagers making all sorts of decisions without ever seeking the wise council of the elder (God), and we cause more problems than we solve, and to that end, comes destruction. How did you feel when you thought about the villagers never seeking you for wisdom? Maybe that is how God feels, waiting for you to seek him. We are all in need of wisdom, even the wisest among us, needs wisdom—but not wisdom from this world, but wisdom from God….and all we have to do, is ask.
- How frustrating and heartbreaking was it to think of the decline of the village, because no one asked for your help?
- Would you have offered your wisdom without them asking for help, or would you stay silent and let them face their own demise?
- Now, are you picking up where I am leading you? ?
The Bible has a lot to say about wisdom: fools despise wisdom (Proverbs 1:7), a wise man listens to advice (Proverbs 12:15), how much better to get wisdom than gold (Proverbs 16:16) …I could keep going, but I will stop there. Wisdom is a valuable, much treasured, asset to each of us…. But you know what? —we have to ask for it.
James 1:5 “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.”
You and I have the ability, to ask God for wisdom in all situations. When making ANY choice, do you seek God’s wisdom, so that you can understand what is best? When settling disputes and arguments, do you seek God, to know what to do or say? When you are struggling with how to parent your children, or even how to care for aging parents, do you seek God’s wisdom in how to help and care for them? Literally, all you have to do is seek God—it’s that simple.
God is our source for wisdom. He is waiting for you to humble yourself, and ask for help and guidance. Think back to our mental picture from the beginning of this devotional—so often, you and I are the villagers making all sorts of decisions without ever seeking the wise council of the elder (God), and we cause more problems than we solve, and to that end, comes destruction. How did you feel when you thought about the villagers never seeking you for wisdom? Maybe that is how God feels, waiting for you to seek him. We are all in need of wisdom, even the wisest among us, needs wisdom—but not wisdom from this world, but wisdom from God….and all we have to do, is ask.