1 Kings 4:29 (AMP)
And God gave Solomon exceptionally much wisdom and understanding, and breadth of mind like the sand of the seashore.
How can a person get understanding?
There are several nuances attached to the meaning of the word understanding, but the primary denotation is of intelligence, rational ability, or skill.
God gave Solomon wisdom. He gave him a capacious mind and furnished him with extraordinary assistance to cultivate it.
Understanding is the power to know with the intellectual faculty; the intelligence and the power to distinguish truth from falsehood, and to adapt the means to an end, see Job 32:8. The power of perception is what we call understanding.
Godly understanding is the manifestation of the supernatural wisdom of God in us that is bestowed on us when we ask for it, to the measure of our capacity and capability.
Discipleship is a key area to gaining and maintaining godly understanding, see Matthew 13:10-11, 51. This is a privilege given to the disciples and every believer, but Jesus reveals more mysteries to his followers. He only reveals the deep secret of understanding to the one who can handle it.
Understanding is the ability to evaluate and organize facts, this is an essential framework of wisdom. So godly understanding has to do with the ability or power to acquire and interpret knowledge, that involves the mental faculties, intelligence, and the ability to comprehend yet according to the Scriptures, it is intimately connected to wisdom, which makes practical use of facts, for it has to do with character and conduct says Psalm 111:10.
The Lord says to ask for wisdom in James 1:5 which we can only do through His word, it’s the Spirit of Understanding that will reveal and expose the scriptures to us, so we can appropriate them in life. Godly Understanding is expressed through the Spirit of God according to 1 John 2:20.
We marvel at the dept of understanding exhibited by some people, even unbelievers, but God is the giver of it, God gave Solomon more than he asked for-that is, high power of the mind, great capacity for receiving and retaining information, as well as an aptitude for communicating knowledge in 1 Kings 4:29. God know the measure we all need in areas He’s put us to operate in, God doesn’t waste resources and so will not give anyone too much or too little, He gives just the right measure for the right season, skills, and location. In Exodus 31:3, the Lord filled Bezaleel with His Spirit and gave him unusual wisdom, ability, skill, intelligence with understanding in excellence to carry out things that far beyond his time and age. Intelligent understanding comes meditating on the word of God, understanding that puts above your teachers-Psalm 119:99.
Godly understanding is God’s supernatural revelation-His secret insights to His Word. The Spirit of God illuminates our hearts and gives us an understanding of His Wisdom. In other words, He turns on the lights for us.
No matter how good a man’s understanding is it is not enough for him to know God’s will without the Holy Spirit. Knowing God’s will and having fellowship with God require godly understanding. Only godly understanding leads us to the realm of the spirit and enables us to know God’s will. Fleshly understanding enables us to know some truths, but these truths will only remain in our minds. Godly understanding can transform what it has understood into life because it comes from the spirit.
Shalom