How You Can Know What You Need to Know

Hey friends, I do hope this finds you well and protected from these harsh weather conditions. As of this writing my loved ones and I have a roof over our heads, food to sustain us, and heat sources to warm us. I’m exceedingly grateful for these blessings and so conscious of those in more dire situations. My prayers are centered there.

But I’ve got something on my mind, beyond just wanting to reach out and check on y’all. I want us to look at discernment. We need discernment and we need to recognize our need for discernment. That’s a lot of need. So, why am I pressing this? Because our 2021 world tells us truth is relative, that you can have your truth and I can have mine! Only, we can’t. God says truth is fixed, that it doesn’t evolve, and it’s found in Christ alone who is the way, the life, and the Truth. While I could definitely be long-winded on this topic, (Jesus is my favorite subject!) your recent feedback proved my theory that shorter letters are more readable letters, so this will be me, practicing the art of being succinct. Let’s begin with a story. (You knew I’d say that.)

It happened several years ago now. My sister and her husband had taken the grands out to eat at their favorite Mexican restaurant. Rhonda asked who would like to pray before the meal and her six-year-old grandson, Cotten, volunteered. He bowed his head and began with a customary opening. “Lord, we ask you to bless this food we’re about to eat”. At that point, however, Cotten surprised everyone at the table by interjecting, “You probably won’t because it’s Mexican”, before wrapping with a more familiar “amen”. As you might imagine, it was hard for his grandparents to contain themselves.

Now, at this point I wouldn’t be surprised if you were concluding that Cotten’s parents have a problem with people of Mexican descent, and he is inheriting it. But here’s the rest of the story. Cotten’s parents had actually been teaching him that it was wrong for us to consume too much of the wrong foods and then ask the Lord to bless our bodies. Apparently Cotton had concluded that his chips and cheese fell into that category. Isn’t that interesting? We can disagree on Cotten’s nutritional assessment, but surely we can all agree that with adequate information we can be more discerning about our conclusions. Amen? Amen. And that sets us up for the big question.

How can you and I get the information we need to be discerning when information is coming at us from all directions at all times? To address that, I’d like to make two contentions and then we’ll use Scripture to bear them out. For starters, the hard truth is that we can’t know what we need to know as we need to know it apart from living with the One who knows the end from the beginning. Furthermore, without abiding in Jesus with our wills surrendered to His, we are all susceptible to deception. All of us.

I offer you this working definition of discernment taken from The Dictionary of Bible Themes: The sound judgment which makes possible the distinguishing of good from evil, and the recognition of God’s right ways for his people. It is necessary for the understanding of spiritual realities and, on a practical level, for right government and the avoidance of life’s pitfalls.

Friends, Scripture doesn’t teach us that discernment is our birthright in Christ. Scripture teaches that discernment is 1) Given by God 2) Increases by seeking it and 3) Is sustained by dependence on the Word.

Word of God speak.

Discernment is given by God.

 “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him.  It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding. “It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him.” Daniel 2:20-22  

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10

Increasing Discernment comes by seeking it.

Cause me to understand the way of your precepts,  that I may meditate on your wonderful deeds. Psalms 119:27

I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes. Psalms 119: 125

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.  James 1:5

Ongoing discernment is dependent on the Word.

But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. Heb 5:14

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. Psalm 19:7

Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts.  Psalm 119:98-100

It’s me again, folks. If you were to overhear my prayers these days, you would find me constantly and consistently asking the Lord for discernment. Here’s my prayer report for you, so far. When I’m abiding in Him and asking Him to posture me, I can live in these days and consider what lies ahead without fear. More than that, I can actually live in these times with expectation!

When I’m not beholding Jesus in the Word and looking to the Sovereign God for discernment, it’s an entirely different story. The news, the culture, the state of our union, it all leaves my insides knotted.

Here’s my stand, my commitment to Father, and to you. Please note it and hold me to it should you ever hear words to the contrary pass my lips: I refuse to dishonor God by living as a fearful unbeliever when we’ve been chosen to live in this moment. Acts 17:26 assures us that we aren’t alive because we got the short end of the Divine stick! We are purposed for these days and God wants to give us discernment to live in them. He will quip us for our purpose in them as we ask, seek, knock, obey, and abide.

 

May the Good Lord bless you and keep you, make His face to shine upon you, and give you peace.

 

Hugs,
Shellie