WATCHWORD:
5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:5-8 King James
5-8 “If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.” James 1:5-8 Message
Meditation:
Sometimes when we read the Message version of the Bible we hardly recognize the…well, message. Sometimes, however, it speaks to us more clearly than, say, King James, even though it is James!
In King James, the subject of this passage is right up there in the first sentence: ‘If any of you lacks wisdom…’ Wisdom. In the Message, the subject is implied, ‘If you don’t know what you are doing…’ Yet, to me, the instruction in the Message is more straight forward on how to proceed, ‘Ask boldly (of God), believingly, without a second thought.’ In other words (King James), no doubts.
The truth is, it doesn’t matter which version we prefer, it is His Word we are to meditate on each moment of our lives. So, the subject of the passage is wisdom and its related cousin, common sense, implied. Wisdom is spirit-given. Common sense is our choice on applying the gift.
Joyce Meyers tells us, “surprisingly, many sophisticated and intelligent people lack wisdom and common sense.” She goes on to explain that wisdom and common sense are closely related, wisdom being a gift from God, while common sense is the way we mortals apply God’s gift.
I guess another way of looking at it might be that wisdom allows us to find the truth in any given situation, while common sense provides the basis for sound decision-making, or judgment. Myers calls wisdom supernatural, something that is not manmade, but God given.
I can’t help but think that in today’s world, truth is hidden by bluster, relegating common sense to a rare commodity. We live in a dangerous world, starved for facts because we are faced with real issues, real threats and we need real answers.
We only need to look to the current virus threat for example. We would all prefer you go to our doctor and get a vaccination that keeps as safe, but the wisdom of those we trust, say “isolate, stay at home, have patience”. Those are the facts as we know them, and now wisdom and common sense are ours for the asking and applying. We have to decide, to mask or not to mask. To stay home or not to stay home. Too risk or not to risk.
So, we turn to the Word, doesn’t matter which version: ‘If you don’t know what to do, pray to the Father.’ Or, ‘If anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God.’
I know, that sounds just a little bit like God telling us to have patience. I am sure that you have noticed that “have patience” is code for “Trust God, or “Wait on the Lord”. So, wisdom says “patience”, while common sense says, “stay home, mask, social distance, etc.” We rather imagine God telling us, “I got this. You, chill.”
Meyers tells us, “You do the seeking and He does the speaking, but He is the Spirit of Wisdom and will not tell you to do things that are unwise.” Amen?
Bulletin Board:
Covid-19 in Wabash County as of today — 55 cases, an increase of 189% since last week, 1 death, 0% increase since last week. (For your area, check the Weather Channel for current covid-19 info.)
Trivia — How many words in the Gettysburg address? 266. How many words in the Ten Commandments? 173. Trivia to use in those very rare occasions when the conversation lags.
Funny to think about — Hear about the new restaurant called Karma? There’s no menu: You get what you deserve.
Closing Prayer:
Loving God, your desire is for our wholeness and well-being. We hold in tenderness and prayer the collective suffering of our world at this time. We grieve precious lives lost and vulnerable lives threatened. We ache for our loved ones; neighbors, family, ourselves, standing before an uncertain future.
We pray: May love, not fear, go viral. Inspire our leaders to discern and choose wisely, aligned with the common good. Help us to practice social distancing and reveal to us new and creative ways to come together in spirit and in solidarity. Call us to profound trust in your faithful presence, You, the God who does not abandon, we lay all this at your feet, and pray in Your Name that Your Will be Done. Amen.
