That We May Understand

​That We May Understand
“What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us (1Cor. 2:12).” Sadly, many people today don’t read the Bible, and one of the main reasons they don’t, is they don’t understand it. We might expect that from someone who doesn’t know the Lord, but why do so many of God’s own children fail to comprehend Scripture? Could it be because they simply haven’t asked for help from the divine Teacher? One of the Holy Spirit’s chief responsibilities is to enable believers to understand the things that God has freely given us.
Sometimes we look at other Christians who know more than we do and it’s easy to think that we will never reach their biblical level of understanding. The real issue isn’t how much knowledge we have but whether we are growing in our understanding. The Holy Spirit will teach each of us what we need to know, not necessarily what others know. The Holy Spirit wants each of us to become more Christlike, so He will reveal truth and wisdom to help us better understand how God’s Word applies to our lives and circumstances.
The Holy Spirit’s goal is not to fill our minds with information but to bring us into a deeper relationship with our heavenly Father. He wants us to understand the truth of Scripture so we can know the love of Jesus. In turn, the depth of Christ’s love motivates us to know Him more intimately, to spend more time in His presence, to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest God’s Word. The priceless treasures of God’s Word could remain out of reach if you never ask the Teacher for guidance. Whenever possible, try reading the scriptures out loud, and before you begin, ask the Spirit for understanding and wisdom. An intimate relationship with our Savior awaits anyone who listens and allows the Holy Spirit to reveal the thoughts of our Creator.
Grace and peace always,
Fr. Greg +

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