I want you to think back to when you were a kid at Christmas. When it was Christmas, did you hold back at all asking for all the toys you wanted? I know I sure didn’t. I would find a catalog that was mailed to our house full of toys. I’d spend hours looking through the pages, and very carefully circling all the toys that I would like.
Then I’d be sure to tell my parents that I left the catalog full of ideas for them to get me for Christmas. I’d also be sure to give some great hints of toy ideas to my grandparents as well. Why? Because I knew they loved me. And because they loved me, they wanted to get me the things I wanted.
That’s a little like what James is talking about. Now, he’s not saying treat God like vending machine or some kind of automatic toy machine that will just pop out every request or desire you have. However, the Bible tells us that we can ask things according to God’s will.
And just like our grandparents and parents want to get us the things we desire, God does too. And if you ask according to His word, He hears you and goes to work.
But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. – James 1:6 (NIV)
So today, ask God for what you need. In the context of this verse, James was talking about wisdom. So if you need wisdom at school or how to deal with a friend, don’t be afraid to ask. Know that God loves you and wants to help you. Ask in faith without doubting and know that He wants to help you out!
