Psalm 5

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.  This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is , there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

  In this “how to” book, James seems to notice, people don't realize, wisdom isn't a how to thing, but something that is given to us by God and in essence produces fruit.   James starts off verse13 by asking us a serious question. Who is wise and understanding among you? Who applies the knowledge they receive, and actually understands the heart and reason for doing it? Wisdom when applied reveals God's heart. His character. I am reminded of Romans 5:5, which reveals Gods character and who we are because of the Holy Spirit. “Now hope does not disappoint, because the LOVE of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” It is only possible to act out such things, through the Holy Spirit.

   James explains the difference between secular wisdom, and wisdom given by God. Secular wisdom is desired by the flesh. Therefore it produces bitterness,strife,selfish ambition, earthly concerns and desires, unspiritual thoughts, disorder, and evil. It made me think of Abimilech, in the book of Judges. The illegitimate son of Gideon, who killed 69 of his half brothers and acclaimed to be king. He was a “wise” man, but what he did with that power, was awful. Was he bitter? Did he have selfish ambition? Yes. Therefore its Secular wisdom.

   James then goes into wisdom given by God. Mercy, peace, consideration for others, submission, sincerity, love for others, and righteousness! I am pushed to think about the fruits of the spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

I can only think of Christ. King Solomon asked for wisdom, but he reaped what he sowed in the end. Because he then let that control him. I think of kind David, who was a man after God's own heart. Again, not a perfect man, but was being made perfect. There was only one who truly lived this out to perfection. Jesus. In essence, if we want to be as perfect as Christ was, we ought to strive to be more like Him. Stop letting our selfish, secular amibitions get in the way.

  In a world like today, we may get the two mixed up. I crave the wisdom of God. Spiritually discerned, producing good fruit. I'm on that road now, struggling with my own selfish ambitions. Feeling like king Solomon, asking for all the wisdom but doing all the wrong things. My selfishisness must go. My pride must go. My idols must go. My sin must go.Having been there in the past, and seeing a dead end sign, I've been teetering on the brink of eternity. Willing to sacrifice what he has planned for me. All these things I can only get through, because of Him. Today, I have chosen to embrace it. Physically it hasn't been so easy, but it hasn't been impossible. Everyday this week, I will get up at 5:45, and ask the Lord for wisdom, and ask him to help me to apply it.