Spurgeon: February PM
* 02/21/PM
"Understandest thou what thou readest?"
--Acts 8:30
We should be abler teachers of others, and less liable to be
carried about by every wind of doctrine, if we sought to have a
more intelligent understanding of the Word of God. As the Holy
Ghost, the Author of the Scriptures is He who alone can
enlighten us rightly to understand them, we should constantly
ask His teaching, and His guidance into all truth. When the
prophet Daniel would interpret Nebuchadnezzar's dream, what did
he do? He set himself to earnest prayer that God would open up
the vision. The apostle John, in his vision at Patmos, saw a
book sealed with seven seals which none was found worthy to
open, or so much as to look upon. The book was afterwards opened
by the Lion of the tribe of Judah, who had prevailed to open it;
but it is written first--"I wept much." The tears of John, which
were his liquid prayers, were, so far as he was concerned, the
sacred keys by which the folded book was opened. Therefore, if,
for your own and others' profiting, you desire to be "filled
with the knowledge of God's will in all wisdom and spiritual
understanding," remember that prayer is your best means of
study: like Daniel, you shall understand the dream, and the
interpretation thereof, when you have sought unto God; and like
John you shall see the seven seals of precious truth unloosed,
after you have wept much. Stones are not broken, except by an
earnest use of the hammer; and the stone-breaker must go down on
his knees. Use the hammer of diligence, and let the knee of
prayer be exercised, and there is not a stony doctrine in
revelation which is useful for you to understand, which will not
fly into shivers under the exercise of prayer and faith. You may
force your way through anything with the leverage of prayer.
Thoughts and reasonings are like the steel wedges which give a
hold upon truth; but prayer is the lever, the prise which forces
open the iron chest of sacred mystery, that we may get the
treasure hidden within.