Heaven's Curriculum

"I will send you the Helper from the Father. The Helper is the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father. When he comes, he will tell about me. And you will tell people about me too, because you have been with me from the beginning." John 15:26-27

Yesterday I was standing in line at the grocery store waiting to check out. There was a sweet little family in front of me with their purchases spread out on the cashier’s revolving belt. The little girl whose eyes were level with the purchases kept reaching up and touching the items…grouping them…arranging them. I began looking at what they were purchasing, and my heart was transported back 50 years ago. Pencils…pads… crayons…packs of notebook paper. It suddenly dawned on me that Monday is the first day of school for many children. I remember the excitement of summer ending and the school year beginning. The night before my clothes and shoes were laid out by my mother. In the morning, she would gently wake me up and I would smell the aroma of bacon and eggs, grits and toast. My little tin lunchbox would be packed for later in the day. We would pile in the station wagon and Mother would begin her morning of chauffeuring us to school. It was so exciting to turn the page to a new year and walk into a new classroom. In later years, our first day would always entail the teacher going over her expectations for us for the months to follow. She gave us a curriculum to help us follow the plan for our time in class. Then she was there every day to guide us through the learning process. We all had the authority to be in our class because we had passed the previous academic year.

This morning I was thinking how we enter our new seasons by the authority of God and the plans He has for each of us. We don’t enter our seasons ill equipped or empty-handed. We enter with a new foundation on which to build from things He has previously taught and shown us. We have been given the curriculum of Heaven by His words that are beautifully expressed throughout the pages of the Bible. How we do in our seasons will be determined by how much time we have spent in His teaching. It is all there in black and white just like in the classrooms of yesteryear. And most importantly, He doesn’t leave us alone in our seasons of learning but has placed a Teacher in our hearts to help guide us…encourage us…and give us wisdom in every situation.

My Bible studies are such blessings from these dedicated authors and scholars. The curriculum along with the Holy Spirit are awesome teachers who remind us of things we have previously learned and who encourage us to gain more wisdom and experience. Every new season will be full of knowledge, revelation and blessings if we invest in the work and show up prepared daily with a hungry heart and a focused mind.