When Wisdom Reaches Up and Revelation Reaches Down
Like a fogged window that clears with light and warmth, Jesus gives clarity through wisdom and revelation.
Devotional Credit: In Christ by E. Stanley Jones
Photo Credit: Unsplash
E. Stanley Jones unpacks what it means to grow in the knowledge of Jesus, using Paul's words from Ephesians 1:17: “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.” This growth is not mechanical, and it is certainly not merely intellectual. It is a spiritual unfolding, requiring both human participation and divine initiative. Jones highlights two tendencies that believers often fall into. Some lean only on human wisdom and reasoning. Others rely only on personal revelation, waiting passively for something to be given without seeking understanding. He gently calls out both as incomplete.
True spiritual maturity is never either-or. It is both wisdom and revelation, intertwined. Wisdom allows us to think, reason, and search. Revelation gives us light beyond what thinking alone can provide. [We can also refer to this as “enlightenment” or “illumination” as some restrict the use of the term “revelation” to God’s general revelation and special revelation. Nevertheless, we will continue with use of the term “revelation.”] We use the minds God gave us to seek, but there are moments when thinking can go no further. At that point, God steps in and opens our understanding, granting insight and clarity from above.
Jones uses a helpful image: wisdom reaches up, and revelation reaches down. These are the alternating beats of the Christian heart. Without both, we either become self-reliant in our knowledge or spiritually lazy in our expectations. When we yield both mind and heart to Jesus, He forms a cooperative rhythm in us that protects us from pride and passivity.
This partnership also keeps us from burnout. It is not all muscle, and it is not all miracle. We seek understanding actively, and at the same time, we rely fully on God to bring the revelation we cannot produce ourselves. In doing so, we find ourselves walking wisely in the light of truth, led not just by thought but by the presence of the Spirit.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I have given you a sound mind and a new heart. I invite you to think deeply and trust fully. Come to Me not just with questions but with expectancy. Seek, and you will find. Ask, and I will give insight that does not come from books or logic alone. I do not bypass your mind. I renew it. I do not silence your thoughts. I align them with truth.
As you open the Scriptures, I open your understanding. As you reflect on My ways, I grant revelation that leads to life. Wisdom builds the framework. Revelation breathes life into the structure. I am the Spirit of both, and I live in you.
When you reach upward in hunger to know Me more, I meet you with the fullness of My presence. You are not striving for knowledge to impress others or to earn My favor. You are learning to live from Me, in the place of union. Every insight I give draws you deeper into My Son, who is the image of the invisible God and the source of all wisdom and truth.
Remain humble. Remain expectant. And know that I never withhold light from those who walk in the Light.
Scripture References: Ephesians 1:17, 1 Corinthians 2:12–14, James 1:5, Colossians 1:9, Romans 12:2, Proverbs 2:6, Luke 24:45, 2 Timothy 2:7, Philippians 1:9–10, 1 John 2:27, John 14:26
Real-Life Analogy
Think of a window that fogs up on a humid morning. You may try to look through it, but your view is blurred. You can wipe it with a cloth. That helps, but only for a moment. What you really need is for the window to equalize with the outside temperature, and then the view becomes clear. The cloth is like wisdom. It does something. But when the air shifts, clarity comes. That is revelation.
In the same way, you may use your best reasoning and scriptural study to understand God's ways. This is good and needed. But when the moment comes that the Spirit reveals a deeper truth, it’s as if the window suddenly clears. Today, if you sense you're straining to understand a situation or passage, pause and trust the Lord to supply what reason cannot. Say to Him, “Lord, I trust You to illuminate my mind and awaken my heart to Your truth in this moment.”
Prayer of Confidence
Lord, You have already given me the mind of Christ and filled me with Your Spirit. I don’t walk in darkness. You shine in me, and You show me what I need to know. Thank You for not leaving me to my own thoughts or making me wait for visions from the sky. You are present in me, speaking, guiding, and revealing.
I rest in the assurance that every insight worth having comes from You. I delight in using my mind to explore Your Word and trust You to reveal what I cannot find on my own. You are my wisdom. You are my light. And You are more than willing to make Yourself known.