Submitted by Robin Wiley
[GuidePosts, Aug/Sept 2022 Ed., “Back to School” article by Ty ’Ann Brown, VP Ministries]
RW Comment: I really like what Ty’Ann writes in her article that it’s okay to ask God questions because it’s a way to drawer nearer to Him. I’ve been emphasizing this point during our summer family Bible study with the youth on creating time to pray, reading God’s Word more this summer and taking time to really listen to Him. Like the famous painter Michelangelo said at the age of 87 years old, “I am still learning.”
I look back on my formal education with mostly good feelings. There were so many positive, exciting experiences – from elementary school all the way through grad school. But calculus? I’m glad I don’t have to deal with that anymore.
Still, I consider myself a lifelong student. In particular, I want to keep myself open to learning from God. Getting older does not automatically mean that we are getting wiser. We have to work at it. A regular practice of reading the Bible, praying, and listening for God’s response are good places to start. But we have to do more than go through the motions. While memorizing Scripture can soothe and inspire us, learning from God requires constant rethinking and refocusing.
It requires asking questions. God is not intimidated by them; in fact, questioning God can help you build a deeper more intimate relationship with Him. The same way that a science teacher wants to show you two chemicals interacting in a test tube so you can see how chemistry works in real life, God wants you to experiment – with different ways of studying His Word, different teachers, different mediums.
Learning is central to faith. Jesus knew that – at age 12, he sat in the temple, asking questions as well as listening. So experiment away: Order a new version of the Bible, switch up your prayer practice, question a long-held belief. And do it with an enthusiastic heart. The words of Psalm 25:5 guide us: “Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.”
Happy Learning!
Prayer:
Father God, we thank you for the blessing of our children. We pray that you watch over them and protect them as they go back to school this month. Give each one a heart to learn, and to seek out who You are through Your holy Word. Thank you for being the God who “is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” (1John 4:16)