A Walking Testimony
Hello friends and welcome back to 'Understanding', a series here on my blog about my word for 2024.
{This is the second installment, so if you are new, I want to catch you up to speed and provide a little context:
For the past few years, at the beginning of the year, I have been praying and asking God for a word. You could call this word a landmark, something that I can keep coming back to to reflect on throughout the year. I never hear these words from God audibly. Instead, God intercedes my thoughts. This experience comes with a fullness, or a warmth, that seems to radiate straight from my heart. It is hard for me to explain, but not hard for me to notice. It overcomes me out of the blue and in a way that leaves me without a doubt that it's God, truly God, and not just my own thoughts. Long story short, my 'word of the year' has always summed up the year beautifully and in ways that I could never imagine or guess beforehand.}
Last time we talked about some of the things I gleaned from the books of Colossians and Job about my word. In that post, we ended up revealing the stark differences of 'our ways' and 'God's ways'. This contrast of the two, in my mind, is the building block of understanding, so it makes since that it was the first full concept of 'understanding' that the Lord led me to this year. But it all started with this verse in Job that basically defined my word for me. This verse was the jumping off point and will be a verse that I continue to go back to in this series:
"And to man He said, 'Behold the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding."
Job 28:28 (NKJV)
I also mentioned in my last post that there was so much more on 'understanding' that I discovered in the book of Job, and I want to pick up where I left off, so to speak.
Before I do though, I think it's important to mention that the verses that really shaped the point I am trying to bring across today, they came from the mouth of Elihu, who was one of Job's friends. Now, Job's friends were not the most supportive after Job had lost everything, and they were wrong about a lot of things, mostly about accusing Job of bringing all his misfortune upon himself by sinning, but Elihu wasn't wrong in what he said about God in the chapters that I want to look at.
I almost need to read the whole of chapters 36 and 37 to you to really pull together this concept of 'understanding', but for the sake of keeping this post a decent readable length, I am going to pull out the main verses that led me to this discovery, or rather, this rediscovery. I do apologize if some context goes missing in this process, but as always, I encourage you to look up these chapters in your Bible if you need some more context.
As I type out these verses, I will underline some crucial points that I want to touch on:
"For truly my words are not false; One who is perfect in knowledge is with you. Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one; He is mighty in strength of understanding." (Job 36:4-5 NKJV)
"Then, He tells them their work and their transgressions - that they have acted defiantly, He also opens their ear to instruction, and commands that they turn from their iniquity." (Job 36:9-10 NKJV)
"Behold, God is exalted by His power; who teaches like Him? Who assigned Him His way, or who has said, 'You have done wrong?'' (Job 36:22-23 NKJV)
"Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him; Nor can the number of His years be discovered. For He draws up drops of water, which distill as rain from the mist, which the clouds drop down and pour abundantly on man. Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds?" (Job 36:29 NKJV)
"God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend." (Job 37:5 NKJV)
"Do you know how the clouds are balanced, these wonderous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge?" (Job 37:16 NKJV)
That was a lot, so let's do a breakdown:
God is perfect in knowledge and mighty in strength of understanding {36:4-5}
He opens our ears to instruction {36:9-10} (He provides understanding of right and wrong)
He teaches us {36:22-23} (He teaches His ways, and His ways are good)
He performs wonderful works that we cannot understand {36:29}
He does great things that we cannot comprehend {37:5}
HE IS PERFECT IN KNOWLEDGE {37:16}
So, what is the takeaway? What did I get out of this? Well, because my word for this year promises understanding, I know that I will learn new concepts and re-grasp forgotten ones. It's already been happening like crazy! But, as this process plays out, I need to take a step back from time to time and realize some important things and, man, these things are very humbling.
I need to understand that:
The only reason I am able to gain understanding in the first place is through Him teaching me. (This links up with what I said in the last post, He is arming with knowledge with the intent to have me use it one day, not to build up 'my self image'.)
His understanding is incomparable to any understanding I could ever gain. I can never grasp things on the same scale that the Father can and therefore some things are going to remain a mystery to me.
He does things that I can never understand, therefore I have to trust that God knows what He is doing.
Obtaining understanding means being open to correction and open to being taught (even in ways that I don't like - more on this in another part of this series).
{going back to Job 28:28} I must be constantly departing from my sinful nature.
As you can see, God was quick to lay the groundwork on 'understanding' before I could get up on my high horse. He needed to make sure that I was on the right level so that I can look at the things I am grasping with a prospective of humility. I would need to know right off the bat this new 'building up of understanding' isn't about me, but it's about what God is doing THROUGH me.
I would need to know that 'earthly focus' or 'self-focus' is dangerous because the lens of my earthly mentality can warp the things that He is trying to reveal to me. No, I need to ditch earthly mentality and the 'ways of the old man'. I need to be God-focused more than ever in this season. I need to take every. single. thought. captive.
Lately, God has been saying this to me, "Understanding is (blank)" When He says this, He fills in the blank, and I reflect on it and write it down. I've written many down, but here is just one of them: "Understanding is knowing that you can't do anything without God. You need constant Holy Spirit leading, child."
I can't do anything without Him. I need to be chewing on that humble thought always. This reminds me of what God tells Job in chapter 38:
"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Job 38:4-7 (NKJV)
Without God, nothing would exist, including me, how then would I be able to grasp anything? I hear it again.. "Understanding is knowing that you can't do anything without Me..."
Without God, I am nothing, literally. But with God, I am something special. With Him, I have a fullness of life that I could have never known apart from Him. With Him, I am a walking testimony. With Him, I am an extension of His hands here on earth. With Him, somehow, I am able to jump on this moving train called 'His glory' and do something meaningful in this world where we have lost the meaning of 'meaningful'.
With Him, the sky is the limit for me, as long as it's a part of His will. That is why I need constant Holy Spirit leading, so that I can always be aware of His will, and so that I can be what He needs me to be to do what He has called me to do. And, friends, He has called me to document this walk of mine - to be a testament of His goodness.
With Him, I am not only capable of gaining understanding, but capable of so much more. Within that knowledge, there is so much joy to be found.
