James 1:2-8
Testing of Your Faith
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 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. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double- minded man, unstable in all his ways.
As I read these verses over and over again this morning it brought hope and joy into my heart. When I come to verse 5, my joy increases hearing that I will be given wisdom from God if I ask him. I am a man who needs much wisdom, and I love hearing that God gives generously and will not reproach me for asking. But then comes verse 6 with the conditional statement, I must ask God in faith, without doubting. If I doubt that God will give me the wisdom I seek, then he won't give it to me, because I am a double-minded man who is unstable in all his ways. This knowledge turns my joy into sadness. So I press on in the text, asking for wisdom to understand the text, and God helps me.
The doubting, unstable man in verse 8 is the same as a man who is not steadfast (verse 2). The man who is not steadfast, can become steadfast, single-minded and faith-filled through trials of various kinds. So my Bible tells me to count it all joy when any trial comes my way. Why? Because the trial is ordained by God to train me to become more and more steadfast. The more steadfast I become, the more stable and single-minded I will become, and the more stable and single-minded I become, the more I will receive the wisdom I seek from God; because I will be asking in faith, with no doubting.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds..
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