If you read the Bible, you know you are supposed to seek God’s will.

“God’s Word” is basically a synonym for wisdom from God.

The truth of God is rightfully held in esteem as THE truth.

I’m quite sure you already seek God’s will, read His Word, and value His truth. Wonderful!

The greater question is, do you understand all of that? When God reveals His will, do you understand WHY it is? When you read the Word of God, do you understand WHAT it means? And though you value God’s truth, do you know WHEN and HOW to apply it?

Here’s why understanding is so vital:

• If you understand God’s will for you, but don’t understand why it is His will, you may grow weary in following it, if it becomes difficult or boring. If you don’t know WHY you are doing anything, it’s hard to stay committed to it.
• The Word of God is, to those who believe, the infallible word of God. However, when meanings or stories are not understood for their proper application in your life or your right view of God, you can go astray in both the application and what is right in God’s eyes.
• God’s truths can appear to contradict one another at times. His Word and His Truth can be so misunderstood or misapplied as to make it not righteous at all. See a Pharisee.

Solomon’s voice of wisdom is chock full of admonitions about the importance of understanding in his proverbs. Ponder this section from Proverbs 2:

1 My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding —
3 indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8 for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.
9 Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.

Proverbs 2:1-11 (NIV)

Here is my takeaway from this section of Scripture:

• You must apply your heart to understand. It doesn’t just light upon you. Understanding must be sought from God, for it comes from His mouth. Cry out for it!
• Understanding is the key to developing a right fear of the Lord. It’s one thing to know God calls some thing evil; it’s quite another to understand why, and truly join Him in hating what is evil.
• Understanding is vital to knowing God as much as you can in this life. And we can all know Him better than we do!
• Those who seek understanding from Him will reap the benefits of being successful in what they do, will be able to live a blameless life, be shielded and guarded from harm, and most importantly, understand the way of genuine faithfulness to God. The Scripture contains sad stories of people who did what they thought God wanted and missed the mark so badly that God had to punish them. See Saul, king of Israel.
• Understanding God’s will, truth and Word will help you know what is right, and just and fair. God’s will, codified in law, called for stoning any woman caught in the act of adultery. In seeking understanding, Jesus recognized and chose the good path on the day the Pharisees threw an adulterous woman at his feet. His mercy towards her didn’t negate how wrong adultery is; but it was right, and just, and fair in that moment.

Beloved, seek understanding from God! You can understand far more than you might thing — if you only ask.

Tonia