He opened their minds

Lk. 24:32,45

"They said to each other, 'Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while He opened to us the Scriptures?"'  "Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures..."

Understanding the Bible, the Scriptures are something that must come through a vertical process, a God initiated process. In this case, Jesus was the teacher to both the men on the road to Emmaus and to His own disciples. Before His crucifixion, Jesus had told them of the events to come, yet they couldn't grasp them, in fact, they had great trouble believing.  Even when Jesus was there in person, their eyes were veiled; they were startled, afraid, disbelieving, but joyous!  What an array of emotions!  But it did not all come together for them until Jesus opened their minds to understand. The point of clarity came when Jesus opened their minds to understand His teaching.

The same goes for me.  When Jesus left earth, He gave the Holy Spirit to believers to be their teacher, to bring all things to their remembrance that Jesus had said, to convict them of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to guide them into all truth. The Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus Christ indwelling them to accomplish the will of God in their lives. His role is absolutely crucial! Just like the disciples whose true understanding was not achieved until their minds were opened to understand, so our minds must be opened to understand as well.  Jesus did not leave us here to struggle with doubts, He left us the greatest gift that He could. "These things God has revealed to us through His Spirit.  For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God...Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God."

These things are freely given to all believers and to me personally.  So why do I make it difficult?  Why am I not calling out to the Spirit every time that I read the Word?  Why do I persist in trying to figure it out for myself? His will is for me to use the Spirit to understand all that He freely gives me. What a blessing! Could I ask for a better teacher?

Father,

I confess trying to understand without Your Spirit, sometimes forgetting this great gift. Help me to be aware of Him in all that I do especially as I study Your Words. Thank You for Your indwelling Spirit who  transforms my mind, spirit, heart, body, and soul.

In Jesus name,

Amen