The Treasure of Learning, Understanding

I spent this past week end at a Ladies Retreat. There were ladies there from all age groups and life circumstances. That has always been such a wonderful blessing to me~ To watch the interaction between the early twenty year olds and the fifty-year olds...the “younger”moms
( are you smiling Mel? ) and the great-grandmothers …..mothers and daughters, friends and newcomers….studying and learning ….praying and singing, fellowshipping and eating, laughing and playing games …. Storing up knowledge, gaining understanding together. We do not have these gifts in the same measure, thus the Lord has given us this awesome family of ladies so that we might be able to reap the full benefit of learning.

This weekend we talked about discerning what is the will of God and Eph 5:17 says “Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.” And Proverbs 23:23 says "Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline, and understanding."

We learned that knowledge is knowing facts and knowledge of the Lord is “to know” the Word of the Lord…the scriptures are literally “in” you . But, it is possible to have knowledge and lack understanding; to have the facts, but to have no clue as to their meaning or what to do next.

Understanding is the ability to draw meaning out of Knowledge.; to "see through" the facts to the what, how, and why. Understanding is a lens which brings the facts into focus. Understanding produces principles. But our own understanding just like our own knowledge is shallow and can causes us to be prideful…puffed up.

Scripture warns us in 1 Cor 1 "But God has chose what the world calls foolish to shame the wise... that no man may boast in the presence of God..” Our understanding is worthless next to God’s understanding…..because our understanding is based on our own simple ways   Prov 9:6 says "Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding" Then in Prov 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding..."

Job tells us in chapter 36…. "How great is God, beyond our understanding!" And in the letter to the Philippians, Paul declares “ Then, the peace of God, which is beyond our utmost understanding, will keep guard over your hearts and thoughts, in Christ Jesus."

What better place to draw our understanding from that the fountain of God? Involved in His understanding are His attributes: greatness, goodness, peace, trustworthiness, justice mercy and love (Is that all? Not by a long shot)

Could we with ink the oceans fill and were the skies of parchment made: Were every stalk on earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade…To write the love of God above would drain the oceans dry; and could the scroll contain the whole tho’ stretched from sky to sky…Oh Love of God how rich and pure….how measureless and strong. It shall forever more endure, the saints and angels song.

What a beautiful song…about a Traceable Trustable Treasure…. And I think I now understand....