"And the Spirit of the Lord Will Rest on Him" by Amy Duncan
And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
He will delight in obeying the Lord.
He will not judge by appearance
nor make a decision based on hearsay. (Isaiah 11: 2-3 NLT)
I became a much better cook once I began scrolling for recipes in the Pinterest app on my phone. Admittedly, I’m completely swayed by beautiful pictures of food. Recently, however, I was distressed to realize that some of the recipes I had “pinned” to save were generated by AI, and the gorgeous images were actually just lures to sites filled with digital ads. Moreover, the ingredient lists and cooking instructions were often flawed, even nonsensical. Beyond the disappointment of a fake recipe, I was frustrated to realize I had been duped.
I feel this way about much of the information I encounter these days. When I open my laptop or check my phone, I’m aware that most of what I read has passed through filters, been modified, or even fabricated. Facts may be selectively omitted or strategically enhanced. Even in conversations, I find myself wanting to ask, “What was your source on that?”
In today’s beautiful passage from Isaiah, I have most often been drawn to the images of peace found in verses 6-10. My reading this year, however, is focused on the promise found in verses 2-3. Jesus is not swayed by news outlets, social media, or sound bites. Jesus does not follow trends or viral memes. Jesus does not act on hearsay. Jesus is not duped by AI. “And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.” As I look toward a New Year, I pray for wisdom, discernment, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit as I receive information each day.