Understanding Jesus is the key to living a secure life. It has untold peace. Usually, He can be understood to an extent by anyone reading His commands and lifestyle. However, to understand Him as our High priest, Savior and friend summons for a deeper and personal understanding. And He does make it quite possible for us. One has to become intimate with Him. He empathizes with all our suffering, lack, weaknesses, pain, and helplessness. He has overcome them. He identifies with our sin and shame too, since He bore them on the cross. So, we can understand Him deeply and personally.
One thing Jesus does when we reach to Him is receive us personally and intimately. He keeps us in His presence where He leads us to hear and understand exactly what we need. He seizes us in the Spirit for it and we know in our hearts we heard that which He meant for us. It is for this reason we feel Him speak to us in the Spirit and while reading the Word. Understanding is from Him alone, though we may have attained to the highest form of learning. No learning is enough to gives us the truth, proper guidance and heads up notice, but Jesus. Simply put – when He speaks He gives the understanding He planned for us so we would not need any other thought; for He knows that which He is saying and has the power to pull our hearts and minds to it. So, “Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist” (Matt. 17:13).
Matthew 17:12 says, “I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” Obviously, the disciples did not know who this Elijah was. Jesus too did not plainly say it was John the Baptist. But He spoke in His way and the disciples understood it was about none other than John. It was all Jesus working here in the disciples’ hearts and not the disciples’ achievement; they were only looking to be filled. See, Jesus in speaking those words also planted the necessary understanding in them so the disciples who heard had no qualms. This is exactly the way He speaks to believers. We do not decipher a particular verse to get what we need. Jesus provides and we receive. He is in all the details or matters pertaining to our life. You name it, He is there feeling them with us. He is quite able to give us the necessary understandings.
Though Satan sometimes catches us off guard to lose understanding, Jesus will bring us back into it by our reaching to Him. And when anxiety bites us, Satan cashes in on it and Jesus too at times allows it so that after leading us again to His understanding we are much stronger. If we had enough experience with the Lord, we can even know Satan’s wickedness, and remain confident. Nonetheless, He continues to keep us strong for His understanding. This kind pertains to our personal life or lifestyle that has issues from time to time. There is yet another kind and it is the understanding of the Word for its truth. For this too He gave us the Spirit to refrain from producing that which contradicts God’s original intent.
One thing that happens when Jesus personally speaks to us is the filling up of God’s peace in our hearts; all our fears and doubts instantly vanish. It is confirmation He spoke to us. It too is His work. So, by two things He attests that He spoke to us and that we boldly believe in it. They are understanding and peace. And, notice the following – “So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going” (John 6:21). The boat was immediately at land means they were at peace. They felt safe and happy; for they were rowing through a storm. But, they first willed to receive Him into the boat. The same applies to us too. As we reach to Jesus, if we receive Him into our hearts, sincerely hope and believe Him to do good to us, He quickly puts us at a safe spot with His understanding. It removes all fear and fills us with His strength. No matter the degree of storm we are in Jesus is there with us. Believing this is the first step for willingness to receive Him which is characterized by petitioning Him with sincerity and a clear mind.
Do you need to be at a safe spot? Receive Jesus into your heart today. If you are not saved or are not seeking Him for help, it is the right time to let Him enter your life. He will clear all things for you. Remember, it takes a perfect understanding to escape a dangerous, difficult, twisted or burdensome situation. He will give you an understanding you never thought existed. He will first make you feel safe and then begins working out all things for you. You can relax!