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Need God's WISDOM in your business?

Wisdom - God's Guarantee!

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
- James 1:5


We've learned from James 1:5 that if you and I lack wisdom, we have the right to go to God and insist that He give us the answers we need. In fact, the Greek tense used in that verse tells us that God actually commands us to come to Him when we need wisdom. Furthermore, the Greek word used to describe us asking God for wisdom indicates that God wants us to be firm and resolute when we request wisdom from Him.

But before God will open His hand and give us the wisdom we need, there is a condition we must meet. That condition is spelled out very clearly in James 1:5, where the Bible says, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God."

The condition we must meet to receive wisdom from God is found in the phrase "of God." In Greek, these are the words para theou. The word para means alongside of, and it depicts a very close, side-by-side, intimate position next to someone else. The word theou is the Greek word for God. When these words are placed together in a phrase, as in this verse, it pictures a person who comes right alongside of God, who comes as close to God as possible, who stands side-by-side with Him. In this statement, we discover God's requirement of us before He will give us the wisdom we need. If we want wisdom, we must come right up alongside of God in order to obtain it.


You see, God wants a relationship with us. He doesn't want to just freely hand out answers to our problems. He wants us to come to Him. And the moment we get side-by-side with God, He opens His hand and reveals everything we need to know and understand about the situations we are facing.

So often, however, believers allow themselves to become too busy with the affairs of life, and they fail to take time out of their hectic schedules to get into the intimate Presence of God. They want God to meet their need "on demand," but they don't want to fulfill God's need to be close to His people.

When James tells us to "ask" God for the wisdom we need, the word "ask" means we can be very bold and insistent. But for us to get what we request, we must ask "of God." In other words, we must come right up alongside of God, getting as close to Him as possible, and then make our request. If we will fulfill this requirement of coming close to God and opening our hearts to Him and to His touch, He will then gladly open His hand and show us every answer we need.

James says that God "giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not." The word "giveth" is the Greek word didontos, which comes from the word didomi. The word didomi means to give, but the form used here is didontos, which describes one who is in the habit of constantly giving. This assuredly tells us that God is not one who holds out on His people or who refrains from giving them wisdom when they need it. Instead, James tells us that God is in the habit of giving wisdom to His people when they need it. He is "the giving God."

James 1:5 promises that He gives it "liberally, and upbraideth not." The word "liberally" is the Greek word haploos. It depicts something that is given generously, abundantly, plentifully, bountifully, and open-handedly. You see, if we'll meet God's requirement to come close to Him, He will profusely answer the questions we have and impart the wisdom we need.

In that up-close, side-by-side encounter with God, you will also become aware of all the other areas of your life that need attention. And here's the good news: In His glorious Presence, God will not only make you aware of these areas that need adjustment, He will also give you the power and ability to change!

Never forget that God is "the giving God" who wants to meet your need. But for that need to be met, you have to come right up alongside Him - and you can only do that by making room in your daily schedule for spending time in His Presence. Are you ready to include God in your schedule today?

Rick and Denise Renner are FMIN Partners serving in Moscow, Russia. Their experiences in building a ministry, subsequent churches, developing staff and relating to people, translates beautifully in building a business. Their books are wonderful tools to glean from as Business Ministers.

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