UNDERSTANDING GOD'S WORD

MONDAY 04 MARCH 2024

The Bible contains the inspired Word of God. It is not an ordinary book and it can't be compared to any other book. Since the wordings are God-breathed, it takes the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of truth, to open our spiritual eyes, so we can understand Biblical truths and its revelational inspiration.

The accurate understanding, plus coordinated application of the Word enriches our lives. Now if it truly takes the help of the Holy Spirit to understand the things of God, then we must always engage His governing influence and depend on Him to grant us the spiritual understanding concerning every aspect of the Word we give ourselves to.

Reference: 1 Corinthians 2:11 New living version (NIV)

"For who knows a person's thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God."

As a Christian, the first step to understanding God's Word is by receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. Apostle Paul writes, "...But it was to us that God revealed these things by His Spirit. For His Spirit searches out everything and shows us God's deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God's thoughts except God's own Spirit. And we have received God's Spirit (not the world's spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us" (1 Corinthians 2:12 NLT).

If you are of God, the moment you invited Christ into your life as Saviour and Lord, your spiritual birth took place. You were baptised into Christ and you became a child of God. But you must be filled with the Holy Spirit, in order to gain the accessibility of spiritual understanding that applies to spiritual truths. Otherwise, you will find reading the Bible unfruitful, unpleasing and unrewarding, because the Holy Spirit is still a stranger to you.

For this reason, Paul goes on to write that people who are not spiritual cannot receive spiritual truths. It all sounds foolish to them and so they cannot understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. They can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others (1 Corinthians 2:14-16 NLT).

What does it mean to be spiritual? To be spiritual simply means, to have the Spirit of God in you, to be conscious of His workings by activating His indwelling presence, and to be guided by His leading in your faith walk. A Christian who does not walk in step with the Spirit can go from one ungraceful experience to another, thereby living most of his life as an unfulfilled Christian, frustrated and fruitless. Practise being filled with the Holy Spirit, so you can walk in His power, and function in the realm where your spiritual understanding becomes a great adventure of uplifting experiences for you.

When you have the Holy Spirit, to understand the scriptures, you must keep your mind focused on His enabling influence. If your mind is not open to the Holy Spirit, you cannot understand God's Word. So if you are far from perceiving spiritual truths, here's what to do: Before you approach God's Word, prepare your heart through prayer; worship and speak to the Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes and mind to see beyond the realm of natural sight. And the good news is that He will not only show you wondrous insights, He will also teach you what you don't know. This is one of the roles the Holy Spirit plays well in our lives, bearing in mind that, as the Spirit of truth, He will guide us into all the truth.

The Holy Spirit is the supernatural force that gives life to the Scriptures you read. As a life-giving force, He animates spiritual truths that settle in your heart, as you approach the written Word with a prompt attentiveness, and a teachable, wide-awake attitude, and digest the Word by faith. Beloved, as we give ardent attention to the Word of God, it surely builds us up and shows us who we really are in Christ, thereby transforming our lives from glory to glory. In a nutshell, it is the Word of God that brings and sustains the life-changing presence of God in our lives. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - John 6:63; 1 Corinthians 2:10-16 ; 2 Peter 1:21;

Guided Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, your Word is truth, Spirit and life. Taking this truth into my heart denotes being guided by your love, and putting it into action leads to your divine reign that comes with lifelong inner peace and unlimited prosperity in Christ Jesus. Thank you Lord for opening my eyes of understanding by your Spirit, to keep understanding the mysteries and deep secrets in your Word. As I approach your Word for regular study and keep at it, your perfect will is continually unveiled to my spirit and your wisdom rests upon me, propelling me to act accordingly. Thank you immensely for granting me access to revelatory insights into your depth, in Jesus' Name. Amen!