Understanding Part 24

Proverbs 24:31-34 NKJV            

I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding and there it was, all overgrown with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles. Its stone wall was broken down. When I saw it, I considered it well. I looked on it and received instruction - a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest - So shall your poverty come like a prowler and your need like an armed man.

One of the signs of a lack of understanding is laziness. If the only time we work is when we feel like it, we are unwise. As the Word says in this passage, laziness produces poverty. We can experience material as well as spiritual poverty. We can waste away in both arenas while we spend an unreasonable time sleeping and folding our hands. Sleeping can refer to more than literal slumber. It can be ignoring reality in hopes it will go away, or not paying attention to what needs to be done. Folding the hands can be compared to watching entertainment when more important things need to be done, or choosing not to get involved in things we should get involved in. Nobody, including Jesus ever accomplished much without making a decisive determination to do what was not comfortable or convenient. In other words, lazy people accomplish nothing of significance. May God increase our understanding so we can be motivated to stay in motion when it is appropriate and discipline ourselves to do what is right. Understanding forces us to act responsibly.

Understanding Part 23

Proverbs 23:23 NKJV

Buy the truth, and do not sell it, Also wisdom and instruction and understanding.

Solomon says we should buy understanding. When we buy something we exchange something of value for something else of value. The amount we give is based on the value we place on the item we are getting. We must value understanding to the point we are willing to give a lot to get it. Then that same attitude should help us not give in to the temptation to sell it (the understanding we receive). Sometimes people sell things of value because they want something else, but the thing they are getting in exchange is not nearly as valuable as the item they are selling. Yes, people make foolish decisions. Proverbs 23:23 warns us to evaluate carefully what is luring us, and never sell our understanding for any reason. When we know something, and go contrary to what we know because we are tempted by something that appeals to our flesh, we always end up with regrets. So when we know what to do, we need to bring our flesh under subjection and stay true to the understanding God has given us. 

Understanding Part 22

Proverbs 23:4 NKJV

Do not overwork to be rich. Because of your own understanding, cease!

There are times we need to extend ourselves – go a little further. Then we have to take some extra rest to regroup. Jesus and His disciples did that. John tells of how Jesus missed lunch once to minister to a Samaritan woman. These are the exceptions, not the rule. However, Solomon said that if we are going to work more than normal for a reason, the reason should not be to get rich. In other words, we should never overextend ourselves unnecessarily just to get more than we need. Acquiring wealth just for the sake of wealth is a foolish thing to do. After getting what we need to exist, getting more should be our aim, but not just for selfish reasons. Our goal should be to have the ability to advance God’s Kingdom and to bless others. We should want to have enough to be able to come and go as the Lord directs without being concerned about basic needs. Oh yes. We should want to have an abundant supply, but not to heap it upon ourselves. When we have the right heart, God will bless us to be a blessing. He who gives seed to the sower will enable us to have more than enough without overworking ourselves. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. The hard old way is the wrong way. God will not tolerate laziness, but He does not want our lives consumed with work where we have no time to serve Him and bless others. We will find the right balance when we get understanding in this area.

Understanding Part 21

Proverbs 21:30 NKJV

There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the Lord.

One way we can tell if we are acting with understanding is to observe how our actions line up with God’s will. We can look at His Word which is His established will and we can look at specific instructions He gave us by His Spirit. As Solomon says in this verse, if the advice or so-called wisdom or understanding goes contrary to God’s instructions, it is not wisdom, and those wanting to follow it lack understanding. Regardless of what our minds or emotions tell us, we will never win going against God. That is why we must follow Proverbs 3:5 which says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” (NKJV)

Understanding Part 20

Proverbs 21:16 NKJV

A man who wanders from the way of understanding will rest in the assembly of the dead.

It is not enough to get understanding. We must follow it and stick with it. This verse says it all. People do not die prematurely by accident. They wander from the way of understanding and end up in situations that ultimately take their lives prematurely. Hosea 4:6 NKJV says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me. Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”

Many have understood that not having knowledge can kill you. That contradicts the saying “What you don’t know won’t kill you.” Sometimes that may be true, but often times not knowing what you need to know can result in your demise. On the other hand, Hosea 4:6 points out that the problem is not always that knowledge was not present, but sometimes it is rejecting the knowledge we have. Sometimes it is wandering away from knowledge we once walked in. We may never know specifically why some good people died prematurely but Proverbs 21:16 lets us know it had something to do with a lack of understanding, or straying away from what was understood. We must pursue understanding, take it and stick with it.

Understanding Part 19

Proverbs 20:5 NKJV

Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.

When we lack understanding, we hesitate to seek counsel. Sometimes it is because we have made up our minds what we want to do and do not want anyone to contradict it. That is a sure sign we need to seek counsel. If we are confident in our spirits that our decision is good there would be no fear of being contradicted. There are also times that we refrain from seeking counsel because we don’t want to bother someone when we are “sort of” certain what to do. A sign of understanding is when we go to someone we trust with a track record of having wisdom and draw insight out of them. It is not always that we need an answer, but sometimes we are just hungry to learn more. When a ‘know enough’ or ‘know it all’ person sits in the presence of a wise one, he will get little or nothing. When a man of understanding who desires to grow continually sits in the presence of the same person, the wise one will automatically pour out wisdom from his insides. Sometimes the wisdom of God will flow from the deep and things will come forth that even enlighten the wise one.