IF ANY LACK WISDOM LET HIM ASK OF GOD
James 1: 5-8
In his sermon on the mount, after all the exhortation the Lord Jesus gave to believe him and to deal with one another as children of our Father, trusting his Son, then the Lord gave this word, “Judge not.” (Matthew 7: 1.) This is an all important word because we fail greatly in all that our Lord teaches. Yet, most commonly we are more critical of our brother’s shortcomings than of our own. When we turn from looking to Christ to discover a splinter in our brother’s eye, when we begin thinking ourselves wise enough to pull the splinter out of their eye, our own self-exaltation and self-righteousness is a much larger beam, blinding our own eye. Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch? (Luke 6: 39.) How are we freed from that self-exalting, self-dependent, self-righteous old man of our flesh? How did the Lord follow up that word? Ask God and it shall be given you. (Matthew 7: 7.) That is what James says here. (James 1: 5.)
The chief purpose of the trial is for God to make us realize our need for Christ our Wisdom. When God the Father draws us to Christ then patience has had her perfect work. God gives abundantly, and does not upbraid any who ask in faith. God renews the inner man to remember how Christ sowed peace into our own hearts in peace (James 3: 17, 18.) Doing so, he bridles our tongue, he works patience in us, making us willing to visit one another in peace and love with the gospel of Christ our Peace, as we wait on him to make the word effectual in our brethren (James 4: 10-12.)