James 1:5 (KJV)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

James 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

James 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

James 1:5 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 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

James 1:7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "lack", "wisdom", "giveth", "liberally", "upbraideth", "shall", and "given". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "lack" and "wisdom", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "But let patience have her perfect work..." into verse 6's "But let him ask in faith nothing...", so "lack" and "wisdom" belong inside that flow. In James context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "lack" and "wisdom" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.