According To The Word, Pt 4 - No. 91
Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
6. UNDERSTANDING ACCORDING TO THE WORD
Psalm 119:169, “Let my cry come before you, O Lord; give me understanding according to your word.”
“Give me understanding, Lord.” Is this the cry of your heart, dear mother? Oh how we need understanding each moment of the day. Proverbs 24:3 tells us that it is by wisdom and understanding that we build and establish our homes. That means that we can’t accomplish our great task of mothering without the anointing of understanding.
What is the middle letter of the word, truth? It is U, which stands for understanding. Understanding is the heart of truth. You can’t have understanding without truth. And you can’t have truth without the Word of God.
There is worldly understanding and there is godly understanding and they can be poles apart. Don’t be content with humanistic understanding and what seems good to you. Make sure it lines up with God’s eternal Word. Add an extra sentence to your prayer, “O Lord, give me understanding according to your word.” It is as you are immersed in the living Word of God that you will be filled with His understanding.
Oh yes, when you get God’s understanding, you might be out of step with the rest of the world. I am always challenged by the Scripture Romans 3:4. “Let God be true but every man a liar.” Are we prepared to stand with God’s truth even if everyone else is doing something different?
How can we receive understanding from the Word?
1. By asking God. Make today’s Scripture your prayer each time you open the Word, “O Lord, give me understanding according to your Word. Open my eyes to behold wondrous things in your law.”
2. By digging. You need to get below the surface to hear the heart of God. It’s not enough to read the Word. You have to think about it, meditate upon and chew it over and over. I love to check out the Hebrew and Greek words. I use a wonderful Bible, which helps me to do this. It is the Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible edited by Spiros Zodhiates. I wouldn’t use another Bible. I read the King James translation but also like to check other translations that often give further understanding.
There is one thing that is very important to remember. The truth of a particular subject is not found in one Scripture. It is what God says about the subject from Genesis to Revelation. When you check out every Scritpure in the Word of God on a particular subject, you’ll then have a full understanding of what God is saying.
3. By divine insight. God comes to my spirit with a flash of enlightenment. Oh I love it when this happens. But mostly I have to dig. Read Ephesians 1:18 and Colossians 1:9.
4. By discussing. Whenever I am meditating on a certain Scripture or thinking about a specific subject, I talk to my husband or daughters about it. “What are your thoughts about this?” I will ask. We always discuss our latest thoughts and revelations when we get together. It’s our favorite thing to do. It’s a great way to fine-tune your understanding. As we discuss together, we adjust one another, and are spared from getting on a tangent. Our thoughts are also deepened and expanded. There is nothing more satisfying than discussing the Scriptures and sharing insight and revelation with fellow believers. The only sad thing is that so few believers really want to do it.
Get into the habit of asking your husband for understanding. “Oh but he’s not walking with the Lord,” you exclaim. That doesn’t matter. God has made him your covering, whether he walks with the Lord or not. Ask him for his insight on all matters. Ask him for his understanding about Scriptures too. There’s nothing like asking him to get him searching. And because God has ordained for him to be your head, you’ll be amazed at what insight God will give him.
Love from NANCY CAMPBELL
PRAYER:
“Oh God, I long for your understanding. I can’t adequately mother without it. Please give me insight and understanding according to your word. Amen.”
AFFIRMATION:
Words of life, words of hope,
Give us strength, help us cope;
In this world where'er we roam,
Ancient words will guide us home.