Exodus 9-11; Luke 24

Luke 24:45-47

And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Then He said, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

I think I'm fairly smart and know a lot. But sometimes that gets in my way. I'm not saying I want to be dumb. But knowledge and understanding are two very different things. Too often I read scripture or hear sermons and I turn them into knowledge; facts, people, settings and the like. I make these new bits of knowledge conform to what I already "know" about things. It makes God out to be much smaller because all the facts I have fit nicely into my knowledge box.

I find it much harder to ask God for understanding. And He wants me to understand. He sent His Spirit to live within so I can understand. But not so I'll feel better about myself and give myself a pat on the back. The purpose of my understanding is so I can glorify Him by spreading His message. Following God isn't about winning a Bible trivia game. It's about gaining understanding and wisdom about who He is, what He wants from my life, and how can I glorify Him.