O Lord, Be My Teacher!

Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.”

Psalm 25:4-5

When I was in graduate school, my Hebrew teacher was one of the world’s leading experts in the Hebrew language. Thomas Lambdin literally “wrote the book,” having authored what was then one of the most popular Hebrew textbooks. He had, in fact, studied something like fifty languages, and had written grammars for about a dozen of them. It was a privilege to learn from someone who knew his subject so well.

You and I have an even greater privilege when it comes to learning how to live. The one who created life itself, the one who knows us through and through, the one who designed us for his purpose, this creative God will teach us how to live. He seeks the very best—not only for his creation in general but also for you and me in particular.

The more we consider what it means to let God be our teacher, the more we will echo the prayer of Psalm 25:5: “Lead me in your truth and teach me.” The fact that God saves us gives us confidence in his power and goodness. Therefore, we will receive his instruction even when it contradicts cultural dictates or conventional wisdom. God has said that his ways are not our ways (Isa. 55:8-9). So we should expect to be surprised by some of what God teaches us. Nevertheless, we trust him as our master teacher and embrace his truth for our lives, confident that he knows best.

As we seek to live our faith through our work, we look to God to be our teacher. The relevance of biblical truth does not end when we enter our workplace or sit down in front of our computer. Rather, God’s wisdom informs every part of life. So, may the prayer of Psalm 25, “Make me to know your ways, O Lord,” be our prayer not just at home, but at work as well.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:

How has God been your teacher?

Are there specific areas of life where you are seeking God’s instruction right now?

What challenges are you facing at work for which you need God’s wisdom?

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, what an honor and privilege to have you as my teacher. There is no one in all creation I would rather have teach me how to live.

So, teach me your truth, Lord, that I might know you and your ways. Teach me to live in the manner of Jesus. Teach me to represent you accurately in this world, both in my words and in my deeds. Teach me how to be faithful in all of my roles: at work and at home, in church and in the community.

Thanks be to you, gracious God, for allowing me to be your student. Teach me, Lord, all that I need to know. Amen.

P.S. This devotion is based on one I wrote for The High Calling. It is used by permission under a Creative Commons license.

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