I spent last weekend with a group of men from Maple Ridge Alliance Church at Camp Stillwood. We sang, we ate, we prayed, we played floor hockey, and - do I dare mention it? - we ate some more. I was the speaker for the camp and we looked at what it means to walk daily with Christ, or to live the Spirit-filled life.
We considered two verses that are invitations from God:
Luke 11:13 – If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven not give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!
James 1:5 – 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.
While I can't say that I've discovered an etymological root between the Hebrew word for wisdom and the filling of the Holy Spirit as described in the New Testament, they both refer to the ability to live out what we believe.
The Hebrew understanding of wisdom is not quantitative head knowledge, but rather heart knowledge, or know-how, or the power for living. Wisdom is not the accumulation of knowledge, but the application of knowledge to our daily lives.
In the same way, it is not enough to know about the Holy Spirit, but we need to experience His power for living as we face the challenges and tests of life.
This is summed up well in Ephesians 5:15: “Be careful how you live, not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.” This is followed by the command in Ephesians 5:18: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.”
I want to extend an invitation to anyone who would follow this blog: Read a Proverb a day during the month of October. I’ll post my comments about a single verse or passage between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. of each day and invite you to jot down your comments about that verse, or another which spoke to you. I will look forward to hearing form others who are taking the challenge. I believe that we’ll see that there is an amazing correlation between the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 2:22-23) and the wisdom described in the Proverbs. Will you join me in this adventure?
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I was at that retreat with Wayne, it was an awesome experience and I will be taking the chalenge and look forward to your insightful comments.
ReplyDeleteDennis Connally
101waystosavemoremoney...just in case you forgot who I was.
Hey Dennis - great to have you join. Be reading and watching for the financial principles in the Proverbs. Many of us wouldn't need someone to teach us how to save money if we just followed what the Proverbs teaches. DB
ReplyDeleteDay one. Looking forward to the next 30 Proverbs. Thanks again for your wisdom that was shared at Stillwood. God Bless you and your family.
ReplyDeleteIn Prayer,
Ken May
Thanks Ken - it was a great weekend and I enjoyed meeting a number of young men with a heart to know God and live for him - that was encouraging! God bless you and your family too! DB
ReplyDeleteHi Dwayne,
ReplyDeleteDay 3 and I am really enjoying reading Proverbs each day in October, so many great verses to use as a guide for living a Godly life.
I truly enjoyed the retreat at Stillwood and have found myself every morning asking God to walk with me and several times throughout the day asking for Him to fill me with the Holy Spirit.
Thank you for being such a great speaker and sharing God's word with us.
Also, thank you for being such a great team-mate in the hockey games!
Blessings to you and your family.
Jason Gobillot
Hi Dwayne,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great weekend and sharing your insights into God's word. While I too was asking God to fill me with the Holy Spirit, I was also asking God to fill my tired lungs with air during hockey, and remove the fluid from my blistered feet. Wow can you guys play some awesome rock 'em sock 'em hockey! Great times in play and prayer.
Well, it's my first time reading Proverbs, and I'm finding it speaking to me daily. We all need to gain wisdom, and I think just searching for it in God's word sets us up for success.
Thanks for sharing Luke 5:10 and those spots along the Vedder River!
James White
Good Morning Wayne
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome retreat at Stillwood I would have willingly sat through another day or two of listening to your insights, and I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciated the honesty, openness and vulnerability it struck a chord within me, and I thank God for using you to reach me.
Since Stillwood I have been acutely aware of praising and worshiping the Triune God, and not just the Father and The Son. Since Stillwood it would be fair to say that the Holy Spirit has been "front and centre" in my walk with The Lord, whether it be messages from the pulpit, or from podcast s downloaded six months ago.
God's blessings to you and your family.
Martin Jacobs