"Risen Lamb Writings"
"Whispers of Light" (part 4)
Because
we have been created for God, for the light of his truth and life, we have been
created for the gift of the Holy Spirit of wisdom as well. Wisdom "feeds" our
"spiritual taste buds" because it is eternal light--a mystical whisper of light
from God spoken into our hearts. The gift of wisdom gives one a 'taste' for God
and his truth. This enables one to come alive spiritually, to grow maturely,
and to desire to intercede and offer generously.
In Wis. 6:20 we read, "The desire for
wisdom leads up to a kingdom." This kingdom is the Kingdom of Heaven
where God's wisdom abounds, and where God's will is always obeyed
perfectly. The gift of wisdom is
"from above" (see James 3:17). It is heavenly wisdom from the Kingdom of
God. Jesus reminds us in John 18:36, "My Kingdom does not belong to
this world." Therefore, "do not love the world or the things of the world" (1
John 2:15); for, its wisdom is, "earthy, unspiritual, demonic" (James 3:15).
St. Paul exhorts us, "Seek what is above, where Christ is seated at
the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on
earth" (Col. 3:1-2). This reality of "the right hand of God" is extremely
important for it is where the crucified, resurrected, ascended Lamb of God now
intercedes from. Intercessors look to the Lamb for everything. St. Stephen was
a man filled with the Spirit and the wisdom of God. In Acts 7:55 we are told
that Stephen, "filled with the Holy Spirit, looked up intently to heaven
and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God."
Stephen was stoned to death because he dared to speak forth this vision. Those
who are 'wedded to worldliness' and bound by the spirit of the age will reject
the wisdom of God. Wisdom from above is related to the crucified Lamb who now
lives to intercede for us.
Prov.
8:35 says of wisdom, "He who finds me finds life." The gift of wisdom
energizes and renews those who receive it. This is why intercessors need this
gift activated in their lives: To both be fed by it in prayer, and to intercede
with for others--to receive the "light" on how to pray for someone or for
some situation. Proverbs says as well:
"She is a tree of life to those who grasp her" (Prov. 3:19; also, see
Sir. 24:13-21). An intercessor who willfully and lovingly embraces the cross
will experience its healthy fruits--among which are spiritual power and inner
strength, spiritual riches and more wisdom (see Rev. 5:12). Wisdom enters so
deeply into a person that it penetrates to the innermost recesses of one's
heart and renews one's whole being (see Wis.7:27).
In The Book of Revelation,
Jesus speaks to the Church at Ephesus: "To the victor I will give the right to
eat from the tree of life that is in the garden of God" (Rev 2:7).
In the "interior garden" of every intercessor's heart the cross stands as the
tree of life. The gift of wisdom allows one's heart to "taste" Godly
friendship, innocence, purity and holiness that is likened to the experience
associated with the original paradise of God, the Garden of Eden: "The wisdom
from above is first of all pure" (James 3:17).
One may speak of the "honey of
wisdom", for it is sweet to the "palate" of the heart. The Book of Sirach
says this of wisdom: "You will remember me as sweeter than honey, better
to have than the honeycomb" (Sir. 24:19). The Church, called to intimate
union with Wisdom Incarnate-- the Word himself-- is meant to speak forth the
wisdom of God, and reflect to the world the sweetness and radiance of this
union: "Your lips drip honey, my bride" (Songs 4:11). At the
scene of the burning bush found in chapter three of The Book of Exodus,
God tells Moses, " I have come down to rescue them...and lead them into a good
and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey" (Ex. 3:8). In
Deuteronomy 34:9 we read, "Joshua, son of Nun, was filled with the spirit of
wisdom." Joshua was given this gift of wisdom in order to lead God's people
into the land flowing with milk and honey. The "promised land" of God's
intimate presence and love is ultimately fulfilled in the reality of Jesus'
life, death and resurrection. Intercessors desire others to experience in their
hearts the sweetness of "the promised land within", the interior "garden of
God"--these touches of heaven.
Jesus is both the Word and the Wisdom
of God. Hence, in the bible the prophetic word of God and the wisdom of God are
related closely. In The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel, we read of
the word being like honey: "Eat this scroll...I ate it, and it was as sweet
as honey in my mouth" (Ezek. 2:3). The psalm writer says, "How sweet to my
tongue is your promise, sweeter than honey to my mouth"
(Ps.119:103). In The Book of Revelation one notes the connection
between the sweetness of the wisdom of the word of God and intercession:
" I took the small scroll from the
angel's hand and swallowed it. In my mouth it was like sweet honey, but
when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour" (Rev. 10:10).
The gift of
wisdom provides an intercessor with "informed" revelation "from above" for
burden bearing and laboring for souls "here below". The gift of wisdom feeds
and leads one who intercedes.
Questions:
1) Are
there any areas of my life that are still rooted in earthiness (where I "buy
into" the wisdom of the world)?
2) Are
there any areas of my life where I still struggle to accept the cross?
Scriptures:
Any scripture from the text; 1 Cr. 1:30; 1 Cr. 2:6-13.
