2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

From what I can remember about my school years I was given homework assignments but was never taught how to study. I do not know how that went for other children, I can only speak out of my own experience. I do not know if any of those tools or techniques learned early in life will help here. I can only speak from experience within my own ability and dedication.

One import line within the opening verse should be that you should not be ashamed. How much time you place within your studies and how much you derive from that time should not lead to a personal shame.

Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus despises shame because it hinders growth in relationship. Shame will keep you from coming to the Lord for the help you need and in this your relationship with the Lord has to be put forth as primary consideration.

Psalm 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

Please take all this into consideration as I endeavor to share with you these things I have experienced during decades of studies in His Word.

According to the gifts bestowed upon me by God I do believe He has led me to a study to demonstrate as a minimum common errors to avoid. I cannot instill any level of dedication in you to do the homework. That is not up to me.

Homework; read and study 1 Samuel 8.

Psalm 86:5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

As I opened up my bible application this morning, this appeared as the verse for the day. When I saw it, a scene from an old western played out in my mind.

A man dressed in his Sunday best with a bouquet of flowers announces to his friend, “I intend to call upon the widow Johnson.” It is obvious that his intention is to declare his love for her.

What if you were to call upon the Lord with those same intentions? What if, rather than crying out from your pain, despair, or need you were to call upon the Lord to declare your love for Him?

I looked to the meaning of this phrase in BLB.ORG to understand the original intent and I discovered something very interesting.

A primitive root [rather identical with H7122] through the idea of accosting a person met.

Personally I would rather be greeted with flowers than with a photo of a perceived injustice and be yelled at “What are you going to do about this?”

My God is a big God and able to see through the pain and know what is at the root of every matter and what needs to be done. Granted God is good, all the time. But what about us?

What does it say about our love for God if we lead off every conversation with complaining? I don’t want to constantly see myself as that little boy running home to mommy crying because I got an ouchy on the playground.

1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

My intentions when calling upon the Lord is one of them.