Understand?

Scripture Reading: 2 Timothy 2:1-7

As a communicator, I worry about being clear. I want people to understand what I’m trying to say, whether that is when I am preaching, teaching, or writing. I think that is a legitimate concern and something every communicator should care about. There is another side to this though. Communication is a two-way street. There is speaking and there is listening, and both are necessary.

When it comes to biblical/spiritual truth it is even more complex. As Paul said, spiritual things are spiritually discerned. We require the Holy Spirit’s illuminating work to see the light of the spiritual truths God reveals in Scripture.

Paul calmly acknowledges this reality in verse seven of our text. Here he seamlessly weaves together human responsibility and God’s sovereignty concerning understanding divine truth. Paul wrote spiritual truth to Timothy. He had faith that God would give Timothy understanding. That is divine illumination. But notice that Timothy had a responsibility to think. “Think over what I say…” We could call this meditation.

Timothy was to take what he had been taught and think about it. He was to ask questions, compare what Paul was saying to the rest of Scripture, consider how it applied to his life and what he was supposed to do about it and mull it over until it became a part of his understanding. It would be during this process of meditation that the Lord would give Timothy understanding.

I think the reason very little life change happens after Sunday is we don’t spend much time thinking over what we heard in the sermon or Bible study class. Jesus’ parable of the sower comes to mind as I write this. The seed of the word is sown week by week and many of the people who say, “Amen,” to the sermon have it stolen from their hearts before their car starts in the parking lot. They don’t think about it and therefore the Lord doesn’t give them understanding and therefore nothing changes.

This week, take what you hear, think about it, and may the Lord give you understanding that leads to life change.