Key Passage: Hosea 4:6 – “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…”

There is a fallacy out there ‘that what you do not know cannot hurt you.’ Or that ‘ignorance is bliss.’ I once subscribed to this mindset when I was a lot younger. Time and experience has since taught me that what you do not know can seriously damage your life.

Two young men arrived from Accra, Ghana to London in search of the Golden Fleece. They both came on the same British Airways flight and they both had similar aspirations. Kwesi was quite astute and had an inquisitive mind, whilst Kofi was a happy go lucky type of guy. He always believed things will work out some how. By the way they both were born in the UK and their parents took them back to Ghana when they were quite young.

They were returning to the UK with British passports because they qualify for the citizenship because they were born in the UK. Kwesi spent the months leading up to his travelling to London researching everything he could find as a citizen of the UK. He looked at the educational system, the legal system and most importantly he read up on his rights and privileges as a citizen. He made serious notes and kept a notebook with all the important addresses and telephone numbers. Kofi arrives with the telephone number of his uncle who lived in one of the poorest parts of the city. On arrival he meets his uncle who was half pleased to see him. He began squatting in the tiny bedsit and the following day he was introduced to the early morning work sweeping offices and then he bought a second-hand beat up car and started driving a minicab just like his uncle.

Kwesi on the other hand went straight to the Government office, declared himself homeless and got housed and in the ensuing weeks, got a job in one of the local government offices and started part-time education. Fast forward ten years, Kwesi now lives in an affluent suburb in his beautiful country home, married with kids and works as senior financial analyst in the City of London. Kofi now married too, lives in a small flat in the same area his uncle lived and still drives his cab.

What is the difference between these two men? Knowledge! Pure and simple.

You know that many believers are exactly like my friend Kofi. We have come into the Kingdom of God, since becoming born-again, but many do not know what their rights and privileges are as citizens of the Kingdom of God. They do not know how the system works. They live in spiritual ghettos, denying themselves of all the benefits of being a child of God, simply because they refuse to learn about the Kingdom of God. Jesus first message was “ Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. Matthew 4:17. Jesus came to bring a Kingdom, but most of the Church have imbibed a religion.

In Hosea 4:7 God says ‘My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge..’ One can only wonder how much we do not know, not because God has withheld knowledge from us, but we simply refuse to receive the knowledge.

Child of God, let me encourage you today, to seek the knowledge of God, the knowledge of His Kingdom and His ways. Seek the knowledge of your rights as a citizen of God’s Kingdom and live in the fullness of Christ has purchased for you on the cross of Calvary and have a change of mind and heart and start enjoying the many privileges of being a member of the greatest and most amazing Kingdom ever.

Proverbs 4:7 says “Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. ‘And in all your getting, get understanding’.

Proverbs 23:23 says “Buy the truth, and do not sell it, Also wisdom and instruction and understanding.”

Let’s Pray: Father God, please grant us the grace to learn about your Kingdom and start to fully apprehend our full rights as your children and as citizen’s of the Kingdom of heaven. Father let us not wallow in ignorance. Help us to become fully engaged in the Kingdom in Jesus name. Amen