5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God ​— ​who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly ​— ​and it will be given to him. -- James 1:5

Giver of Wisdom (James 1:5)

Today, we continue our journey word by word, verse by verse, through the book of James!

James 1:5 describes God as the generous and ungrudging giver of wisdom! The phrase in greek is literally, "The giving God" (tou didontos theou, τοῦ διδόντος θεοῦ). Thankfully, our God is not stingy nor poor, instead he is a generous giver.

It is no accident that James has pivoted to wisdom just after mentioning the trials and tribulations that we will experience. James assumes that there will be a need for God's wisdom as we enter into these situations. It's interesting that James does say that God will give knowledge but that he will give wisdom!

Knowledge knows the facts.

Wisdom knows how to rightly apply those facts to life.

Here is what we know for sure: life is complicated, messy, and unpredictable. We need wisdom in order to live lives that honor God and promote human flourishing. The good news is that God gives us this wisdom generously and ungrudgingly!

An interesting note: the last phrase of verse 5, "And it will be given to him" are reminiscent of the words and promises of Jesus. This exact grammatical and syntactical construction is used in Matthew 7:7, 11; Luke 11:13 as when we seek the Lord, it will be given to us!

Today may seek the wisdom of God from the giving God!

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