My people are destroyed (crushed, brought under, made poor, oppressed) for lack of knowledge... (Hosea 4:6).
The knowledge referred to above isn’t the lack of knowledge of economics, government, physics, or theology, but the lack of spiritual insight and understanding of spiritual realities; lack of revelation knowledge. The Lord Jesus gave a parable in Matthew 13:3-9 about a sower who went forth to sow his seeds. In the process, some seeds fell by the wayside and the birds of the air came and picked them up. Some others fell on hard ground; some fell among thorns, while some fell on good ground.
Explaining the parable, He said the seeds that fell by the wayside, and were eaten up by birds represented people who hear the Word and receive it without understanding, therefore Satan comes immediately and steals the Word that was sown in their hearts.
The Word of God will only benefit you when it’s received with spiritual understanding, and not through human reasoning. You can never know God through your knowledge of science, history, philosophy, or psychology. Even religion can’t give you the true knowledge of God. You can only know Him by revelation.
When Jesus asked His disciples in Matthew 16:15-16 “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Notice the Lord’s response: “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” Peter could only know Him by revelation.
This is the reason a man may hear the Gospel of Christ’s salvation and weep, because he suddenly understands the sacrifice of Jesus for him on the cross, and embrace salvation. Meanwhile, some other fellow hears the same message of the Gospel and attempts to reason it out in his brain, and as a result, the message won’t get into his heart to produce result. The message of Christ’s salvation is not meant for your reasoning but for your spirit.
No wonder the Spirit of God, through the Apostle Paul, prayed that God’s people may know the love of Christ, which surpasses knowledge (Ephesians 3:19). He’s talking about knowing the love of Christ beyond the senses and human definitions, but according to revelation.
If you’re yet to make Jesus the Lord of your life, the love of Christ can become real to you today if you’d receive Jesus into your heart to be born again. Turn to the “Prayer of Salvation” page, towards the end of this devotional, and pray that prayer, meaning every word with all your heart.
PRAYER
Dear Father, I declare that my heart is a fertile ground for your Word. As your Word comes to me, I receive it with faith, meekness and gladness, thus, it sinks deep into me and produces the fruits of what it says, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY
Proverbs 4:23
Living Bible (TLB)
23 Above all else, guard your affections. For they influence everything else in your life.
1 Peter 1:23
Living Bible (TLB)
23 For you have a new life. It was not passed on to you from your parents, for the life they gave you will fade away. This new one will last forever, for it comes from Christ, God’s ever-living Message to men.
Matthew 13:23
Living Bible (TLB)
23 The good ground represents the heart of a man who listens to the message and understands it and goes out and brings thirty, sixty, or even a hundred others into the Kingdom.”
DAILY SCRIPTURE READING
1 Year Reading Plan : Luke 7:36-50 Joshua 1-2
2 Year Reading Plan : Romans 3:26-31 Psalm 98-100
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