To Know Him...

Dear Friend,

As I sat in my professor’s office, I was distraught and couldn’t figure out how I ended up there. Sure, there was only one test in each of my classes during the semester. In this program, the result of one test was my grade for the whole semester. I thought I knew the material. Everyday after class, I spent hours preparing for the next day of classes. Still, I found myself on academic probation.

My professor posed several questions to me in an attempt to assess why my grades were close to failing in 3 of 5 classes. “How do you study?”he asked. I rambled off how I read the 50 pages of cases in preparation for each class, I identified the fact, issues, analysis, and holding of each case, and I took notes in class. After listening to me, my professor announced, “Ms. Mosley, your problem is you’re not studying at all, you’re only preparing for the next class without mastering what was taught in the last class. You need to spend time with the material you just learned before you move on to the new material.” I simply did not know how to study.

God wants us to know Him. In order to know Him, we must spend time studying Him. One of the primary ways we get to know God is through His word. To study something means to “devote time and attention to acquiring knowledge.” We must devote time and attention to God’s word. Our faith is developed by hearing the word of God. What do you do with the word after you hear or read it? Do you take notes? If so, do you go back and review those notes? If you are an auditory learner, do you listen to the same passage of scripture or message multiple times? Your study method may not be the same as someone else, but by all means, find what works best for you. Ask God to help you go deeper in Him.

“My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding…...Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:2-3, 5

Friend, that semester was my first and last semester on academic probation. I applied a new perspective to studying. Let us be more so committed to knowing and studying God. Truly knowing God brings transformation and deliverance to every area of our lives.

Committed to learning forever,

Tracye M.