Transformation

Today has felt like an early spring day back home.  Not too cold, and wonderful, glorious rain!  But now the rain has turned into gigantic, sloppy snow flakes.  Oh, well.  Spring will come.  Eventually.

We started a new block of classes yesterday: Christology, Acts, and I Corinthians.  I am super excited about Acts and Corinthians.  So good!!  We have whopper papers due in all three classes, but I don't mind.  The thought of a 2700 word paper doesn't scare like it would have last semester.  I am continuing to learn so much.  This morning as I was sitting in Christology I was praying that the Lord would help me to get more out of the class.  I just didn't feel like I was getting what I should.  He immediately smacked me in the forehead.  (Spiritually speaking, of course.)  I realized I was basing what I thought I was learning on my feelings.  Just because I don't have the warm fuzzies, does not mean I am not learning.  In fact, over the last several weeks I have discovered that I learned a whole lot more last semester than I realized.  By immersing myself in God's word for hours and hours each day, God has been transforming my thinking.  It is exciting to realize that that has been solely the work of the Holy Spirit.  It is nothing I have done or can do in and of myself.  It is all by the power of God's word.  "The word of God is living and active."  I find that everything that I take in throughout the day - teaching in class, media, conversations, books, movies, music, media, etc. - is being run through a filter, if you will, based on the word of God.  "Is that right?  What does the Bible say about that?"  The crazy thing is that I first realized this was happening when I was singing in church.  Part of the lyrics didn't quite line up, and I found myself thinking, "Wait a minute...  That's not biblical."  Wow.

God's word is amazing.  Study it.  Memorize it.  It will change your life.