2 Timothy 2:7
Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
You’ve got to dig a dig a dig a dig a dig a little deeper! Dig a dig a dig a dig a dig don’t be a sleeper. Study the Word of God, put your shovel in the sod, just dig a dig a dig a dig a dig a little deeper! Those are lyrics from a VBS I attended many years ago. As we sang the song there would be accompanying actions, where everyone would motion shoveling in sod while swinging their arms back and forth. It was a fun time!
However, catchy and memorable as the song was, the VBS tune was right– it is so important to dig into the Word of God. And yet, oftentimes in our personal study of God’s Word there are moments when we come upon obstacles, rocks in the soil that prevent us from striking the gold nuggets of Biblical wisdom and insight. The reality is, the Bible can be a difficult book to study. However, as difficult as it may be at times, it is more than possible. And in today’s verse, Paul tells us two key things that we ought to remember as we seek to gain the gold of understanding found in God’s Word.
Our verse for today says, “Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” (2 Tim 2:7). The first way in which we gain the gold of understanding in God’s Word is through seeing our responsibility of diligent reflection. After Paul has given Timothy three metaphors for understanding the nature of a steadfast, suffering soldier, he presumes that Timothy may have a degree of confusion. He assumes that Timothy will have a need to meditate and ponder upon what Paul has given him instruction in. So, in order that Timothy may arrive at a proper understanding, Paul calls Timothy to diligent reflection. Now, in the context of this passage, Paul is calling Timothy to think over the exhortations, encouragements, and commands he has given him. However, the principle of diligent reflection of Scripture can be applied to all of the Bible, not just 2 Timothy in particular.
In other words, how do we apply the principle of diligent reflection when it comes to our understanding of God’s Word? Dr. G. Campbell Morgan, a famous British preacher and pastor, once said in reply to a man who said his preaching was inspiring, “Ninety-five percent of inspiration is perspiration.” Isn’t that good? What Dr. Morgan was implying in his response is that gaining Biblical insight and inspiration often takes sweaty and difficult work. For us to get Biblical insights of gold, we have to do the difficult work of diligent and reflective digging. No wonder then in Proverbs 2:4-5 Solomon likens the pursuit of wisdom to the pursuit of gold. If we want to find Biblical gold, we have to dig for it!
“For us to get Biblical insights of gold, we have to do the difficult work of diligent and reflective digging.”
As important as diligent reflection is, however, we can’t gain the gold of understanding from God’s Word without another key ingredient. Because in addition to seeing our responsibility of diligent reflection, we also need to see God’s role of divine revelation. The second half of verse 7 says, “for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” Gaining the gold of understanding God’s Word requires the conjoining of human effort and divine empowerment. As Proverbs 2:6 says, God is the ultimate source of wisdom and knowledge, so without him we cannot gain true understanding. Likewise, as important as God’s role is in understanding and insight, we also cannot neglect or de-emphasize our responsibility. So what do we do? Well, we do both. We diligently reflect and God supernaturally reveals. Our diligent reflection leads to God’s divine revelation. As we dig deep into God’s Word through patient and persistent reflection, eventually we begin to hit upon nuggets of gold revealed to us through the Holy Spirit. (Eph 1:17-18, 1 Cor 2:10-13).
“We diligently reflect and God supernaturally reveals. Our diligent reflection leads to God’s divine revelation. As we dig deep into God’s Word through patient and persistent reflection, eventually we begin to hit upon nuggets of gold revealed to us through the Holy Spirit.”
One additional key element to remember in gaining the gold of Biblical understanding is the role of prayer. Because yes, God is able, willing, and wanting to reveal great things to us in His Word, but sometimes, “texts will often refuse to reveal their treasures till you open them with the key of prayer.” (Charles Spurgeon). Matt Smethurst, in his excellent little book, “Before You Open Your Bible” says, “I am convinced that a prayerless approach to God’s Word is a major reason for the low-level dissatisfaction that hums beneath the surface of our lives… for prayerless Christianity is powerless Christianity.” In other words, we feel no power because we offer no prayer! If we want the river of God’s divine revelation to pour out over our lives, we need to persistently pray for God to open the dam! To add on to the quote referenced earlier, if illumination and inspiration from God’s Word comes through perspiration, then it also needs to come through prayer. We use prayer as the key that will unlock the great treasures hidden within God’s Word. And we must remember, the treasures are there! As Matthew Henry said, “Take pains while you live… The Scripture still affords new things, to those who search them”. We must pray as we seek to gain the gold of understanding from God’s Word!
“I am convinced that a prayerless approach to God’s Word is a major reason for the low-level dissatisfaction that hums beneath the surface of our lives… for prayerless Christianity is powerless Christianity.” (Matt Smethurst)
So as we are seeking to understand God’s Word, do we understand our role of diligent reflection and God’s role of divine revelation? If we want to truly gain understanding we have to recognize and respond to both of these Scriptural realities. We have to see that heart-revealing, soul-searching, and spirit-convicting illumination from God’s Word lies in the balance of our human effort and God’s divine impartation. As we diligently reflect, God supernaturally reveals.
“There is no fruit so sweet, no drink so satisfying, no wisdom so wonderful, and no gold so precious as that found in the awesome and inspired Word of God!”
Psalm 119:13-18 says, “Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes! With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statues; I will not forget your word. Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word. Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” May the words of these verses be the cry of our hearts today. Would we cry out to God for divine revelation, and lean on the Holy Spirit in prayer as we diligently reflect. For truly there is no fruit so sweet, no drink so satisfying, no wisdom so wonderful, and no gold so precious as that found in the awesome and inspired Word of God! Oh that we would be diligent to learn it, eager to love it, and most importantly faithful to live it all to the glory of our God. Amen!