THE HEART AND THE INTELLECT

The main purpose of the Book of Proverbs is to teach knowledge and discretion and to guide in the path of wisdom and understanding. To understand righteousness, to understand the fear of the Lord, to find good understanding—it is to these that Proverbs guides us. The writer of Proverbs warns us to distinguish between trusting our own understanding and seeking spiritual understanding, which God gives.

The main purpose of the Book of Proverbs is to teach knowledge and discretion and to guide in the path of wisdom and understanding. To understand righteousness, to understand the fear of the Lord, to find good understanding—it is to these that Proverbs guides us. The writer of Proverbs warns us to distinguish between trusting our own understanding and seeking spiritual understanding which God gives.

The main purpose of the Book of Proverbs is to teach knowledge and discretion and to guide in the path of wisdom and understanding. To understand righteousness, to understand the fear of the Lord, to find good understanding—it is to these that Proverbs guides us. The writer of Proverbs warns us to distinguish between trusting our own understanding and seeking spiritual understanding, which God gives.

Lean Not On Your Own Understanding

One of the main reasons Bible teaching and Bible knowledge bear little fruit in the lives of Christians is that we trust in our own understanding.

Many people argue that God gave us our intellect, and without it, there is no possibility of knowing God's Word. This is true, but in the fall, our whole human nature was disordered. The will became enslaved, our affections were perverted, and our understanding was darkened. Everyone admits that even the believer does not have in himself the power of a holy will and needs the daily renewing of the grace of Jesus Christ. They admit that the believer does not have the power to love God and his neighbor unless it is given to him by the Holy Spirit. But most people do not realize that the intellect is equally ruined spiritually and incapable of understanding spiritual truth.

It was especially this desire for knowledge that led Eve astray and was the outcome of the temptation. To think that we can take the knowledge of God's truth for ourselves out of His Word is still our greatest danger. We need a deep conviction of the inability of our understanding to really know the truth. We need to realize the terrible danger of self-confidence and self-deception and to see the need for this warning: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding."

Set Your Heart On God

It is with the heart that man believes. It is with all the heart we are to seek, serve, and love God. It is only with the heart that we can know God or worship God in spirit and truth. It is in the heart, therefore, that the divine Word does the work. It is into our hearts, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son. It is the heart, the inward life of desire and love and will, that the Holy Spirit guides into all the truth.

The Bible says, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding." Do not trust your own understanding. It can only give you thoughts and ideas about spiritual things without the reality of them. It will deceive you with the thought that the truth, if received into the mind, will somehow surely enter your heart. It will blind you to the terrible experience which is universal: the practice of daily Bible reading, listening to God's Word every Sunday, and yet becoming neither humble, nor holy, nor heavenly minded because of it.

Instead of trusting your understanding, come with your heart to the Bible and trust Him. Let your whole heart be set upon the living God as the teacher when you enter your prayer closet. Then you will find good understanding. God will give you an understanding heart, a spiritual understanding.

With every thought from the Word that your understanding grasps, bow before God in dependence and trust. Believe with your whole heart that God can and will make it true. Ask the Holy Spirit to make it work in your heart until the Word becomes the strength of your life.

You may ask, "But what am I to do? How am I to study my Bible? I see no way of doing so, unless I use my understanding."

That is correct, but do not use it for what it cannot do. Remember two things. One is that your understanding can only give you a picture or thought of spiritual things. The moment it has done this, go with your heart to the Lord to make His Word life and truth in you. The other danger of leaning on your own understanding is that you will take pride in your own intellect. Nothing can save you from this, except continual dependence of the heart on the Holy Spirit's teaching. When the Holy Spirit quickens the Word in the heart and affections, then He can guide the intellect. "The meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His way" (Psalm 25:9). "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 9:10).

That is correct, but do not use it for what it cannot do. Remember two things. One is that your understanding can only give you a picture or thought of spiritual things. The moment it has done this, go with your heart to the Lord to make His Word life and truth in you. The other danger of leaning on your own understanding is that you will take pride in your own intellect. Nothing can save you from this, except continual dependence of the heart on the Holy Spirit's teaching. When the Holy Spirit quickens the Word in the heart and affections, then He can guide the intellect. "

Persevere in this, and the time will come when the Holy Spirit, dwelling in the heart and life, will keep the understanding in subjection and let His holy light shine through it.