James, author of the New Testament book bearing his name, wrote, “But if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5).
The words, “God who giveth” in the Greek text are in this order: tou didontos Theou, literally, THE GIVING GOD! So characteristic of God to give, and so much a part of his nature is giving that he is identified to us in this text as a giver. Moreover, he gives to all; there are no favored few among the faithful disciples; each is regarded by him with equal favor and his bounties are bestowed accordingly. Even more remarkably he gives “liberally,” unreservedly without expectation of material return. Most wonderful of all, however, is the fact that he “upbraideth not,” i.e., he does not reproach us when we ask (literally, does not throw it back into our teeth)!
Our sharing with others is not always freely, gladly and happily done but sometimes reluctantly, grudgingly and with reproaches. How often does this happen? We must make a request and later to repeat it only to be met with this objection: “ What? Back again? You are forevermore asking for something. Aren’t you ever satisfied?” This the giving God never does. He does not upbraid us for asking nor does he chide us for the misuse of the gracious bounties he has already provided.
The promise of this passage is in keeping with the assurance of the Savior in the Sermon on the Mount: “Ask and it shall be given you.” (Matthew 7:7). The offer is unconditional. Faithful disciples will, of course, distinguish between the fact of a response and the manner of it and leave the latter to the discretion of him who responds. We often recognize this proviso of prayer in our petition, “If it be thy will, grant our request.” As an example, it was necessary for the Lord to leave the disciples and to return to heaven, and this he did though they prayed earnestly and fervently that he would remain with them. It was expedient that he should go away. (John 16:7). In his going, a vastly greater blessing would come to them than were he to grant their petition and to remain with them.
It is ever thus. There is, indeed, no such thing as an unanswered prayer uttered by the Lord’s faithful disciples. He answers every prayer his children pray! True, he does not always say “Yes”. Often, the answer is “No.” But, the “No,” is as much as answer as the “Yes” would be and springs from the same motive-our well being! When a child, because of its immaturity, makes request of its parents which they cannot, for the child’s welfare, grant, the refusal of the specific request is not a disregard of the petition, but an answer to it and an answer grounded in the best interests of the child itself. In similar fashion, when the Lord withholds some special request on which we have set our hearts let us remember that in his infinite wisdom he seeks only our good and to be content with the divine goodness always evidenced in such instances.
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