James 1:6 (NIV)—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.
My husband and I walked the trail to Rainbow Falls in the Great Smoky Mountains, unsure of the exact location of the waterfall. We crossed a bridge at a smaller waterfall, but, for some reason, we didn’t believe this to be the waterfall we sought. We trudged farther along the trail. Our legs grew tired, the trail seemed to go on and on, and we wanted nothing more than to see this waterfall. Soon, we met with other hikers, who pointed us in the direction from which we’d come.
It’s funny the things we doubt for no particular reason. We wear ourselves out, and it’s as if we’ve been bowled over by a wave while trying to figure out the situation.
If only we’d asked God for wisdom before we began our task. Surely this would save us some stress.
But when we don’t believe at first, we can learn from the situation, find the joy our trial, and still seek wisdom from God. We may be tired, confused, or exasperated, but we can rest easy knowing we’ve put the situation into God’s hands.