Enough Sense to Get in out of the Rain

       I changed my home owners insurance about six months ago and the new company offered me a free “Alexa” from Amazon, so I took them up on the offer and now have this device that answers all of my questions. The other night, I asked it what time it was and “it” replied with the time and then asked me if I wanted to get personal. The device then asked me if I was “Daniel” and I replied "yes" to the question. The device now calls me by my name based upon my profile with Amazon. I have asked it the definition of words or the meaning of a phrase or the capital of this or that state. Granted, there are times when it says, “Hmm. I don't know that.” When I was in school all I had then was a set of Funk and Wagnals Encyclopedias that a traveling salesman had sold to my parents.  The result in our society is that we have more access to information on almost any topic simply by asking the device in my living room, or our phones or even with the internet and your computer. We have more knowledge today than we have ever had in history yet there remains one thing in which we are lacking. James 1:5 says, “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."   

       Some people simply lack “wisdom.” There is no amount of facts and figures that will give any person wisdom on the issues of life. The Epistle of James begins with this fact right in the beginning and also tells us the source of wisdom. You can't find wisdom in a book or the internet or the smart phone or even Alexa. Alexa could define wisdom but the device just doesn't have it. My mother once said of a person that they were really smart but didn't have enough sense to get in out of the rain. That sums up a lot of people these days and can probably be said of us right after we have done something that we might class as being “stupid.” We may even say after the fact, “Why did I do that?” We did it not because we were stupid, but that we lacked sufficient wisdom. My Father usually had a proverb about the things of life that later on made a lot of sense to me. I have mentioned many of them through the years but one that has always been in the back of my head is, “Put your mind in gear before you put your mouth in motion.” James had a lot to say about that also as he spoke about the use of your tongue. When I get into trouble, it can almost always be traced back to my tongue and will also take place right after something good has happened. I am vulnerable right after singing a solo or preaching a sermon or finishing a course. Usually there is just enough pride present to respond in such a way as to show a lack of wisdom. We would like to have a trait called “wisdom” given to us in one big basket that would be sufficient for all of our life but it doesn't work that way. James then reminds us that wisdom only comes from God and therefore, we should be asking Him for wisdom and not just once thirty years ago, but each and every day. Some pursuits in life are here for the long haul such as wisdom and patience and hope and love and the list goes on. It is called “sanctification” or “Christian growth.” You may find that you are lacking in wisdom at times or have done something, or said something that may give evidence of a lack of wisdom. If that is the case in your life, then be reminded and exhorted by the Epistle of James when he said, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God...” Praise God that He will supply you with the wisdom that you need. Read the Scriptures and learn abut God's ways for your life today and for the days to come.