In the communication of God with man this faculty plays an important part. Understanding That in man which comprehends is understanding. It comprehends and knows in wisdom. Its comparisons are not made in the realm of form, but in the realm of ideas. It knows how to accomplish things.
Spiritual discernment reveals that knowledge and intelligence are auxiliary to understanding.
There are two ways of getting understanding. One is by following the guidance of Spirit Page 58 that dwells within, and the other is to go blindly ahead and learn through hard experience. Intellectual understanding of Truth is a tremendous step in advance of sense consciousness, and its possession brings a temptation to use for selfish ends the wisdom and power thereby revealed. Spiritual understanding is the quickening of the Spirit within. Spiritual understanding is the ability of the mind to apprehend and realize the laws of thought and the relation of ideas one to another.