by Sara Blight
Never stop speaking about this Instruction scroll. Recite it day and night so you can carefully obey everything written in it. Then you will accomplish your objectives, and you will succeed. Joshua 1:8
Devotion
Math has always been one of my favorite subjects, and I have spent a good portion of my life tutoring and teaching math. In particular, I’ve tried to advise students on the best way to study math. A lot of students would study for exams by cramming the night before or maybe a couple of days before. This sometimes works for exams where you need to recall certain facts. However, for many subjects, especially math, this method doesn’t work at all. Studying for the exam is studying every day from the first day of the class. The subject constantly builds on itself, and the exams are not about recalling facts or formulas. The exams are about applying all of the skills that you’ve learned to new problems. At first, students would be concerned about “studying” every day; however, the reality is that studying math is about practicing math. It’s about doing the homework problems and, if you’re struggling, doing more practice problems. It’s about asking for help and asking why things work the way they do.
I feel that this method of studying applies equally well to our spiritual growth and studying. As stated in Joshua 1:8, we are encouraged to meditate on the Word every day and night. Similar to studying for math, though, I don’t believe our spiritual growth comes just from reading the Word every day; it really comes from putting it into practice every day. Each time we learn a lesson, we are called to go out into the world and practice that lesson. If it’s a lesson we struggle with (e.g., forgiving those who have trespassed against us), then we are called to practice it more until we truly understand it. Additionally, we cannot just forget what we learned once we’ve passed the “exam”. Every lesson builds on the previous lessons. We must carry with us all that God has taught us. We will make mistakes. We won’t ace every test. However, we will learn, and we will grow as we continuously study what God teaches us every day.
Prayer
Thank you, God, for giving us Your Word and the opportunity to continue learning and growing. Please help us as we study Your Word and put it into practice.
