Psalm 119:102 Student and Teacher

I first saw Roy Weece preach when I was 8 years old and he came to Westside Christian Church to speak at a revival. Over the following 40 years I had many opportunities to meditate on Roy and his teachings.

When I was 8, I was fascinated by his deep voice, his height and posture, and his hair. I wanted to grow up to have his hair. My grandmother's hair had turned white prematurely, and I loved her snowy hair. Roy was the first person I had seen besides her who had hair like that, and it gave me hope that I would inherit my grandma's hair and look like Roy.

Instead, I inherited my uncles' hair - or their lack of hair. But for years I studied on Roy's hair, which always seemed perfectly coiffed.

As I grew older I was more focused on Roy's personality. His confidence and courage and commitment to evangelism was an inspiration to me. As an introvert I often was too timid to speak up for myself. Studying his way of approaching people and situations helped me to develop greater confidence.

I also began to study his ways of teaching and preaching. My analytical, outline-oriented mind was impressed with his preaching outlines, always with their cleverly crafted section headings. His goal was that by memorizing his outlines, we might better remember the content.

The longer I meditated on his style of teaching, I came to realize it wasn't the outlines that made his teaching so powerful. It was the stories. All preachers tell stories, but Roy's were not anecdotes designed to elicit a chuckle or illustrate a point. His stories were about the way Roy and others had lived out those teachings in real world situations, always focused on God's mission.

Through decades of studying on Roy's teachings I learned that outlines and the depth of content behind them are important. But demonstrating the real life application of that content carries more lasting weight.

During the later years, when I was around Roy more often and ministered alongside him, I meditated on Roy's character. I learned what made him tick, the things he enjoyed, the inner motivations that drove him. I meditated on his faults and on his faith.

I was meditating on Roy as a person, rather than as an ideal with perfect hair and brilliant teaching.

I have not departed from your laws,
for you yourself have taught me.

Psalm 119:102

The greatest benefit I've received from meditating on the Word has come from meditating on the teacher behind the Word.

I study the Word to deepen and heighten my awe at His majesty. The greater my understanding of His splendor, the higher I set the bar for my personal spiritual growth.

As I meditate on the scriptures, I focus on God's character. I dive deep into His priorities. I bathe in the understanding of what He loves and hates and desires. I catalog the ways He exhibits the fruit of His Spirit.

I meditate on the Heart of God so I might become a man after God's own heart.

I examine the way God teaches His people. His commands and laws are vital, but He tends to teach His people to understand and live out those laws by leading them to experiences that stretch them to new ways of being His chosen people. He walks beside us and trains our eyes to see people who need Him, trains our feet in eagerness to move toward people in need, and trains our hands to lift up those who have fallen.

By meditating on God the teacher, I'm continually growing in my understanding of God's teachings.