UNDERSTANDING

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get UNDERSTANDING – Proverbs 4:7

"The entrance of Your words give LIGHT; it gives Understanding to the simple" (Psa.119:130). Understanding is the third of the triplets of Light. Though distinct, it always walks and works with Wisdom: “Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth” (Pro.4:5). Add understanding to your Pursuit of Wisdom. God did: “The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens” (Pro.3:19). Both speak with one voice: “Does not wisdom cry, and understanding lift up her voice?” (Pro.8:1). “He who gets Wisdom loves his own soul; he who keeps understanding will find good” (Pro.19:8). Now, the triplets together: “For the LORD gives Wisdom; from His mouth come Knowledge and Understanding” (Pro.2:6); “Through Wisdom a house is built, and by Understanding it is established; by Knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches” (Pro.24:3-4). What a powerful Tripod!

We must distinguish between natural and divine understanding. Proverbs 3:5-7 says: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding…Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil.” Paul prayed: “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know…” (Eph.1:18a). Whereas knowledge gives us the information, the What, Wisdom the How, Understanding unravels the things behind it – the Why! In Acts 8:30, Philip asked the Ethiopian eunuch, “Do you understand what you are reading?” The eunuch replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” Knowledge is never sufficient in itself without Wisdom and Understanding. Knowledge in isolation “puffs up” and “shall vanish away” (1Cor.8:1; 13:8). That’s why some are “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2Tim.3:7). Understanding is the ability to lift the meaning out of the facts, and Wisdom is to know what to do next.

You must appreciate the place of Understanding: “Good understanding gains favour, but the way of the unfaithful is hard” (Pro.13:15). Understanding makes you outstanding in your life’s quest. Your depth of understanding determines how outstanding you become in life. Understanding helps you to tap into the fullest benefits of knowledge; to actualize all you have acquired through knowledge, and obtain tangible results. It is by understanding that the believer walks in the realities of redemption: in dominion over sin, Satan and demons, divine healing, marital bliss, covenant wealth, and prosperity. Isaiah 11:3 describes the Ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Life of Jesus: “And He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of His ears.” That’s where knowledge stops; it is often limited to what you can see, hear, touch, smell, or feel. Understanding goes deeper and obtains more profound results (Pro.2:9-11).

How does understanding come? It comes by the entrance of God’s Word and Spirit, through committed processing of Knowledge; going beyond the superficial, to mining the meanings, virtues, and benefits of the information at your disposal. Others may have access to similar information, but treat it lightly, and remain in mediocrity. Meditation is the practical access to Understanding: “I have more understanding than all my teachers: for Your testimonies are my meditation” (Psa.119:99). As you meditate in God’s Word, His Spirit opens the eyes of your understanding, and makes you of “quick understanding” (Eph.1:18). He ignites your understanding, making you supernaturally smart in grasping life’s issues and eternal realities. Ultimately, LIGHT – outstanding and ever-increasing shining – is the sure testimony of those who walk in Wisdom and Understanding: “But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines brighter unto the perfect day” (Pro.4:18).