If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

James  1:5  -  KJV

Seated on the ground, her knitting needles clicking, Mary Slessor listened to the arguments of the natives and prayed for wisdom to judge fairly between them.

At Calabar Mission in Nigeria, Africa, where Mary Slessor served as a missionary, the people often asked her to help settle their disputes.  This required wisdom, patience, and tact.  According to native tradition, when a person died, another person was blamed for his death and required to eat a poison bean.  If the person eating the bean lived, he was not guilty of murder.  But if he died from the bean, he was guilty.  This and other evil practices existed, and Mary attempted to arbitrate between tribes and individuals.  Some of the meetings went on for several days.  As a result of her wise judgments, many lives were spared.


You, too, need wisdom for life's decisions.  The Bible speaks of three kinds of wisdom - human, worldly, and godly.  Using human wisdom, your decisions will be based on what you think.  If you operated in worldly wisdom, decisions will be influenced by the ideas of men.  Godly wisdom comes from God and His Word.


Day by day, for big decisions or those with less serious consequences, ask God for His wisdom.  He promises liberal amounts.

Taken from  "Daily Devotions for Women"
                      by  Jewell Johnson
                      Day 112