“Read the syllabus,” is the wish and plea of every professor and course instructor. Some resort to unique incentives to make their point. At the beginning of 2022 – there is a very important message in this post for all of us to take to heart.
Dr. Kenyon Wilson, a professor at the University of Tennessee, recently hid $50 in a locker – a surprise reward for the first student who found it. He left a note with the cash that read: “Congrats! Please leave your name and date so I know who found it.” (1)
The professor had a newly hatched scheme to see if any of his students actually read the important course syllabus for the semester. Some professors say they could retire early if they received one dollar for every time they answered a student’s question with: “It’s in the syllabus.” In fact, it’s a popular meme.
Sure, every student skims through the course syllabus; but so much of it seems like standard “boilerplate” information. Why bother reading what you consider to be common knowledge? Why get bogged down in the minutiae? And perhaps you think the chances are remote that you will need the nitty-gritty details about the course and the professor’s approach to the semester. You will just go with the flow and if you have a question – you will ask a helpful friend.
Have you ever thought of the Holy Bible as God’s syllabus for you? There are a lot of important things to know in the Course of Life. Don’t rely on your own hunches or your friends’ or even your spiritual advisor’s take on the Bible. When it comes to something as important as your life, your purpose and your destiny – read it for yourself!
A syllabus outlines the professor’s approach, expectations and requirements to successfully complete the course. Boundaries are stated and penalties are stipulated. Getting the most out of the course, avoiding failure and achieving success are the fundamental purposes of the syllabus.
So often in the Class of Life at the University of Earth – students wing it. It can be a helter-skelter approach – exploring a bunch of different paths and dabbling in this or that, influenced by the advice of friends and reading the latest best-sellers on ‘spirituality’ rather than reading God’s syllabus. They think it’s boring, repetitive and irrelevant.
Professor Kenyon Wilson
Professor Wilson in Chattanooga, Tennessee, decided to insert a clause in his syllabus to see if any of his students bothered to read it. Buried in the text of the syllabus he wrote:
“This (free to the first person who claims; locker one hundred and forty-seven; combination fifteen, twenty-five, thirty-five), students may be ineligible to make up classes and …”
And the syllabus went on without missing a beat.
On the first day of class, the professor told the students that there had been changes to the syllabus and to make sure they read all of it. But at the end of the semester, the professor checked Locker 147 and found the $50 untouched, undiscovered and unappreciated. No one had even touched the lock. One number in the combination was still at the noon position. He proved his point. Not one student in his course read the entire syllabus.
Fifty dollars could be spent in a flash. But what awaits you when you read the Word of God are treasures you will cherish for a lifetime. Gold that will never tarnish. Light that will never vanish. Truths you will never relinquish and a foundation that even death itself cannot demolish. The riches hidden between the covers of the Bible are good for eternity. Yes, reading the Bible is a transformative experience – if you approach it humbly with a desire to know God’s heart and His desires for you.
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Even if you have read the Bible or parts of it at some point in your past, would you please consider reading it again? Read it this time with the open, inquiring mind of a child. Read it with honesty, humility and desire. Read it prayerfully – yes, ask God to enlighten your mind and touch your heart and change your life through the power of His written and living Word.
Given that we are mortal beings with an immortal soul, it would do us all good to read the Bible intentionally with a repentant spirit towards the Author – the Infinite, Immortal and Almighty God.
Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path. Psalms 119:105
So many are confused about the right way in life. Many know they have lost their way. They are finding the course of life to be more gruelling and brutal than they had expected. Perhaps even your own path into the future is dark and you are craving light. Have you read God’s Syllabus? Start 2022 right. Read the syllabus.
If you would like some help in starting to read the Bible, click here to email me.
I and countless others have discovered in the details of the iconic book the wonderful news of redemption and salvation. Our lives have been incredibly blessed. Even in sorrow, there is an unspeakable joy deep within, settled peace in our hearts – like an island of tranquillity surrounded by the restless waves of life. Although we are far from perfect, our hearts, at the deepest level, have been synchronized with God. Purpose and fulfillment have been found and worshipful hearts are nurtured each day. Yes, through the gold unearthed in the Bible, we have been richly blessed.
Below are links to other posts on this website about the Bible.
Allow the Bible to Diagnose Your Case
Attacking the Bible – Is it Fair?
I Want God’s Forgiveness. What Does the Bible Say?
MIT Professor Allows the Bible to Speak to Her Heart
Will you consider this post to be an important intersection in your journey of life as you enter 2022? Make the right turn. Read God’s syllabus and find rest for your soul. (Read what Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-29.) That’s greater than striking gold or unlocking a $50 bill in a locker.
Far greater than any scientific discovery is the spiritual discovery that God loves you and Jesus died for your sins. That discovery is life’s richest blessing that extends into an eternity of immense, boundless and immeasurable blessings.
Sources:
- https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/university-of-tennessee-chattanooga-professor-viral-cash-prize-syllabus/51-79582cfe-f8ed-4220-b81a-7f2cfe9cf5b6
- https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-the-monday-edition-1.6284012/this-prof-hid-50-in-a-locker-to-see-if-his-students-read-his-syllabus-nobody-found-it-1.6284015
- https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/18/us/tennessee-professor-syllabus-money-trnd/index.html