“I have still many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” (John 16:12).
Learning what we need to know is a gradual process. At the present time, none of us can say that we have received all the truth provided by the Lord. Therefore serious study of scriptures should be part of our daily activity. Each day, we have to add a little bit to our store of knowledge.
But reaching a full understanding of God’s will involves more than study. Many things we encounter in our studies “do not make sense” because we are not yet ready to hear them. Perhaps we have not experienced things in life that allow us to see the true significance of what the Lord is saying. Perhaps we do not have the desire for obedience that would allow us to recognize the truth of particular passages. Or perhaps our study habits are not mature enough for us to understand the meaning of some texts. There may be many reasons for this, but the bottom line is that we don’t always listen to what God’s Word is saying to us.
Jesus said to His apostles, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.” These things will be made available to them later, when they are more ready to receive them. This reflects the fact that God is patient with those who are trying to learn. If we sincerely want to do His will, He will see that we have the time and opportunity to learn. He will not ask us to understand more than we are capable of achieving at the present time.
But the problem lies here. It’s not often our fault Capacity but we are lacking Desire To listen. As the Jewish saying goes, “The truth is not always what we want to hear.” And even when the problem is lack of capacity, lack of capacity can result in To Ignore From our side. If we have not prioritized growth in obedience, it should be no surprise that our understanding is immature and underdeveloped. And if so then we need to repent. We need to set for ourselves the goal of greater obedience.
Lord, give me the strength to bear the full impact of the truth as it applies to me. For your glory, help me to be willing to hear whatever I want to hear. Speak, O Lord, for your servant listens.
“We are vessels, containers, so the first task after being born again is to develop the habit of receptivity” (Norman Grubb).
Gary Henry – WordPoints.com AreYouaChristian.com
