Room to Grow - Treasures of wisdom and knowledge
We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand (Hebrews 5:11).
Our Father, You are the author of all wisdom, knowledge, and learning: For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding (Proverbs 2:6). You give wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning (Daniel 2:21).
The Holy Spirit speaking through the apostle Peter, shows us that knowledge is one of the building blocks of our spiritual development:
Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love (2 Peter 1:5-7). Peter goes on to tell us that these qualities in increasing measure...will keep us from being ineffective and unproductive in our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:8).
Oh Father, a hurting, confused world around us desperately needs the good news of the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But how can we tell them if we ourselves are nearsighted and blind (2 Peter 1:9), unschooled, and uninformed about the things of God?
Through the mouth of the prophet Hosea You spoke words of dire warning to Your people, "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge." They were literally being destroyed because they refused (rejected) knowledge (Hosea 4:6).
The same stubborn refusal to learn is addressed by the author in the Letter to the Hebrews, "you no longer try to understand..." (Hebrews 5:11). And yet, the apostle Paul emphasized in His letter to Timothy, Study to show yourself approved by God, a [worker] who need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15 - MEV).
Oh God, give us teachable spirits—open minds with room to grow in Your word—ready hearts hungry for truth. Help us to rely on Your Holy Spirit as we eagerly examine the Scriptures for ourselves (Acts 17:11). Keep us from the leanings Paul describes:
For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3)
Your word tells us that The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out (Proverbs 18:15). Give us discerning hearts and wise ears, eager to please the Lord in every way...growing in the knowledge of God (Colossians 1:10). Keep us from the mindset of fools [who] despise wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:7).
O Father, help us—we are in desperate times. Help us to stand firm with the whole the armor of God in place, including the belt of truth (Ephesians 6). Teach us to be on guard in all the arenas where Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14)—in our worship, in our literature, in our civics, in our politics, in our philosophies, in our culture, in our pulpits.
Help us not to drop our guard, being always mindful of the warning, Stop listening to instruction...and you will stray from the words of knowledge (Proverbs 19:27).
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