An Understanding Heart

With all of your getting, get understanding. Wisdom and understanding are the thing! What is an understanding heart and how important is it in the kingdom of God? This is what Solomon requested of the Lord when he was called to judge and rule over all the great people of God. After Solomon had dedicated himself and the house of God he had built, God asked Solomon a most amazing question after he was worshiping in the new temple he had built for God:

“That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, ‘Ask for whatever you want me to give you.’

Solomon answered God, ‘You have shown great kindness to David my father and have made me king in his place. Now, Lord God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth.

Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?’ God said to Solomon, ‘Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, possessions or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you.

And I will also give you wealth, possessions and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.’” 2 Chronicles 1:11-12 NIV

Think about it! How would each of us respond to God asking what He could give to us? It’s an important question to ponder. God knew what was in Solomon’s heart, what He most desired, before He asked. He knows all things and is the discerner of hearts. He knew the longing of Solomon’s heart, that his greatest desire and need was to obtain wisdom and knowledge. Solomon well knew that he was not equipped to lead, rule, and judge the kingdom of God in that era.

Solomon was incredibly honored by God for his priority, as well as blessed materially beyond measure. His awareness of his own lack and reliance on the Lord make Solomon an excellent model for other leaders. Anyone given responsibility for others in the kingdom of God, called to make difficult decisions and have godly advice, deeply needs God’s wisdom and understanding. Solomon asked for God’s wisdom and understanding for the people, with the intent that he would be equipped for this great calling his father, David, passed on to him. Inherited rulership does not require qualifications, but God always qualifies those who serve others in His kingdom.

The phrase, an “understanding heart” comes from the Hebrew word “shama,” variously translated from Strong’s Concordance as “to hear intelligently, with attention, obedience, carefully consider, discern, listen, give ear, perceive.” The Concordant Literal translation uses “hearkening heart,” meaning “to listen with intent to obey.” Clearly the meaning is far beyond hearing the words or looking at the surface issues. It is far different than just a measure of intelligence or skill needed to serve others in God’s house.

While education may open doors, this is one type of work that has to be learned by the doing of it. When called to be one of God’s counselors, professional or personal, the only way to acquire the depth of wisdom and knowledge is through time and experience. An understanding heart for others and their difficulties is an excellent foundation while God teaches how to handle this calling. A sincere commitment to helping others through life’s difficulties, knowing God is with you, is essential. When we are inexperienced in life or in our calling, God covers a lot done with a sincere heart!

We may be led to obtain the required education from human institutions so that doors are open to us, but God’s school is the more important. Skills can be learned but life teaches how to truly offere wise counsel to others as God gives us the heart to do His will. Lessons from Him are written deeply within our hearts, embedded there by the Holy Spirit. Only God teaches His servants how to be led by the spirit in every situation. There are many believers with understanding hearts all over the world who are neither professionally trained nor paid for it, whom God uses to offer wise and godly counsel to those who ask.

These are people that others go to and trust when dealing with their troubles. They can count on the listener paying attention, discerning the root of issues, and feeling understood even if they are missing the mark. Advice or counsel may not even be given as the person gains clarity and finds their own answers through skillful spirit-led intervention by a loving ear. Those who receive this counsel may not name His name or sometimes even know that the Lord is the source of this assistance. God also raises up professional helpers who are healers among us to help the people of God. Without Him many are just technicians following an educated formula—and there are plenty of those!

God’s way has always been to look at the heart. He is a Master at choosing those who have the heart-desire to do what He calls them to do. When we are with a troubled heart, including those who are deeply suffering in their distress, a discerning heart gets past the surface issues to the root that needs to be addressed. Godly wisdom increases as more issues and situations are brought to the counselor’s heart while we walk in His path for us.

God chose King David because of his heart. It is His way throughout the Bible. God is all about the heart! Saul was the king the Israelite people had demanded and chosen to be like all the other nations around them. They chose Saul to fit in, to avoid being different, to be like others in their world. Well, they got what they wanted and it became disastrous. God chooses differently, which is most clearly stated when the prophet Samuel was told by God to tell King Saul that he had lost the kingdom for disobeying Him. Samuel told Saul:

“‘You have done a foolish thing,’ Samuel said. ‘You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.

But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.’” 1 Samuel 13:13-14 NIV

This time, God was making His choice, someone who had the same heart and values that God had. Samuel was directed to go to Jesse’s family of eight sons to identify God’s chosen and anoint him as the next king. God told Samual how to approach Jesse and his sons by bringing a sacrifice:

“‘Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.’ Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, ‘Do you come in peace?’ Samuel replied, ‘Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.’ Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’

Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, ‘The Lord has not chosen this one either.’ Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, ‘Nor has the Lord chosen this one.’ Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, ‘The Lord has not chosen these.

So he asked Jesse, ‘Are these all the sons you have?’ ‘There is still the youngest,’ Jesse answered. ‘He is tending the sheep.’ Samuel said, ‘Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.’ So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.

Then the Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; this is the one.’” 1 Samuel 16:3-12 NIV

David had a heart for God and a willingness to do His will. He had a good appearance but so did the other sons. That is not why he was choson. His brothers looked to Samuel to also be of good appearance, outwardly seeming to meet the criteria to be king, but God always chooses by the heart, not by the outward appearance. As with David, God seems to choose the least likely candidates without external qualifications. Here’s David, the youngest, least likely to be chosen, such that Jesse did not even have David in the line up for Samuel’s consideration. Though shepherding his father’s sheep was a lowly task, it was God’s training ground for David.

There are other striking examples of God’s choosing that appear like a very bad idea: Saul, the great persecutor of the Christians, chosen to bring the Gentiles into the kingdom of God; Rahab the prostitute, chosen to hide the Israelites in their battle, later to be in the lineage of Jesus Christ through Boaz. Others include the great leader, Moses, the murderer who stuttered, the victorious leader, Gideon, of lowly stature and requiring more than one test to be sure it was God’s calling, and many more. We are the clay, He is the potter, and well knows how to shape us into a vessel to be used in His honor.

What a powerful foundation for never choosing by outward appearance, a lesson some of God’s own seem to forget. God sees past the outer, the lack of obvious skills fit for the work, even past those who are currently opposing His ways! God knows the end from the beginning. He looks at the deepest core of humans, having created and then prepared some for such a time as this. God knows who has a heart prepared to obey Him and put His will first.

God also uses the weaknesses of those He calls by turning them into strengths. What an amazing Lord we serve!

“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” Proverbs 15:22 Berean

The highest wisdom is God’s wisdom and that is what we seek. His thoughts and His ways are clearly higher than our thoughts and ways. First and foremost, seek the wisdom of God. Though wisdom is enhanced by experience, some are born with it. There are children who seem to be born with wise souls. Knowledge is just information unless one knows how to skillfully apply that knowledge in life.

Not surprisingly, Jesus was one such child:

“And the child [Jesus} grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.” Luke 2:39 NIV

And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” Luke 2:52 NIV

Jesus progressed continuing to learn from the religious leaders and studying the Jewish texts of His day. He gained knowledge, but beyond that, wisdom which gave Him stature and favor with God and men. Wisdom builds on knowledge but goes beyond that. All of us know many things we could never effectively apply in life circumstances. Yet it seems some humans, young and old, come equipped with wise hearts. You can see it in their eyes, sense it in their responses, observe it in their interactions with others.

“A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.

Folly is joy to one who lacks judgment,but a man of understanding walks a straight path.” Proverbs 15: 20-21 Berean

In modern times, an understanding heart may be called “emotional intelligence,” the ability to manage and understand your own and others’ emotions. Someone with this kind of intelligence is self-aware, motivated to understand and empathise with others in order to skillfully interact with them. All cultures require some understanding of the emotions beneath words and behaviors, though the degree in which various societies emphasize this type of “smarts” varies. God, however, prioritizes intelligence from the heart, wherein He dwells.

The highest wisdom is God’s wisdom and that is what we seek. First and foremost, seek the wisdom of God. Then we are to get understanding. We are to gain understanding to comprehend what is going on and what to do about it. Understanding is required alongside wisdom and knowledge. Understanding speaks to knowing what to do with the knowledge one obtains. We all know others whose IQ’s are off the charts, but their ability to navigate with humans is sadly lacking without wisdom and understanding.

“For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.” Ecclesiastes 7:12 Berean

So, wisdom is a defence, protecting us more than financial wealth might. But nothing, nothing is higher and more valuable than the knowledge of God. He teaches and nurtures the understanding heart to fulfill His calling. After all, our calling is His idea, though we are to make that calling certain and secure:

“Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:10-11 KJV

We are to be diligent so that our calling and election are confirmed, established, secure—providing an abundant supply of all God requires for entering into His Kingdom. God’s directives in the scriptures examined here would have us apply diligence to obtaining His wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Biblical scholars and those trained in ministry have an abundance of knowledge about God and His word, but they may not have the understanding to apply what they know to their own and others’ lives. Paul experienced such in his ministry to the Greeks:

“While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply disturbed in his spirit to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, and in the marketplace with those he met each day.

Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also began to debate with him. Some of them asked, ‘What is this babbler trying to say?’ Others said, ‘He seems to be advocating foreign gods.’ They said this because Paul was proclaiming the good news of Jesus and the resurrection.

So they took Paul and brought him to the Areopagus, where they asked him, ‘May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you are bringing some strange notions to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.’ Now all the Athenians and foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing more than hearing and articulating new ideas.” Acts 17: 16-21 Berean

Here is a clear example of the distinction between knowledge and ideas and the wisdom of God. The Greek philosophers admitted they did not understand Paul’s teachings about Jesus Christ and His resurrection. Paul skillfully began teaching them from where they were at, using their worship of an “unknown god” along with their demonstrated interest in religious ideas to teach them about Jesus Christ, the Living God:

“Then Paul stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said, ‘Men of Athens, I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and examined your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:

TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.

Therefore what you worship as something unknown, I now proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands.

Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands.

God intended that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’” Acts 17:22-28 Berean

Paul used godly skills to speak to this audience “where they are at.” He did not start out with all he knew, but connected them to the Living God by appealing to their interests. Then God could begin to deal with their hearts. What God is all about is bringing change in the inner man, something that no amount of discussion or exchange of ideas and knowledge can create.

An understanding heart is certainly needed in the troubled world of today. Those of us who serve the Lord need to allow God to create and grow such a heart for all, and most especially His own people.

“The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom.Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

Cherish her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you. She will give you a garland to grace your headand present you with a glorious crown.’” Proverbs 4:7-9 NIV