What My Daughter's Wobbly Legs in the Ocean Taught Me About Faith
I enjoy going to the beach, but I am by no means a beach girl. I am more of a beach poser. I like the idea of the beach; I don't like the sunburns, the tromping through sand to haul out all the heavy beach gear, or the sand I'm still finding in the car a week later. My great-grandfather was Irish, and my fair skin and blue eyes can only take so much sun exposure before the sun’s warming turns into burning. Additionally, if I am being totally transparent with you, I have watched far too many episodes of Shark Week to feel comfortable in murky water.
As I gazed at my husband and daughter walking away from me, the sun beat down, warming my skin despite the ocean breeze, as I sat in my lounger with sand grinding between my toes. I continually scanned the waves for my people, their familiar heads bobbing up and down as the waves crashed against their bodies and the current drifted them farther down the beach from me. As I watched them, my mind kept drifting back to a study I'd started days earlier.
Last week, we started to examine the book of James. James, Jesus's own half-brother, hadn't believed his sibling was the Messiah. However, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, he had a change of heart and began to lead the Jerusalem church.
As a mom of children ages 3 to 12, I find it nerve-racking to let young ones into the ocean beyond a certain depth. Even a good little swimmer can get disoriented and tossed by the strength of the waves. The force of the waves crashing against even an adult’s legs can knock them off their center of gravity, sending them under the wave. I didn't yet realize how fitting that image of being tossed by the waves would become.
This week, on the very beach trip I described above, the Lord reminded me of these verses (1:5-8) in James.
5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
James is writing to a church scattered by persecution. He tells them to ask God for wisdom because He will give it generously. James encourages believers in trials to ask God for wisdom, not just to escape trouble, but to conduct themselves through pressure in accordance with God’s wisdom. According to the Greek, God’s wisdom is both technical, spiritual, practical, supernatural, and so much more.
But there is a catch: we cannot ask while doubting. James illustrates this with a simile, describing that person as a wave tossed about. The person who doubts has internal divisions within himself, wondering if God will even answer his request. This person has divided loyalties in his heart, and cannot be relied upon to receive an answer.
Jesus told His disciples something similar the night before His death: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John16:33). So, we know from last week’s devotional in James that when we experience hardship or trial, those experiences are a part of living in a world that is not redeemed from the curse of sin. We only need to stand in faith knowing He gives wisdom generously in every circumstance.
As I watched my husband and daughter play in the waves, although her tiny body was jostled by the strength of each swell of water, she remained upright in her dad’s strong hold. I think that is what God is offering to us as His children as we navigate this world. His wisdom keeps us grounded, able to stand upright. It gives us insight and courage to move forward through seasons of difficulty with confidence. Maybe I'll never be a beach girl, but I'm learning to trust the One who keeps us upright in the waves.
Prayer:
Thank You, Lord, that You are our foundation, solid ground, even when the waves around us are not. When we put our trust in You and ask for Your wisdom, we can be confident that You hear us and will direct our path. Forgive me for the times I've moved forward on my own, without stopping to ask for Your wisdom first. Teach me to ask in faith, without doubting, and to trust You to answer generously, just as You've promised. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
At this moment, what is one area in your life that you need to ask the Lord for wisdom?
The post ends with, "I'm learning to trust the One who keeps us upright in the waves." What's one situation today where you need to actively choose trust over doubt, the way James 1:6 describes?
James 1:6 says to ask "in faith, without doubting." What does doubt look like for you when you pray for wisdom — and what would trusting look like instead?
Where in your life have you moved forward without pausing to ask God for wisdom first? What made you skip that step?