Give Me Understanding

Psalms 119:137-144, Ephesians 1:15-23

In Psalms 119 the psalmist praises the Lord for God’s righteousness. Though the writer is faithful to the Lord, he is frustrated about his foes who forget God’s words though he himself doesn’t forget God’s precepts. Trouble and anguish have come upon him so he is confused and asks the Lord to give him understanding so he can continue his godly life.

In our Ephesians passage Paul is commending the faith of the ones he writes to. He too wishes that they would have understanding – that God would give them a spirit of wisdom and revelation. He prays that their eyes of their hearts will be enlightened and that they may perceive – understand- the hope God has called them.

Could this be what our psalmist needs to hear? Does he need hope in his belief when trouble seems to come?

Paul also prays that they would know the richness of their glorious inheritance among the saints. Included in this is the immeasurable greatness of God’s power for those who believe. He explains this power by how God used it to not only to raise Jesus from the dead but to seat him at God’s right hand in the heavenly places. God also put all things under Christ’s feet making him head over all things for the church. So, what about us believers? We are his body and his fullness fills all in all. We have the power of God at hand.

The psalmist however lived before Christ came and brought salvation. What is the hope that he needs to understand better? Later in this psalm he says, “I put my hope in your word.” He hopes in God’s promises which he meditates and on God’s mercy and lovingkindness.

Wisdom and revelation are gifts from the Holy Spirit enabling us to know God better and to understand better our calling, hope in Christ, our rich inheritance, and power at work for us in Christ. The Holy Spirit help us to enlighten the eyes of our hearts to all these gifts we have received due to Christ’s redemptive work on the cross and God’s power to raise him from the dead.

We today have come to know God’s plan of salvation, still we like the psalmist need to ask for understanding.

When the rough times come we need to remember our calling, our hope, our inheritance, and power of God’s work in us. Amen

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