March 25 - Distance Learning

 Read today’s texts first: Joshua 21,22; Psalm 47; 1 Corinthians 10

MAXIMize YOUR DAY

It is best to study at SHK, the School of Hard Knocks,  through Distance Learning.

I’m a big proponent of hands-on training. It has been the guiding value behind the Bible college and the church institutes I’ve led. Every student applies what they are learning immediately within the real-life world of a local church. But there is one school, from which we all need to graduate, where I would recommend completing each course by “distance learning.” The school is SHK, better known as the School of Hard Knocks!

Have you ever wondered why there are so many stories of failure in the Bible, especially within the history of Israel? Most other ancient documents, like those chronicling the Pharaohs or Caesars, often minimize or omit their leaders’ missteps and exaggerate their accomplishments. But the Bible is all about real people in real life making real mistakes. Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did….These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come (1 Cor. 10:6,11).

For the most part, I grew up learning from the mistakes of others. Avoiding the traps of adolescence was worth the labels of “nerd” or “goody two shoes” (what does that mean anyways?). When I did persist in learning the wrong things the wrong way, I would look back later, shake my head, and wonder why I didn’t keep my distance. I could have - God always provides an escape route every time we are tempted (10:13).

“Lord, I am so grateful that Your Word helped me learn most of the hard lessons of life without the hard knocks. But when I failed some of those lessons, I am also grateful that You never kept Your distance from me.”