It's good to think more deeply about the mercies of God in times of crisis. To help guide us in this effort, we'll consider Paul David Tripp's collection of meditations from Psalm 27 called "A Shelter in the Time of Storm." You can get your own copy on Amazon here.

Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.

Psalm 27:11

Every day we learn. We gain new information and ideas and use them to draw conclusions. Tripp asks us to consider how we're learning, what the source of our wisdom is, and (thus) whether we're learning intentionally. Are we daily prepared to be students?

If so, who do we imagine would be a better teacher than the God who made us, the world, and everything in it? Who could have greater understanding of our circumstances and struggles than the savior who took on human flesh and participated in those struggles just as we do? Tripp references one of my favorite lines from the Genevan pastor John Calvin, "There is no knowing that does not begin with knowing God."

In this meditation, he outlines five characteristics of "a student in the school of the Lord."

- A healthy cynicism toward your own wisdom. We do not have the ability to be wise on our own. Wisdom is not something we can produce on the inside; it must be given to us. (Remember that God promises to pour out wisdom on all who ask him for it!)

- A humble sense of need. We cannot allow ourselves to believe that "we've arrived" when it comes to wisdom. We need to know that there is much more to know. 

- Discernment, focus, and determination. Learning isn't easy. My kids are doing end-of-year testing this week - the tests are taxing and the learning required to do well on them was also. We've got to be determined to gain wisdom, to have the focus to pursue it, and the discernment to know where to find it.

- A willing and open heart. We need to be willing to admit our ignorance on certain things as well as acknowledging when we're simply wrong. We've got to be teachable if we're going to gain wisdom. 

- Commitment to act on what you are learning. Sometimes it's helpful to think of a distinction between "knowledge" (things known) and "wisdom" (knowledge applied). Everything we know is important because of how it impacts what we believe, feel, say, and do - not just because we know it.

Questions to Consider

The questions are Tripp's. I included my answers in case they're helpful to read.

1. Is God calling you, in the way that you approach life, to live with more of the character of a student?

- Yes, always! The more you know the more tempting it is to feel like you know enough. But, in the knowledge of God, it's never enough!

2. Where do you tend to turn for the wisdom needed to deal with what is on your plate.

- Experience - whether or not the past experience was successful. Much better would be to run straight to God's word to do better than before (even if before was "successful.")