Learn by divine assistance

In this episode, we see the powerful truth that God does not only call us to learn, He also helps us learn. Drawing from Psalm 119:14–20, this message reveals how divine assistance can transform the way we grow, study, retain, and apply what we receive. Whether you are a student, a parent praying for your children, or someone stepping into a new season of responsibility, this episode will encourage you to seek more than information. You will be stirred to ask God for an enabling atmosphere, opened eyes to behold wondrous things, and the grace to remain engaged until understanding becomes fruitful. This is a timely word for anyone who has ever felt stuck, bored, overwhelmed, or disconnected in the learning process.

Transcript

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There are things where learning feels heavy, it is connected and right. But God does not only want us to learn, He can also help us learn. He can create the right atmosphere, open our eyes to what is hidden, and give us the grace to retain and live by what we learn. Good morning and welcome to this morning's expression of igniting your day with Bal Meghili or Lorna Toba. This morning I see what I can describe as God-assisted learning, or if you prefer, learning by divine assistance. What I can tell you is simple. God can help you learn. I do not know what you are just starting or where you have just found yourself, but I have a strong consciousness this morning that no matter how new that terrain is for you, you can enjoy divinely assisted learning. My attention was drawn to Psalm 119, and my eyes were opened to something beautiful there. Let's look at Psalm 119, verse 14 to 20. The opening verses reveal a willing heart. The psalmist says, in essence, that he rejoices in God's testimonies, meditates on his precepts, contemplates his ways, delights in his teachings, and refuses to forget his word. In those first verses, I could clearly see willingness to learn. The psalmist is expressing readiness, is not resisting instruction, is not turning away from the truth. He is saying, I am available to learn of you. That is where learning begins, with willingness. Then the psalmist says in verse 17, Deal bountifully with your servant that I may live and keep your word. That's powerful. He's not only saying teach me, he's also saying, create the atmosphere in which what I learn can remain with me and become useful in my life. In other words, Lord, create an enabling atmosphere for me. Create an environment that will help me retain what I learn and live by it. One of the things that makes learning difficult wherever we find ourselves is the atmosphere in which that learning is taking place. There are many times you are learning, but you do not have the opportunity to practice what you are learning. There are many times you are gathering information, absorbing knowledge, hearing explanations, yet there is no enabling atmosphere to help you retain it or put it to use. But the psalmist has seen beyond that. He says, Deal bountifully with your servant that I may live and keep your word. That means, Lord, create an atmosphere for me that makes learning fruitful. Create an atmosphere that helps me retain what I have received. Create an atmosphere that helps me live by what I have learned. Friends, this matters. A conducive atmosphere for learning is something God can create. So, if you are praying for your children, this is one of the things to pray for them. Yes, they may already be in schools, institutions, training programs, or learning environment. But beyond the compulsion to learn, life can become easier when God creates an atmosphere that supports retention and application. This is not only for children, this is also for adults. You may be in a season where you are studying, adjusting to a new role, learning a new skill, or entering on familiar territory. Sometimes I can feel this kind of uneasiness myself. Sometimes it can feel as though what you are studying is completely disconnected from the life you live every day. But God can help you. Your learning can be divinely assisted. You may already understand what is being taught, yet it seems to stop there. You hear it, you grasp it, but it's not flowing into life, it's not flowing into expression, it's not flowing into confidence, and neither is it also flowing into use. This is where God steps in. He creates an enabling atmosphere that allows you to retain knowledge and put it to use. And I tell you, when that happens, you will learn better, you will learn faster, you will become more productive with what you are learning. But the psalmist does not stop there. In verse 18, he says, Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things from your law. This is another dimension entirely. It is one thing to have the right atmosphere for learning, it is another thing to receive insight. The psalmist is not satisfied with mere exposure to information. He is asking for something deeper. He is saying, Show me something beyond the letters. Show me something beyond what everyone else can see. Show me something wonderful in what I am learning. This is important because many times people lose interest in a subject not because they are incapable, but because everything about it feels flat, dry, and uninteresting. Sometimes you turned away from learning not because you were lazy, but because it all looked boring, and nothing captured your heart. Nothing opened up, nothing came alive. But here is the prayer: open my eyes. When God opens your eyes, you will begin to see wondrous things in that content. You begin to see beauty in that field. You begin to see meaning in that subject. You begin to notice treasures that make you return again and again. And that's what keeps a person coming back. Who is the person that beholds wondrous things and walks away casually? Who sees something glorious and does not return? Who sees something living, rich and full of wonder and then loses all desire? This may be what has been missing. It is one thing for the Lord to give an enabling atmosphere, it is another thing to stay there. The psalmist understood this. He asked first for the atmosphere, and then he asked for opened eyes. Because once your eyes behold wondrous things, you will always want to remain in that place. You will want to return to that material. You will want to keep engaging that subject. This is what makes a topic stop being boring. If you have been struggling with a subject, a course, a role, a body of knowledge, or even your personal study of scripture, this is a way forward. Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things. You can pray this morning. Open my eyes concerning this subject. Open my eyes concerning this topic. Open my eyes concerning this course of study. Open my eyes concerning this assignment. Open my eyes concerning your word. When I was growing up, I used to hear some people say they love mathematics. And I would wonder what they were talking about. Is it the same mathematics? Some people genuinely loved it. Why? At some point, their eyes had beheld something wondrous in it. That is what makes the difference. There are people who enjoy certain subjects, not because those subjects were naturally easy, but because something has opened to them in that field. Something has become beautiful to them. Something has come alive. So when a child says, I do not like this subject, there may be more going on than mere preference. It may be that their eyes have not yet beheld wondrous things there. And that can change. Your son's eyes can behold wondrous things in that subject. Your daughter's eyes can behold wondrous things in that course. Your eyes can behold wondrous things in that new role, that training, that calling, that assignment. God can give divine assistance in learning. Then the psalmist makes two important admissions in verse 19 and 20. And they are wrapped in humility. He says, in effect, I am a stranger in the earth. Do not hide your commandments from me. That's humility. He's saying, I do not want to wander around in confusion. I do not want to move through life without light. I do not want to stay unfamiliar with what I ought to understand. Then he says, My soul breaks with longing for your judgment at all times. That's hunger. So now we see a complete picture. Willingness to learn, a cry for a Libyan atmosphere, a prayer for deeper insight, humility before God, and longing to know more. This is the kind of posture that invites divine assistance. Let me say that again. This is the kind of posture that invites divine assistance. What divine assistance produces? Listen to this. When God helps a person to learn, several things begin to happen. Number one, learning becomes retainable. What was once slipping away begins to stay. Number two, learning becomes usable. What was once theoretical begins to connect with life. Number three, interest becomes sustained. What once felt dry begins to draw you back. Number four, confusion gives way to insight. What seems hidden begins to open. Number five, growth becomes possible. Because the ability to return again and again to a thing is what especially produces expertise. Let me take number five again. Growth becomes possible. Why? Because the ability to return again and again to a thing is what eventually produces expertise. Many times the issue is not that you cannot learn, the issue is that you need help from God. Help with atmosphere, help with insight, help with continuity, help with desire. And this morning we have seen from the scriptures that such help is available from the Lord. I have a word for students, children, and those in new seasons. So I speak this over you, over every student, over every child, over every adult learner, and every person entering a new phase of responsibility. You enjoy learning by divine assistance in the name of Jesus. There can be an atmosphere around you that enables retention and application. There can be an insight that makes your eyes behold wondrous things. There can be grace that keeps you coming back until mastery begins to form in you. There can be help from God in what you are learning. If there is someone around you who is struggling in learning, this is something you can stand in prayer for. You can intercede for that person and declare an atmosphere that enables retention and usage is given to you in the name of Jesus. Your eyes are open to behold wondrous things from that content in the name of Jesus. Difficulty in learning gives way to divine assistance in the name of Jesus. Maybe there are students near you who know they are simply going to school, attending lectures, reading materials, and moving through routines, but nothing truly attracts them to what they are studying. This can be the day that changes. Maybe someone has just started a new role and everything feels on familiar. This word is also familiar. God can help them learn. God can help them learn. In closing, this morning, the Lord is showing us something wonderful from the scriptures that can help anyone who has experienced difficulty learning, not merely to cope, but to soar. The psalmist requested an enabling atmosphere. Then he asked for open eyes. Then he stood before God in humility and longing. And in that we see a pathway for every learner. So, wherever you are today, do not resign yourself to frustration. Do not conclude that nothing can change. Do not assume that because something has been hard, it must remain hard. Bring it before God. Ask him to deal bountifully with you. Ask him to create the right atmosphere. Ask him to open your eyes. Ask him to show you wondrous things. Ask him to help you retain what you are learning and live by it. There can be divine assistance in learning. And by the help of God, you will not just learn, you will retain, understand, apply, and grow. I believe you have been blessed by everything you heard this morning. I wish you an amazing day ahead. Do well to share this with someone who is learning and you care for. Have an amazing day. God bless you.