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In James 1:5, we as believers are given the incredible privilege of coming before God in prayer and asking for His perfect wisdom for every decision and circumstance we face. Despite this, most of us carelessly ignore this privilege and instead hastily rely on our own limited wisdom or seek that of unbelievers and the world system. While doing so appeals to our mind and carnal desires, it is immensely foolish because it represents a lack of trust in our omniscient Creator and a prideful desire to live apart from His will.
Furthermore, because all human wisdom is limited and tainted with sin, it can blindly lead us into undesirable or even dangerous situations that God's perfect wisdom would have graciously helped us avoid. This is a lesson Abraham learned the hard way in Genesis 20, where he hastily lied to protect his life in a foreign land. Fearing its inhabitants would kill him for his wife Sarah, he lied about their marriage. While this ungodly decision seemed wise in Abraham's fleshly mind, it caused the land's king to take Sarah, resulting in God judging him and his house. Furthermore, the king publicly exposed Abraham's dishonesty, which forced him to shamefully admit his fear of the land's people. Thus, as this account demonstrates, facing any decision or circumstance with wisdom apart from God only reaps consequences that can not only impact us but also others.
Because of this, a crucial step in our spiritual growth and relationship with God is to humble ourselves and choose His wisdom in every situation. This humble mindset was clearly exemplified throughout King David's life. An astonishing example of this is in 1 Chronicles 14:8-17, where he, despite his extensive battle experience and skilled soldiers, chose God's wisdom over his and theirs. In doing this, he established the proper pattern of behavior for receiving and applying God's perfect wisdom: seek, ask, and obey.
This and other passages in Scripture demonstrate how crucial following this pattern is in all situations. First, before he even asked the Lord for wisdom, David ensured his heart was wholeheartedly seeking Him. This involved him making his first priority knowing and obeying God's will, which began in his youth (1 Sam. 13:14). Likewise, 1 John 5:14-15 note how seeking and asking according to God's will is vital to Him answering our requests. Second, David asked God for answers when faced with a decision. Through inquiring whether he should fight the Philistines in 1 Chronicles 14:10-12, David received God's approval and found great victory. Likewise, God promises in James 1:5 to similarly give us His perfect wisdom when we earnestly ask Him for it amid all circumstances and decisions. Finally, David responded to God's answers by obeying His commands, even when they were unconventional. Such occurred in 1 Chronicles 14:13-17 during another fight with the Philistines, where David obeyed God's less straightforward instructions and again received a resounding victory. We should also place unswerving trust in all of God's commands, for Psalm 18:30 promises that His ways and Word are perfect. Thus, we can approach all situations with complete confidence in God's wisdom when we seek Him wholeheartedly, ask Him for it, and obey all He commands.
Every trial and decision forces us to choose between the two sources of wisdom. On one hand, we can rashly choose human wisdom severely limited by our finite understanding and sin-tainted motives, only to suffer its potentially severe consequences. Conversely, we can receive God's best for us through faithfully waiting on Him and receiving His perfect wisdom. The latter is the glorious opportunity He graciously gives to all believers who are willing to wholeheartedly seek His will, humbly ask for His wisdom, and faithfully obey what He commands.
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