Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary James 1:6

"But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed." — James 1:6 (ASV)

Although nothing in God prevents him from giving wisdom to his people, a barrier may exist in them. When they ask, they “must believe and not doubt.” Their faith must be more than mere acceptance of a creed. To believe is to be confident that God will give what is requested. The extent of faith that God looks for is emphasized by the words “not doubt” (GK 1359). “Doubt” describes one who is divided in the mind and who wavers between two opinions. One moment he voices the yes of faith; the next moment it is the no of disbelief. Such an attitude is graphically illustrated by “a wave of the sea.” Completely lacking in stability, it is “blown and tossed by the wind.” First there is the crest, then the trough. Instead, prayer that moves God to respond must be marked by the constancy of unwavering faith.

The reference to the sea is the first of James’s illustrations from nature (see also 1:10–11, 17–18, 26; 3:3 5, 7, 11–12; 5:7, 17–18. As Jesus drew numerous illustrations from life around him, so James revealed his love for nature by his repeated use of it for illustrative purposes.