We have this scriptural promise that God will surely pour out His Spirit on His people. Jesus also confi rmed this fact: “‘He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:38-39). There is no doubt that our Heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit freely and abundantly to those who ask of Him (Luke 11:13). God’s desire is that all will receive this empowerment from on high (Acts 2:17). It is the Holy Spirit who gives and reveals God’s words to us. “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come” (John 16:13-14). In fact the only way for us to know the mind of God and to understand the “deep things of God” is through the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:9-16). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of wisdom and revelation (Eph. 1:17). The Holy Spirit is the Chief Revelator, Interpreter and Teacher of the whole counsel of God’s Word.
However, there is a prerequisite in receiving the outpouring of God’s Spirit. That’s the ability to “turn at my rebuke.” It is the ability to hear and discern the voice of God and to respond in obedience. King Solomon, the writer of the book of Proverbs, had an encounter with the Lord in 1 Kings 3 that changed his life. He had a dream from God. In it, the Lord asked Solomon what He could give him. Instead of asking for long life, riches or the life of his enemies, Solomon asked for an “understanding heart” (Prov. 3:9). The word “understanding” (Heb. shama) means to hear intelligently; to discern and to be obedient. King Solomon had the ability to hear and discern the voice of God. Because of that, he was able to make many wise judgments and God prospered him.
The Bible says he was “wiser than all men” and his wisdom included not only godly wisdom, but also wisdom in secular knowledge and science. His fame spread throughout the surrounding nations. He spoke 3,000 proverbs, and wrote 1,005 songs (1 Kin. 4:31-32). He spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish. Men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who heard of his wisdom, traveled long distances to hear the wisdom of Solomon. It was also through divine revelation and excellent wisdom that Daniel and his three Hebrew friends spread the fame of God throughout the entire Babylonian empire.
God wants to pour out His Spirit on us and to empower us to succeed. Through the Holy Spirit and the wisdom He gives, we can infl uence our generation and bring them on bended knees before Jesus. So let’s pray to God right now for an understanding heart—one that hears, discerns and obeys Him!
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