Welcome to Day 165 of the “Manna for the Mind” devotional! This series is about finding nourishment in the Word of God to get us through the day. In each devotional, I take a variety of scripture passages (typically 1-3 verses each) and build our understanding of what they teach via their context and connecting scripture. My goal is to help you understand how to be the type of human God created you to be. Today’s passage is James 1:5 .

James 1:5

NASB	NLT	VOICE
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.	5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.	5 If you don’t have all the wisdom needed for this journey, then all you have to do is ask God for it; and God will grant all that you need. He gives lavishly and never scolds you for asking.

The wisdom found in God has three distinct characteristics:

IT IS PRACTICAL. God’s wisdom relates to our lives even in our chaotic times. That wisdom is not isolated from our suffering and trials, but it allows us to overcome them. We have to remember that God is in the middle of our struggles. He doesn’t cause them, but he gives us the strength, confidence, and wisdom to overcome them. We can gather as much information of outside sources to try and fix our problems, but a wise person takes what is helpful and profound and uses them to best apply for their situation.

IT IS DIVINE. God’s wisdom is more than common sense. Common sense doesn’t help us react joyfully in the middle of adversity. It’ll often teach us how to overcome it or how to avoid it, but very rarely do we learn how to remain positive in the middle of our chaos. God’s wisdom begins with our respect for him, understanding that his wisdom is greater than anything we can up with. God’s wisdom leads us to follow his direction, recognizing that his path is greater than anything we set out for. God’s wisdom increases our ability to tell right from wrong, realizing that our own discernment often lands us in trouble.

IT IS CHRISTLIKE. When we ask for wisdom, we are ultimately asking to be more like Jesus. The Bible shows Christ as the wisdom of God. Jesus calls us to be his vessel, his hands and feet, into the world. His wisdom guides both our steps and our words. It leads us to live a life that is most replicable to his.

Proverbs 2:3-6

NASB	NLT	VOICE
3 For if you cry out for insight, And raise your voice for understanding;	3 Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.	3 If you cry out to her for insight and beg for understanding.
4 If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures;	4 Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures,	4 If you sift through the clamor of everything around you to seek her like some precious prize, to search for her like buried treasure;
5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and discover the knowledge of God.	5 Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.	5 Then you will grasp what it means to truly respect the Eternal, and you will have discovered the knowledge of the one True God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.	6 For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.	6 The Eternal is ready to share His wisdom with us, for His words bring true knowledge and insight.

Wisdom comes to us in two ways. It comes as a God-given gift and the result of intense and consistent searching. Wisdom starts with God and his teachings found in the Bible. It’s the source of knowledge and understanding. It’s a gift from God. That wisdom is fully understood and comprehended to those who look for it. It’s not all about finding that wisdom. It’s about how we utilize that wisdom in the path that God has set before us.

The path is strenuous. It’s only on God’s path that we will find his true and reliable wisdom. He will guide us to it and reward our sincere and persistent work. Finding God’s wisdom is not easy and often takes a lot of time and effort before we fully understand how to understand it and how we can apply God’s teaching into the life we live today.

Next slice of manna: Manna for the Mind #166