Knowledge, Wisdom, & Understanding

I've been in desperate need lately of God's wisdom and understanding. There have been a number of decisions to be made in regards to my family and God's calling on my life. There have also been those life challenges that arise every day that have lead me to seek more earnestly and with great purpose after God's wisdom and knowledge. There is absolutely NO better place to receive His wisdom and knowledge than by digging into the Word. I have sought counsel from godly mentors, but my ultimate source of understanding of God's will for my life and guidance in decisions that have needed to be made has come solely from His Word.

Today in my time with the Lord, He lead me to a beautiful passage in Colossians chapter 1 that reiterated to me the importance of His knowledge, wisdom, and understanding.

"9) For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do
not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge
of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10) that you may walk
worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and
increasing in the knowledge of God;"

Colossians 1:9-10, NKJV

Knowledge is the Greek word epignosis which means recognition, full discernment, acknowledgement. This is not a knowing like you would know of something or someone, rather it is a knowing that carries with it much depth and results only when one invests much time and effort into the relationship. It is a deep, intimate, personal knowledge. With God, it is a knowledge that only results from much time and energy spent delving into His Word. A purposeful pursuit of God's knowledge will lead to both "wisdom" (the ability to gather and organize principles from His Word) and "understanding" (application of the principles found in God's Word into of daily lives).

Why is it important for us to pursue the knowledge of God which leads to wisdom and understanding? We are to pursue this knowledge of God so that we are able to walk worthy of the Lord and so that we are being fruitful in every good work to which we have been called to. The spiritual fruit we produce is a by-product of a life lived according to the righteousness of Christ Himself. Spiritual fruit is produced in many different shapes, sizes, and flavors: leading others to Christ (1 Corinthians 16:15), praising God (Hebrew 13:15), living a godly life (Hebrews 12:11), and displaying a Godly attitude (Galatians 5:22-23), just to name a few.

Spiritual fruit is produced because one has experienced spiritual growth. But, spiritual growth will not occur apart from the increasing knowledge of God. Just as there are evidences of spiritual fruit, there are also evidences of spiritual growth: a deeper love and appreciation for God's Word (Psalm 119:97), a more immediate and complete obedience to His commands (1 John 2:3-5), a strong doctrinal foundation based upon God's Word (1 John 2:12-14), a growing and active faith (2 Thessalonians 1:3), and a deeper love for others (Philippians 1:9).

I so much want His knowledge and understanding. I want to make wise decisions in regards to how to be the best helpmate for my husband and how to raise godly children who love the Lord with all their hearts. I want to understand God's perfect plan for my life. I want to know Him in ways I've never known Him before. None of my desires will be met if I am not spending time delving into His Word. I've had to readjust my schedule lately to make sure that I am giving God my best time and not my leftovers. Friends, we MUST make time to dig into His Word if we are to walk worthy of the Lord.

"I am Your sevant; give me understanding, that I may know
Your testimonies."

Psalm 119: 125, NKJV