Peace – The Gift of the Spirit

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’ and ‘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 is not just giving us a general description of Jesus’s character traits; he is pointing to a very specific element of who he is. Jesus is anointed with the Holy Spirit of God.

In John Chapter 14, Jesus sits down with the twelve disciples and talks with them about the Holy Spirit. He says that the Holy Spirit will be given to them as a gift, and the Spirit will teach them, remind them, and guide them. He even calls the Holy Spirit the counselor. He goes on to say that he will send this Spirit to them after he has 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 it to you. If you accept God’s Spirit, then it promises to change the way you think. It 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, then you will be transformed.

When was the last time you heard the voice of the Holy Spirit’s voice? In the middle of this busy Advent season, you might take some time to listen for its council. Find a quiet space today to sit and listen to the Spirit of God.