"You do not have because you do not ask God" (James 4:2b)

Pride often keeps us from asking all sorts of things. Whether it is seeking guidance from someone, for directions or asking the instruction book how to assemble your piece of furniture, sometimes instinctively we will proudly exhaust every possible option before we are willing to ask someone for help.

James encourages followers of Jesus to turn to the Lord and ask when they are in need. Whether it is wisdom, or any other kind of lack (motivation, power, self discipline) or whatever, God encourages us to find resource in him, that is, to ask him. My daughter Grace constantly asks me for things - whether it is for a drink or to dress her doll Molly (who is, I should say, another member of our family), and I want to help her out when I can.

If this is how I think, and I am an extremely fallible, far from omnipotent dad, how much more so our heavenly father? So let us ask. Because after all, as Charles Spurgeon, an old school Baptist preacher once said: "whether we like it or not, asking is a law of the Kingdom."

Let it not be said of us, we did not have because we did not ask.

Grace and peace from Marcus