Friday, 19 November 2021
SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING
For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding (Colossians 1:9).
Evidently, God wants us to have spiritual understanding. Truth is reality, and it’s spiritual. All things hail from the spiritual. We must live from that perspective, and we can only do that by the insights given to us by the Holy Spirit, through the Word. Let’s examine a particular dialogue between Jesus and the Jews in John 8. Jesus said, “I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you” (John 8:37).
Now, they didn’t think their attempt to kill Him had anything to do with His Word not being in them; but Jesus knew. He pinpointed the root cause of their actions to something spiritual, because He was thinking spiritually. He said, “I know that ye are Abraham’s seed…” He didn’t take that away from them. But in a seemingly self-contradictory statement, He said, “...If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham” (John 8:39). He was talking spiritually.
Factually, Abraham was their father, but in action, they were children of the devil. While they were thinking factually (carnally) and arguing with Jesus, He was using the Word of God to interpret their thoughts and actions, because the Word of God is truth. He stood firmly on truth. And that’s how we must live.
In Luke 22, on the occasion of His arrest, He said,“…this is your hour, and the power of darkness” (Luke 22:53). Everybody else looked at the arrest from the natural, factual point of view, but Jesus interpreted it spiritually. He said the power of darkness was behind it.
It’s like the crises going on in the world today, which started in 2020. Many are being deceived because they don’t know the truth. They’re not seeing from the spiritual perspective; rather, they’re following the carnal dictates of men. Through the knowledge of the Word, we can easily recognize the work of God and distinguish it from Satan’s work. Remember the words of Jesus in John 16:2: “They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.” He made it clear that some would think that when they kill God’s people they’re rendering Him service. They’ll have wrong interpretations and judgement, because they judge after the flesh. His Word has no place in them. We who are born of the Spirit of God must feed on the Word continually. The Holy Spirit through the Word gives us Spiritual insight and understanding in all things.
PRAYER: Dear Father, thank you for giving me the ability to live in and by the truth. In all circumstances, I have peace and rest; peace with prosperity, health, strength and joy, because my mind is stayed on the truth of your Word always, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
Ephesians 1:15-18; 2 John 1:1-4; Colossians 1:9 AMPC
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: James 2-3:1-13 & Ezekiel 20-21
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: John 13:1-11 & 1 Chronicles 19