This Time It's Different
It's been a bit of an adjustment to get used to online school. Taking a pharmacology class is definitely a class I wouldn't recommend anyone to take ONLINE. It will take time, but I'll get the hang of it soon. My first exam is coming up one week from now, so that's exciting! I guess you could say the nerves are coming little by little because this is the year that I rank again for the Nursing program.
It's a lot for me when all the information is given to me in one chunk, and I'm trying to figure out how to maneuver through it. My class is 3 HOURS LONG. My professor enjoys getting off-topic and then rushing through the end because she only has an hour to get through 8 chapters! I'll make it through; I just have to believe that God has me.
On Sunday, I started to think that sometimes life can become difficult for us because God is refining us in those "crushing moments." I listened to Pastor Steven Furtick, and he was talking about "Same Devils, New Levels." He touched base on David's story and how he fought against the Philistines again, even after he defeated Goliath.
The part that got me was that the Philistines were technically like David's devil...he defeated Goliath the first time with a slingshot and rock. Then again, he was faced with fighting the same enemy but a different guy. The unique part was that David couldn't defeat this Philistine with a slingshot and rock this time, so God told him to "put the sword down and put the armor on."
Looking at David's story, it's the same with us. We have those circumstances that rise up in our lives. We may have dealt with things years ago, and all of a sudden, you feel like you're faced with that situation in a different way. I like to believe that there are things in my life that I probably didn't truly defeat, and now that I'm in a different place than I was before, God allows me to go through the storm. He knows that I've grown stronger and have learned how to fight this time around that I can genuinely defeat the giant standing in front of me.
I don't see it as going back, but more of like retaking the test again. God is the teacher, and he gave you this test weeks ago, months ago, years ago. He sees that right now you're at a better place...so he gives you the same exact test..but now he knows you've grown, and passing this test will take you to a whole other level with him.
God wants to take you to a new level...he wants you to believe in yourself that much that you begin to have that confidence in yourself. You have grown from the place that you were once in. You now know how to stand firm in the storm. Put down your sword and put on your armor!