Understanding UNDERSTANDING

“Understanding” means you get it – you are able to receive, process, and then reach a proper conclusion to a matter. It works that way in the world, and it particularly works that way in the Kingdom of God.

The scriptures put such a high value on “getting it”, and yet one might inclined to think that if you simply “know your bible”, if you’ve been around the spiritual block a few times, then you’d be able to claim spiritual understanding. But it doesn’t quite work that way. In fact, the scriptures not only point to the value and merit of knowledge and understanding the ways of God, it actually gives us warnings and cites examples of failed understanding. It can in fact be tragic.

Understanding is not an “automatic anything”. We are told to purposely go after understanding. To in fact cry out for it.

This is why our God, in His great mercy, has provided for, and assigned, the Holy Spirit to be our active teacher, so that we might grow in our daily revelationary understanding of God. That comes only from time spent with God, with the Holy Spirit. Strategically, this is also why our adversary has invested so much effort in undermining and maligning the work of the Holy Spirit, and in warring against the saints, and their prayer time. Satan has some understanding as well – he understands that a Spirit-filled and Spirit-led saint is a dangerous adversary for him.

Here’s some scriptural thoughts re the topic (since my opinion might be nice, but biblical accuracy is a must):

THE VALUE OF UNDERSTANDING:
Proverbs 16:22
22 Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it.

WHERE TO OBTAIN SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING – IN THE WORD OF GOD:
Psalms 119:104
104 Through Your precepts I get understanding;

Therefore I hate every false way.

THE ADMONISHMENT TO GO AFTER UNDERSTANDING – AN INVITATION BY THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM. (and we all know that the beginning of wisdom is – HINT: Psalm 111:10):

Proverbs 4:5-7
5 Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;
Love her, and she will keep you.
7 Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.

THE REJOICING, IN HUMILITY, OF THE PROGRESS OF UNDERSTANDING IN OUR LIVES:

Jeremiah 9:23-24
23 Thus says the Lord:
“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
24 But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight,” says the Lord.

The above verses are critical in that they are positioned, by the Lord, in the midst of some seemingly harsh prophecies towards Israel. We can write these off as Old Testament writings if we like. But they are for us. In the midst of those strong words is the revelation that we absolutely must search out and even embrace HOW our God operates throughout the age, how He responds to sinfulness, rebellion, wickedness, how He moves upon His people, in love, in correction, in consistency. Without that understanding, we are assured we will either fail to understand God, and then become offended when He does work in our lives and the lives of the people around us.

In fact, I am confident that, sadly, the “many shall be offended” verse in Matthew pertains primarily to Christians who have been so fed on a diet of less-than-biblical fullness, that when God moves as He has promised to move in the last days, saints will be offended by their God. I believe these verses speak to us of the falling away spoken about IN THE CHURCH, in the last days:

Matthew 24:10-13
10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.
11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

THE POTENTIAL FOR THE FAILURE OF LEADERSHIP:
Solomon understood (see Daniel 2:20-21, below) that even a man placed in a position of authority by God, without understanding the ways and rules and requirements of God, actually has no other course than to become a great oppressor, because in failing to understand his own accountability to God, and in failing to believe the work and intent of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the ones under his authority, that leader’s only other conclusion will be the necessity to control and manipulate. That is always a disaster:

Proverbs 28:16
16 A ruler who lacks understanding is a great oppressor,

THE GOOD NEWS – MODELED BY A PROFESSIONAL KILLER – HERE WE SEE A ROMAN CENTURION, A LEADER OVER 100 TRAINED VIOLENT WARRIORS, BLOWING THE MIND OF OUR LORD, BECAUSE THAT CENTURION “GOT IT”:

Matthew 8:9-10
9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘ Go, ’ and he goes; and to another, ‘ Come, ’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘ Do this, ’ and he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “ Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!

Jesus perceived the centurion got it. In being IN authority, he understood He was UNDER authority, accountable to the great God who puts men in place, and takes men out of office. Jesus saw the pompous control of the Pharisees. And here was a Centurion who had understanding.

ETERNAL TRUTH THAT SOLOMON ALREADY UNDERSTOOD, WRITTEN LATER BY DANIEL:
Daniel 2:20-21
20 Daniel answered and said:
“ Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
21 And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.

FINISHING UP WHERE WE BEGAN:
Proverbs 4:5-7
5 Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;
Love her, and she will keep you.
7 Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.

All scripture NKJV.

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About ez3728

I am a believer in Jesus - that He is the One and Only Messiah of the world. I believe the Bible is the perfect and complete Word of God, and that God is absolutely competent and capable of keeping His Word perfect, undefiled, and uncorrupted. Jesus was born Jewish. So was I. He lived a perfect life, and is worshiped. I live an imperfect life, and I worship Him.
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