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OPEN BOOK TEST

By September 1, 2017Daily Devotionals

OPEN BOOK TEST
September 1, 2017

Prayer: Pray we will open His Book for the encouragement and direction we need.

Scripture: In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Tim. 3: 12-17 NIV


Father and son were working in their yard one day and the Father asked, “Son, do you want a really hard job that will use your brains and muscle?” Now the son was not the type to over-exert himself; actually, he’d rather be inside at the moment because yard work really wasn’t his “thing.” So there was a long pause when the question of a physical and mental challenge was posed. During this pause, the son actually ended up realizing that there was not a real choice involved but only an opportunity to accept the job gladly or do it begrudgingly. Either way the test was on.

God does not ask us if we want a hard challenge. He does not ask us if we are willing to take on cancer or the loss of a friend or family member. He does not give us a choice of our child having a messy room or a messy life; a broken bone or a broken marriage. The one important part of all of His “tests” is that they are all open-book tests. We just need to open the Bible to find the answers we need.

The Bible is full of hints and reminders. There are reminders to seek and trust Him no matter what happens. There is encouragement, telling us that He loves us and knows better than we do. There are examples of others who have suffered and used the situation to glorify, not grumble. And there are promises that He is our strength and shield and so much more.

If you asked your class if they wanted a closed-book or open-book test, which would they choose. Would any of your students opt to keep their book shut and in their desk instead? We face trials every day – some big some smaller and some gigantic. Leaving our Bibles shut and on the shelf lessens our power; it makes us rely on ourselves when we could have had some help with the answers. Reading our Bible can adjust our attitude and change our focus so that we – like that son in our story- can accept the challenge with a glad heart.

My prayer for you is that all of your tests will be aced with The Book.

Copyright Kathy Branzell.  Email [email protected]