The Eager Student

 

I love the Psalms. This morning I studied Psalm 25 with the help of a commentary by longtime Presbyterian pastor, Dr. James Montgomery Boice. He calls this psalm a Schoolbook Lesson for Living to Please God. Having started school either as a student or teacher for 48 years (!), I get excited thinking about learning in the classroom.

We see in this psalm a perfect Teacher and a good learner. Psalm 25:4-5 states:

“Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”

First of all, a good teacher, like the Master Teacher, “shows,” “teaches,” and “guides.” Not all students learn the same way, and many subjects need various approaches. In a corresponding Psalm to this one, we read from Psalm 119:33-37:

Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees;
then I will keep them to the end.
Give me understanding, and I will keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
Turn my heart toward your statues
and not toward selfish gain.
Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.

Any teacher can tell you that learning takes two—the good teacher and the good student. If we turn back to the portion of Scripture in Psalm 25:9-10, we read:

“He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.”

Obedient and humble students learn and find joy in doing so. They also bring joy to the heart of their teacher. In another Psalm, David speaks for God in Psalm 32:8-9:

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.”

All teachers know students they have to control, and even then, do not learn well, because they show reluctance and stubbornness. God looks for those with whom He can joyfully share His lessons.

As the new school year begins, let it remind you to come to God as an eager student. He has life-long teaching to do, and He expects us to be part of the process!