Luke 13:23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Luke 14:28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

Here are two verses about the same thing. One expression is simple while the other is more complex. The common element which both contain is understanding. Neither tells the whole story. Both need more detail to make all the pieces fit. One is a simple approach, the other is more complex.

This year is almost over. I began this year trying to simplify the gospel. In the past week or so I have used a different, more detailed approach. Both require you to understand what is being offered. It is my hope that someone might come to understand the offer of salvation and understand its elements.

In this understanding each of us must evaluate our needs and determine what it is going to take to best achieve those needs. Is your life empty and you need Jesus to fill it? Are you filled with regret and seek forgiveness? Do you desire to know this God who is your creator? Do you want to be loved perfectly? Each and every one of us has a different story and a way in which the gospel reaches us.

I do not know the thousands who read my devotionals. I do not know how often or why anyone might come across these words. I cannot control the understanding. I can however offer up the telling in different ways. Whether I am making this something that you understand is not up to me. God is the author of your salvation. I am but a witness.

The best way to tell anyone the gospel with understanding is face to face.

Luke 11:2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

So how can you choose to do the will of the Father if you do not know His will? The one question that I hear coming out of the mouths of young disciples is, “How will I know….?” The end of that sentence will change depending upon the disciple and his concerns for the moment. The basic element within each question is knowing God’s will for their lives.

The answer to all those questions is by faith. They have not yet learned to hear God so I give them basic exercises in order to develop their hearing by faith. God is faithful and if they are earnest in what they seek, He will speak to them in the faith they have, in a way they will understand.

I cannot control what they hear. All I can do is listen to what they have discovered and evaluate their words as being the quality and character of the God I know. If what I hear does not sound like my Lord, then I ask them to explain in more detail how they came to this conclusion. Sometimes it comes down to their desire to interpret what they heard rather than repeating what they heard.

Past experiences and teachings can influence understanding. We all want to make sense of our discipleship experience but running it thru another man’s filter isn’t hearing the Lord for yourself.

A young man loved a fair maiden but was so shy he could only talk to her thru the help of a friend. He should not have been surprised when she fell in love with his friend and they got married.

I cannot do this for you. You must speak to the Lord for yourself.