God Will Help You Understand
Daniel 8:16b
“Gabriel, make the man understand the vision.”
God is sending Gabriel in our verse to help him to grasp and understand what is going on in the Spirit realm. God truly wanted him to understand. In Luke 1:19 Gabriel was sent to Zacharias to bring him glad tidings that in his old age he was to have a son who was going to be the forerunner of Jesus, the Savior of the world. His name would be John the Baptist. Luke 1:26 it tells us that Gabriel goes to Nazareth to Mary to give this young girl understanding about the coming of the Christ Child. Our heavenly Father wants us to understand so many things that I think we either don’t slow down long enough for Him to help us to understand, or we keep going forward on our own “I thinks.” I remember when we were first out of college and asking the Lord to open His door of where we would begin our ministry as young pastors. One particular church was looking for candidates to come speak at their church. This particular church had a good reputation, and I personally was very excited that we were asked to come and speak. Yet, Stephen did not feel right about it when he prayed and talked to the Lord concerning this open door. I was young and inexperienced and at the time, I felt very disappointed he didn’t even want to check them out. A few years down the road, when we were pastoring another church, we received a call from another young pastor who had taken that particular church. He was having tremendous, strenuous problems with their congregation and was needing to talk and have others join him and his wife in prayer for answers for them personally and their troubled congregation. I remember the waves of relief, (although feeling badly for this other young pastor and his wife), that we had followed the leading of the Holy Spirit with what understanding He had given us not to take that particular position with them. I Samuel 3:8 says, “And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. So, he arose and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you did call me.’ Then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy, 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.’” You may be feeling and hearing the voice of the Lord trying to get your attention. Tell the Lord you deeply desire to understand what is going on in your life and the direction He would have you go. Know this—God wants you to understand. Pay attention to what may seem to be “coincidences.” It very well could be the voice of the Holy Spirit drawing you, trying to get your full attention. The word “understand’ in Hebrew means to discern, perceive, grasp, consider, regard; be perceptive, have insight. We must learn to walk in the Spirit and to be led by the Spirit and not live on our own thinking. In all your ways acknowledge Him and HE will direct your paths. Slow down to understand today!
What about you? Are you running on your own steam? Are you being led by the Holy Spirit or your own thoughts? Ask for the Lord’s help today. He has so many good things in store for you! Blessings on your day.
