Do You Understand What You Read?

Do You Understand What You Read?

[My Offline Bible] Isaiah 29
10 For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. 11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: 12 And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. 13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: 14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. 19 The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

Two things may happen when you hold your Bible to read.

1. It may be to you as a book sealed. Even if you are learned, a sealed book means nothing. It is like coded mass of words. The information may be to the reader a matter of life and death but if they are coded they mean nothing. The simplest of the words is a mystery. They profit nothing. It is a message in unknown tongues and in a strange language.

Until understand and interpretation are sought, they are useless no matter what those words were meant to create in the lives of those they are sent to.

2. It may also happen that you just don't have the spiritual skill to read or interprete the words and thoughts put in there. It maybe a case of outrightly not being able to read or inability to unlock the words to bring out the salvation embedded.

Both ways, we miss out of the food that our hearts long for. The sustenance of the spirit of man to mature towards producing the fruit of the spirit is supplied by the word of God.

When the word of God becomes scarce, the heart is famished and goes further away from God.

When the rod of spiritual bread is broken, the space left is occupied with chaff with no nutrients capable of producing godliness. In a religious setting, people can only draw near to God with their mouths while the heart remains far far away.
Nothing can produce true righteousness and holiness outside the word and the wisdom of God from the scriptures.

When the word of God is scarce, men's wisdom takes over. It becomes the main antagonist of God's word. Pitched in rivalry against God's word even among the priests.

What to do and how it is done now comes from the wise and from men's thoughts. The only way out is for God to bring the wisdom and understanding of the wise to nothing and to keep it in hidding so that His word can thrive again and bring joy to the poor and increase joy to the meek.

The Ethiopian Eunuch that God sent Phillip to in Gaza from Samaria in the Acts of the Apostles was in the same dilemma. A religious man, so zealous to have travelled from Ethiopia to worship in Jerusalem. He took his religion very seriously, ready to spend and to be spent.

Just as a man of God put it yesterday, he was not looking for the fruit of the womb, nor breakthroughs in finance, he was not looking for a visa he wasn't qualified for, neither was he sick, seeking divine healing or to destroy and be free from household enemies.

Many come to church seeking these things today but not all. The ministers of today believe without a doubt that everyone who comes fit in to one or more of these categories. And they minister in that mentality and so sideline those who aren't in any of these categories.

If the minister of today had met the Ethiopian Eunuch, he would have lost the harvest. Philip didn't. He saw him reading. Many are genuinely seeking to know but are being exposed to other things that don't satisfy.

Philip asked, 'do you understand what you are reading?' And the man was truthful enough to answer...

[My Offline Bible] Acts 8
30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

That same truthfulness is what God is looking for in us today.
Do you understand what you read? Is there a way you can understand by someone explaining?
Would you rather pretend you are ok when your heart is famished and going farther away from God, getting weaker and weaker against the onslaught of Satan, the world and the flesh?
Won't you take advantage of what God is providing for us all to learn more?

The eunuch said...how could he understand except someone explained?
There are things from God's word, things you have learnt that you need further explanation.... upon which salvation in certain areas of life depends.

This is the reason for
The Bible Class, TBC
Non denominational Bible Discussion Class.

The Ikeja centre and the first of many debuts this

Thursday, 26th February

@83, Adeniyi Jones Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos

Afterwork hours
6pm

Be there!

This is exclusively a study class environment, and not a church service setting. Come with your questions, writing materials and Bible study helps and not your dancing shoes. We are expecting you!

Good Morning! It's going to be a great day! The loads of benefits of today shall not pass you by in Jesus name!