Becky’s Tips | God’s Word: Key to Learning

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” Eph. 1:17

This verse is powerful to help as day by day we teach. We teach those who are hungry to learn or perhaps those who appear to not listen. But this verse is your complete guide for each person in your home.

1) Keep asking. All through your day “ask” God.

2) Ask what? For the Spirit of wisdom AND revelation to be given.

3) Ask why? That you may KNOW HIM better.

Please, let’s get a picture of our child and our home where the Spirit’s wisdom rules our tongue, our mind, our heart. And please picture your school as a place where the Spirit’s revelation is constantly present.

Hallelujah!

Our lives are so rich because God preserved His Word for us.

American History

It is exciting when any subject we teach can have application and/or appreciation. For example in the study of America’s History we can look at the Zenger Trial and be grateful.

Zenger (1697-1746) immigrated to America when he was young. He worked for NY’s printer, William Bradford. Then when his father died, Zenger began his own printing business. Because of criticizing the governor, he was jailed for seditious libel. From jail, through instructions to his wife, he continued publishing. But Zenger was acquitted and this event was crucial in helping shape American thought of freedom of speech.

Of course there is much in history that could be an illustration of connecting then and now. Key is that this illustration, one of many possible, can show the value of understanding the required study. I’ve heard many stories from you of connecting today’s teaching to usefulness and understanding why to our studies are important! Keep it up!

Discipline: You and Your Child

At the September 2023 workshop I talked on the two (in my opinion) most crucial points to focus on when training children.

They are:

1) Focus first on how can I use this incident to know God, to glorify God and to see God working?

2) Focus an acknowledging that my child remains (as does his parent) a sinner by nature.

While these must be our first and primary focuses they do not excuse training. Training continues. With these thoughts in mind and as you practice showing that you are focused on knowing God and knowing your child, yet there will be instruction, perhaps punishment and/or restitution. But how we use correction will be most effective if first we have sought God and the choice to make Him known. Proverbs 29:15, Ephesians 6:4, Hebrews 12:6, Proverbs 1:8, etc.

Read Together

I’ve talked about this several times before but I must again.

Please consider reading together Mary Jones and her Bible. While the book is written for young people I would read it together with anyone living at home and depending on you for food.

I’ve given glimpses and summaries of Mary that I learned when I first read this book but the sacrifice and dedication of Mary cannot be understood and appreciated without reading the book.

For best impact on your own heart and the heart of your child, I beggingly suggest reading Mary Jones and her Bible.

There are so many places in the book where I starred but I’ve chosen this:

“We sometimes see and particularly in the case of young people — that great eagerness for the possession of some coveted article is followed by indifference when the treasure is safely in their hands. It was not so, however for Mary Jones. The Bible for which she had toiled and waited and prayed and wept became each day more precious to her.” p.115

“Nor was this all. For though to love and read and learn the Bible are good things, this is not the sum of what is required by Him who said: ‘If ye love Me, keep My commandments.’” p.116

And the journey that she took to purchase a Bible is almost unbelievable. Read and have your heart tugged.

Being More Useful

Isaiah 10:15 “Does the ax raise itself above him who swings it, or the saw boast against him who uses it? As if a rod were to wield him who lifts it up, or a club brandish him who is not wood!”

Note from Life Application Bible*.

“No instrument or tool accomplishes its purpose without a greater power. The Assyrians were a tool in God’s hand, but they failed to recognize it. When a tool boasts of greater power than the one who uses it, it is in danger of being discarded. We are useful only to the extent that we allow God to use us.”

Think how embracing this truth would change your student’s attitude, reactions, pride and more.

And how realizing this the teacher would have surrender, joy and more.

Read, ponder and pray the life changing WORD OF GOD.

*Life Application Bible

NIV Tyndale & Zondervan (1988)

Love, Becky