There's a Wall There

"She's not the easiest person to get close to. There's a wall there." Well, I will have to admit that sometimes when I can't understand why someone did something or can't understand a concept, I hear the voice of Kronk from the Emperor's New Groove in my head saying, "There's a wall there." And oh how true it is!

All wisdom, understanding, and knowledge is a gift from God. When humanity gloats in the accomplishments of the day, it is often out of a sense of self-awe and self-reliance. Really, advances in technology are only an opening of the human mind by the Creator.

(Mark 9:30-36)

Jesus to the Disciples: “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.”

Disciples to each other: I wonder which of us will be the greatest!

There's a wall there.

Dr. Luke wrote in his account of the gospel, "And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures." (Luke 24:45) They had the Law and the Prophets, but they were reading them in a box, thinking inside a box.

I'm not making a pitch for everybody getting on their knees and asking God to make them smarter people. We got a pretty big mouthful of knowledge when our Father Adam ate the forbidden fruit! Not all knowledge is good.

But we can't understand the ways of God on our own. It takes an act of God for us to understand His word and His ways. When we first came to God through Jesus, He gave us the Holy Spirit to teach us His ways. We saw ourselves in His brilliant light, and were humbled that He would want us!

Sometimes we are like Peter getting our feet washed by the Saviour. Jesus says , "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.” We don't know how to respond because we don't understand that God wants to do His work through us. "I should be washing your feet! You can't wash mine!..........What?.........If I don't let you wash my feet, then I'm not yours!.........Well, wash my head, hands and feet then!"

Sometimes we are like the man crying out to Jesus, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” We want to trust Him, but we have a battle raging inside of us:

• He is calling me to walk to Him on the waves, but logic tells me I will sink.


• He is telling us to feed thousands of people, but logic tells us that fives loaves and two fish aren't enough.


• He is telling me that we have too many warriors for this battle, but logic tells me that there is power in numbers.

I hear Kronk's voice again: There's a wall there.

This is where we say, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” Also we must pray that the Helper will open our understanding and help us to comprehend the Scriptures. What impurities are in you? Fear? Pride? Greed? Lust? When we are saved we are new creations, but we are a saved and sanctified spirit that continues to dwell in sinful flesh. As long as we are in this life, there will always be a war raging between our saved spirit and our sinful flesh.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." Praying, fasting, loving, being witnesses of the truth, and practicing righteousness, are some of the weapons we have been given to fight the spiritual warfare.

If there is a wall there that is keeping you from obeying God or understanding God's ways, then ask our Heavenly Father to open your understanding so that you can comprehend and be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

---Johnie