"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally and upbraids not; and it shall be given him." (James 1:5)
There is only one condition to this promise, and that is that the one who desires wisdom ask for it in faith. "Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering." (James 1:6)
The promise is absolutely unlimited: "If any of you lack wisdom." There are no exceptions. It is open to the child as well as to the man; to the very ignorant as well as to the one who has had great advantages of education.
The kind of wisdom is not specified. It includes everything that may be called wisdom. Everything that is worth knowing, and that is necessary, may be asked for and received under this promise.
Someone may say that it means only knowledge of the way of salvation. Take it so if you please; but remember that every act of life has something to do with one's salvation, and that therefore the promise of wisdom must include wisdom for every duty and for all circumstances in life.
We have the record of at least one who proved this promise to the full. The young king Solomon said to the Lord, "I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or to come in. ... Give therefore your servant an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and bad; for who is able to judge this your so great a people? And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life; neither have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies; but have asked for yourself understanding to discern judgment; Behold, I have done according to your word: lo, I have given you a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like you before you, neither after you shall any arise like unto you." (1 Kings 3:7,9-12)
That the wisdom given to Solomon in answer to his request was such as is not despised even by the world, may be seen from the following: "And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. ... And his fame was in all nations round about. And he spoke three thousand proverbs; and his songs were a thousand and five. And he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes. And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom." (1 Kings 4:29-34)
Someone will say, "Well, I have asked the Lord for wisdom, but the wisdom doesn't come; I asked in faith, too, because I believed that the Lord would give it; but I have waited a long time, to no purpose."
And you may wait a long time yet to no purpose, if that is your idea of the promise. Let us see where the trouble is. The word is, "Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering." (James 1:6) "But faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)
The man whose trust is not according to the word of God, has not faith. There is another very striking text which tells us how we are to ask for wisdom; and it derives additional interest from the fact that it was written by Solomon, whose prayer for wisdom was so richly rewarded. Let us read it: "My son, if you will receive my words, and hide my commandments with you; So that you incline your ear unto wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; Yea, if you cry after knowledge, and lift up your voice for understanding; If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hid treasures; Then shall you understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding. ... Then shall you understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path." (Proverbs 2:1-6,9)
These are the words of the Lord to Solomon, which he has passed on to us. It is the Lord's answer to Solomon's prayer for wisdom. It tells us how Solomon obtained his great wisdom.
That "there is no royal road to learning" was as true in the days of Solomon as it is today. We greatly mistake if we suppose that Solomon obtained his great knowledge without any effort. It would have done him no good if he had.
He valued wisdom so much that he was willing to search for it as for gold and silver, and the Lord gave it to him. And so the Lord will do for us, if we also have a longing desire to know true wisdom. Therefore when we wish for wisdom we must ask the Lord for it: "For the Lord gives wisdom; out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding." (Proverbs 2:6)
And we must ask in faith. But since faith comes by hearing the word of God, we must not ignore the text that we have read from Proverbs. "Nothing wavering." (James 1:6)
We must not become weary nor discouraged. Keep the mind fixed upon the word of God, as the speculator does upon the stock report. Is not this reasonable? If we ask the Lord for wisdom, do we not thereby indicate that we expect Him to tell us something? Then where should we go except to His word?
Try it, and you will find that in Christ even this promise is yea, and amen; because in Him are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. "For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us." (2 Corinthians 1:20) "In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Colossians 2:3)--Present Truth, November 29, 1894.