Give Me Understanding – Part 3

 

Let us consider how to apply understanding to our daily life. True understanding is granted to us from the Lord and is far superior to our “natural” understanding.  Our natural understanding will fail us at some critical time but understanding from the Lord will never fail us.

 

Applying understanding to our life produces great benefits such as: contentment, peace, joy, fulfillment, a good conscience, good relationships with others, a sense of purpose and worthiness, and a pleasing relationship with the Lord.

 

Job 28:28

And unto man He said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

 

So then; to depart (separate from) evil is understanding.  Kind of simple, right?  Well yes, that is if we learn how to discern what is good and what is evil.  The only sources that give us that information is the Lord Himself by His Spirit, His Word/the scripture, and wise godly counsel.

 

Remember; understanding comes after we obey the Lord not before.  Understanding comes as we ask the Lord for it.  Understanding also comes from listening to wise counsel.

” A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:”

Proverbs 1:5

 

Here is another key to understanding.  We need to obey the Lord’s commandments and wise godly counsel even when we don’t fully understand.  The more we obey, the more we submit, the more we humble ourselves before the Lord; the more understanding will develop.

 

To get understanding requires that we become good “listeners”.  Proverbs 22:17

Bow down your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart unto My knowledge.

 

When a child learns to hear intelligently the instruction of the parent(s), he/she is learning a pattern for their life of listening to those who have more experience than them.  Likewise, we need to develop a pattern of listening.  This is not a once and done thing.  We must constantly read and study the scripture, be taught by capable spiritual leaders, and pray for a continual infusion of understanding from the Lord while navigating life’s journey.

 

Proverbs 9:9   Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

 

This understanding from the Lord will give us the ability to conduct our lives pleasing to God, to avoid moral failure, to develop healthy relationships within our family and with others, to become good stewards of all the resources that the Lord makes available to our lives (including time and money) and will generally guide us in making good decisions.

 

Think about all the times we have made poor decisions relying on our own understanding and not the understanding that the Lord desires that we have.  The consequences of bad choices based on our own “thinking” should also remind us of our need for wisdom and understanding that comes from the Lord.

 

Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom: and with all your getting get understanding.

 

Hopefully, we all understand… wisdom and understanding don’t just come… they cannot be gained through natural means… they cannot be downloaded from a cloud… we must “get” wisdom and we must “get” understanding.

 

Proverbs 23:23 Buy(attain) the truth, and sell(surrender) it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

 

May the Lord help all of us to realize the value of this wisdom and understanding and how it brings favor and blessing to our lives.

 

Proverbs 3:3-6

Let not mercy and truth forsake you: bind them about your neck; write them upon the table of your heart:

4 So shall you find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding.

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

 

The Lord wants us to receive and live in the joy of having such understanding.

 

This is the Apostle Paul’s prayer for the believers:

“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power,”                   

Ephesians 1:17-19

 

D L Rogers