This is such an easy thing to say.

“¹⁷Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” – Ephesians 5:17 (ESV)

Paul writes to the Ephesians and tells them the same. But did he?

The passage where this verse comes from is titled in my ESV Bible as “Walk in Love”. The word “therefore” is what is next for us. Paul explains to the Ephesians of what it looks like to walk in love in the verses leading up to verse 17. This is his instruction to them.

To understand does not mean that everything will be rosy as a result. There is a better chance that things may not go as I want them to go. My task is simply to know and understand and work toward that which God has in store, even if I do not know what that is completely. God has a plan for me.

I have to apply what He is teaching me each day as I work toward the end of that plan. His guidelines are there for me in His word and I am to seek that guidance and follow along. I am to continue seeking out the plan He has for me knowing that what I want may not be what He wants for me at all. I am that which He uses to accomplish that plan. I have to study to know the plan, all the while knowing that I may not know the extent of the contribution I am making and that I may simply be the one seemingly insignificant ingredient that completes the greater plan.

I am tasked with understanding “God’s general guidelines for life as found in the Bible” (ESV Commentary Ephesians 5:17). I am tasked with doing according to those guidelines and allowing God to work in my life to complete the plan that He has in store.

What are you working to accomplish? Are you trying to complete everything on your own? Are you simply able to understand the guidelines and do according to those guidelines to accomplish the work of God?

I have a friend who told me of the first time she was able to understand the Bible. She had picked up the Bible on a number of occasions and as she put it, the words looked like they were in another language. Until, she accepted Christ as her personal savior. When she did, the words seemed to change to English and she was able to read and understand.

“¹²Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by Bod. ¹³And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. ¹⁴The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” – 1 Corinthians 2:12-14 (ESV)

To me, my friend experienced a miracle of the faith, although when reading here, it was no miracle at all. She simply became of the Spirit through her salvation and was then able to understand the Word of God.

I believe that too often we are looking for the grand explanation for things occurring when the simple explanation is really what happened. In this case, my friend understood because she became a child of God, not some great miracle of sudden ability. She was tuned into God and God tuned her into His Word.

There is a reason that those on the outside are not able to understand. They are not supposed to understand all that is presented by the Spirit. They need to commit themselves to Christ and then they will be able to understand that which is of God. The simple reason that those around me are not able to understand that which comes from God is that they are not True Christians and therefore are not able to understand.

Where are you with regard to your following of Christ? Are you following Him only and leaving the world outside? What if you committed fully to Christ, would you then understand?

I continue to sin even though I know the difference.

“¹⁵For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing that I hate.” – Romans 7:15 (ESV)

Why do I continue to do that which I know is wrong? Why do I continue to sin when I know the difference between right and wrong?

Well, here is what I know. I have not allowed God to take over. I still insist that I am in control. I am deceived into thinking that “I” have the power to resist.

The truth is that I am not strong enough to resist even the slightest of temptations. I am weak and as a human continuously looking to satisfy my human desires. I am looking to the now to satisfy everything. “I do not understand my own actions” as my own.

“¹⁶Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. ¹⁷So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.” – Romans 7:16-17 (ESV)

I am not the one that is taking the actions, it is the sin inside me. I have to weed out the sin continuously. It is not something that I can do on a Sunday morning, and think that I am good for the next month. I have to tend to my heart each day all day.

I think of the flower bed at my house today and compare it to that of the retired neighbor down the street. My flower bed it seems is always over run with grass and I have to take a few hours every other week to tend to it getting it back in order. But my retired neighbor is able to spend his Saturday’s in enjoyment because he tends to the bed for 15 minutes a day every day and therefore the bed is healthier and cleaner all the time.

I have to be willing to put in the work each day to avoid being overrun by weeds of sin in my life. Taking the time each day to study and understand God’s word will be just what I need to help me ward off the sin that creeps in each day.

Are you aware that it is the sin in you that drives your actions? Are you able to put in the work weed out the sin daily? Will you work to understand and tend your heart?

I read and I read and yet sometimes understanding what I am reading escapes me.

“³⁰So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ ³¹And he said, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.” – Acts 8:30-31 (ESV)

I am not the only one. This Ethiopian eunuch was reading the scriptures and yet he was not understanding. Whether it was that he did not understand the language the idea that he was reading and not understanding was of importance.

Whereas the example of Philip going to help is certainly something to be modeled after, I want to specifically look at the model of the eunuch. This man listened to the question from Philip and honestly responded as opposed to pretending just to get away. He openly admitted his deficiency and “invited Philip to come up and sit with him”.

What an example of wanting to learn and understand. Although it may have taken some time, He likely could have learned on his own. Knowing that Philip would likely be one to speed his learning, he was open to asking for help. And for his openness, he learned, understood, and was baptized.

I wonder how open to asking for help from a complete stranger that walked up to my car I would be. Am I willing to demonstrate my vulnerabilities to the point of seeking guidance from another I do not know or know their intentions?

The lesson here for me is that we all need guidance no matter my station in life. That guidance can come from the most unlikely of places, like a man on the street. I have to take charge of my learning and be open to accepting guidance wherever it may come from.

What about you and your learning, are you taking charge of it? Are you willing to be vulnerable with what you don’t know? Will you seek guidance to understand?

“³⁹See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have…⁴³and he took it and ate before them…⁴⁵Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,” – Luke 24:39, 43, & 45 (ESV)

Jesus gives the disciples a number of way for them to understand; 1) He speaks to them. 2) He asks them to “see” His hands and feet. 3) He asks them to “touch” Him. 4) He demonstrates His humanity by eating. And thanks to each of these, He was able to “open” their minds.

In His time on earth, Jesus gave and gave and gave to those around Him. This instance is not different. In the short time referenced in the passage of Luke 24:36-49 He gave of Himself in the way that each of the men would believe and understand.

As someone who’s career is in adult education, I think a lot about learning styles and how I can impact each learner in my classes in a positive way. Audio, Visual, and Kinesthetic (learn by doing). Jesus used each of these to reach each of them. He provided the atmosphere of learning to impact them in a positive way.

Once He had opened their minds, Jesus was able to teach them and they learned. This learning is demonstrated in verses 52 and 53 of Luke 24 after Jesus ascended into heaven.

“⁵²And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, ⁵³and were continually in the temple blessing God.” – Luke 24:52-53 (ESV)

I have been studying and writing here as I have said a number of time for the past almost four years. When I first started, I was doing it for me and if someone else benefited from my study, well that was pretty good. As time has passed and I have continued to grow, I now feel an obligation to everyone for helping them study and learn. It is not about me although I will certainly continue to grow and learn as I serve each of you. I am encouraged when God leads me to scripture that confirms my mission to improve lives through growth and learning.

I hope that you are able to take away from my study growth and learning of your own. I hope that you will take the time and opportunity to dive into the scripture and in your way, be able to understand so that you will “worship him” and “continually” bless God.

What does it take for your learn something? Do you approach things from that way of learning? Are you seeking to grow and understand?

Seems like a statement that is common sense right, “to understand takes time”. Although, common sense seems to be lacking.

“²⁷Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works.” – Psalm 119:27 (ESV)

It took me a bit as I was reading this passage to find what God had for me today. Where I do not know what God’s plan for me is, I do have the answers available and for that I have to be willing to take the time to understand.

I look at the verse and see two words that stand out, “understand” and “meditate”. These words work together here. Asking God for understanding is certainly where I should be starting. Seeking to know the plans of God and where I fit into those plans are near the top of my priority list. I also have to remember to meditate and find the deeper meaning and that is something that takes some time.

“It took me a bit”, is certainly true here. God often presents with wisdom and the hurry to get on with things creates a miss in understanding. I have often jumped to conclusions without taking a step back to meditate. When I move to quickly, I have found myself missing the point and creating additional chaos that should and could have been avoided had I just taken a bit more time.

I commit to learning, meditating, and understanding. That is going to feel like a slower process, however the slower start will lend to a more complete finish with the right actions being taken along the way to fulfilling my Kingdom Purpose.

How much are you learning? Are you meditating on your learning and seeking a deeper understanding? Are you taking the time to understand?

“¹The fool says in his heart, ‘There is not God.’ They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good…³They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.” – Psalm 14:1&3 (ESV)

The “fool” is not referring to those that are lacking in intelligence, but those that are willfully acting against wisdom. Those that actively denounce God are those that are not followers of Christ and are “corrupt” and do no “good”.

“²The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.” – Psalm 14:3 (ESV)

Notice that those that are the “fool” and “corrupt” and do no “good” are the children of man. These are those that have not accepted the grace and salvation provided by God. These are those that are intent on going it alone. Again, they willfully act against wisdom.

⁴Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread and do not call upon the Lord?” – Psalm 14:4 (ESV)

See here that they actively work against children of God. They persecute us that are acting willfully to accept the wisdom and understanding provided by God. We are those that are not “corrupt” and certainly do “good”.

I have to be careful as I go about this world and remember that those that are not of God truly do not understand. It is my job as one that does understand, to bring the gospel to those that do not. Remembering that they act out of a lack of knowledge and that it is not personal against me.

Are you one that understands? Are you like the “fool” who says, “There is no God.”? Are you a child of God whose job is to bring understanding to those that do not understand?

I consider myself to be quite intelligent. I am also not very smart. Let me explain. I know a good amount, but really how much do I use on a daily basis. And, how much do I claim to know without the benefit of true understanding.

“³’Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.” – Job 42:3 (ESV)

Job confesses to God that he may know some things, but his understanding of them is limited. Here he begins the act of repenting for his lack of understanding and sets the stage for seeking that understanding.

I have been writing for almost 4 years and where I have learned much, I still have so much more to learn. I have gained so much, yet have so much more to gain. I have explored much, and yet there is so much more to explore. I am in a place where I need to be humbled so that I can learn and that humbling may have just started this morning as I have read “Job’s Confession and Repentance”.

How much more have I to learn? How much more have I to understand?

What about you, what have you learned lately? Have you expanded your understanding of what you learned? Are you in a place to confess and continue learning to understand?

“¹Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” – 1 John 4:1 (ESV)

How is it that I test and how will I know? These are certainly questions that I should be asking in order to learn. I have a duty to know and understand what I am up against and the only way to truly do that is to ask questions and seek to understand.

“²By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.” – 1 John 4:2-3 (ESV)

Thank you John for the instruction and insight. I have to say that this is a simple test. When confronted, I should be looking for the confession that Jesus did walk the earth as man and is from our Lord God.

I have to be careful that the “silver tongues” not “help me understand” as they confuse the truth with their words. I have to trust in God to provide vision into the truth. Those that are not from God will be deceptive and cunning and deliberate in what they say and how they act. It is up to me to seek the wisdom and guidance from God to see through the deception and find the truth.

I know that the struggle is and will be real when it comes to the world. I have an uphill battle ahead of me to find the truth. But, I have the God in my corner and He only wants my success and will reveal the truth. I am thankful for all of the guidance I receive.

When you are confronted are you seeking the truth? Are you being confused and deceived into believing the lies of those not from God? Are you using the guidance and wisdom of God in your discernment?

“²³And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.” – 1 John 3:23 (ESV)

I sorely needed this verse this morning. I have found myself bitter with the state of the world. I am angry, frustrated, and distant as I look out into the world around me.

Our world is hurting today and there seem to be minimal voices of reason and love. I need to be one of those voices. I need to be more bold as I “believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another”. I am just as much to blame as others as I sit and do nothing. I have to be a stronger voice of love. I have to understand the hurt and actively lift others. I am the silent one that needs to speak out.

When I am in my own world, just God, me, and my family I feel secure. But am I doing the Lord’s work in remaining secure? I have to step out and get in the world and stand for Christ and lift others and love. I may not have all of the monetary capabilities to provide for the physical needs of others, but I can provide for the emotional, social, and cultural needs with love and care.

I should demonstrate the marks of a true Christian and noted in Romans 12:9-21. That is where I am able to make a difference. I must believe and love and maybe, just maybe, someone else will do the same.

Are you filed away in your own security? Are you looking to do more? Are you able to “believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another”?