| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Lifelong learning” Our Bible verse for today: “I pursue the way of your commands, for you broaden my understanding.” Psalm 119:32 (CSB) Our thought for today: “Never stop learning” As a child I was a terrible student in school and from an early age I came to believe I was stupid. Second grade was the hardest two years of my life. That’s right, “two” years. I failed the first time and had to repeat second grade. That meant that for the rest of my years in grade-school I was always a year older than the other kids and everyone always knew why. Worse still, from second-grade on, my brother (who was a year younger than me), was always in the same grade as I was and he was a good student while I continued to struggle. Finally, I gave up. I quit high school partway through the 10th grade and joined the Navy. Then, when I got to bootcamp around all those other guys from all those other places, I discovered that virtually everyone else was smarter than me – and I hated that. Fortunately, early in my time in the Navy, I had a division officer who took an interest in me and he encouraged me to enroll in the G.E.D. high school diploma classes that were being held onboard our ship. I did that and much to my surprise, I discovered that maybe I wasn’t as dumb as I had always believed. Maybe I could learn after all. Long story short, I earned my high school diploma and once I discovered that I could learn, I developed a love for learning that has lasted the rest of my life. I went on to earn four college degrees, became an officer in the U.S. Navy, and then a Pastor. Lifelong learning has become a passion for me and it has become the central focus of my life as a preacher and teacher of the Word of God – because to be a teacher, you must first be a learner. Looking back, I’m grateful that God used those painful early years in my life and brought something good out of it (Romans 8:28). My passion for learning in general became a passion for learning God’s Word and God’s ways in-particular and that ended up determining the path for the rest of my life. God may not be preparing you for a life as a preacher, teacher, or writer, but He does want us all to be lifelong learners. Not necessarily in terms of earning college degrees, but lifelong learners when it comes to the Bible, and to the ways of God, and to life lessons that can be shared with others. Many passages in the Bible urge us to learn, and to never stop learning. No matter who we are and no matter how much we know, we should never stop learning. All this month we will explore the many ways in which we can be lifelong learners. I look forward to learning along with you. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville) |
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