King Hiero once gave his craftsman gold to make him a golden crown. And when the craftsman had finished the work, he presented the crown to the king. The king however was not convinced that the crown was entirely made of gold. The king believed he had been duped, that the craftsman had replaced some gold with silver and kept some of the gold for himself. But how could he prove it?

The weight of the crown equaled the weight in gold the king had given the craftsman. Yet, this wasn’t sufficient enough to change the king’s suspicion. Unable to determine the truth, the king called for Archimedes, an expert in mathematics and physics to help him figure out the truth of the matter.

Using scientific means, Archimedes was able to prove that the king’s suspicion had been correct and that the craftsman had been duplicitous.

There are many who read the word of God and do not understand it. An example of this can be found in the book of Acts 8:27-39 where the Apostle Philip encounters an Ethiopian eunuch unable to understand what he is reading.

It is also possible to speak the word of God and yet, still not understand it; much like the Pharisees and Scribes of Christ’s day. They were highly knowledgeable men but yet lacked understanding of God’s word. Jesus, in speaking to Nicodemus in the gospel of John 3:10, asked him, “…Are you the teacher in Israel and do not know these things?”

The purpose of God’s word is to know the truth. Because in knowing the truth, we are set free (John 8:32).

But Without Understanding, the truth of God’s word remains elusive.

In order for a person to arrive at the truth of God’s word, the help of an expert is needed. And the expert is none other than the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in the gospel of John 16:13, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth…”

The Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth, it is under his guidance that understanding the word of God becomes possible. And with that understanding, we are lead into all truth of God’s word.

There are also those who preach the word of God and much like the craftsman in the story, finesse the word of God to suit their own lustful desires, thus presenting lies under the guise of truth. As a result, many are lead astray unable to detect the subtle deception due to lack of understanding of the word of God.

Once again, the help of the expert Holy Spirit is required. The Holy Spirit separates truth from counterfeit by bringing understanding to the heart and mind, so that a believer is firmly rooted and not lead astray.

Spiritual advice: Before reading your bible, practice saying a prayer inviting the Holy Spirit to open both heart and mind to understanding the word you are about to read, that you may be guided towards the truth. Remember Jesus loves you.