Continuing on with the seven graces found in Isaiah 11:1-3, we now turn to what is between the book ends of the breath of God, and the breath of the awe of the Lord. We look at the spirit or, breath of wisdom. This is life experience to a degree but only a small degree. The word wisdom here actually means a skill for war and advancement. It is a word associated with spiritual battles and mobilization of others for conflicts to move the kingdom forward. It is almost like what we call an art form, of knowing how to bring people into their destiny.
The spirit of wisdom is seen in how we act out our lives before others. It is the reflection of our heart and what we truly believe. It is the place we make choices and decisions. We either believe God is victorious and can gain victory in all things or our lives will reflect the areas we don’t believe God has this power. It is also the place confidence comes from for the implementation of promises and prophetic words God has given us. We generally describe this grace this way as life experience gained to be shared with others. In reality that is what is produced after this grace has been allowed to function in a person life for a season.
Natural wisdom or intellectualism is the furthest things from the breath of God that comes from the throne in wisdom. With natural wisdom we can build anything. The tower of Babel is a good example of this as God said “Man could do anything his mind was set upon”. We also see this in the development of society, medicine, science etc. For the most part today we think people have wisdom as they have built large ministries but a good administrator can do that. How many large ministries are making a skillful advance of bringing the Kingdom of God into the earth to change the course of societies and cultures? Yet this is what Jesus did. This is what Paul and many others did.
This grace is the grace to receive the large plan of God. It is the rally call to come around and implement. Most are not willing to submit themselves to this, nor desire it and the lack of instruction from the source of change is hurting the advancement of the kingdom. Without this breath allowed functioning the body becomes disjointed. People abandon their post and lose heart in what God has promised.
The spirit of wisdom is also the place revelation comes from in a way. It is the connectedness revelation needs to be most efficient. It is the reason revelation comes and is needed. It is needed by teachers and other 5 fold ministry gifts as they must not only know the times and seasons (spirit of knowledge) but what to do in that season (Spirit of wisdom) to effectively equip the saints. It is the plan of God to be implemented upon the earth that all others things revolve around.
The spirit of understanding is different that the spirit of wisdom. As the wisdom is the plan of advancement, the spirit of understanding means to perceive and to discern by the spirit. It is the place of rightly dividing the word of truth and the intentions and motives that people display. It is the knowing in the spirit that goes beyond what you see with your natural eyes and hear with your natural ears. It is the place that true covenants are made between people, vision for others and their gifting is put in place and real community is formed with purpose. The breath of understanding is also required to lead gatherings into fullness. It is the fusing together of a people to be one heart and mind containing one passion and desire. It is the motive behind the instruction of the saints. It is to be protected and moves to hold true doctrine in place, and movesin discipline and correction when necessary. If a person lacks in any of these then the spirit of understanding is lacking. It was breathed out at Pentecost as they as a community, had discernment and covenantal purpose. It was what launched the early church to be fully dynamic. Without all these parameters in place the other breaths or graces have only a small impact. Most people right now have the spirit of the Lord, are coming into the spirit of fear of the Lord and a handful of forerunners are in the Spirit of Understanding. You see this grace requires you to stand where others will not stand. To remain standing when others abandon, and to eventually pull others up into the place you’re standing so you can move on to other assignments.
The spirit of understanding is one of the greatest advantages as it multiples the other 6 giftings. It even deepens the spirit of the Lord and the spirit of the fear of the Lord. It brings great perception to the other graces. It allows the other graces to connect to purpose and motive. It keeps hearts in check before the Lord. It reveals wrong purposes and agendas as well. Without the spirit of understanding wrong or mixed doctrine is birthed. Functions are lacking and people are not developed in gift and calling. Overall the body is fragmented.
This breath and grace of God requires us to go deeper, to the point where deep calls unto deep (extreme to extreme). This is the place we truly know the intentions of the father and we become partners in safeguarding His heart.
But this grace has an ability to connect joint to joint. What most do not understanding in all these graces is when they “move on” from a body functioning in these they are abaondoning the grace upon that group. Thus like Paul said they frustrate the grace and make it of non effect. This is why some receive from a group or body because of that grace they stepped into. They then try and find grace in other groups and it might not be active or even be released. A person should find the grace upon a group and then engage in that grace. Even if it requires them to leave soul ties and structures carrying no life to a structure that has life.
Greg Crawford 