Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.

If you have been around me in the past year and a half, there is a great chance you have heard me pray the words of James 1:5-6: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” 

I don’t know about you, but I rarely feel like I have enough wisdom. More often than not, honestly, I feel like a wave tossed back and forth by circumstances out of my control. It only takes one phone call, one unexpected gut punch, for life to feel like chaotic waters. I know, as I think through those kinds of seasons in my life, wisdom isn’t usually my first prayer. I pray for relief. I pray for answers. I pray for a way out. Wisdom isn’t usually on my radar when trying to survive the crashing waves of a stormy sea.  

But James reminds us that wisdom is exactly what we need in those moments. Not wisdom in the sense of clever words, quick solutions, or strategic solves, but wisdom that is steadying. Wisdom that teaches how to endure, how to keep trusting when we feel tossed around like waves in a storm. 

I think about a parent teaching their child how to write. The child doesn’t know how to form the letters, but with the parent’s steady hand-over-hand guiding them, the scribbles become words. Wisdom from God feels a lot like that. Left on my own, I make a mess of things. But God doesn’t scold me for not knowing better. He takes my hand and shows me how to walk through trials with patience and faith. That’s the wisdom of the Father we need. 

Timothy Keller used to say that real faith shows itself not in the moments when life is easy, but when it costs us something. That’s what James is getting at here. Faith is not proven by what I say I believe, but by how I live when the heat gets turned up. Do I turn bitter, or do I grow patient? Do I give in to temptation, or do I hold to the God who gives every good and perfect gift? That's not always easy to see in the immediate when our emotions are driving. But over time, we can see clearly where our hearts begin to settle.  

Looking back, I see that the seasons I wanted to escape have actually been the seasons that have shaped me the most. God didn’t magically erase the hardship, but He gave me wisdom to walk through it differently. Wisdom is not just about knowing, it’s about living. Faith that stays inside my head as knowledge isn’t really faith at all. Faith in Jesus always works its way out into actions—patience in trials, generosity with others, and a deeper trust that God’s hand is guiding me, even when I can’t see clearly. That is His wisdom working in me.  

Take two minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

Use the S.O.A.P. Method to study God’s Word.

• SCRIPTURE: What stands out to you in today’s passage?
• OBSERVATION: What is this text saying? What is the context? How does it fit with the verses before and after it? Are there any commands, instructions, or promises? 
• APPLICATION: How can you apply this verse to your life? What does this mean today? What is God saying to you? 
• PRAYER: Respond to the passage in prayer. Ask God to help you apply this truth to your life and spend some time listening to what He may be telling you.