Wisdom, understanding, guidance & power

The Spirit will give him wisdom and understanding, guidance and power.   -  Isaiah 11:2

One of the more convincing proofs that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the Messiah and Savior of the world lies in his fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies.  Jesus literally fulfills hundreds of prophetic scriptures.  Speaking of the probability of one person fulfilling these prophesies so accurately, one person put it like this.  “The odds of Jesus fulfilling so many prophesies is roughly equivalent to a person dismantling a typewriter, putting the pieces into a dryer, letting it run for two hours, and opening it and finding it completely put back together.”  If this is true, then surely Jesus’ fulfillment of OT prophecy serves as one of the greatest apologetical arguments for Christianity.
         Isaiah contains more messianic prophesies than any other book in the Bible.  Isaiah 11 marks the type of coming king Israel would have. This verse, Isaiah 11:2, shows us the type of example our King would set for us. This passage is quite revealing, for it shows us that Jesus would model for us how to rely on the Spirit.  Instead of utilizing all of his own divine resources, he would yield himself to the Spirit’s empowerment (Phil. 2:6-8).  We too need the Spirit’s gifts of wisdom, understanding, guidance, and power.
         Wisdom.  The Hebrew concept of wisdom wasn’t about IQ.  It really had very little to do with one’s intellect.  It had more to do with one’s ability to make godly decisions in life.  This was the true measure of a “wise one.”
         Understanding.  We need more than just acquiring facts.  Knowledge has to do with understanding truth.  In every area of life, we need the Spirit of God to give us understanding.
         Guidance.  Isn’t it awesome that God doesn’t just want (and expect) us to figure everything out.  What He wants is for us to seek His leading in our lives.  He desires to give us guidance for daily living.  Too often we have deaf ears to His guiding voice.  Seek the Spirit’s guidance in your decision-making.
         Power.  God’s power in our lives makes all the difference.  One of the greatest catalysts that sharpens our witness is Spirit-empowerment (Acts 1:8).  We need the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through us.
 
Question of the Day:
Am I daily leaning on the Spirit for wisdom, understanding, guidance and power?