Becky’s Tips - God Wants to Be Known

All through Scripture God reveals Himself. Recently these thoughts came to me as I was talking to a young skeptic.

— In Exodus 19:11 the Lord announces that He will appear. Moses brought forth the people to meet with God (19:17). The Lord came down upon Mount Sinai and the Lord called Moses up (19:20). In Exodus 20 Moses tells the people all God commanded. Here we see God and the people in actual, real contact.

— Again in Exodus 33:23 it is recorded that Moses saw the back of God.

These Exodus encounters make it very obvious to us that God is real. He wants to be known.

— In John 16:28 Jesus tells us that He came from the Father and will return to the Father. Jesus, who became flesh and walked among us, gives us testimony that God is real.

God wants us to know Him. The entire Word of God is valuable to us as it reveals who our Father God is.

May we be blessed to know the true God.

Rest

Pause, relax. It pays great dividends. Do you know what drives me to be busier than you? I hope you don’t know, so I’ll tell you.

My own independence.

My high value of myself.

My need to be important.

For years I’ve been studying “rest.” The principle of Sabbath rest means I trust God fully. If He gave me 24 hours in each of the week’s seven days, I do not have to act like I have 25 or 30 and the rest of mankind only has 24.

Now, therefore, I’m looking at my rushed days differently. I don’t brag about them as easily. I don’t admit that I have more to do than I have time or energy. Now, I try to seek God and surrender. I thank Him for assignments and opportunities but I also pause more.

You’d be surprised how worship is deepened and enlivening when my attitude is one of a trust, a surrender, a rest.

Trials

Do you feel that your family and those around you have more trials than in previous years? How will you use these trials to teach your children that God is trustworthy, dependable, every loving, always caring?

“For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the One who helps you’” (Isaiah 41:13).

“The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on His throne.” (Revelation 3:21; and also 1 Peter 5:10; James 1:2).

As you walk this journey with trials, I would suggest that you not just resign to the fact that you must endure but that you would openly discuss what God is doing and how you know He can be trusted. Engage in conversation about what God would have you do to show His kindness to others.

“The Lord is good to all and His mercy is over all that He has made” (Psalm 145:9).

Teaching Methods

What kind of teacher are you? From the reports I’ve received, you are a good one! But what makes a good teacher?

One who is dependent on God, of course. That, dependent teacher—you—will learn how your child learns and teach him with those methods. Most students learn with a variety of methods. I’ll highlight a few:

— Lecture: This method is used the most often and looked on as the least effective. Used properly it can be very effective, however. For example, storytelling is one lecture method that compels students to respond. Storytelling is most effective in discipline and teaching history and Bible. So use it powerfully and enjoy that form of lecture.

Traditional lecture can be useful if students are doing something while you lecture — drawing, note taking.

— Silent reading: Students vary in their response to this method, usually based on their ability to read and interest in the topic. Use this profitably. One tip: if the material is too difficult to read either share the responsibility or find the same material in an easier reading level. Google and/or your library will help with this.

— Overview: At times you want to cover much material with little time involved. This is a method used in studying biographies in science or some periods in history. This method can be very effective by combining what the teacher does with what the student does. For example each researches some person. then come together and both share vital information. Have some method of recording basics— a chart, notebook, cards.

— Student teaching: This method and storytelling are my personal favorites. Science is fun for a student teacher to prepare. Pitfalls to avoid in student teaching:

• Do not expect your student teacher to be in charge of child training.

• Allow the student teacher to teach what is in HIS curriculum, not from the student’s curriculum. (We usually do this backwards.) Why? the purpose of student teaching is for the teacher to learn his subject well.

Add to these methods that which delights you as a teacher and your students!

Marvelous God

“O Lord, you are my God;

I will exalt you and praise your name,

for in perfect faithfulness

You have done marvelous things,

things planned long ago.” Isaiah 25:1

Maybe you want to begin listing the great and marvelous things that are revealed to you about God. Things you discover in His Word and things you witness in life. Share your list with your students and encourage them to make their own.

Love, Becky