James 1-5. If any of you lack wisdom. Now, I like the
way James addresses you. And that's what I'm doing this
morning also. Talking to you. James said, I'm
asking you, do you lack wisdom? He's not just giving information,
he's talking to somebody. He's communicating. He's speaking
to somebody. God is speaking to somebody,
to sinners this morning. And that's what we're doing here.
If any of you lack wisdom. And He's not changing the subject
here. He's just been talking about enduring trials with patience,
steadfastness, and joy. And always understand when you're
studying the Scriptures, If you don't understand it in the context,
then you don't understand it. If it doesn't make sense with
what has been said before and after it, then you don't, you
haven't yet discerned the sense of it. He's just been talking
about trials and enduring them with joy, with steadfastness,
with patience, but also not just enduring them, but rejoicing
in them. And he said, don't fight against
God when He sends trials. Let patience have her perfect
work. Let it be carried out the way
God has intended it. Don't wish it away necessarily.
It's okay to ask for deliverance with a submissive, humble bowing
of the heart and acknowledging that God sent this for a reason.
And we should add to every prayer as our Lord did, not my will,
but yours. If it's your will that this trial
endure, His will is a good will, it's perfect, it's right. What
we want is not right. But what he wants is right, so
we bow in that. Do you see that? It's okay to
ask. Paul besought him three times, remove the thorn in the
flesh, but God said, my grace is sufficient, and Paul bowed.
He said, all glory then in mine and forever. If that's the way
God wants it, that's the way I want it. Do we have that attitude? He's not changing the subject.
When He says, if any of you lack wisdom, He's talking about trials
and how we receive them. Don't fight against God in them.
But take it as a glorious opportunity given by God to glorify Him in
it. To honor Him in it. Because that's
what it is. Bow to Him in it. Rejoice in
it because God sent it. How do you do that? How does
that happen? Well, I know this, if we're not wise, I know what
we'll do when trial comes. Don't you? Have you ever been
there? We'll grumble and complain and we'll do what Job, by God's
grace, didn't do. We'll charge God foolishly. That's
what we'll do. Why? Because we're not wise. Does anybody lack wisdom? You
see the context here? Do you lack wisdom to receive
everything from God's hand? As our brother prayed, everything
that comes from God is a blessing to His people. It works for our
good, does it not? Paul said, we know that. We know
that all things work together for our good. And what do we
do in complaining? What do we do in murmuring? And I wonder this also. Do we
know really what a trial is? When I talk about us enduring
trials, what comes to your mind immediately? Don't answer out
loud, of course, but think about that in your heart. What's the
first thing I say? We endure trouble in this world.
We endure trials. We endure proving by God. Our faith is proven and tried. What's the first thing that comes
to your mind? Maybe the death of a loved one? Sickness maybe
in your family, yourself, you get sick or somebody you love.
Get sick, you lost your job, that's a trial. Did you know
that getting a job can be a trial? Winning the lottery would be
a great trial. I can't think of a greater trial.
And it's probably one that I couldn't bear up under. You think you
could? If the Lord sustained us, we
could. But not in our flesh. Without him, we can do nothing.
But I wonder if we could bear up under a trial like that. It'd
take grace, wouldn't it? I know that. Well, I won't probably
have that trial because I don't play it. You got to play to win,
don't you? But it illustrates the point, doesn't it? We don't
think of trials in the right way, do we? The word is temptations. It's a proving of fidelity. This is the definition now of
that Greek word. It's the proving of fidelity,
constancy, integrity, and virtue. What would test your faith more,
losing your job or getting a really good job offer somewhere where
there's no gospel? Well, is this just a whim of
mine? That both poverty and riches can be trialed? That both what
we call trouble and prosperity can be trialed? No, look at verses
9 and 10. I didn't make this up. Look at
verses 9 and 10. It's the same context now. Let
the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted. If you're
hurting, if you're of low degree for whatever reason, that's not
just talking about status in life. If the Lord has brought
you low, Think about what you have to rejoice over. If you're
brought low, rejoice that you're exalted. Our Lord was brought
low and He reigns. And He said, if you suffer with
Him, you'll reign with Him. We're exalted by Him. He took
us from the dunghill and set us among princes. So if you're
of low degree, if you're brought low for whatever reason, oh,
but not just you. Look at verse 10, but the rich, in that he is made low. What
do you mean in that? Rejoice! It goes back to verse
9, doesn't it? Let the brother of low degree
rejoice in that he is exalted, but the rich in that he is made
low. Rejoice that no matter how much
of this world's riches and how this the entanglements of this
world to take the flesh away from Christ
to distract us from how hardly shall a rich man enter and yet
the Lord brought us low. He knows how to bring us down
to keep us humble and to see all of the blessings of this
life is just that his blessings that he gave us to honor him
not to exalt the flesh so you see in both you have to honor
him in it whether low or high Because as the flower of grass
he'll pass away, all of this is gonna burn up. Is that all
right with you? Rejoice in that, because the Lord revealed that
to you. He's the one that made you happy to think of it burning
up. It's all right. The sooner the
better, because we'll go be with him when that happens. And the
trinkets of this world will be considered just that. So you see how it's a test, it's
a proving, it's a trial either way, isn't it? If you think about
this very long, trials, what they are, and how we are to deal
with them in the honoring of our Lord who sends them, you'll
conclude exactly what James did. Lord, give me wisdom. Give me
wisdom. One psalmist said, Lord, don't
make me rich, lest I forget you. And don't make me poor, lest
I curse you. Just give me enough. That's a
pretty good prayer, isn't it? That's somebody that knows this
wicked heart that prayed that prayer and knows the grace of
God. But if you do make me rich, give me grace to be humbled and
to realize that all flesh is grass And the goodliness thereof
is as the flower of the field, and this world is nothing but
kindling for God's fire. If you do make me poor, give
me grace to think about all of your blessings, all that you've
given me, how rich I am in you, how that we have all things in
Christ. When he gave us Christ, he gave
us everything. And so wisdom, we need wisdom.
We like wisdom, don't we? Anybody like wisdom? Again, I
like the way James said it. Do you, any of you lack wisdom? I know you can think of other
people that lack wisdom. I can too. That's not hard, is
it? The hard part is looking in the
mirror and not just agreeing with it, but feeling it. Knowing
it in your heart. I'm an idiot unless God gives
me some wisdom. And wisdom and knowledge are
not the same thing. You can't be wise without knowledge,
can you? You gotta know some things in
order to be wise. But you can have knowledge, a
lot of knowledge, and be a fool. Paul said, if I have all knowledge
and don't have the love of God in my heart, I'm nothing. I'm nothing. Knowledge alone,
in fact, makes a man a fool every time. Every time. Solomon was
told by God to ask for anything that he wanted. How would you
like God to ask you that? He said, just ask me and I'll
give it to you, whatever it is. What would you ask for? Solomon
said, Lord, give me wisdom. I think the Lord already had,
don't you? I think he already had. And having
that gift from God, Solomon said, wisdom is the principal thing. Therefore, get wisdom. Do you hear the simplicity of
the language? Wisdom is the principal thing. Therefore, get wisdom. And with all thy getting, get
understanding. Proverbs 4, 7. Knowledge agrees
with the gospel. I know that. When I preach, you
may say, I know that. Then you may thank God that you
know that. But wisdom acts upon it. Wisdom
does the gospel. Knowledge declares that God is
sovereign. Wisdom bows to Him. Martha had knowledge. Do you
remember the story where Martha was a cumbered about much serving?
And she said to the Lord Jesus, make Mary get up and help me.
She's not doing anything but sitting there at Your feet and
I've got things to do. Making dinner for the Lord, you
know. She needs to get up and help me. And the Lord said, Martha,
Martha, you're cumbered about with much serving, but there's
one thing that's needful, and Mary chose that. Martha had knowledge. If you had asked her, who are
you serving dinner to today? She'd say, why, the Son of God.
The Messiah is here, and we're going to feed Him. He ought to
be feeding us, but He's graciously come here and allowed us." And
she had some knowledge, didn't she? But Mary was wise unto salvation
by God's grace. She sat at His feet and listened
to His words and worshiped Him and said, we can do the dishes
later after Healings. Right now, I just want to sit
at His feet and worship Him. That's what we're doing this
morning. Or are you cumbered about with all kinds of concerns
and cares? We can do all that later. But
sit at His feet this morning. Worship Him. Hear His words. And drink them in. And worship. James said, Be ye
doers of the Word and not hearers only. That's wisdom. It takes the wisdom of God. Hearing
the word will increase knowledge. You may know something. Perhaps
you've been listening to the gospel for years. You probably
could answer some questions. But a wise man does the word.
A wise man walks worthy of the calling wherewith he's called.
And that wisdom comes from God. That takes grace. That takes
grace, my friends. Lord, give me wisdom. to hear
the facts about you, but beyond that, to take them to heart,
to hear and learn of you, and take your yoke upon me, and worship. Knowledge says Jesus Christ died
on a cross, was buried, and rose again. I've heard that definition
of the Gospel many times in my life. Wisdom trusts Him. Wisdom owns Him as my sin offering,
not just an acknowledgment of the fact that He shed blood,
but to see my sins washed away in that blood. To acknowledge Him as my sin
offering and my righteousness before God, to own Him as such,
to bow to Him as such, to embrace Him as such, to believe on Him
as such, my sin offering, my righteousness. The devils in
Matthew chapter eight knew who Christ was, didn't they? They
said, oh, you son of God, have you come to torment us before
our time? They not only knew who he was,
but they knew what he was going to do. They understood some doctrines,
they had knowledge, didn't they? But it drove them to ask him.
They sought to escape him, didn't they? They said, just send us
away. We don't want to suffer before our time. Send us away
from you. Let us go into those swine over
there so that we don't have to be in your presence. The Apostle
Peter, by God's grace, had some wisdom. And when asked by the
Lord Jesus if he wanted to leave with the others who did, when
he preached the gospel, the gospel of the inability of man, he said,
you can't come to me, except my father does something for
you. And many walked no more with him. And he said to Peter
and the others, are you going with him? And by God's grace,
Peter said, where would we go? That's wisdom. He had more than
just the knowledge that those devils had. He had the grace of God. He had
that which Paul said to Timothy, the scriptures are able to make
thee wise unto salvation. In the hands of the Almighty
God, By the operation of the Holy Spirit, what I'm doing this
morning is able to make you wise unto salvation. It pleased God
by the foolishness of this right here to save them that believe.
Oh, don't ever take for granted the Gospel of Christ. And may
He not let me do that. To whom shall we go? Thou hast
the words of eternal life. It was more than just bare knowledge,
wasn't it? He had Christ Himself who is the wisdom of God. And
as I said already, that takes grace. That takes the grace of
God. Do you see the next phrase in
our text? Perhaps you're honest enough to say, I do lack wisdom. Perhaps you've thought of some
situations recently in which you have not acted very wisely.
You can believe I searched my heart a little bit as I studied
this. Do any of you lack wisdom? Where will you get it? Where
will you get wisdom from? Perhaps you've read a lot of
books. You're reading a lot of books and study the Bible a lot.
That's good. I recommend that. I insist upon
it. I exhort you to do that. I can
tell you some good books to read. But you can't get wisdom there.
You can surround yourself with the wisest of men in this world.
And I mean in spiritual, godly wisdom. You can't get wisdom
from them. Do any of you lack wisdom? Let
him ask. You're going to have to come
back to where it all started, at his feet. You're going to
have to come back to the feet of Christ and say, Oh Lord, give
me wisdom. Give me wisdom. Ask of God. The disciples I prayed
this one time, Lord, increase our faith. Have you ever prayed
that to God? Increase my faith. Where'd you
get faith to begin with from Him? How's it going to increase? Let Him ask. Let Him ask. The disciples heard the Lord
Jesus Christ praying one day. They overheard him pray, and
he prayed in their presence a lot. He said there at the grave of
Lazarus, I believe it was, I know, Lord, that you hear me always,
but because of those that are standing around here, I said
it. To teach us, isn't he gracious that way? To teach us. When they heard him pray one
time, and they said after he was finished, they came to him
and they said, Lord, teach us to pray. I'm sure they had prayed
before that, don't you imagine? If you ever heard him pray, you
know what you would do? Exactly what they did. Lord,
I don't know how to pray. Teach me. Teach me. Let him ask. Everything worth having comes
from him. And we need it. We need it. Let him ask. Look
at verse 17 of the context of our study here. Look at verse
17, James chapter 1. Every good gift and every perfect
gift is from above. Our faith, Lord, increase our
faith. Lord, teach us to pray. Lord,
give us wisdom. Every good and perfect gift comes
from Him. It comes down from the Father
of lights with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Where
are you going to get wisdom? Let him ask. And the word here
is beg. Are you a mercy beggar? Are you
a beggar at the feet of Christ? You know, he always had mercy
on beggars. Did you notice that? Those who begged him for what
they needed, for what they really needed. Oh, Lord, if you will,
you can make me clean. I will. Lord, that I might receive
my sight. It's done. It means to beg. It means to crave. It means to
desire. If you come begging for wisdom,
if you come begging God for true godly wisdom, did you know He's
already given you some? Or you wouldn't be asking for
it. And then notice what it says
here in our text. Look at the next phrase. If any
of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God. He gives to all liberally. You notice men is in italics
there. He gives to his people. He gives to his, that's who this
book is written to. He said, my brethren in verse
two, the Lord gives. He said to him that hath shall
be given more and to him that hath not, it'll be taken away
even what he thinks he has. But the Lord gives to all his
people liberally. Am I one of his people? Let him ask. Do you have a need? Do you lack
anything? Do you lack righteousness? Do
you lack forgiveness? Do you lack grace? Do you lack
wisdom? Anything. Ask God. That's what
that leopard did. You know what he lacked? Health.
But he said, Lord, if you want to, you can make me healthy.
It's done. Let him ask. Why ask him? He gives liberally. He gives
openly. He gives without reservation.
Do you know what this word means? He gives simply. What does that
mean? What's simple giving? No strings
attached. No conditions. He didn't say,
well, if you ask enough, if you ask enough times or you believe
enough, you know, that's what religion talks about. You know,
have enough. If you have enough faith, you
know, if if you're sick, it's because you just don't have enough
faith. Maybe you're sick because God wants you to be sick. Maybe that doesn't have anything
to do with it. We don't, any of us have enough faith. You hear
the self-righteousness in that kind of reasoning? I'm not sick,
so yeah. Sorry you don't have enough faith. Some of us are
okay, you know. Oh my, God hates a proud look. Let him ask. Ask the one that
gives simply. No strings. You know, I've always
got somebody in this world trying to give me something. How about
you? They try to give it to me on my TV. They try to give it
to me through the email. They try to give it to me. Whenever
I see the word free, I just cringe, don't you? Get a phone call. Vicki got a call the other day.
Something's free. Hang up! Hang up! They're wanting you to have something
alright, but it's not simple. It's complicated. There's more
to it than you just getting something from them. Not with God. He has it. You need it. You ask
Him. You got it. Is that simple enough
for you? God gives freely, simply, openly,
liberally, and he doesn't upbraid. What does that mean? He upbraid,
did you see that in the text? He upbraideth not. Ask of God. Don't come to God demanding anything
or saying I'm ready to receive something from you now. I've
decided I want this and so give it to me. Ask him, beg him. That's the way you've got to
come now if you're going to receive. And he doesn't upbraid. It means to reproach or to cast
in one's teeth. Have you ever had that happen
to you when you ask somebody for something? You know, there are some people
in this world that I don't want doing anything for me. Are you
like that? I don't want them to do anything
for me because I know if they do, I'll never hear the end of
it as long as I live. Our Lord's not that way. He's
not that way. They'll brag about it and they'll
never let you forgive it. They'll do it begrudgingly to
begin with. I'd rather do without their help. Thank you very much.
Wouldn't you? I'll just muddle through on my own. How about
you? God doesn't make you wish you
hadn't asked. He's not like us, is He? Aren't
you glad He's not like us? Isn't that a blessing and an
encouragement? Ask of God. Ask of God. Let Him ask of God.
He's liberal. He just simply gives you what
you need. And He won't upbraid you. He won't cast it in your teeth.
What if you asked God for something and He said this to you? You
don't appreciate what I've already given you. Could you argue with that? Aren't you glad He upbraideth
not? What if you said, God, I need
your wisdom, and He said, you've taken what I've already given
you and consumed it on your own lusts, and haven't glorified
me in it? Could you argue with that? Bless His holy, gracious name.
He gives liberally. He gives openly. He gives simply. And there's one more admonition
here in this, and we'll be through. Ask in faith. Ask in faith. Nothing wavering. This is so,
so important and misunderstood by religion. He's saying this, be resolved
in your heart concerning what you ask God for. If you're unstable
and double-minded, In verse 8 there, did you see verse 8? We haven't
read that far ahead. Look at it. A double-minded man
is unstable in all of his ways. Do you know what that's talking
about? Hot one day, cold the next. On the one hand, you know,
but on the other hand, a double-minded man, desiring
wisdom from God, asking wisdom from God one day and indifferent
the next. The Lord said, you're lukewarm.
He said, I would that you were hot or cold. And because you're
not, because you're on again, off again, I'll spit you out
of my mouth. You see how we need him? Does
anybody lack wisdom? Ask, but don't be an unstable,
double-minded person. If you are, be honest and don't
even act. Listen to what he said now. This
unstable, double-minded person, he won't receive anything from
God. Don't come before God that way. And you know who this is? It's just simply the fleshly,
carnal man. The unregenerate man, lost man,
man in his natural condition, who has some knowledge, but no
real heart for God or His wisdom. That's exactly who he's talking
about. Listen to this verse. This is an interesting verse.
Proverbs 17, 16. Wherefore is there a price in
the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it?
Do you see how that's exactly what James is talking about here? What are you doing coming before
God saying, I want wisdom, and I'll be glad to earn it? I'd
be glad to pay for it. What are you doing coming before
God like that when you don't want wisdom no more than anything
in the world? What you want is pleasure for yourself. And
you think wisdom will get that for you, so you're asking. You want to consume it on your
own lusts. You want something that you think
will promote you. will make you greater, will make
you wiser, will make you more comfortable and more prosperous
in this world. That's not the wisdom of God.
Oh no, you don't have any heart for true wisdom. You're wanting
the wisdom of the flesh is what you're wanting. That's not wisdom.
That's foolishness. Our brother read that. You just
think it's wisdom. So what are you doing coming
before God asking when you don't want what you're asking for?
That's what he's talking about right here. And all believers are both carnal
and spiritual, aren't we? Do we waver? Both believers are carnal and
spiritual. The flesh is the flesh, and the
Spirit is the Spirit. And that doesn't change. In the
flesh, Paul said, "...warth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against
the flesh." Does that mean we're always going back and forth?
No! Not as believers. Not all the time. If the flesh
is always winning and there's never any spiritual maturity
or constancy, then is there truly any spiritual life? Is God the author of double-mindedness
and inconstancy? He said, the wicked are like
the waves of the sea, never resting, always stirring up mire. But
the godly aren't that way. And I'm talking about godly in
Christ Jesus, because we're not godly any other way. But we're
a new creature in Him, aren't we? Yes, that's still there.
Yes, the turmoil. Yes, the battle is raging in
our hearts, the flesh against the spirit and the spirit against
the flesh. But sin shall not have dominion
over you. And in the things of God, there's
a faithfulness by His grace, isn't there? James said, if there's
not, then you're not going to get anything from God. You're
not talking to the unbeliever, is you? We've already mentioned
that here. You're not talking to all men. He's talking to all
His people. Because not all men will receive
anything from God. And that's so clear here. Paul
said in Romans 8, we walk not after the flesh, but after the
Spirit. Is that true or not? Our walk,
of course we still have flesh in us, and of course it still
acts out, but what's your walk like? And I know this, you can't
look to yourself for any comfort in this. If you're examining
yourself and saying, am I faithful or am I not? You know what you're
going to find out? You're not. And that's not what James is
saying for us to do here, to examine ourselves, and to find
comfort in the fact, you know, that we're not double-minded.
No, that's not. Our comfort is in looking to
Him, not looking to the flesh. But what he is saying is this,
there are those who ask God sincerely, asking, begging, knowing that
if we have anything, it's going to come from Him. He's got to
give it to us or we're not going to have it. We're going to continue
to be foolish idiots unless He blesses us. And they come asking
sincerely with a committed heart, knowing that having his wisdom
may cost the flesh." That's all right. It doesn't
matter. What is that? Paul said, I've suffered the
loss of all things and count them, but dumb! That's the way
you come, right there. There are those who ask sincerely
with a committed heart, and there are those who ask, good word,
amiss. Have you heard that word before?
James 4.3, same book, a little later in the context. He said
in James 4.3, you ask and receive not because you ask amiss. The Lord said, ask and you shall
receive. But there's a way to ask, isn't
there? And there's a way not to ask. He said you ask amiss. That's why you didn't get anything
from God. The word means improperly. There's a right way and a wrong
way to ask. And here's the description that
He gives for asking amiss in that particular case. He said
you ask amiss that you may consume it upon your own lust. That word
lust there is pleasure. It's not talking about the way
we normally would use that word. Anything that you ask for your
own pleasure, to receive something to make you pleased, to make
you happy, but not for God's glory. You're not getting it
because God's going to be glorified and you're going to be put in
the dust no matter what you ask. You're not going to get it if
you're asking to glorify yourself. God said, I will not give my
glory unto another. I will not. Finally, let me just make this
point because this is so prevalent in religion. I don't hear this
phrase so much anymore, but the spirit of it is strong in this
world. The name it and claim it philosophy. Have you heard of that? Like
I said, I don't hear that phrase much anymore, but that's what,
that's what passes for faith in religion is that if you just
believe it strongly enough, it's the power of positive thinking.
That's what it is. You know, Zig Ziglar, you know,
preached that a long time ago. The power of, if you just keep
thinking, the Lord's going to do this for me, the Lord's going
to, that's not faith. That's just what passes for faith
in the wisdom of men, which is foolishness. Faith believes that
God is able to give you anything He wants to give you. Faith believes
that He doeth all things well and that whatever He does will
be right. And that's how you come to God and ask. Faith waits on God and trusts
Him to do what's right no matter what it is we're asking for.
Paul said, we know not what we should pray for as we ought in
Romans 8. Are you honest enough to admit that? Don't stop praying
because of it, but acknowledge the fact that what you're praying
for might be foolishness. and that God knows what's right
for you. He knows what's good for you,
His child. And He knows how to give good
gifts to His children. You don't. Religious presumption says, God
will grant my request because I believe enough. Faith says,
whether God grants my request or not, He's God. and he's able
to grant my request and he will do what's right and by his grace
I'll bless his name either way. That's faith. Let him ask in
faith. Religion would come to the Lord
Jesus this way. I know that thou wilt make me
clean. I believe you will. But wisdom
comes saying, Lord, if you will, you can make me clean. You see
the difference? Not presumptuous. Let him beg. If you're not good with begging,
then don't bother asking. Because that's what we are. And that's just the problem.
Most people are not good with begging. You're going to have to come
before God and you're going to have to fall on your face before Him.
And say, if you don't give me wisdom, I'll go on being a fool. Matthew 7, 7. Turn there with
me. I'm through. This is the last
verse. Matthew 7, 7. Now that we know
what it is to truly ask, not amiss, but ask in faith, Believing
who He is and what He's done for us. What He's able to do
for us. Is anything too hard for God?
Scripture asks. Listen to Matthew 7.7. Ask. There's our Word. Don't come
telling God what you expect Him to do. What you've believed enough,
you know, for Him to do. And now you expect Him to do
it? I read a book one time that was
based on that entire philosophy, that we're to come commanding
God. Don't you dare do that. Don't
do that. Let him ask. Ask, and it shall be given you. Seek, and you shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened
unto you. For everyone that asketh, receiveth."
What if somebody's asking a miss? He's not talking to you. He's
not talking to you. He's talking to his sheep. This
whole book is God speaking to His sheep. The Gospel is for
His sheep. For everyone that asketh, receiveth. Isn't that a blessing? And he
that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be
opened. And listen to this argument.
Let's see if you can argue with this. What man is there of you,
whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? You going
to accuse God of that? If he asks for bread, Would you
give him a stone? Let me ask you this. If he asked
for candy at suppertime, what would you give him? Bread. Real food, probably, right? That's what our Lord does. He
doesn't always give us exactly what we ask for, but it won't
be worse than what we asked for. I guarantee you that. It'll be
better, won't it? That's better than giving us
what we ask for. Do you see that? God give me
grace to see that. He knows what we should have
asked for and that's what he gives us. That doesn't diminish this. It
goes beyond what we think it is to receive. If he asks a fish, would you
give him a serpent? If you then being evil..." Anybody? He just assumes that,
doesn't he? It's just the truth. You're evil.
Did you know that? Can you submit to God's truth?
Or are you going to go with your opinion of yourself? If you then
being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children, How
much more shall your Father, which is in heaven, give good
things to them that ask Him?" We accuse God of giving us a
stone sometimes, don't we? Because He didn't give us what
we asked for. Oh, our Heavenly Father is gracious, and He does
us one better. He said, no good thing will I
withhold from them that love me. No good thing. He not only gives us what we
ask for when it's right, but he gives us what we don't ask
for when it's better than what we ask for. And not only that,
he gives us every good thing that we don't have sense enough
to ask for. How are you going to beat that? Let's bow in prayer.