Devotion #197

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 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. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

James 1:5-8 ESV

So often in life we find ourselves in situations where we just don’t know what to do. We don’t know where to turn for help, we don’t know the next step we should take, we don’t know what advice to give. Perhaps you need wisdom to move forward with each other, perhaps you need wisdom to react to a situation presented to the both of you, or perhaps your children are seeking your wisdom in a difficult decision. Sometimes you’ll have the time to pause before making any decisions or giving advice, but far too often, you’ll be thrown into an unexpected situation where you need wisdom in the moment. You won’t have time to sit down and pray or search Scripture for your response, you barely have time to throw up one of those little arrow prayers – God help me.

God generously gave us all the wisdom we need to manage these unforeseen and chaotic moments in our life, and he gives it to us without reproach, without any shame or disgrace. He gave us His Word. In those pages of Scripture, we will find everything we need to manage the challenges of living in this broken world. Everything. We don’t need anything beyond what is written on those pages. 

So we need to know it. We need to be familiar with His instructions and His commandments or we’re going to be driven and tossed by the wind. But here’s the thing—it’s hard to flip through the pages and find the wisdom you need when you’re caught in a storm. It’s hard to find the wisdom you need when your mind is frantic, and it’s even harder to internalize and respond to the wisdom when you’re emotionally charged. It’s still there and available to us in the storm, but it’s hard to read a map when you’re being tossed by the storm. If you have coordinates already plugged into your navigational system before you start your journey, you’re going to find your way with greater ease.

So, when the waves begin to rise and we suddenly find ourselves in an unexpected storm, we can take a momentary breath and ask God for the wisdom we need. When His Word is already stored in our hearts, the Spirit will bring His wisdom to our frantic minds, and we will know where to turn. And here’s the most beautiful part—with that wisdom comes the supernatural peace we need to navigate the storm. This is how God speaks to us. This is how He comforts us. This is how He gives to us everything we need to hold a marriage together in this broken world.

Press on ~ you are loved 💗

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