6 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.
7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,
8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:5-8
I have a word picture for you, but first let me explain something. This scripture I have read countless of times. When we face various trials, James tells us that if we lack wisdom ask, and ask in faith not doubting, for if we doubt we are tossed about like the surf of the sea…being a double minded man unstable in all our ways.
I have always looked at that scripture as when we ask for anything…and nearly all of the commentaries I read address this verse the same way… when we ask God for anything. I put it in the context with all the other scripture about asking in faith. However, as I read it recently I noted that James starts the chapter giving us a specific directions on how to respond to our trials. He instructs us to consider it pure joy when we encounter various trials, for we know the specific trial God allows will be the very thing that will produce endurance, and endurance in turn will produce in us a maturity and completeness, and we will be lacking in nothing.
Then James explains that if we lack wisdom we should ask God to give us wisdom to know how to respond to this trial. In addition, the next verse says that we must ask in faith. Suddenly, I’m looking at this completely different now. The instruction to ask in faith without wavering is directly connected to our asking for wisdom and believe that God will give wisdom if we do not doubt.
James goes on to say that, our doubting causes us to be like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind and unstable. So, here’s my word picture.