Spiritual DiscernmentSample

Natural Observation Or Spiritual Discernment

Up to 80% of what we learn and take in from the world around us is through visual learning. Sight is extremely important in human development, as well as in day-to-day living. But because discernment is a spiritual concept, we must direct our attention to spiritual sight, which is very different from natural observation.

Sometimes a great way to understand a concept is to examine the opposite. So, let’s look at an example of someone who naturally observed, rather than spiritually discerned.

1 Samuel 1:1-16 tells the story of Hannah and her husband Elkanah, who go to Shiloh each year to sacrifice to the Lord. On this occasion Hannah is crying out to the Lord, as she has not been able to have a child. She is weeping and praying, and her lips are moving, but no sound is coming out. Eli the priest notices Hannah and makes a natural observation. In verses 12 and 13 there are two key statements: “Eli OBSERVED her mouth” and “Eli THOUGHT she was drunk.” What Eli saw in the natural led to a wrong assumption.

Natural observations can lead to carnal conclusions.

What was taking place with Hannah was a deep moment of intimacy with the Lord. And yet Eli, instead of discerning in the spiritual, judges incorrectly. He observes in the natural and calls what is good, evil. (In verse 16 Hannah says, “Do not take your servant for a wicked woman.”) What was taking place was a spiritual transaction–which could only be spiritually discerned.

Spiritual discernment requires us to understand that what we observe in the natural is not always the sum total of what is occurring in the spiritual. For most people, our natural senses operate by default, so our spiritual senses need development.

In 2 Kings 6:8-17 the prophet Elisha gives us a wonderful example of spiritual discernment. In this instance, the Aramean army sent many horses and chariots to surround the city of Dothan, where Elisha and his servant were. They wanted to capture and kill Elisha. When the servant woke up and saw the great army, he was afraid because of what he naturally observed, but Elisha was seeing in the spirit! Elisha prayed that his servant’s eyes would be opened, and the servant then saw what Elisha saw—a fiery heavenly host which was far greater than the natural army.

A great prayer for us all is, “Open my eyes, Lord, and help me see what the Holy Spirit is doing.” Let’s be believers who lean towards spiritual discernment, rather than natural observation!