This is a devotion that I wrote up.

When we normally talk about discernment we are referring to it as one of the gifts of the Spirit, and it is not always thought of in that manner.  Discernment is talked about in different ways in the NIV where we are to discern, be discerned, discernment to be discerning in the spirit.

While the NIV uses discernment, discerned, discerning or discern; the NASB translates it as understanding or intelligent.  Which I have found rather interesting as the definitions that I found had nothing to do with either of those words.  The NIV defines the word discern/discernment as “to discover; to recognize; the ability to discover or recognize.” The Webster’s dictionary says this: discern verb: to see, hear, or notice (something) with difficulty or effort: to come to know, recognize, or understand (something).

The bible says this:

Psalms 119:125 (NIV) I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.

“NIV Life Applications Commentary:  The Psalmist asked God for discernment.  Faith comes alive when we apply Scripture to our daily tasks and concerns.  We need discernment so we can understand, and we need the desire to apply Scripture where we need help.  The Bible is like medicine – it goes to work only when we apply it to the affected areas.”

So what is being said here is that we need to apply Scriptures to our daily lives for us to gain insight into what is happening around us, and that it is like medicine to our souls for the infected areas of our lives, because we cannot allow ourselves to be constantly infected by the things that will come to hurt us.

Proverbs has a lot to say about being discerning or discerned and all that like:

Proverbs 16:21 (NIV) The wise in heart are called discerning, and gracious words promote instruction.

Proverbs 15:14 (NIV) The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

“NIV Life Applications Commentary: (Proverbs 15:14). What we feed our minds is just as important as what we feed our bodies.  The kinds of books we read, the people we talk with, the music we listen to, and the films we watch are all a part of our mental diet.  Be discerning because what we feed our minds influences our total health and well being.  Thus, a strong desire to discover knowledge is a mark of wisdom.”

This however goes back to feeding our minds with the Word for us to gain the knowledge that we need to fight Satan and prevent him from taking over our lives or getting a foot in the door, so per say.  So by applying these principles we learn to feed our minds as well as our hearts and souls.  And by obeying what God wants us to do is to stay focused on Him and become more aware of things around us.  Because without focusing on God we cannot become what he wants us to be nor can we do what he wants us to do.  For by having this knowledge do we learn to apply it to our daily lives and become the Christians that God wants us to be.

I have been finding in my own life as I have been on this journey that it is amazing how God has shown me that I can be what he wants me to be, by just obeying him and allowing him to work in my life.  I’m not saying that I can prophecy or anything, but I can sense in my Spirit when someone is not in a good mood or something is troubling them, I get the feeling of sadness or something is not right.  I cannot always put my finger on it but I do know that something is wrong.

This comes from us allowing the Spirit to work in our lives and letting us sense among our friends when something is wrong in their lives.  This however is all new to me, but as I am learning to listen more and wait to hear from him I’m more open to hearing what God has to say as I go about my daily life. And I have found this to be interesting that by relying on God that we can be used to help and understand where that person is coming from and it can humble us extremely.

Even though discernment is a Spiritual gift we can still use it in our daily lives.  Just by letting the spirit to guide and lead us on the path that God have has set us on, and by walking in the Spirit.  It’s interesting how this can tie into other things that God wants us to do like listening for his voice, guiding our steps as we go about our lives.  We can hear God in our Spirits, in the stillness of the day or night and from His Word.

In conclusion I want to say that God is in control of all the things that we do in our lives and all we have to do is obey him and listen to hear what he has to say to us and that to me is simply amazing!

 What do you think?