WHAT IS DISCERNMENT? HOW DO WE GET IT?
WOW! Great questions. What is it, and how do we get it? In order to answer these questions we need to see what God has to say about it. What does discern mean anyway? It means to be perceptive, to be able to judge whether truth or false. Have you ever sat in a meeting of some kind, yeah even a church service and asked yourself if what is being said is true or not? Do you look around you and maybe question someone’s ideas, actions, or words? Can you spot a false teaching or preaching when it comes in to your hearing? If you answered NO to these questions than you do not have discernment. Why is this one thing so important? When we moved to Fort Worth, Texas we began to search for a church group where we could call home while we were there. One of the places we went to seemed to be alright and moving in the right direction, except there seemed to be an comfortability for me that I could not put my finger on at the time. Praise and Worship was great, people seemed to be friendly, supportive and warming to visitors. The Preacher got up and talked a little bit and we didn’t sense anything strange at that moment, at least nothing we could pin point as wrong, but I still had an aching inside my spirit that something was out of sync but still could not figure out what it was.
My wife leaned over and whispered in my ear that the male pastor had a male wife and children. At that time the pastor said that they had a member of their church who was moving to Colorado and he asked her to sing a worship song; the woman got on the stage and she asked the pastor if her husband could sing with her, the pastor said sure bring her on up; did you notice what I typed here? At this time another woman came to the stage and we left.
I said all that to identify the “discernment” in our situation. That achy, inside stomach quivering, unnerving feeling that you get when something doesn’t strike you as right. The message beating the back side of your brain, telling you to pay attention, the gnawing of your teeth that seems to irritate your spidery senses. Be careful, watch for signs, or red flags that make you feel uncomfortable. Some people call it intuition, gut wrenching, nerve rattling, and sometimes butterflies. 1 CORINTHIANS 12:31 But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way.
In 1 Corinthians 12 we read some of the many gifts that are given to us by the Holy Spirit, however the gift of discernment is not listed there. Do not mis-interpret this, God has gifts that are available to us if we seek them. Scripture tells us that God will give to us in plenty if we just believe and ask. I said in the onset of this writing that discernment weighs out the truth and the lies, it reveals truths and deceptions; it also identifies like believers, even when we don’t know them. There have been several times that I was out and about when I spotted someone whom I never knew nor ever met and I shouted out to them some kind of word about the Lord and they responded in kind to me. It happens.
One day as I was headed home from Kansas City I was rerouted by the guidance of the Lord to pass through Platte City, as I was on the off ramp and at the lights there I saw a man and a woman offering to work for food. OH I wasn’t planning on picking them up, I didn’t have much money on me or in my bank to do anything for them. OH yeah, to add to it I was on my way to Weston to see a graduation ceremony of one of our pastors daughters. I slipped right by the couple and headed down through Platte city, I turned onto the road that would have taken me to Weston and it was there that the Holy Spirit spoke loudly and clearly to me; I took the message as I was to go and pick this couple up.
I immediately turned around and went back and picked them up. I told them I didn’t have much but what I did have I would share with them. I proceeded to take them to McDonalds in Platte and I bought them something to eat, as we were sitting there a stranger came to our table and asked me if he could talk with the couple. I told him it was alright by me and he proceeded to tell them about Jesus Christ and His love for them. Mind you now, I had never seen this man before nor since, he handed them a booklet and then he was gone. Actually before he left I stood up and we embraced and I told him I would see him again in heaven and he agreed and said it would be a date.
Did you see the discernment in play there? This man saw us and he was told by the Holy Ghost to come over and assist me in reaching this couple. This is how God works, and how discernment is applied. Earnestly desire the greater gifts. Could this be on of those greater gifts, I say YES! 2 TIMOTHY 4:2 Preach the word; be ready in season and out Of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great Patience and instruction.
Let not our simple minds and words leave us speechless when God opens a door to reach someone in our presence. Speak the word to those who will listen, and to those who choose to not listen, you might just reach them with the seed. Trust God to fulfill the rest. After all it is He and He alone who saves.
PRAY THIS PRAYER
Lord, Father I ask in the Name of Your Son Jesus Christ, Yahweh, Yeshua Christos To direct me in my path and to help me To discern that I might not be deceived In the ways of man. Let the Words of My mouth and the meditation of my Heart be acceptable to You O Lord, That in the days I see coming I may Be able to stand.
I ask this in the Name Of Jesus AMEN