Nougat 30

Today’s Holy Nougat offers such a reassuring word to me, I hope it also ministers to you.

““I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will give counsel—My eye is on you.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭32:8‬ ‭TLV‬‬

God’s promised instruction is for all of us, not a select few. The issue is, many of us a) don’t look to God for our instruction; or b) don’t make time to learn from God

Looking to God

To some extent, I am a lifelong learner. I want to know why and how things came to be. And that’s a very good thing. But, I also can get distracted. And that’s when I ought to turn to the text or the teacher. Like many of us, however, the tendency (or even more, the temptation) is to reach for the ‘Cliff Notes’ or sneaking a peak from someone who has the know-how.

This is practical. We’re doing this right now by reading the nougats. And those of us who preach or prepare devotional material thank you. But let us remember, support materials – commentaries, cross references, and even devotionals – are not intended as substitutes for reading God’s Word, nor do they override speaking to and with the Teacher. So we read with an open heart, so that God has the chance to do what God has promised: to instruct us as befits our uniqueness.

We note that God’s promise is for both instruction and teaching. And perhaps like me, you’ve wondered if there is a real difference. According to ‘the’ experts (Wikipedia et al), teaching explains, ie it transmits concepts, whereas instruction offers the ‘how’. Of course, teaching also takes methodologies and material to ensure concepts are grasped by the learners.

When we read the Gospels, we find Jesus using nature to connect with an agrarian society about God’s kingdom. In speaking to the leaders and ‘learned’ folk of His day, Jesus tended to use riddles – that encouraged them to question what they ‘already knew’. He also gave those around Him direct instructions – love one another, keep my commandments, follow me, ‘rise, pick up your bed and walk’ … the list goes on. Both have potential for transformation if the one who is discipled is willing to take the time.

Making time to learn

Not only do we look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our Faith as our Chief Instructor, we must also make the time to learn. So we recall that the disciples faced a few tests that seemed to have stumped them: e.g. exorcism (see Matthew 17), stilling storms (see Matthew , feeding crowds (see Matthew 14; Mark 6; Luke 9 and John 6) and raising the dead (see Matthew 9, Mark 5, and Luke . This was in the early days of their training. As time progressed, they learned a lot from Jesus, so much so that in Acts they, through God’s Spirit bringing back to their memory, were manifesting miracle after miracle. That came from spending time with the Word; despite having limited education or formal training.

We too have access to God’s teaching. We can make time for the training – teaching and instruction – that God offers. Not only in our personal quiet time, but also throughout our day. We learn as God teaches us from nature; we learn as we grasp biblical concepts that teach us how to live peaceably with others; we learn by doing – sometimes failing, but – making the time and effort to understand and apply what God imparts.

And, by heeding God’s instructions, we will find ourselves on the path God would have us take. Whether it’s the Still Small Voice to which we listen, or chewing on the Word; may we always accept God’s promise for transformation and direction.

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May all we seek be found in Christ