God’s Wisdom Perfect Understanding

Every day God allows us to receive lessons, some more profound than others. Today God showed me my understanding had taken His place in my life on more occasions than I’d like to admit. My understanding has been a companion throughout my life, assisting me in making erroneous decisions. 

Meditation on scripture is a teacher. Why? Because God is in His word. The verse that arrested my spirit was: when wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will preserve you: understanding will keep you to deliver you from the evil way from the man who speaks perverse things (Proverbs 2:10-12).  

Pure Wisdom is From Above

James 3:17

Often, I’ve called understanding perception, discernment, or discretion all based on my thinking. With all prudence, I’ve held to the notion God is in the decision I’ve made, based on my reasoning and interpretation, which is limited. It’s that thinking I’ve had to repent. Understanding is not a tool to be worshipped but an instrument for God. When the scriptures speak of understanding, it’s always in conjunction with the Lord giving wisdom and trusting Him. He, the Lord, is understanding and strength (Proverbs 8:14).

Consequently, that means you don’t have the ability apart from God to operate in proper understanding. But there is a fleshly tendency to predict or control a situation that only God should lead. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can give pure wisdom and knowledge. That’s the understanding that will keep you from the evil way and the man who speaks perverse things.  

God Gives Peace

2 Thessalonians 3:16

I thought I was giving myself peace through understanding, not in that way directly, but by reasoning. To provide me with a reason based on an adopted way of thinking puts me in places to tolerate behavior or a person that my heavenly Father never authorized me to entertain. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your understanding (Proverbs 3:5), wasn’t what I was doing. I made sense of why evil, or wrongdoing lived within a person.

I venture to say I’m not alone. How many times? Have you told yourself they are like that because of such and such? Not leaning on what God is saying, but you’re thinking. The Lord gives wisdom: from His mouth come knowledge and understanding (Proverbs 2:6). His understanding isn’t reasoning based on a limited capacity, but He created man, and none of man’s ways are a mystery to Him. He promises to direct your paths. From Him comes wisdom, and all things were created for and by Him (Col. 1:16), so why not trust Him?       

Listen to Jesus!

Jesus said, “The Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things (John 14:26). Comprehension is a gift of God best used in the capacity to serve Him. Trust in the Lord and lean not to your understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Lean not on your understanding in every area of your life. Said not to yourself, “How can I make it through this, or how do I figure this out?” Allow God to lead! Proclamations that declare you’re in charge, not God.

 Lean Not to You Own Understanding, acknowledge the Lord, and He will direct your path. He is understanding and strength.