Learning

DEVOTION
ROMANS
LEARNING
Rom 15:4
4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
NIV
It does not make much sense to read anything, to me at least, unless I am going to learn something from what I read. That is why fiction holds no interest to me. I want to learn something, to expand my knowledge in some area of interest to me and thus here I am with the one true writings which such be of primary interest to all mankind, the Holy Scriptures. This verse surely puts that right up front and personally right in my face. The scriptures were written for the purpose to teach me, so I might learn. The question, which has to be rhetorical, is to teach me what? The answer is, of course, all about God. For it is all about Him. He is the author of life itself. He is the creator of all that is, and all that will ever be. It is my task, to learn all I can about God and about His relationship with me. I might have been tempted to say about me relationship with Him, but I see now how that centers around me which is not what should be. No, the scriptures teach me about God’s relationship with all of His creation which includes me. And as I read that which was written in the past to teach me about God, who He is, and What He has done for me, in me and is doing through me, I should endure and be encouraged by those words in order that I have hope. For I know as a fact, without God having this relationship with me, I would have absolutely no hope at all. How could I live without hope? What a waste of my time. Without hope, I would only have this short useless time here, with nothing to look forward to but a dark box, a tomb, a grave. But Jesus won the victory over death, and thus it holds no power over me as well. I have the hope of eternal life in the everlasting presence of my Lord and my God. Praise His Holy Name! Through His power I have learned and will endure and I am encouraged because of His divine Word.