When I was in high school, I hated tests. I usually didn’t study, or I didn’t study much, so I was always unprepared. The exams simply reminded me of what I didn’t know which made me feel guilty and a little dumb for not studying. You’d think that would eventually motivate me to study for the next exam, but it didn’t. The night before the next test I would do the same old thing: come up with every excuse not to study, make some pathetic attempt to study, or just refuse to even try. I actually graduated from high school somehow and went to the Navy submarine service. Before being assigned to a ship, however, I had to successfully complete two years of Navy schooling. Failure became unacceptable and if I had any hope of getting the job I really wanted, I needed to do well. I soon learned that studying (with effective study methods), practice, and hard work pays off. Oh, there were a couple of non-studying relapses…but I got up and moved on and eventually got my Navy “dream job.”
My desire to study grew and carried over to college and
eventually seminary. Now I don’t want to bore you with my story any longer, but
let me just say that I now love to study and learn, and that includes almost
any topic. Some of my favorites are history, language, math, geology, and
biology. Along the way, I’ve actually come to enjoy taking exams, because I
enjoy studying. My favorite area of study is the Bible. That God recorded all
of that information about Himself and what He has done, or will do, through
human history amazes me. Studying the Bible is not about learning facts,
however. Studying the Bible is about getting to know, trust and love God and
allowing Him to change who I am.
We’ve recently been moving through the first 3 Recovery
Steps.
Step one is basically
understanding that I cannot deal with my hurt or habit on my own.Step two is basically understanding that God cares about me and He has the power and desire to help me deal with them by changing me with the Truth.
Step three is choosing to commit all of my life and will to Christ’s care and control.
Exam Prep 2
Studying God’s Word is kind of like an exam in itself. When
we read we are looking into the perfection of God and our character defects and
sins become blatantly obvious. That is the very reason so many people don’t
like to read the Bible. When we read Scripture, the Holy Spirit examines us,
but He also encourages and comforts us. After all, even though we were dead in trespasses
and sin, God loved you and me so much that He sent Jesus to take our place on
the Cross to pay the penalty for our sin. Jesus rose again three days later to
give us new life now and eternal life to come. So, even if/when our sin is
rebuked when we read the Bible, there is also the encouragement of His grace.
If you and I learn to love studying the Scriptures, we’ll
find that through them God teaches us truth about Himself, ourselves and our
life situations. In the process He shows us what needs to change about us and
gives the wisdom, strength and stamina necessary to accomplish those changes.
If we ignore or refuse Him because we don’t like the truth or believe it is
easier to ignore the truth, we will continue bumbling around life like the
person who refused to study for the big test. We will remain addicted to
something. If I deny or ignore the symptoms of a heart attack…I’m going to die.
If I deny or ignore anger, resentment, pride, relationship problems, lust,
codependency, or any other addictive problems…I’m headed for disaster. If I
learn to trust God through reading His Word, He will guide me into truth and
begin making the necessary changes.
In last week’s post I challenged you to start doing a couple
things as Exam prep: 1) read 1 John, 2) pray often as 1 Thessalonians says,
“pray without ceasing,” and 3) spend as much time as possible interacting with
other members of the Body of Christ, the Church.
That post also talked about God leading Israel Egypt
Then He told them of the trials to come. In Deuteronomy
9:1-2 He said, “Hear, O Israel: You are to cross over the Jordan today, and go
in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourself, cities great and
fortified up to heaven, a people great and tall, the descendants of the
Anakim, whom you know, and of whom you heard it said, ‘Who can stand before the
descendants of Anak?’” I don’t know what giants you’ve faced, are facing, or
will face. Maybe they include alcohol, lust, anger, resentment, unforgiveness, emotional
hurts, lying, codependency, grumbling, etc. They seem impossible to overcome, and
they are in your own strength, but they are like dust to God. Deuteronomy 9:3
says, “Therefore understand today that the Lord
your God is He who goes over before you as a consuming fire. He
will destroy them and bring them down before you; so you shall drive them out
and destroy them quickly, as the Lord
has said to you.”
In overcoming your giants, God will do the hard work but you
have to cooperate with Him; you have to yield to His will and to do that you
need to have some understanding of what His will is. That only comes by
studying the Bible and interacting with His people, the Church.
Conclusion
The Holy Spirit leads us through spiritual inventory,
particularly as we study the Bible. In Deuteronomy God reminded Israel of past
failures as a warning about future ones. I understand not wanting to be
reminded of past hurts and wrong-doing, not wanting to face the Truth that where
you came from got you where you are now. But remember this, it’s not about heaping
up guilt, it’s about understanding God’s grace and remembering that God has
rescued us. Then we learn to trust Him our recovery and for whatever lays
ahead.
Be thankful for His intervention. Learn to love studying His
Word. This week I challenge you to read through Deuteronomy. It is the fifth
Book in the Bible and understanding it is important for understanding much
about the rest of the Old Testament and about God’s grace and leading as He
takes us from slavery to the promised land.
Pastor Mark
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