James 1:2-5 – Wisdom in the Waiting

Trials have a way of exposing what we really believe. It’s easy to have faith when life is smooth, when prayers are answered quickly, when everything makes sense. But what about when it doesn’t? When the diagnosis comes back worse than expected? When the job falls through? When the people you thought you could trust let you down? James doesn’t say if you face trials. He says when. And his advice? Consider it joy. Not because suffering is fun, but because something is happening beneath the surface—something deeper than the pain, something only God can see.

Devotional

Nobody likes waiting. We want answers. We want clarity. And we want it now. But wisdom—real wisdom—usually comes slow. It comes in the wrestling, in the asking, in the quiet moments when we stop trying to control everything and start listening instead.

James says if we lack wisdom, we should ask God for it. Simple, right? But how often do we actually do that? How often do we stop in the middle of a mess and say, God, what are You trying to teach me here? Instead, we beg for a way out. We pray for the problem to disappear. But what if the trial isn’t the thing we need to escape? What if it’s the thing God is using to sharpen our faith, to make us stronger, to teach us how to trust Him before we see the outcome?

And here’s the best part—God doesn’t hesitate. He doesn’t roll His eyes when we ask. He doesn’t say, Figure it out yourself. He gives wisdom freely, without conditions. No matter how many times we’ve doubted, no matter how many times we’ve tried to fix things on our own. He’s still there, ready to guide us through.

Action

What’s something you’re struggling with right now? Instead of just asking God to fix it, ask Him to show you something in it. What’s He revealing? What’s He growing in you? Write it down. Look back on it later—you might be surprised at what He was doing all along.

Prayer

Lord, I don’t want to waste this trial. I don’t want to be so focused on getting through it that I miss what You’re trying to teach me. Give me wisdom. Show me what You’re doing, even when I don’t understand. Help me trust that You are working in ways I can’t see yet. And thank You for always giving wisdom freely when I ask. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Thought for the Day

God’s wisdom doesn’t always give quick answers. But it always leads to something deeper.