With study, we can come to a proper
understanding of God and his will. While we can learn a lot about Him by
studying nature, other things can’t be discovered until we read and study the
word of God.
The Proverb says, ‘trust in the
Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding’ (Pro. 3:5). To
‘lean’ on one’s own understanding is an attempt to support one’s own
self. Without recognizing God and trusting in his word, even the greatest of minds become
foolish and dark and contrary to God. The Einsteins of the world can discover great
physical truths, but if they fail to recognize God then they are doomed to draw many wrong
conclusions.
To study the Bible one must know how to
read and comprehend. A recent article, Whole Language, Half an Education?, noted
that over half of all first year college students in the state of California need remedial
reading, as well as mathematics. It was also pointed out that 60% of 4th
graders are behind in reading. Imagine the repercussions when it is God’s desire that
people read and understand his will. We live in a society that is failing to teach this
elementary skill. The results could be frightening. (Insight Mag,
http://www.insightmag.com/articles/story3.html).
Paul, the apostle, taught that
understanding God’s will is necessary if one is to "walk in a manner worthy of
the Lord" (Col. 1:9,10). Paul’s prayer for the church was that it be filled with
all spiritual wisdom and understanding. This should be our prayer too. The world tells
people they can trust their feelings. This is dangerous because feelings can be wrong,
since they rise equally from good and bad information. To the Ephesians, Paul referred to
those who became "darkened" in their understanding (Eph. 4:18). Do you know why?
Because of ignorance and spiritual blindness. We may have come into this world ignorant,
but we shouldn’t leave it that way.
The mind will be darkened by taking a
decidedly slanted and ungodly view of the universe (Romans 1:20-32). Take God out of
one’s world picture, throw everything to chance and time, and even one’s
appreciation of life is changed. To understand the will of God, one must first believe
that He exist.
A Scribe rightly noted that we are to
love God with all of our heart and understanding (Mark 12:33). The word for
understanding refers to the putting together of things mentally as when streams of a river
join into a larger stream. We are to love God with all of our understanding. I think this
begs the question, what shapes our understanding? Books, television, and newspapers can
reshape and distort our understanding of God. If this becomes the case, will we be
pleasing to God? Our understanding of God comes from nature, but it also needs to come
from the Bible. How is it possible to love God with "all" of our understanding
if we have a distorted view of God and His will?
Great mysteries wait to be discovered by
anyone who will read the Bible. Paul told the Ephesians that if they read what he wrote,
they would understand his insight into the mysteries of God (Eph. 3:4). Later, in the same
letter, he warned them to not be foolish, but understand what is the will of the Lord
(Eph. 5:17). Questions of great significance wait to be answered as one reads the Bible.
One cannot do what one does not understand. The student cannot complete the assignment if
the lesson was not understood. Likewise, insights into these great mysteries are attained
by diligent study. Some day we will be called to answer if we did God’s will (Matthew
7:21ff). It is vitally important that we now come to understand that will.
Let us study the word of God and pray
for spiritual wisdom and insight. Let’ s enjoy the fellowship and edification we have
among believers. Let’s learn God’s will and teach it to the lost. Do not be
foolish, but understand these things. – Dan Mayfield