Get understanding
the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power. Ephesians 1:18-19
There is a difference between knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. Having knowledge is being able to gather facts and access information, especially spiritual knowledge is important as Hosea 4:6 says "My people are destroyed because they lack knowledge." Having knowledge does not mean we have wisdom, as wisdom means knowing what actions to take and doing the right thing in a certain situation.
Understanding is extracting meaning from information, such as when some people read the Bible, they don't just see it as information, but as spiritual principles and revelation. Solomon asked God for an understanding heart so he could discern good and evil. In a way, understanding can help us understand God and His mysteries.
The key verse we read today describes the eyes of being enlightened, which can help us understand the spiritual meaning of “the hope of calling”, “the riches of the glory of His inheritance", and the “exceeding greatness of His power”. Concepts like these sound abstract and difficult to comprehend to the naked eye or by the natural mind.
By opening our eyes of understanding, we can grasp what, how, and why these spiritual concepts work. We will understand God's hope, the hope of calling that brings purpose and hope for eternity, and the call to be transformed into His image. When we open our eyes to understand God's riches, we can see the true riches of his inheritance within us, and thus enter into His praise regardless of our circumstances. Furthermore, we can understand God's power, His immeasurable power in raising Jesus from the dead. Through the understanding heart of a believer, we can experience that level of power.
Paul was once physically and spiritually blind, and it is possible for our minds to be full of darkness: "Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him." (Ephesians 4:18)
Especially when we struggle with understanding God's hope, God's riches and God's power, let us pray, "May the eyes of understanding be enlightened."
Blessing prayer: Give us an understanding heart and enlighten the eyes of our understanding so we can comprehend your hope, riches and power. In Jesus' name, Amen
