Not many of us enjoy taking tests; the older we get the more anxiety we feel. I have lived in several different states and each motor vehicles department has different driver’s license regulations. In a few, I had to take written tests. In Florida, I also had to take a road test before transferring my driver’s license from a previous state. I studied the driver’s manuals after each move, in preparation for written examinations.

Life is a continuous test. How well am I prepared to take each test? Do I skim or study the manual? “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15 NKJ).” My study of driver’s manuals paid off; I usually made a 100% score. I don’t attribute the score to a high IQ; I understood the connection between diligent study and passing. I needed a driver’s license.

Do I perceive my need for consistent study of God’s word? In a box of my parent’s important papers, I discovered a yellowed document. A Sunday school department director had awarded a perfect attendance to my father. At the age of seventeen, he had made group study of the Bible a priority. I treasure this tangible reminder that Dad hid God’s word in his heart. He was committed and consistent.

“Your word I have hidden in my heart,

That I might not sin against You (Psalm 119:11 NKJ).”