ABODAH

Hey guys! I just wanted to share with you one of the great things that have happened since I got here.

So I am in an Old Testament class. I am learning SO much! My professor, Dr. Wilson, is so intelligent. He spent eight years of his life translating the NIV and he wrote our incredible textbook. He is so wise! He also seems to have such a deep relationship with God. I come out of class everyday knowing more about Christ, as well as wanting more of a relationship with Him.

Even though his class is great, it is incredibly hard! All of the upper classmen warned me about his tests, and I was so nervous for his first one. The first test was yesterday. I know this seems like a silly thing to write about, but I want to share with you my experience of studying for this test. :) Who would think that spending 7 hours of your day studying for one test would be something to look forward to?

So all week I was stressing out about it. Thursday came along and I knew that I was not prepared for it. I only had one class that day, so after class I started studying. I spent a few hours studying and got sick of my room. I called a girl that was in my class to see if she wanted to go study with me in the library. She told me to meet her up in the “stacks” because she was already there studying for OT. (The weird thing about that is that you usually don’t get signal in the stacks, so I think that it was God that she answered, because I would not have found her otherwise). I found her in the stacks, along with three other people in the class.

One of the things we were learning about was our important Jewish heritage. The Jewish language is really neat. They use the word abodah to describe both work (or study) and worship. This truly demonstrates how they made their everyday lives a worship unto God. The beginning of the work sheet that the T.A. made up for us said, “may this work be worship as well”. We decided to do this. One of the girls had spent three hours that day making note cards from all of the information that she thought would be on the test. We spent the next five hours quizzing each other over some amazing things in God’s Word. I cannot tell you how incredible this experience was.

Coming from a Christian school background, I have experience studying God’s Word in a way that He did not intend it. I have memorized material without knowing the significance of it. It was tedious, boring, and I am sure that I do not know the material today. Studying for this test, as well as taking the test the next day, I really felt that I was worshiping God through it all. Usually people do not look forward to spending 7 hours of their day studying for one test. However, when I think about how many people have the time to take 7 hours out of their day to spend it in God’s Word, I feel so blessed to do so!

I was so stressed out at the beginning of this week. I was looking forward the weekend because the test would be over. However, I am in such a good mood this weekend because of the test. My study group not only helped me study for the test, but we learned the true meaning of abodah as well as fellowshipping together as a community--another Jewish aspect of life. :) I also made some great friends in the mean time. We decided to meet every week (and every day before the test) to go over what he has been teaching. Not only are we going to be extremely prepared for the test, but we will be fellowshipping together and worshiping God in the process (We named our study group "Team Abodah").

Anyways… whatever you are doing this weekend or this week, do it as an act of worship unto the Lord, abodah. I am a witness that you will truly be blessed by it. :)