No. 4: Understanding

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I have been thinking about how vital it is for us to understand and see things the way they actually are. To thrive in our post-modern age, we need to be continuously cultivating the ability to discern what is true, what is right, and what is lasting. Gaining a heart of wisdom should be a lifetime goal as we pursue our relationship with God. The writer of Proverbs instructs us to get understanding.

“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God." Proverbs 2:1-5

We live in what many have called, “The Information Age,” an era that actually began in 1844 with the invention of the telegraph. The first instrument to transmit information over long distances, the telegraph made it possible to convert words (and thus ideas) into electronic form. Today, with the communication tools such as the Internet, email, cable television, satellite radio, CDs, DVDs, Ipods, cellular phones and other types of handheld digital devices, information comes at us 24/7 with lightning speed.

Bombarded night and day with ideas, we are constantly forced to make choices, to discern, to judge, to sift and to sort. What is true? What is false? What is right? What is wrong? What is good? What is evil? We cannot escape the necessity of having to choose almost constantly. And the possibility of getting it wrong is very, very real.

But there is hope. We can learn from a prayer of Moses, recorded in the Psalms, how important it is for us to possess Godly wisdom. He said,

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12

We can also learn also from Ezra, the High Priest, a man who ...

"...set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel." Ezra 7:10 NIV

Consider the threefold structure of this passage … Ezra set his heart to …

• study the law
• practice the law
• teach others God’s statutes and ordinances

Ezra provides us a marvelous example. He set his heart to study, to practice, and to teach the Word. There is lesson for us here. We cannot effectively teach until will have put the Word into practice. And we cannot put the Word into practice unless we have studied it. Following Ezra’s pattern we can, over time, gain genuine, Biblical understanding and grow in godly wisdom.