Living in Increase (Part 1) - Increase in UnderstandingSample

The Ask for Wisdom

The Book of Jeremiah is filled with multiple accounts of when the Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah, heard from God. In the Old Testament, prophets acted as the “middle man” between God and His people. This was before Jesus and the Holy Spirit, so people did not have God’s Spirit inside them (1 Corinthians 3:16; Romans 8:9; Romans 8:11; John 14:15-31). Instead of hearing from God directly, often, people heard from God via a prophet or priest.

In Jeremiah 33, we see that God speaks to Jeremiah and tells him to ask, and He will tell Jeremiah “remarkable secrets [he does] not know about things to come” (v.3). If you recall, on the first day of this week’s reading, we studied Proverbs 2 together. In Proverbs 2, we see the phrases “cry out for insight” and “ask for understanding” (v.3). When we put these verses with Jeremiah 33:3, we see a similar theme. In short, wisdom is a gift from God (Proverbs 2:6), but God wants us to ask for it.

You see, when we call on God and spend time in His Word, we form a greater connection with Him, and connection is God’s ultimate goal. The Bible says that God is our Father (1 John 3:1, John 1:12), and like all good parents, He seeks connection with His children. At this moment, I think of one of my favorite shows, Gilmore Girls. If you know the show, there are many different family dynamics. You have Lane and her mom, who is strict and won’t let her out of sight. You have Lorelai and Rory, who are mother and daughter but have a relationship that is more like friends. Then you have Paris and her parents (seen briefly), the “rich girl” who has every possession someone could want but has no relationship with her parents. Paris’s life in this show shows that receiving material items is not enough for a child. A child desires more than gifts; she desires time and a relationship with her parents. I would venture to say that parents want the same with their children. That said, it’s easy to see why God desires us to ask Him for gifts. It’s because He ultimately wants a connection with us!

In Ephesians, the Apostle Paul says that he kept “asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give [us] the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that [we] may know Him better” (Ephesians 1:7). God wants us to ask for wisdom so we connect with Him, but He also wants to give us wisdom so we can connect with Him! Wisdom helps us know God better!

James 1:5 says to ask God if we need wisdom, and He will give it to us and not rebuke us for asking (NLT). Remember to ask God for continual wisdom as you go about your day today. Ask Him to reveal something special to you through His Word, and as you ask, be comforted with these words from Matthew 7:7:

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you” (NLT).

Emily N. Green

Action Step: Set a daily reminder on your phone to stop and ask God for wisdom.