When I was working in an office setting, a group of us were discussing what superpower we would choose if we could have any ability. The usual answers came up—superhuman strength, the ability to fly, invisibility, mind control. When it was my turn, I said I would want the superpower of wisdom. Everyone laughed, but I was completely serious. At that time in my life, I felt lost in decision-making, and I knew that if I had wisdom—true wisdom that comes from the Spirit of God—I could navigate whatever life threw my way. I wasn’t the first person to think that wisdom was the best gift to receive. In the Bible, God told King Solomon that he could ask for anything, and Solomon—just 20 years old at the time—asked for wisdom to lead God’s people (1 Kings 3:9). Can you imagine being that young, given the opportunity to request anything, and choosing wisdom? He may have faced the same kind of laughter I did, but Solomon understood something profound: he could not lead well unless the Spirit of God empowered him with divine wisdom. As we continue our exploration of the seven attributes of the Holy Spirit outlined in Isaiah

Welcome to the first post in our series on the seven-fold attributes of the Holy Spirit found in Isaiah 11:2. Before we dive into our first attribute, let’s remember what Isaiah 11:1 tells us: “Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.” (Isaiah 11:1 NLT) That Branch is Jesus, and He would bear fruit through the power of the Holy Spirit. Now, in Isaiah 11:2, we see the first attribute of the Holy Spirit resting on Him: “And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him [Jesus]…” (Isaiah 11:2a NLT) Just as the Spirit of the Lord rested on Jesus, we are invited to abide in God’s presence. The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus like a dove at His baptism (Matt: 3:16), and once He rested on Jesus, His presence never left Him. Jesus Himself explained the Holy Spirit’s role in John 14:17: “He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.” That last part—“But

Have you ever woken up with a song in your heart—a melody that carries you through the day? This morning was one of those moments for me. I woke up singing the chorus of This is How I Thank the Lord by Mosaic MSC (link to song at the end of this post). Moved by the lyrics, I played the song as part of my quiet time worship. And as I listened, I found myself deeply convicted: “So this is how I thank the Lord for saving me When I was weak, so I will sing This is how I thank the Lord for everything This is how I thank the Lord” The vocalist was showing her gratitude by using her gift—the very talent God gave her—to glorify Him. It made me pause and ask myself: Am I thanking the Lord by fully using the gifts He’s given me to glorify Him? One of the gifts God has given me is the ability to encourage others. I’ve written before about God’s motivational gifts, including the gift of encouragement. Romans 12 reminds us, “If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging” (Romans 12:8 NLT). Encouragement is about more than offering