Healthy Stumps and Crucified Forests

S

(Isaiah 11:3,4) And [the Messiah's] delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what His eyes see or decide disputes by what His ears hear, but with righteousness He shall judge the poor and decide with equity for the meek of the earth....

O

Because His greatest pleasure and longing is to revere the Lord, the Messiah is not deceived by what He sees or by what disputers tell Him. His love and respect for His heavenly Father awakens yet another sense--His ability to sniff out, to smell with pleasure the invisible and inaudible presence and works of the Holy Spirit. His keen sensitivity to God equips Him to serve and lead and heal people. Isaiah said this is the result of the Holy Spirit resting on Him.

A (Personal)

Jesus makes available to me the same resource that helped Him teach and heal people: the Holy Spirit. The Spirit's gifts are described in three pairs (verse 2): (1) wisdom and understanding--intellectual and moral insight, (2) counsel and might--sound practical judgment with sufficient vigor to respond appropriately, and (3) knowledge and fear of God--the two parts of true religion (acquaintance with God through the foundation of love and reverential awe of God that prompts obedience).

A (Psychological)

When helping people work through disputes, more covert activity (invisible, inaudible) is taking place than is overtly presented. R. Michael's Metaframework describes the hidden feedback loops between people's means of process, organization, and development. Change and positive growth is complex, yet careful assessment that uses both overt and covert information is a vital part of the helping process. Through this prophecy of Isaiah's, God revealed that the culmination of godless wisdom leaves us devastated, like a clear-cut forest. Human wisdom and insight--though absolutely necessary--is insufficient. Yet, by conceding the fearful vulnerability of our blindness and deafness, with the Holy Spirit's input our hearing and eyesight (insight and judgment) can become fruitful (Isaiah 32:1-8).

P

Lord, thank You for making my foolishnesses such valuable teaching points. They now help me recognize Your presence and superiority. I choose to echo Paul's prayer in Romans 15:13,14, "God of Hope, fill me with all joy and peace in believing so I might abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit, so I might be full of goodness and all knowledge necessary for my day, and so I might be able to help others to perceive You, too."