Matthew 7:28-29 “And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.”

During my college years, I read through many text books. My teachers would always refer to the book and would teach from it. For some of my classes, the author of the textbook was a former teacher from that school and my professors would tell us wide-eyed students anecdotes about the man who wrote the book as well as former professors there. In most of my studies, the classes seemed too long or to dry or boring, even with all the anecdotes and stories the professors would tell to keep our attention. However there were times when the classes were exciting and went by far too quickly. In those classes my teachers were drawing directly from their own life experiences and telling us what happened to them and they were speaking on their authority, not on a text book's authority or on behalf of someone else.

One of my friends told me about her first day of class at her school. The professor stood in front of the class and said “If you will look at the name on the blackboard and then look at the name on your textbook for this class, you will see that they are the same. That means you can either come to class or you can read the book, it is your choice.” This teacher was not relying on the teachings of other authorities, but on his own! When my professors relied on their own authority to teach us, we learned the lessons faster and easier while enjoying them more.

We have the opportunity to learn directly from the author of everything. Certainly we don't seem to be able to sit in a classroom with Him, but we do have His book. Often times when we start to read the book, we see it as a text book and it is boring and dry. However when our perception changes and instead of seeing it as a dry, old, dusty text book we begin to see it as a manual or the transcript of our loving, faithful, merciful teacher's desire of the things He wants us to know, then everything changes. Instead of it being dry and tedious, learning His word becomes exciting and enjoyable. It turns from being a textbook to being a non-stop, page turning thriller that will keep us awake all through the night!

Let us learn from our Living Author. I pray that we can have our perceptions about His word changed from it being an old required reading assignment to His love letter written directly for us. God offers to teach us directly, with no proxies or no teacher's assistants taking the classes. He wants to do it Himself, but we must let Him.

Suppliant, lo! Thy children bend,
Father, for Thy blessing now;
Thou canst teach us, guide, defend;
We are weak, almighty Thou!

With the peace Thy Word imparts
Be the taught and teacher blessed;
In our lives and in our hearts,
Father, be Thy laws impressed.

Pour into each longing mind
Light and knowledge from above,
Charity for all mankind,
'Trusting faith, enduring love.