Our Understanding is Flawed

Our Understanding is Flawed

by David Brenneman 

"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh provides no benefit; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit, and are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray Him. And He was saying, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.  As a result of this many of His disciples left, and would no longer walk with Him.  So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to leave also, do you?” Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. And we have already believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” John 6:63-69 NASB 

We go about our days within our own minds and hearts and it's us who are the one's lacking understanding.  Our world has been seared by sin since Adam and Eve.  We've inherited a sin nature that has corrupted the ways of man.  We are always tempted to go it alone.  Do it for yourself.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart. And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB

Our understanding needs help.

Our understanding is so finite.

Our understanding always gets us into trouble when we go about life without consulting the One who does not have any trouble understanding anything.

Jeremiah was known, quite simply, as the 'weeping prophet'...yet look at what he says in his book in chapter 17 verse 7!  "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and who's hope is the Lord."  He speaks of the blessings of God.

Even in the midst of a storm we don't know what's next.  If we're honest about life, we realize that storms are the norm.  For many it's one to the next. 

It's why it's all the more important in the life of a Believer to have a record of faith history. Of those things that they've been through with God.  So that when the next storm comes and it seems so out of sorts, we know that God already saw it and was prepared for it.

This last week, we've hit some pretty significant storms here in life.  Praying "God help!" brought help.

A neighbor saw me push mowing my back half of an acre rather than with my riding mower and came over to offer one of his that he's selling to use to finish it up.  Laughingly saying we're getting too old for this.  I made it clear that I didn't think I even had gas for his mower let alone a means to repay.  He said it was no problem and still brought me one of the best I've ever used.  Even when it had fits he was there to make sure things went they way they should.  I was simply trying to do the best I could do in the situation that presented itself and God still had a better understanding of what could be done and provided it.  This neighbor also said he could come find out what's wrong with my riding mower as well.  

God has situations to deal with not problems.  There are no problems to the God of the Universe.

What goes on in our Spiritual life is far more important than what goes on in our physical life.  The One who has the words of eternal life is speaking...but are we listening?

We can get set in our ways, set in our decisions and come to find out they weren't at all the best path to go.  Some just go 'oh well' and don't try to change and others see it as a chance to get back where they ought to be.  Some just give up all together and go deeper down the wrong path.

The world will tempt you with 'good things' happening.  The world will try to sway your thinking towards what looks all good and joyous...and as soon as you do...the bottom falls out...because it was a hollow pursuit.  

In all likelihood we could have moved half a decade ago if I had only understood that principles in my life.  Things would be bad, the storm would be raging, and all the sudden instead of going the path we finally took in the fall of 2021...the storm would break and I would understand the wrong thing and the opportunity to move would fall through.  I was suckered into a false idea of a solution that was on retrospect of the world not of God.

Our growth in Christ is dependent upon our growing in the knowledge and love of God...not of physics, of eating of health of any other thing.  Regardless of how good we take care of this body, it's our spirit that endures.  Jesus, often, when doing the Will of His Father, did not eat and was perfectly fine.  What's often missed is that mini-miracle of good health that happened every time He did.  Look back at the 80 years the Israelites were in the wilderness.  It was even mentioned...did you catch it when reading in their concluding that journey?  Shoes didn't wear out, clothes didn't wear out...other things never wore out.  Mini-miracles where God intervened.  Elisha and the widow.  All she had was an abundance of jars and one of oil.  He told her to keep filling them all from what appeared to be so little in it.  Every jar was full then the flow stopped.  Another mini-miracle of how we seem limited and God says not a chance when it's His will to be done.

Growing in Christ is more important than the other things this world wants our minds consumed with.

I was watching a secular comedian speaking his mind...nothing dirty for sure..but his words had a ring of truth to them.  The world aka Satan does not want critical thinking people.  Does not want people who will push to learn what's important.  In essence Satan wants dumb sheep to control. Another reason for the storms...to keep even the smart sheep off balance. 

Jesus slept through storms easily because His trust was in His Father.

We're going to face days when we don't understand what's going on...and that's ok. Because those of us walking with Jesus know that it's ok if only He knows what's going on.   We may be in a world of hurt emotionally, we may be in a world of hurt physically.  Matters not...remember the words of Jeremiah.

Lean not on your own understanding...our view of the world isn't going to be what's really happening.

We face an enemy who does not want us growing in Christ...yet that is the workmanship of Christ in us.

They are in opposition to each other.  God's Will will prevail when we seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness.