But let him ask (for wisdom) in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.  James 1:6

            Few Scriptures have been more misunderstood than this one. It’s been taken out of its context and turned faith into a force by which we try to secure the outcome we want. I see something I desire (perhaps something God has done beautifully for someone else), and decide that if I can summon enough faith, surely He will do the same for me. When nothing happens, I interrogate my faith. I chastise myself for wavering, stiffen my resolve, and try to believe harder. If I am surrounded by people who misunderstand this passage in the same way, they join me in my chorus. “You just need more faith.”

But James is talking about wisdom. The faith of verse six is not faith that God will give me whatever outcome I have imagined. It is faith in the character of God, the One who has promised to give wisdom when I ask for it.

To ask without doubting means that I refuse to let His silence frighten me into taking the reins. I’m not to ask God to lead me while quietly keeping one hand on the rudder, just in case He takes too long.

Human wisdom can be impressive. It can be intelligent, persuasive, and eloquent enough to fill auditoriums. But it is painfully limited. I can only interpret what I can see.  And I see through the narrow window of my own history, wounds, desires, fears, and beliefs. God sees what preceded this moment, what is hidden inside it, and what waits beyond it. He knows every consequence I cannot foresee, every intersection I do not yet know exists. He alone knows the rocks beneath my feet.  He knows if they will hold, and He knows where the ledge only looks secure.  I want God to answer my questions, but sometimes He begins by questioning me. I want to know where I am going but He wants to expose what I might carry there if He does not heal me first.

Give me the courage to believe Your promises more than I believe the pressure of this moment. Amen