Lean Not to Your Own Understanding
Our understanding cannot be compared to the understanding that we get from
God and His words (Proverbs 14:12,16:25) says “the way of a man seems right in
his own eyes, but the end thereof is the way of death”.
News flash, no natural man is wiser than God. God tells us that His thoughts are
higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9) “for My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither
are your ways My ways, says the Lord Yahweh. For as the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your
thoughts”.
Yet when we come to the Lord, the Holy Spirit moves inside of us, and we can walk
in the Spirit and know the things of God (I Corinthians 2:9-14) “but as it is written,
eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the
things which God has prepared for them that love Him. But God has revealed
them to us by His Spirit for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of
God. For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which as in
him? Even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we
have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God that we
might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we
speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit
teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receives not
the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; neither can he know
them, because they are spiritual discerned”. Verse 16 tells us that “we have the
mind of Christ”. We are told to walk in the Spirit of God (Galatians 5:25) “if we live
in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”.
Our wisdom and understanding comes from the word of God (Proverbs 2:1-6) “my
son, if you will receive my words, and hide my commandments with you. So that
you incline your ear to wisdom; and apply your heart to understanding. Yea, if you
seek after knowledge, and lift up your voice for understanding. If you seek her as
silver, and search for her as for hid treasures. Then shall you understand the fear
(reverence) of the Lord Yahweh and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord
Yahweh gives wisdom; out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding”.
And then in Proverbs 3:1-10 it says “My son, forget not my law, but let your heart
keep my commandments. For length of days, and long life and peace, shall they
add to you. Let not mercy and truth forsake you, bind them about your neck; write
them upon the table of your heart. So shall you find favor and good
understanding in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord Yahweh with all your
heart, and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He shall direct your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord
Yahweh, and depart from evil. It shall be health to your navel, and marrow to your
bones. Honor the Lord Yahweh with your substance, and with the first fruits of all
your increase. So shall your barns be filled with plenty, and your presses shall
burst out with new wine”.
We are told to get understanding in (Proverbs 4:1-7, 5:1-2) “hear, you children,
the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good
doctrine, forsake you not my law. For I was my father’s son, tender and only
beloved in the sight of my mother. He taught me also, and said to me, let your
heart retain my words; keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom, get
understanding forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake
her not, and she shall preserve you, love her, and she shall keep you. Wisdom is
the principal thing, therefore get wisdom and with all your getting get
understanding. My son, attend to my wisdom, and bow your ear to my
understanding. That you may regard discretion, and that your lips may keep
knowledge”.
The Bible tells us how understanding comes (Proverbs 9:10-11) “the fear
(reverence) of the Lord Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of
the Holy is understanding”. Also in Psalms 111:10 says “the fear of the Lord
Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom; a good understand have all they that do His
commandments. His praise endures for ever”.
In Psalms 119:104-105, 130 the psalmist says “through Your precepts I get
understanding; therefore I have every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet,
and a light to my path. The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives
understanding to the simple”.
Paul prayed for the church of Ephesus (Ephesians 1:17-19) “that the God of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of Him. the eyes of your understanding being
enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches
of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. And what is the exceeding greatness
of His power to us ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power”.
Paul prayed for the church of Colosse (Colossians 1:9, 2:2-3) “for this cause we
also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that
you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual
understanding. That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love,
and to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgements
of the mystery of God, and of the Father of Christ. In whom are hid all the
treasures of wisdom and knowledge “.
Paul also prayed for Timothy (II Timothy 2:7) “consider what I say; and the Lord
give you understanding in all things”.
We can ask for understanding, the psalmist who wrote Psalms 119 says in verse
34 “give me understand; and I shall keep your laws; yea, I shall observe it with my
whole heart”; verse 73 says “Your hands have made me and fashioned me; give
me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments; verse 125 says “I am
Your servant; give me understanding, that I may know Your testimonies”; verse
169 says “let my cry come near before You, O Lord Yahweh, give me
understanding according to Your word”.
Jesus came to give us understanding (I John 5:20-21) “and we know that the Son
of God is come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is
true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true
God, and eternal life. Little children, keep your self from idols, Amen”.
Good news is that even if we falter and lean to our own understanding, God can
use us again. Remember that the Bible says, “The righteous falls seven times and
gets up again”. Moses is one who at first leaned to his own understanding, he
killed the Egyptian trying to deliver the Israelites (Acts 7:23-25) “and when he was
full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.
And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was
oppressed, and smote the Egyptian. For he supposed his brethren would have
understood how that God by his hand would deliver them, but the understood not”.
Moses fled into the wilderness and was there forty years. Good news, God
appeared to him again, because the gifts and callings are without repentance
(Romans 11:29). God appeared to him in the burning bush and sent him back to
Egypt to deliver Israel. And after Moses learned to do things God’s way, he was
successful.
My testimony is similar, God called me to open group homes for the helpless, and I
spoke to some of my friends and we came up with an idea to get it done. And
although the coalition opened many group homes for the homeless, both men and
women, battered women, people with aids, senior group homes, etc. Yet, because
we can up with our own understanding how to do this, we ended up doing it in a
way that did not honor God, and the results was death to the program, and many
people were hurt. I thank God, for another chance to be used of Him.
Don’t let a mistake keep you from doing God’s will for your life. If God has called
you to do something, my advice is to first ask Him for the understanding of how to
go about doing it, and proceed step by step.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: August 6, 2010
Our understanding cannot be compared to the understanding that we get from
God and His words (Proverbs 14:12,16:25) says “the way of a man seems right in
his own eyes, but the end thereof is the way of death”.
News flash, no natural man is wiser than God. God tells us that His thoughts are
higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9) “for My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither
are your ways My ways, says the Lord Yahweh. For as the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your
thoughts”.
Yet when we come to the Lord, the Holy Spirit moves inside of us, and we can walk
in the Spirit and know the things of God (I Corinthians 2:9-14) “but as it is written,
eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the
things which God has prepared for them that love Him. But God has revealed
them to us by His Spirit for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of
God. For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which as in
him? Even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we
have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God that we
might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we
speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit
teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receives not
the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; neither can he know
them, because they are spiritual discerned”. Verse 16 tells us that “we have the
mind of Christ”. We are told to walk in the Spirit of God (Galatians 5:25) “if we live
in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”.
Our wisdom and understanding comes from the word of God (Proverbs 2:1-6) “my
son, if you will receive my words, and hide my commandments with you. So that
you incline your ear to wisdom; and apply your heart to understanding. Yea, if you
seek after knowledge, and lift up your voice for understanding. If you seek her as
silver, and search for her as for hid treasures. Then shall you understand the fear
(reverence) of the Lord Yahweh and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord
Yahweh gives wisdom; out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding”.
And then in Proverbs 3:1-10 it says “My son, forget not my law, but let your heart
keep my commandments. For length of days, and long life and peace, shall they
add to you. Let not mercy and truth forsake you, bind them about your neck; write
them upon the table of your heart. So shall you find favor and good
understanding in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord Yahweh with all your
heart, and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He shall direct your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord
Yahweh, and depart from evil. It shall be health to your navel, and marrow to your
bones. Honor the Lord Yahweh with your substance, and with the first fruits of all
your increase. So shall your barns be filled with plenty, and your presses shall
burst out with new wine”.
We are told to get understanding in (Proverbs 4:1-7, 5:1-2) “hear, you children,
the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good
doctrine, forsake you not my law. For I was my father’s son, tender and only
beloved in the sight of my mother. He taught me also, and said to me, let your
heart retain my words; keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom, get
understanding forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake
her not, and she shall preserve you, love her, and she shall keep you. Wisdom is
the principal thing, therefore get wisdom and with all your getting get
understanding. My son, attend to my wisdom, and bow your ear to my
understanding. That you may regard discretion, and that your lips may keep
knowledge”.
The Bible tells us how understanding comes (Proverbs 9:10-11) “the fear
(reverence) of the Lord Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of
the Holy is understanding”. Also in Psalms 111:10 says “the fear of the Lord
Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom; a good understand have all they that do His
commandments. His praise endures for ever”.
In Psalms 119:104-105, 130 the psalmist says “through Your precepts I get
understanding; therefore I have every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet,
and a light to my path. The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives
understanding to the simple”.
Paul prayed for the church of Ephesus (Ephesians 1:17-19) “that the God of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of Him. the eyes of your understanding being
enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches
of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. And what is the exceeding greatness
of His power to us ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power”.
Paul prayed for the church of Colosse (Colossians 1:9, 2:2-3) “for this cause we
also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that
you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual
understanding. That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love,
and to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgements
of the mystery of God, and of the Father of Christ. In whom are hid all the
treasures of wisdom and knowledge “.
Paul also prayed for Timothy (II Timothy 2:7) “consider what I say; and the Lord
give you understanding in all things”.
We can ask for understanding, the psalmist who wrote Psalms 119 says in verse
34 “give me understand; and I shall keep your laws; yea, I shall observe it with my
whole heart”; verse 73 says “Your hands have made me and fashioned me; give
me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments; verse 125 says “I am
Your servant; give me understanding, that I may know Your testimonies”; verse
169 says “let my cry come near before You, O Lord Yahweh, give me
understanding according to Your word”.
Jesus came to give us understanding (I John 5:20-21) “and we know that the Son
of God is come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is
true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true
God, and eternal life. Little children, keep your self from idols, Amen”.
Good news is that even if we falter and lean to our own understanding, God can
use us again. Remember that the Bible says, “The righteous falls seven times and
gets up again”. Moses is one who at first leaned to his own understanding, he
killed the Egyptian trying to deliver the Israelites (Acts 7:23-25) “and when he was
full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.
And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was
oppressed, and smote the Egyptian. For he supposed his brethren would have
understood how that God by his hand would deliver them, but the understood not”.
Moses fled into the wilderness and was there forty years. Good news, God
appeared to him again, because the gifts and callings are without repentance
(Romans 11:29). God appeared to him in the burning bush and sent him back to
Egypt to deliver Israel. And after Moses learned to do things God’s way, he was
successful.
My testimony is similar, God called me to open group homes for the helpless, and I
spoke to some of my friends and we came up with an idea to get it done. And
although the coalition opened many group homes for the homeless, both men and
women, battered women, people with aids, senior group homes, etc. Yet, because
we can up with our own understanding how to do this, we ended up doing it in a
way that did not honor God, and the results was death to the program, and many
people were hurt. I thank God, for another chance to be used of Him.
Don’t let a mistake keep you from doing God’s will for your life. If God has called
you to do something, my advice is to first ask Him for the understanding of how to
go about doing it, and proceed step by step.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: August 6, 2010
