The Great Discerner

Psalms 10:4 The wicked … will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

The word of God is the Great Discerner. It cuts right through our opinions of ourselves and our skewed ideas about things going on around us. It is perhaps the most neglected tool of self-disclosure at the Christian’s disposal. The writer of Hebrews tells us:

[Heb 4:12 KJV] 12 For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The language of this verse is laden with metaphor. Sometimes how it describes the word is so potent that we overlook the practical use of the word it demonstrates. The word discerns us. It identifies things in us and around us with infallible accuracy. For instance, regarding those who don’t believe in God Psalm 14:1 couldn’t be clearer:

[Psa 14:1 KJV] 1 [[To the chief Musician, [A Psalm] of David.]] The fool hath said in his heart, [There is] no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, [there is] none that doeth good.

The atheist and the agnostic are not thoughtful philosophers, they are fools of that you can be sure. When you maintain this you aren’t calling the person a fool – God Himself calls the atheist a fool and knowing that we know how to deal with that person according to God’s word:

[Pro 26:4 KJV] 4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

When you encounter someone who claims to be an atheist or agnostic the word of God informs you that you are dealing with a fool and the word also tells you not to bother answering their suppositions about the existence of God lest you become a fool like them.

What about contention? When you are debating, arguing, entering into strife – let the word discern you:

[Pro 13:10 KJV] 10 Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised [is] wisdom.

Notice it doesn’t say “unless you are in the right…” No, contention ONLY comes by pride and if you are on either side of contention then you know according to the word of God that you have pride in your heart that needs to be dealt with. Period.

There may be an objection “you can’t judge me, how can you say that about me?” No, we aren’t judging you we are discerning you (or you, others), and there is a difference. Also if you are to see clearly you must FIRST DISCERN YOURSELF. It is so common for people to point a finger identifying something in someone else that they deeply have operating in their own life so discern yourself so you can rightly discern things around you not by your opinion but by what God’s word says. Of course, you must ingest the word to know what it says don’t you?

The word of God is an infallible discerner if you have the courage to look at yourself in the mirror of its reflection. It will inform you as to what is going on around you and who you are dealing with. It will tell you where you stand with God and what you need to deal with, in your own heart. It will guide you through the most difficult situations and give you the grace to make brutally self-deprecating decisions even when everything in your flesh wants to go the other way. You can defy the counsel of others but the counsel of God’s Great Discerner in your heart will hold you in the place of obedience when nothing else will (ask me how I know).

Lastly what about our opening verse? “The wicked will not seek after God…”? Is prayerlessness an issue in your life? Is your prayer life what it should be? Are you praying without ceasing, praying everywhere, and in all places? A Facebook like is not a prayer. A Facebook post is not spiritual warfare. A political debate is not the testimony of Christ.

Let the Great Discerner help you with this. If we are not seeking after God Psa. 10:4 tells us that the part of us that sways that decision is wickedness IN US. Wickedness in us that keeps us from the place of prayer. What do you do with that (other than apply it to someone other than yourself?) You receive the truth of it and allow what God’s word says to cleanse you as Jesus said: “You are clean through the word I have spoken to you…” Then adjust accordingly and ask God for grace to move into alignment with that which pleases His heart.

The Great Discerner. Have you spent much personal time in its pages lately?