This episode of Clearview Today is brought to you by LaBlue Ultra Pure Water. What I love about LaBlue is they keep it simple. Hydrogen, oxygen, nothing else. They use a patented filtration process to remove any impurities and deliver ultra-pure water that you can trust. And best of all, they'll deliver it right to your office every month, right on time.
So order today online at LeBlue.com. That's L-E-B-L-E-U, and use promo code today, T-O-D-A-Y at checkout for 10% off. It's going to save you money, it's going to keep you hydrated, and support us here at the Clearview Today Show. Thanks for listening. Thanks to LeBlue for sponsoring today's episode.
Now let's jump in. Every trial we face eventually comes to a decision. But how do I know that that decision is going to be the right one? And more importantly, am I on the hook for this all on my own? Helping you make that decision coming up right now on the Clear Read Today Show.
You're listening to Clearview Today with Dr. Abadan Shah, the daily show that engages mind and heart for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm Ryan Hill. I'm John Galantis. Welcome back to the Clearview Today Studio with our host, Dr.
Abadan Shah. If you're listening for the very first time today, we want to say welcome. Thank you for listening to the show. We want to let you know exactly who's talking to you. Dr.
Shah is a PhD in New Testament textual criticism professor at Carolina University, author, full-time pastor, and the host of today's show. Dr. Shah got a great discussion on the board today. Yes, we're talking about wisdom. Yes, that's right.
The one thing we're all trying to get. The one thing we're all can't mind. It's difficult to come by. We can't pay for it, but somehow. We can ask for it and God will freely give it.
That's right. That's right. You know, we've been talking through the book of James, right? We finished up our series on Job, and a lot of people were writing in asking what the next walkthrough is going to be. And we somehow landed on James, which is something that you've preached through back in 2003, right?
2003, 2011. I've thought about preaching on it again, but I feel like I need to have some time there. 2003 is crazy because I was in. Sixth grade. Yeah.
Yeah. I was in the sixth grade. I was in, yeah, I was in the sixth grade in 2003. That's in high school. Yeah.
That's funny. And then 2011, I was my first year of college. Wow. That was the second time around. Wow.
And this is such a good book. You know, you can read this book every time and find something new. I'm talking about the book of James more specifically. You can find applications that you didn't think about before, but you find it each time you read. And it is such a practical book.
It is so relevant, so easy to understand. And yet, there's deeper meanings there. Not something you're superimposing or purposely looking for, but they're already there.
So even though I'm going through this, I would say probably for the fourth or fifth time, maybe, because it's not just that I preached in 2003 and 2011, but I also did a series on James, this exact series, at a family camp in Bryson City, which is up in the mountains of North Carolina. Then I also did this with my staff when I was a principal. I led the staff in the book of James for like two, three months.
So, personally, I've gone through it like four to five times. Yeah. And we've probably said this on the show, but I love that kind of continuation of thought. If we were in Job and we're watching someone walk through trials, then we get to James and it says, when you encounter trials, here's how you handle them. Yeah, and it's cool too, because even though you're going through it four or five times, like you said, you're finding something new.
It's not that it's like, I have to think of something new to say. It's like, no, the more you read through it, you find the new things. God has brought you to new places throughout the years. And you're seeing how those experiences, just like James says, those trials have brought you to decisions that you've made and new avenues of thought and study. Yeah, the Bible is that kind of a book because it is the word of God.
It's the revealed word of God. It's the inspired, God-breathed word. It is inerrant and all the rest of the attributes that go with it. But what does that mean? It means that, yes, on one level, it is very simple, very easy to understand.
But then there's so much depth in the word. that you can come back to it again and again and not exhaust The richness of the Word of God.
So, also with the book of James, even though I'm doing this now for the sixth time, because I'm also doing this with our. Our college and career ministry is called Converge right here, Clearview. And these are young adults who are in either college or they've just started a career. And I'm walking through this. What better book to walk to this with them than through the book of James?
That's right. That's right. We talked on yesterday's episode about your greatest need in a trial. When you're in that season of just in the thick of it, life is difficult. You're trying to figure out which way to go, trying to make the best decision.
Your greatest need is not endurance, it's not determination. Your greatest need is wisdom. And yeah, and the reason that wisdom is your greatest need is because the trial is necessarily going to bring you to a decision. That was something that even before this discussion, I hadn't thought about. You know, we think that this trial is like, all right, this is a rough period, grit your teeth, get through it, but it's going to bring you to a moment of crisis or a moment of decision-making.
And that's needed wisdom. Every trial has that fork in the road. Where you have to decide which way you're going to go. It doesn't matter which trial it is, maybe financial problems, family problems, relationship problems, spiritual problems, physical problems, whatever the problems are, there's always that decision: which road are we going to take? Are we going to take the road that is most comfortable?
Or are we going to take the road that may be uncomfortable in the moment, but in the long run, it will be profitable? Are we going to take a shortcut? And try to bypass the lessons just so we can go ahead and have some relief? Or are we going to go ahead and face the difficult times? And then see God's work in our lives and in the situation and learn something new about him.
Most people would rather take the shortcut. I just want this to be over. I want to get on the other side and I'll learn that lesson later on. I've got eternity to learn lessons about God. Wow.
And that's not how things work. And some people may call that a cop-out or they may say, you know, yeah, that's what people with religion do. They always have a reason or an explanation for why things don't work out for them. They always have this God reason. I don't think so.
And they have a right to believe any way they want to. I disagree. And I have 66 books in the scriptures that also disagree with them. That's right. Because God's people have faced difficult times, and the thing they needed the most was wisdom.
And so we talked about that, you know, the reason that we need wisdom. But today, Dr. Shum, maybe we can talk about this, how you actually get it. Because if you tell people, all you have to do is ask for it. That sounds like it's too good.
To be true, that sounds like no, there's got to be some sort of catch. How do I earn the wisdom? Yeah, no, it's simply asking. James says right here, James chapter 1, verse 5: If any of you lacks wisdom, which is sort of sarcastic, like, do you lack wisdom? And the answer is, of course, I do.
Let him ask of God. Let her ask of God.
So we recognize that the source of wisdom is God. Yes, we may be tempted to immediately run off to Amazon or Barnes and Noble's or Books a Million or some Christian bookstore and say, I need wisdom, what's a good book on it? And yes, if it's a Christian book that is based on the Bible, yes, great. But if it's not a Christian book, if it's not based on the Bible, then you are turning to the wrong source for wisdom. Let him or let her ask of God.
The source of wisdom. And I'm talking about true wisdom. I don't even know why I need to qualify that because there's only one wisdom. But the source of wisdom is God. Proverbs chapter 2, verse 6 says, For the Lord gives wisdom, from his mouth come knowledge.
and understanding. Yeah. Lord gives wisdom. God gives wisdom. Yeah, I think about like the landscape that we're in today where people face a trial, and then I don't even know how many people would run even to a Barnes and Noble, even to a bookstore.
They're going to turn to TikTok. They're going to turn to teenagers on like, think about that. There are grown people in America today going through real trial, and they will turn to 20-something-year-olds on TikTok telling them how to get out of their problem. You know why? Why is that?
It's because everybody who is on TikTok now and knows anything about TikTok, it's very easy for them to look like a professional. It's very easy to appear. Learn it and to appear like an expert in the field when you're on TikTok, even if you're 16, 17, 18 years old. You just got to have confidence. You do.
Just have the slow blink. Yeah. You have to, all you have to do is bury your talking speed just like this. If you really want to mess with people, here's what you do: you talk just like this, and then you just take something that they expect and you flip it.
So instead of living your life where your expectations are based on your conclusions, really, it's your conclusions that you're based on your expectations. And have you noticed that that's the exact cadence that Chat GPT uses? I was going to say somebody send me a check for that. I just changed your life. Make it out to the Clearview Today show.
It's crazy. You can seriously, and I'm saying this because I have done it. You can chat GPT a script on a topic, put it in a teleprompter app. Cut it up on TikTok and get millions of hits. Oh, no, and that's what people are doing.
And people will be like, that guy is so wise. I put zero work into what I'm saying. But that's where the world is turning to. And it's going to have disastrous consequences. If not, the consequences have already begun.
And you can see that in the lives of people, the decisions they are making, the opinions they have, the convictions that they are building. I mean, it's all a mess. It doesn't line up with the Bible. And yet they're forging forward feeling Very high-minded, you know, they're coming from a high ground, you know, talking about everybody not getting it, and they're getting it. I mean, they're getting it.
Shucks. I don't even get it. The only thing I know is the Bible gets it.
So that's a great point. Is it fair to say that people who have that level of confidence, like you guys don't understand? I've got it. I'm clued in. I've got my finger on the pulse.
Is it fair to say that? Maybe not everybody, but most people who adopt that kind of vernacular, that stance, really are clueless as to what they're talking about. 100%. They simply want to feel significant. And they are using this makeshift platform, copying somebody they saw on a TikTok podcast and wondered in their hearts why them not me.
And so now they are all of a sudden becoming very opinionated, very sarcastic. questioning you Challenging you, doubting you. I mean, it's just, it's, it's, it's silly. And I'm like, you get one shot at life and you're wasting it this way.
Meanwhile, a hard cut back over to the Bible that says, if anyone acts, like, lacks wisdom, let him ask of God. And just crickets. They have zero of the Bible in their hearts. Zero of the life of Jesus in them. This is just, and guess what?
This is not just coming out of their empty soul. This is coming out of the pit of hell. Because there is no empty souls. This is either you're full of Jesus or you're full of the devil. Right.
So, yeah, you're going to be filled up with something. That's a great point. Yeah. So. Let him ask of God.
God is the source of wisdom, as Proverbs talks about that. And of course, Solomon. When he became the king after his father, he prayed that prayer. He said, Lord, I'm nothing, I'm nobody. And God appeared to Solomon and said, What shall I give you?
And he could have asked for anything in the world. And he asked for wisdom. He said, God, I am just a kid. I'm a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.
I mean, that's humility. Maybe some of the people who are wanting to be some kind of an influencer need to realize humility is the place to begin. 100%. Humility, what are you doing? Anyways.
And so he says, please give your servant an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and evil. And of course I mentioned the last show how When I was starting seminary, you know, I grew up in a Christian home. I grew up in a. Good home, had great education, came here, lost my focus. And then when I got You know, back on track because God called me in the ministry, all of a sudden, my head is in the right direction.
I can see, okay, this is where God's called me. I realized very quickly that wisdom was lacking In my mind, in my heart. I felt it sitting in those classes, sitting in the seminary chapels. I would go, Man, I just don't get it. I do not get it.
And I know somebody's out there going like, what do you mean you don't get it? I don't know. I could tell that there was a huge. you know, gap. In my understanding of what is God doing, how God moves, what does He need me to do, which direction is He taking me, how does life work?
Yeah, I could memorize vocabulary. I could I was getting hundreds in my Language quizzes and theology exams. I was doing great. That was not the issue. It was just There was a sense of fuzziness in my thinking.
And and I was like I got to have wisdom.
So you ask for wisdom, God delivers wisdom, but it's not like he just beams wisdom into your head. It's through the experiences of your life. Do you want to talk a little bit about how that's not God, quote unquote, helping you out? That's like a fulfillment of the promise that he made to you through his word. Yeah, I mean, he didn't just say, okay, here are three books.
If you just master these three books, you will have all the wisdom. It didn't happen like that. Yes, there were books. He didn't say, if you go follow this man right here, he's going to give you all the wisdom. But there were mentors that came in and out of my life.
It was not just one thing or the other. It was many different things and circumstances of life. that also were very instrumental in my growth. When it came comes to w when it came to wisdom. Mm-hmm.
But what I want us to understand is My life was so Built upon the Bible at the time. It was not just a book or a mentor or. Circumstances in life, it was the Bible was my guide. I began to read the Bible, I began to study the Bible. And this was much more than just seminary.
Education, reading and studying the Bible. This was personal growth. And I began to go through that. This is about the time I went through experiencing God with Henry Blackabee's work. I know people, some people like it, some people don't.
You know, it's kind of mixed reviews. But at the time, in my life, that was very helpful to know how do you know God's will. Where is God? You know, when you see God moving, you join Him, kind of thing. And that helped me tremendously in my.
walk, I guess, towards wisdom.
So how does God give us? It says right h here, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. Liberally means generously. God doesn't just give you one little drop of wisdom, He gives to you and me liberally. Just I mean Mm-hmm.
Just basket full. Right.
Just truckloads of wisdom. Not just a little bit, he gives you tons more. And it's all because you're asking. Right.
That's what he wants. Like, like I think about my kid. Like, when my kid asks, hey, can I have a little bit more dinner? Like, I'm going to give him as much as I feel like he's going to eat and more. Right.
You know, I feel like that, like, that's that relationship, that father-son or that father-daughter relationship between the asker and God. Yeah. What you just said is interesting to me, Dr. Shah, because you said that God's going to give it to him because he's asking. It's not an ask or a one-time thing.
Is it an ongoing, I'm continuing to ask God? In a sense, yeah, yeah. You don't ever stop asking. I mean, even to this day, I ask, even this morning in my devotional time, I ask for wisdom in certain situations. And guess what?
As I was reading scripture, God showed me something very profound and it helped me. Wow. It helped me. I mean, it was like. It was the answer to my prayers.
That's awesome. How to face certain situations. And it was just like right there as I began my devotional time.
Now, it doesn't always happen that way.
Sometimes it is going weeks, not hearing the answer.
Sometimes it is reading this book, that book, and then that book. all of a sudden you see The answer to your prayers. But today's devotional, I saw it right there. Yeah. Well, it just always reminds me of the promise.
You know, I think even Jesus said that. Like, if you ask, it will be given to you. Right.
You know, and that's the reason that we don't have is because we're not asking. And I know we've talked about this on episodes of prayer where people feel like, well, I don't want to bother God with this. This isn't worthy of his time or his effort. Or I feel like I can manage this on my own. But we find, I think Christians find all sorts of reasons and excuses just to not pray, to not ask.
Like, even then, like when we pray, a lot of times when we pray, it's just thanking God, which is important, but it's just a lot of time spent thanking God before we ever ask for anything. I think we just have a poor understanding of what prayer is and the importance of prayer in our lives. I mean, I would hate it if my kids said, I don't want to bring this to dad because he's got enough to worry about. I don't want him to bother him with this. That would make me feel terrible.
I'd be like, no, absolutely. The important thing is not really to ask dad for what he needs. We got to make dad feel good. Thank dad for who. Thank you, Dad, for being my dad.
We got to make dad feel good who you are. Dad, you are so big. You're so great. Everything I have is because of you. And so I just want to acknowledge first and foremost, I'm nothing without you, Dad.
Yeah. It's like, geez, man, what do you want? What do you want? Yeah. You know, John R.
Rice, who wrote a book years ago called Asking and Receiving. And this is a book on prayer. And I have read it several times. I've recommended it to other people. And at first, it sounds like, man, that is so selfish, self-centered that all you think is.
Ask and receive from God. Yeah, that's how you find it in the Bible. Yeah. Yeah. And see, I was, I remember being when I first got saved, I was taught the one thing God is chiefly concerned about is his glory.
That's what he wants. Always open. And seriously, I was told, always open your prayers, glorifying God, because that's what he wants above all. Yes, he wants to help you, but what he really wants is to be glorified by you.
So. Starting in. Make sure you hit that. And sure enough, I mean, even today, I still struggle with God, you're so glorious, you're so big. And God, I can picture God like, yes, yes, okay, I know.
I mean, we think about the Lord's Prayer, which is really the disciples' prayer. We think that's what's happening there. Not really. It's still prayer, it's still something Jesus is asking for.
So. Our Father who art in heaven. That's the most when it comes to a casual. Not casual, that's just the opening designation, if you will, that is not asking. Right.
The very next thing. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Means he's praying for that. God, your name be glorified, or glorify your name in heaven. Hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come. That's a prayer. We want to say that. It's not just a declaration, God. I don't know how to say that.
I mean, your kingdom come. I mean, it's a prayer. He's asking for God's kingdom to come. Your will be done. It's a prayer.
It's not a declaration. On earth as it is in heaven, give us this day. We think, okay, that's where the asking begins. No, that's more about personal needs. But even prior to that, he's praying, Jesus is teaching his disciples to pray for God's will, God's kingdom, all this to be done.
On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses. I mean, now again, he's asking as we forgive those who trespass against us, lead us not into temptation. Again, the whole prayer is him asking it.
But deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. I mean, maybe the last part. And maybe the first line are all about the declaration, but the rest is simply asking, asking, asking, asking, asking. That's right.
That's a great point. I was sitting here thinking, I was like, maybe have we lost that in translation somewhere? Have we maybe, maybe that's more highlighted in the original Greek? But even, even the English construction that we have, your kingdom come, that's that's a repetition. That's an ask.
That's not just saying your kingdom is coming one day, Lord. Yeah, it's exactly what you're putting your kingdom here. Yeah, yeah. Make your kingdom real now. Exactly.
Let your will be done. Accomplish your purpose here. It's asking. That's 100%. It's not a declaration.
Yeah. It changes our view of what even the Lord's Prayer is. And ask Jesus was giving us that picture for an example. That's right. And as a Christian, think back.
Like, if you're a Christian, you're listening to this, then chances are you've sat through at least five or six hundred. Times in your life where you took up prayer requests, right? Hey, has anybody got any prayer requests? Anything we can pray for? I don't think I can count on a single hand the amount of times I've ever heard anyone say, Can we just ask for wisdom?
Can we just, can I need some wisdom? Yeah, I've never heard it. Seriously, even myself, I've never said it. It's not something that we, especially not in a group, but it's just not something that we ask for. And to our own detriment, because when you don't ask, you don't receive.
That's why we are in a mess. And then it's also. Not only does he give wisdom to us liberally, but also without reproach. Without reproach means without finding fault. What we think is that if I ask God for something.
You know, he's going to first say, okay, now let's check the list. Have you done all that I've asked you to do? Mm-hmm. Have you been checking all the lists for me? Ah, I see two things I'm missing.
Oh, you missed that one. Not right now. Go on back. Get everything done. I imagine like that big red buzzer on America's Got Talent just like the cane from the Apollo comes out and takes them away.
Yep. Go to the back of the line. Once you get all this paper, this form filled in. Did you fill out the 1170? No.
You got to fill out the 1170. Not the forms of private. Have you ever been to some of those government offices where they talk like that? Lord, it's so. Oh, my word.
They talk so down to you, so rudely. This right here, sir, that's what you need to do. Did you fill it out? No. I didn't know I did.
No, I can still hear that it's not filled out. It hurts my head. It doesn't even say that. God doesn't do that. Isn't that great?
Amen. He does not tell Michael and Gabriel not like, did you fail this?
Okay, I cannot help you there. Go on back. No, sir. They don't do that. They're like, hey, come on in.
What do you need? I need wisdom.
Okay, how much do you want? As much as you give me.
Well, if you want more, we can give you more. That's right. Okay, I would like to have more. Yeah, please.
Okay, yeah, here you go. Here you go. You need it in your family? Yes. In your marriage?
Yes. With your children? Yes. In your church family, yes. In your community, in your nation, you need wisdom?
Here it is. God gives it to us. And I know personally, I am where I am today is because God has given me the wisdom that I asked for. That's right. So Then it says something very important right here.
The only condition that is needed. for getting this kind of wisdom. It's fate. Mm. It's faith.
It says right here in verse 6, but let him ask in faith with no doubting. For he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
So what is the prerequisite? It's not like I am sinless. I serve in church. I am doing the best I can. I'm trying to evangelize people.
giving my tithe to the church. None of that is used. What it said is. You got to ask in faith, though. Yeah.
Yeah. That's a powerful statement. We've done episodes on doubt before, and maybe, you know, I don't know in the time that we have that we have time to launch into this full diatribe on doubt. But I mean, everybody doubts. I think one of the things that helps when I think about a verse like this is when I very first started working out, Dr.
Shaw, we were there together. And I remember you told this to your kids, and you told it to me too. It's like when you get under the bench. and that weight comes down on you. Make up your mind.
that it's gonna move. You know what I mean? Yeah. Don't if if like in the moment, if you doubt, that weight is not going up. But it's not that like my belief magically makes that weight go up.
It's just the fact that I've made my mind up. And ever since you told me that, I've started to To pray like that. Not that my belief manifests, like, okay, I gotta trust you're gonna do it. That was the magic word. And now I know it's gonna happen, so I can trust it.
But it's just making up your mind that, God, whatever happens. I know you're going to come through because you've never not come through. That's right. Yeah. Faith.
And others may not be able to understand that. Lost people in your life may not be able to understand it. Saved people in your life may not be able to understand it. Spiritual leaders in your life, if they're not walking with Christ at the moment, may not be able to understand it. People who are close to you may not be able to understand it.
And that's okay, as long as you get it. that you are placing your faith In Jesus. You're placing your faith in the Word of God. And you're stepping out, trusting that wisdom. You have to believe that what God has said is going to happen.
This is not some wild eyed, you know, wild eyed, crazy Faith that, oh, I believe that I'm going to have a car, a Cadillac by the end of the day. It's coming right now. You know, none of that. That's silly stuff. Mm-hmm.
But faith, in the sense of I'm preaching the word. As a pastor, I'm preaching the truth of God in the integrity that God has given to me for the glory of Jesus Christ so that lost people can come, so that the Holy Spirit can use it to bring people to Christ. That when I'm preaching, God is touching lives, the hearts are being changed.
Now, there are some hearts that may be hardened. But that's on them. I cannot fight them. I cannot, you know, reprimand them, but so much. What happens if they reject?
But what did Jesus do? What did Jesus say to his disciples? If they don't accept you in this town, shake the dust and move on. Go to the next one. That's wisdom.
Sometimes people get discouraged.
Sometimes pastors quit.
Sometimes pastors kind of hone in on somebody and kind of, you know, zero in on somebody. They get, you know, that's their whole ministry is now focused on that one person, that one antagonist, and they're like, no. Move on to the next one, okay?
Sorry. I gotta go to where. I have received a That's wisdom. That is wisdom. Am I right there, am I right?
If that simple principle is followed by a lot of pastors, How the ministry would be revolutionized? Oh, I think. Man, how their life would become easier. America would look very different. Yeah.
The state of the church. Churches and ministries would be flourishing if ministers would just understand that. Yeah, and more harvest because here you focus on this one fella right here who keeps rejecting. Take it to somebody else. Yeah, that's right.
That's wisdom.
They miss, right? That's right. Man, it's I wish I wish we had more time to dig further into this, but that's such a profound statement that the prerequisite for wisdom is faith. That's that's what it's writing on. That's what we have to ask.
We have to ask in faith and ask that God would bless us abundantly with wisdom. There's more to that discussion as well, but unfortunately, we're going to have to wait till tomorrow. That's right, guys. Make sure you join us next time. Same time, same place.
We're going to be diving into another great topic here on the Clearview Today show. Thanks again to our sponsors for making today's episode possible. And don't forget that you can support us by subscribing to the show, anywhere podcasting content can be found, and sharing those episodes with your friends. That's very important. Make sure that you do that.
You can always support us financially at Abadanshah.com forward slash give. That's right. We got a big apologetics conference happening right here at Clearview Church, Henderson, North Carolina, on March the 28th. We want to make sure that you get your tickets today. You can follow the link in the description that says conference registration wherever you're listening to this podcast.
And you can get, if you use our promo code today, T-O-D-A-Y, we're going to give you 20% off at checkout. That's right. We love you guys. We'll see you tomorrow on Cleary Today.
