Lord, Open My Mind

Lord Jesus, open my mind so I can understand Your Word.

I recently began a Beth Moore Bible study. I have been in her Bible studies before and God always uses them to grow me in so many ways. You see, I want to always grow in my walk with God, I pray that I never come to a place where I think I know it all. I take very seriously the foundation laid when Timothy tells us "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

I want to be like Jesus, you know, in Luke 2, when he went with Mary and Joseph on their yearly trip to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. When they realize the boy is missing and search him out, they find him in the temple, teaching the educated men. His mother asked him, "Why did you do this to us?" You can imagine her worry. He answered her, "How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" I mean, come on I want people to just KNOW that they will find me about the Father's business.

So anyway, last night in my Beth Moore study when we were talking about the week's lesson, one of the ladies said, "Maybe I'm making this too hard." Wow! That comment struck me like a ton of bricks. This morning as I sat down with my book and my Bible, it struck me again. Okay, if God keeps throwing this statement at me, maybe its something I need to ponder. So I meditate on this. I give it to God and I pray that He show me what I am to learn from this. Then, Beth's simple prayer comes to me, "Lord Jesus, open my mind so I can understand the Scriptures."

Am I supposed to be wracking my brain to find just the right answer for each and every question in this book? Am I going to fail the class and not be able to graduate if I don't make a passing score? Are these the questions I should be asking....duh, NO!!! The question really is: Am I trying so hard to get the right answer that I'm not allowing God to speak to my heart through His Word?

Ah! There it is. There is the point of this comment that God planted in my brain. The reason that she doesn't post the correct answer in the paragraph below the question in some places is that THERE IS NO RIGHT ANSWER. The question is meant to give you a springboard in which God can motivate your heart to find His answer, His will, His blessing.

God created us to fellowship with Him. As Beth said last night, He created in us a "with-need" a need to spend time with Him. We learned last week about free-will offerings. If we do this study every night because we have to, because we don't want to be the one who didn't do their homework next week, then we don't learn anything. If we rush all five days in one hour on the day of class, we don't allow God the time to speak to us. Its the same if you're in a structured study or just in your daily time with God. If you make time for Him, if you give Him some time freely, without the restraint of time. If you freely open your heart and your mind to Him, He can freely speak to them.

So before you go before the Lord today, tonight or in the morning, try not to put Him in a box, don't limit His time or your ability to receive. Pray, "Lord Jesus, open my mind so I can understand Your Word" and freely give your heart, mind and soul, so that He can give Himself to you.

If I can pray for you today, please let me know.