One of the young men in our church wrote this poem.  I wanted to share it with you.  He has been going through the book of Hebrews.

Understanding is supernatural impartation of spiritual truths.  Meditating on God’s word opens our understanding.

1 Corinthians 2:10 Amplified says, “Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the (Holy) Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God (the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man’s scrutiny).”

Revelational insight is beyond our natural ability.  It is Spirit communicating to spirit.  Our fleshly pride blocks true understanding.  It is given to the humble who cry out for it, knowing it is beyond them.  Proverbs 2:3 says to lift up our voice for understanding.  Verse 6 says, “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

Encompass means: surround, enclose, encircle.  Let me review some delightful verses with you.  First off is Psalm 63:5.  The Amplified says, “My whole being shall be satisfied…”  With that in mind let’s look at some other verses.

Psalm 34:7 says, “The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.”  Deuteronomy 32:10 says that the Lord encircled Israel.  Psalm 91:4 says, “He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge.”  Psalm 5:12 says, “For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.”  Psalm 32:10 says, “…he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him.”  The Amplified uses the words compassed about with mercy and loving-kindness.  Psalm 139:5 says, “You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me.”  The word hedged means enclosed.

Now let’s take all these verses together.  Say with me: I am encompassed, encircled, enclosed, and surrounded in God’s presence continually.

“Wait” is a word of direction for our heart to rest in God’s impeccable timing.  Psalm 5:3 says, “My voice You shall heart in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.”  The Amplified says, “…watch and wait (for You to speak to my heart).”

Isaiah 30:18 says that those who wait for the Lord are blessed.  That means that waiting bears fruit that glorifies the Lord.

Waiting is another way that the Lord gives us strength.  Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!”  Isaiah 40:31 says that He strengthens those who wait on Him.

Psalm 62:5 reminds us that waiting is silencing our heart.  It says, “My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.”  To wait is the posture of trust.

Last night I was meditating on Psalm 40:4 and the phrase “and does not respect the proud.”  A proud person will give you their opinion from their flesh.  If they have unresolved issues hidden in their unconscious, the advise will be tainted from their own hurtful experiences.

A humble person, walking in the spirit and in grace, will impart to you the wisdom the Lord gave them in a similar situation.  They will speak truth from God’s word.  Why would we ask advise from a proud person that is being resisted by the Lord?  God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Psalm 1:1 says that the one who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly is blessed.

Yesterday morning I read Joshua 9.  Verse 14 says, “…but they did not ask counsel of the Lord.”  As a result, Joshua and the leaders were deceived.  Daniel 2:21 says, “…He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.”

Yesterday I was speaking at rest home from 2 Corinthians 4:17-18.  I was using grace and mercy as my two illustrations for focus on the eternal.

2 Corinthians 12:9 is a great example.  Paul pleaded with the Lord three times to remove the thorn in his flesh.  When the Lord changed his focus from the temporary thorn to eternal grace, Paul’s whole attitude changed.

In Lamentations 3:16-24 we have another example.  Jeremiah was having a very hard time.  He was wallowing in emotional pain, but then changed his focus to God’s eternal mercy.  His whole wording goes from despairing to hope as he recalls God’s faithfulness.

Purposed change of focus, is choosing to trust God’s higher way of enduring.  I’ve been meditating on Psalm 40:4.  He “makes” the Lord his trust.  Makes is deliberate, intentional, focused, determined, and purposed.  That is what we do when we take our eyes off the temporary and focus on His eternal gifts.

This morning the Holy Spirit took me to some verses to help me stand.  I just want to share them with you.  Ephesians 6:13 tells us that when we have done all to stand, to keep on standing.

1 Corinthians 16:13 says, “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.”

Psalm 31:24 says, “Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”

1 Samuel 4:9 is the Philistine pep talk: conduct yourselves like men, and fight!

Nahum 1:1 says, “…Man the fort!  Watch the road!  Strengthen your flanks!  Fortify your power mightily.”

Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord.”

I just started reading Joshua yesterday.  Joshua 3:4 is telling them to watch the ark, “…that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.”  It is so comforting to know that He has gone before us to prepare the way, and He is ever present as He leads us into uncharted territory.

Psalm 34:18 Amplified says, “The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are humbly and thoroughly penitent.”  Penitent means: conscience-stricken, regretful.

Romans 8:7  says that are carnal, fleshly mind is enmity against God.  Our carnal way of thinking dictates our actions against God way.

A contrite hearts willingly dies to its flesh.  We recognize afresh that He died in His flesh, to give us grace to conquer our flesh.  Colossians 1:21-22 says, “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.”

I just copied this from Matthew Henry on Luke 21:19.  “In suffering times, set patience upon the guard for the preserving of your souls; by it keep your souls composed and in a good frame, and keep out all those impressions which would ruffle you and put you out of temper.’’

Negative impressions are fiery darts.

I was meditating on the phrase, “Established my goings” from Psalm 40:2.  Having our feet on a rock rather than sinking in miry clay is a great illustration.  It gives us a word picture for steadfastness, immoveable, settled, fixed.

Colossians 2:7 in the Amplified says, “Have the roots (of your being) firmly and deeply planted (in Him, fixed and founded in Him), being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving.”

He causes our goings to prosper, be successful, and fruitful.  Deuteronomy 28:6 says, “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.”