LENT: Preparing the Way - The Spirit of  Wisdom March 4, 2009
 
 
" 'Not by might nor by power,
but by My Spirit,' 
says the LORD Almighty."
(Zechariah 4:6) 
 
 
 
 
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"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him -
 the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD - and He will delight in the fear of the LORD."
(Isaiah 11:1-3a) 
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Dear Friend,
 
Welcome back to another week of feasting at the table of the Lord!   These next 6 weeks of our Lenten fast are meant to prepare our hearts as we  journey towards the Most Holy Week, humbly reflecting, with awe, on our Lord's great sacrifice at the cross, and experiencing with joy and thanksgiving the celebration of His glorious resurrection!  This 40 day fast is unique, as we will only be fasting one day a week, however, the goal is to ignite a hunger for spending time with the Lord that will stir each of us to journey the 40 days from the joyous resurrection of our Lord to His glorious ascension (Easter, April 12th through May 21st) - as we step into this season of HARVEST! 
 
As we make our journey towards that final week with the Lord, His eyes fixed on Jerusalem and the mission He came to fulfill to face the cross for the redemption of mankind, we are focusing our attention on the enabling power of the Holy Spirit - the seven-fold Spirit of God - through which He accomplishes all His kingdom purposes.  
 
"See, my servant will act wisely;
He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted."
(Isaiah 52:13) 
 
When asked by God to make any request He desired, Solomon responded, "Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?"  Solomon understood that "the earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it...", and, as such, only the Lord could rightly lead His people (Psalm 24:1).  As follower's of Jesus Christ, we have been given no less a task than that given to Solomon, to lead others as the Lord's ambassadors of Truth (reference 2 Corinthians 5:20).  Solomon's request should become the prayer of our heart as we seek to walk in the ways and will of the Lord. 
 
May you continue to be blessed with the knowledge and wisdom of the Lord as you daily seek Him in His Word and meet Him in prayer, and may you experience all of wisdom's rewards as you make Him your highest pursuit.
 
 
"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe" (Ephesians 1:17-19a).
 
Grace and peace,
 
Traci Alexander
Trumpet and Torch Ministries
Psalm 27:4, 13-14; 73:23-26
 
P.S. This current Lenten fast is a one-day-a-week email devotional journey - you can choose whatever day of the week you would like to partake of your spiritual meals - be sure to not eat all your meals in one sitting!  You will receive your devotional each Wednesday leading up to Easter.  The upcoming 40-day HARVEST journey will be an online daily devotional journey beginning April 12th.  If you are not currently registered at www.trumpetandtorch.org, please do so now so you can take part in this exciting new journey!  Take time now to familiarize yourself with the Temple side of the website where you will find your daily devotionals and your personal online journal.  If you have any questions please submit your request to info@trumpetandtorch.org.   Visit our Email ARCHIVE to read past prayer and devotional emails.
 
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BREAKFAST-ON-THE-GO
 
 
 
 
 
Begin your mealtime by reading and meditating on Jeremiah 23:1-6.
 
 
"The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land."
 
 
A lot of attention is given to the accumulation of knowledge, but there seems to be less emphasis on exercising wisdom.  While knowledge is about gaining information or understanding, wisdom is the right exercise or use of that knowledge.   A person who is acting wisely, is, in fact, exercising good judgment. "For wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her" (Proverbs 8:11).
 
The Spirit of wisdom is given to the believer to equip them to make wise decisions, or to choose proper courses of action to accomplish the special service the Lord has called them to. When we pray for the Lord to give us wisdom and discernment we are asking God to equip us with His Word, and the knowledge of His will, so we will discern those opportunities where we can further His kingdom, and wisely respond in those times when the opposition seeks to undermine His purposes. 
 
"Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding,
for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.
She is more precious than rubies; nothing can compare with her."
(Proverbs 3:13-15)
 
The Scriptures describe the blessings we receive when we exercise wisdom: long life, riches and honor, health and healing, life, and favor from the Lord (reference Proverbs 3:16-18; 4:22; 8:35; 14:14).  This does not mean we will avoid the difficulties and challenges that are part of the Christian life, however, when we exercise wisdom we avoid a lot of the pitfalls of living in the flesh.  The Spirit of wisdom guides us to acquire the skill we need to live a godly, moral, and righteous life.
 
The Book of Proverbs tells us, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom..." (9:10).  It was this loving reverence for the Lord that prompted Solomon to ask God for wisdom at the beginning of his reign and led him to draw this conclusion at the end of his life: "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man" (Ecclesiastes 12:13).  Wisdom is the beginning, "Wisdom is supreme..." (Proverbs 4:7), and "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" - the seven-fold Spirit of God is a perfect and complete circle that offers no limits to our potential in Christ.
 
"Blessed is the man who listens to me,
watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.
For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD."
(Proverbs 8:34-35)
 
Begin your day by asking the Holy Spirit to equip you with greater wisdom and discernment so that your every decision and action today is aligned with God's Word and in accordance to God's will for your life.  "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" (James 1:5). 
 
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LUNCH BOX
 
 
 
 
Begin your mealtime by reading and meditating on Judges 6:11-40.
 
 
"Now all the Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern peoples joined forces
 and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.
Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon,
and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him" (v.33-34)
 
 
During the time of the Judges, when Israel had no king, and "everyone did as he saw fit" (Judges 17:6), the Lord, because of His mercy and love, saw fit to send leaders who would deliver His people from the oppression they were suffering as a result of their disobedience and sin. These deliverers, or judges, were endowed with extraordinary power from the Holy Spirit to accomplish the work the Lord had called them to do.
 
When the Lord is looking for a servant to accomplish His purposes He looks for someone who is already hard at work.  Last week we saw the Lord move David from a position of shepherding the sheep of the field to shepherding the people of Israel. Today, we look at Gideon who was called out of the winepress, where he was hard at work threshing the wheat, to go to battle against the Midianites, who he had originally been hiding from (v.11). 
 
From the moment the Lord chose him, Gideon sought to undertake the proper course of action that was aligned with God's purposes.  He requested a sign that it was the Lord speaking to him (v.17), he was obedient to every task the Lord gave him prior to going to battle (v.25-27), and he requested a sign to be sure the Lord was giving him the victory (v.36-40). All these were important preparations for battle.  When the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon he was empowered to "save Israel out of Midian's hand" (v.14) and he was obedient to follow all the directions the Lord had given him to accomplish the purpose He had called him to.
 
The Spirit enabled Gideon to speak and act with wisdom, and as a result he delivered his people from the years of oppression they had suffered at the hands of the Midianites.  The Israelites idolatry is what led them into the bondage they were in and this is why the Lord's first task for Gideon was to tear down the altars and poles that had been set up to worship false idols.
 
The times we are currently living in are not a whole lot different than the times in which Gideon lived. We need to pray for godly leaders who will exercise wisdom and not just do "what they see fit".  As followers of Jesus Christ we should be ready to follow the Lord into battle, willingly facing the opposition, clothed in His Spirit and filled with His wisdom.  Ask the Lord to show you those areas of your life that may be blocking His ability to use you fully and allow Him access to tear them down and fill you back up with His Spirit.  Take time today to pray, by name, for the leaders of our country, and for the leaders of our churches, the pastors, that they would be filled with wisdom to fulfill their calling (Our pastors have the greatest influence upon our communities and are the hope of our nation.  May we pray that in these challenging days, when more and more people are beginning to turn to the church for help and understanding, that the Word of God would be like fire on the tongues of our pastors and they would speak boldly, and with wisdom, the truth of God's Word in love - May we not stope praying for one another and building one another up in love)! (reference Jeremiah 3:15; 5:14; Ephesians 6:19-20; 1 Timothy 2:1-4).  
 
 
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DINNER TABLE
 
 
 
 
 
Begin your mealtime by reading and meditating on 1 Corinthians 1:18-31.
 
 
"It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus,
 who has become for us wisdom from God -
that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption"
  (v.30)
 
 
As our journey leads us one step closer to the cross, we find in our Savior's sacrifice the greatest expression of the wisdom of God.  "But wisdom is proved right by her actions" (Matthew 11:19b).  In this act of love Jesus revealed the wisdom and power of God.  God is wisdom and in His saving acts His wisdom is clearly displayed.
 
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate"
(Isaiah 29:14)
 
The wisdom of God cannot be compared to man's wisdom; such wisdom can only be spiritually discerned (reference 1 Corinthians 2:14).  When we receive the Spirit of wisdom we are given the ability to discern spiritual matters. "...the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3).
 
The exhortation in the Book of Proverbs to pursue wisdom is an exhortation to pursue Christ (reference Proverbs 4:5, 7; 8:11; 16:16).  Jesus became for us the wisdom of God.  When we pursue Jesus, we pursue wisdom.  In Him is found all wisdom and knowledge and insight.  It is vital that we seek the Lord in His Word, it is here that we will be filled with the wisdom to fulfill wise purposes like Solomon, accomplish great feats like Gideon, express our gratitude for the saving acts of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
The Spirit of wisdom is an extraordinary gift that enables the believer to make godly decisions and  wisely discern the proper path the Lord desires them to walk.  When we exercise wisdom the Lord will draw others to us for encouragement and guidance.  "Now Joshua...was filled with the spirit of wisdom...so the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD had commanded Moses" (Deuteronomy 34:9). 
 
Whenever we are asked for our opinion or counsel on a matter we should always be willing to direct people to what the Word of God has to say on the matter.  The more we are willing to immerse ourselves in God's Word the better equipped we will become to offering words of wisdom to those in need of good counsel.  Take time to thank God for the wisdom found in His Word and for the ability to understand His truths and accomplish His purposes through the Spirit of wisdom received through the Holy Spirit.
  
 
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Heavenly Father, thank you for this wonderful week you have given to us.
We ask that you would protect our time as we come to meet with you
each day and guide our steps as we carve out intimate time to sit at
your feet and feast upon the portion you place on our plate.
Give us the wisdom to undertake the tasks you have given us to do.
Help us to speak in words taught by the Spirit and not to rest on
human wisdom.  May we, as your judges and deliverers who
have gone before, also act with wisdom and offer godly counsel
to those you bring across our paths.  Use us, as you used them,
to restore others to the joy of your salvation.  Enable us through your
wisdom to face the trials and difficulties of this day with joy.
Allow the wisdom of your word to nourish, sustain, and strengthen us
as we continue in the work you have called us to do.
Give all your children the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so they may
know you better; that we might bring you the glory and honor due
your name by living lives of humble dependence and obedience to you.
For it's in the wonderful, mighty, and exalted name of Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen. 
 
 
(Genesis 41:39; Proverbs 24:14; Isaiah 52:13; 1 Corinthians 2:13;
Ephesians 1:17; James 1:5 )
harvest field