Comprehension of Scripture

My simple church is doing a study on endtimes right now and one of the items mentioned in the beginning of one book we are reading caught my attention. It is in the first chapter of Endtimes: Simplified by David Sliker and applies to the Bible regardless of what you are studying.

Many say they don't read the Bible or they get frustrated because it is too confusing and they can not comprehend it, especially when it comes to the study of endtimes (eschatology). Many feel that unless you've gone to school and studied the bible in seminary you can not fully understand God's Word.

This is not true. God wants to reveal himself to everyone who truely seeks Him. A statement David makes in this book is that our comprehension of the Bible has nothing to do with our wordly wisdom, worldly degrees or education. Our comprehension of the Bible is directly related to our relationship with the Lord.

"Our greatest problem in comprehending the Word is not the Word itself, or our
lack of intellect, but our lack of true intimacy with Jesus. . . Our lack of
comprehension is directly proportionate to our distance from God and His
heart. Intelligence will never bridge that gap, intimacy with Jesus will."

The more I think on this and compare it to my life, the more I see this as the truth. Those times when I've found myself falling away from my time with God (prayer and reading) I've found it harder to comprehend what God is saying to me through His Word. I've often wondered how some can read through the whole Bible and not see the amazing God that I see when I read it. This could very well explain it.

Whether you agree with this at the moment or not, it is something to really think about. God's ways and thoughts are high above ours and we can not put Him in a box of the world's making. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that His requirements for understanding His Word (intimacy with Him) would not be the same as what the world's requirements for understanding would be (education, intelligence, etc).

If nothing else, think on this for a bit.

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but
to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.' Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" (1 Corinthians 1:18 - 19)