James 1:6-8—Ask in faith
But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:6-8
You need wisdom when you encounter various trials, and God is the One who has it to give. He is generous with His wisdom and gives it without the tiniest bit of disapproval. But along with the other three keys He provides to overcome in trials—joy, endurance, and wisdom—you’ll need a fourth key, too. That key is faith.
Ask God for wisdom to effectively pass your trial—and ask for it in faith.
James describes the man who asks without faith in this way: He is a doubter who is “like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.”
Think about this. James is thought to be one of Jesus’ younger brothers, and if this is so, then surely he heard the tale of that stormy night when Peter walked on the water toward Jesus. I can just hear the bonfire crackling as Peter tells the story again; the faces of those leaning in closer to hear glow with rapt attention in the flickering firelight.
“We were being battered by waves as the wind blew furiously, and then in the fourth watch, we saw Him—the Lord was walking toward us on the sea!
“‘It’s a ghost!’ some yelled. But, no—‘It is I’ said the Lord. ‘Take courage and don’t be afraid!’
“I couldn’t contain myself any longer, so I shouted to Him over the storm, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water!’
“And He said, ‘Come.’ Just that. And I came…I walked on top of the water.”
I can picture tears filling the storyteller’s eyes as he is overcome with the memory. And I imagine young James drinking it all in, bursting with love for his big Brother and Savior.
And then Peter’s voice grows softer, more difficult to hear. “But I saw the wind, brothers, and was afraid. And I sank…” Again, his voice trails off for several seconds before growing stronger. “But I cried out, ‘LORD, SAVE ME!’ and Jesus was there by my side. He reached out His hand and took hold of me, but before we got back in the boat, He asked, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’” (See Matthew 14:23-33.)
I can picture Peter, squinting through the light of the flames to gaze directly at each of the men seated near. And I imagine James sitting there, taking it all in.
When James wrote his letter, he cautioned his readers to be sure to ask God for wisdom in faith. And in my opinion, James was remembering Peter’s wave-walking experience when he compared doubters to the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. And I imagine he was envisioning Peter sink in the water when he wrote, “That man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
James’ Brother had spoken privately to Peter out there on the water before He brought him back safely to the boat. He reproved Peter—not for asking Him to bid him to leave the boat—but for his little faith and much doubting once he stepped out. Peter, I believe, not Jesus, disclosed this reprimand to everyone in order to underscore—through his own failure—the utmost importance of faith in Christ.
So when James described the one who doubts as “the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind”, he knew what he was talking about. When he wrote that doubters ought not to expect to receive anything from the Lord, he was speaking from close observation.
James also described the doubting person as a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
What does it mean to be double-minded? Double means two, so double-minded describes the doubter’s mind going in two opposing directions. This person asks God for wisdom, but at the same time he doesn’t believe that he’ll get it. Peter asked Jesus, standing right there on the sea, to bid him to walk on the water, but after he had taken a few steps on those waves, he “saw the wind boisterous”, became afraid, and sank.
James wrote that a double-minded man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, and added that such a person is unstable in all his ways.
As hard as James’ admonition is on your ego, don’t blow it off. Doubt is what causes instability in the believer, not faith—don’t get it reversed in your thinking. James likely heard the wave-walking story many times and understood that it was Peter’s doubt that caused him to sink, not the outrageousness of his decision to follow Jesus out on the water.
If you need wisdom, ask God—and ask in faith. You will receive liberally if you simply trust God to provide it. However, don’t let yourself go back and forth in your mind, wondering if God will come through. That’s doubt; and doubt makes you double-minded and unstable in all your ways. Yikes! I didn’t say it—James did!
If that steps on your toes, join the club. My toes are black and blue after reading this, and if others are honest, they’ll admit they’ve been stomped on by James’ words a time or two, as well. But you can rejoice—like Peter, you need not remain in doubt. Take the Lord at His Word from here on out, and you will be buoyed up on top of those waves. And then—look at you! You’ll be walking by faith!
Dorothy