Wisdom & Knowledge

That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
Solomon answered… “Give me wisdom and knowledge that I may lead…”
II Chronicles 1:7, 10

I learned that Scripture very early as a child. I was, perhaps eight or nine years old. But those words stuck and, whenever I didn’t know what else to pray for, I prayed for wisdom and knowledge. Carefully. And God was very gracious. I don’t mean this egotistically, but he bestowed both on me regularly.

I grew to understand things that my peers did not. I was strangely interested, and I learned things no one else knew. You might explain it rationally, but I think not. I believe it was supernatural answer to prayer. God giving simply because I asked.

There is a magical aspect to Scripture, or feel free to replace the word magic with the word supernatural. And that magic should be there, that innate connection to spirit because we are more than the sum of our parts. We are more than blocks of dirt, composed and walking around. We are spirit and I love the quote that says, “We are spirit having an in-body experience.” A real part of us longs for the supernatural, the magic, just as a part of us longs for water to drink. The average human body is 50-65% water. The average human soul is 100% spirit. It’s no wonder we long for wonderment.

In many ways, though, the modern church, even — and perhaps particularly so — evangelical churches have turned their back on this magic. There is something particularly American about saying, “If this is going to work, I’ve got to do it!” Often, what we are saying is, “God, get out of the way. I’ll make this happen my way.”

Such my-way-right-now theology leaves the spirit hungering for more, and often vulnerable to the sensationalistic — the bright and fiery tirades of a TV evangelist or the dark paths of spirit and animism that is far away from Christianity. For the Holy Spirit is very real, but also very quiet. God speaks to us in a still, small voice but cannot be cajoled into bending to our demands.

But there is light yet.