James 1:5 and Proverbs 3:5-6

A new friend of mine SJ recommended that I read James 1:5 and Proverbs 3:5-6 (in addition to a number of other passages of the Bible). For those of you not familiar with James 1:5, here it is:

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

That is the NIV version (according to BibleGateway.com). The King James Version (again, according to BibleGateway.com) is:

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.

And the version in my NRSV HarperCollins Study Bible is:

If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.

So all three versions say basically the same thing (if you lack wisdom, ask God and he'll give it to you) but, as an aside, I do find it interesting sometimes how much passages can vary from one translation of the Bible to another.

For those of you who don't have Proverbs 3:5-6 committed to memory, here is the NIV version:

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Here again, the gist is that we should look to God for understanding (wisdom) and trust that he'll keep us on the right path.

On some level, life isn't so complicated if you're willing to trust in God and look to him for guidance rather than thinking we're in control. I suppose that's a no-brainer for a lot of people but both of these passages got me thinking - especially since it's hard for me to ask God for guidance (even though I've basically accepted at this point that my life is part of His plan and that all of the things that happen in my life both good and bad are largely due to that plan).

Update (9/23/07): One similiar scripture from JW: Doctrine and Covenants 112:10 "Be thou humble and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers."