Thursday, November 25, 2010

1 Kings 3:9

"Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" 1 Kings 3:9

Discernment is an overlooked spiritual discipline in many churches. But in reality, spiritual discernment should be our first line of defense against deception. It's that "buzzer" inside, warning you that something is wrong. For example, you visit someone's home and everything appears in order. But you can cut the air with a knife. Even though nothing visible confirms it, your spirit detects that something is wrong in that home.

The first step to understanding discernment is to understand the motive which is essential for employing it. In 1 Kings 3:9, Israel's king Solomon cried out to God for help. God answers: "Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart" (verses 11, 12). The motive for true discernment is never to promote self, to amass personal gain, or to secure an advantage over another person-even an enemy.

The Greek word for discernment - diakrino - simply means to make a judgment or a distinction. Discernment has one primary function: to distinguish right from wrong. In 1 Corinthians 12:10 discernment is the divinely enabled ability to distinguish a good spirit from a bad spirit. Discernment is not a function of the mind; it's a function of the Holy Spirit which is in union with your soul/spirit. When the Spirit sounds a warning, your mind may not be able to perceive what's wrong. Have the courage to acknowledge that something is wrong when your spirit is troubled. Share what you are sensing with others, and ask the Lord for wisdom. Amen and Amen.

1 comment:

elderchild said...

i am so tired of hearing the catholics and christians and indeed all the religious, as well as athiests, all liken unto parrots continually sounding their rallying cry of "you can't judge me" ;-(

Question?

When one declares a certain behavior or thing or ? to be wrong, not right; bad, not good; of 'd'evil, not The Creator; etc.......

Is that a judgment? or discernment?

Apart from The ONE and Only True G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL, there is only One with authority to judge, The Messiah, and those who have a relationship with such a One(His Spiritual Body on earth)have received of the "strong meat" that allows them "by reason of use to have their senses exercised in the discernment, not judgment, of that which is good and that which is evil."

Simply, apart from discernment there can be no no "free will(choice)", for those who do not exercise discernment become but puppets manipulated by "the god of this world", "d"evil.......

So what is it that causes one who is the receiver of another's spiritual discernment to immediately declare "you can't judge me!"?

Most certainly not "a good conscience and Faith unfeigned".......

So it is, that today the "i'm ok, you're ok" philosophy rules in that which calls itself 'christianity" ;-(

Yet there is Hope!

For Miracles do happen.......

Hope for the creatures(Created of Our Father) not the systems of religion, for they are but the product of mankind's "imag"ination.

Faith is Family!

Father Help! and HE does.......