THE BEST OF THE SPIRIT
FRIDAY 18 MARCH 2022
Paul prayed for the faithful Christians and stalwart followers of Christ who lived in Colosse because they were doing well in their faith in Christ and they walked in love with fellow saints. Paul knew exactly what to pray for regarding those Christians and so his prayer was further source of spiritual empowerment and upliftment to them.
Reference: Colossians 1:9-10 New International Version - UK (NIV-UK) "For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God."
After His general exhortation, Paul asked God to give them wise minds and spirits attuned to His will, in order for them to acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which the Spirit of God works. Being filled with the knowledge of God's will is to experience growth in the knowledge of the Word as the Spirit of God works and manifests Himself through us. And as we grow in this knowledge, we recognize that we are getting filled with all wisdom and understanding already available in Him. So this suggests that wisdom and understanding are part of the best the Spirit of God offers us.
The Greek word for wisdom is "Sophia", which means insight, skill or divine intelligence. Proverbs 4:7 reads, "Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment" (NLT). Divine Wisdom is connected to Logos. Therefore, you gain wisdom by feeding on the knowledge of God, and of His will. Daily we must go for a greater degree of God's knowledge. It is the principal thing. It is to receive God's truth and ordinances that make us wise, which are contrary to worldly wisdom. Sophia is actually the outcome of possessing the ability from God's Word to judge correctly and ascertain the best course of action based on the divine knowledge we have obtained. Therefore, we must develop the love of godly wisdom, both the abstract and practical wisdom and this mainly depends on our depth and level of engagement with the Spirit of God as we get filled with the knowledge of God's will.
The Greek word for spiritual understanding is "nous." It is the Word-given capacity to think, reason and see things from God's perspective. It has to do with the mind of Christ. The Scripture is a channel of receiving God's thoughts and renewing our minds by faith, which grants us the mental capacity to exercise godly thinking and comprehension. Ephesians 5:17 reads, "Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is" (NKJV). When you understand a divine knowledge, you'll be able to apply it to your decision-making and everything about you. By acting on the knowledge of the Word we receive, it denotes that we are exercising our spiritual understanding which leads to godly outcomes. So "spiritual understanding" is the process of keeping fast hold of godly wisdom and instructions from the Word and acting accordingly.
When we become blessed and equipped with all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, we are empowered to live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God. Shalom!
Scripture Reading - Proverbs 19:8; Proverbs 23:23; 1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 5:17.
Exuberant Declaration: Divine wisdom and understanding are the testimony of the graces, operations and influence of the Spirit in my life. By gaining the knowledge of God's will, the Holy Ghost as a divine force, governs my thought pattern and guides my action and communication. Hence, I daily experience the abundance of God's grace and the effulgent rays of wisdom and understanding from the Spirit's manifestations in my life. Blessed be God!
