Do You Understand What You Are Reading?

Acts 8:30-31 Philip heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, He asked, “do you understand what you are reading?” He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?”

We are all on a journey of seeking to know more about Life and what it all means. There is an emptiness inside us all that can only be satisfied when we come to know about our Creator and come into fellowship with the true and living God. God reveals himself in many ways. He reveals himself in nature through the intricacies of nature so detailed and marvelous that only a fool would say ‘there is no God.” Romans 1:18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

God reveals himself in other people, through words of prophecy. He reveals himself in visions and dreams. He also reveals himself in His word. It is in God’s word where He gives us instructions and the common thread of salvation runs through the old and New Testament. God wrote the Ten Commandments himself on tablets of stone and inspired others to write the rest. But in order to comprehend the mystery in God’s Word, we need understanding.

The Holy Spirit led Philip to a chariot on a “wilderness road” where he saw an Ethiopian eunuch pulled over in a chariot reading the book of Isaiah. The Eunuch is a picture of you and I, pulled over in a car on the side of a wilderness road. Like the Eunuch we have been cut off and in search of something to make us whole again. The Ethiopian Eunuch was reading the book of Isaiah about a lamb led to the slaughter and Philip asked him, "do you know what you are reading?" How many times have we read scripture but didn’t understand what we read? You can only get understanding when you get under someone in good standing.

Philip had seen Jesus; he knew who the Lamb that had been led to slaughter was. The Ethiopian was willing to get under Philip for further explanation. Philip explained to him who Jesus was and why he came for his salvation. At the end of the story the Eunuch was baptized and accepted Jesus right there on the “wilderness road.”
In my new book U-Turn that comes out today, I help believers on the “wilderness road” made a U-turn toward Spiritual transformation by understanding the Word of God. In my book, I explain the S.T.O.P. method to gain understanding of God’s Word.

Scripture. We need to read God’s Word daily. David said in Psalm 1 Blessed is the man who meditates on God’s Word day and night, he shall be like a tree planted by rivers of water yielding its fruit in its season. In U-turn, I give you scripture to read every day that you are to meditate on and hear how God is speaking to you from the Old and New Testament. If you follow this guide, you will have read through the entire bible in one year. 20 minutes.

Take a Key Scripture. When Philip saw the Eunuch reading about the Lamb that was slaughtered he keyed in on that text to explain to him who Jesus was. When you read chapters of scripture everyday in U-turn, you should ask the Holy Spirit to give you the key scripture. When I read the bible I always highlight key scriptures that speak to my heart. After reading, I key in on one scripture that stuck out more than the others and then start diving deeper into that scripture. 5 minutes.

Operate. When you read the scripture, you need to ask yourself how does this Word relate to where I am in my life right now. What is God saying to me through this Word that I’m reading right now? In addition to Reading U-turn, you need to come to Bible Study this month or tune in at www.n2newdirection.org so that I can help you understand what you are reading. In your U-Turn journal, you should write daily how God is speaking to you. 15 minutes.

Pray. After you journal in your U-Turn book everyday you always close out in prayer. Pray specifically on what God revealed to you. Spend some time talking to God about how he is allowing you to make legal U-turns in your life to get off the “Wilderness Road.” 10 minutes.

Dear God, thank you for giving me understanding on my “wilderness road” I’m ready to turn around and give you Glory with my life. Thank you for my brothers and sisters who are ready to get understanding and Make U-Turns today so that their lives can become whole.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.