Advent Week 2 – Day 4

Peace: Week Two – Day Four

The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. – Isaiah 11:2 (NRSV)

This verse from Isaiah throws out a lot of words we don’t typically associate with peace – words like “wisdom,” “understanding,” “counsel,” and “knowledge.” These are all words associated with thinking and decision-making. And, of course, Isaiah keeps repeating the same word over and over again: “spirit.”

Isaiah did not just give us a general description of Jesus’ character traits; he pointed to a very specific element of who He is. Jesus is anointed with the Holy Spirit of God.

In John Chapter 14, Jesus sat down with the twelve disciples and talked with them about the Holy Spirit. He said that the Holy Spirit would be given to them as a gift, and the Spirit would teach them, remind them, and guide them. He even called the Holy Spirit the Counselor. He went on to say that He would send this Spirit to them after He had gone away.

Remarkably, everyone who is in Christ has been promised the Spirit of the Lord as well. Though this verse points to Jesus, it could easily be rewritten to apply to you or me. It might sound something like: The Spirit of the LORD rested on Riley, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding. James received the Spirit of counsel and might. Marcus was covered in the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

Although Jesus was originally filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, He has already offered His Spirit to you. If you accept God’s Spirit, He promises to change the way you think. He will teach you and remind you of God’s instruction. The Spirit will bring you an inner peace grounded in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. If you accept the Spirit of God, you will be transformed.

If you have already accepted the Holy Spirit, when was the last time you heard His voice? In the middle of this busy Advent season, you might take some time to listen for His counsel. Find a quiet space today to sit and listen to the Spirit of God.