FOR MANY OF THE UPPER DIVISION CLASSES I TOOK while in college there was a pre-requisite class attached to it. It often carried the denotation of Class 101. If you were to get the full benefit of the 200 or 300 series of classes then you must first successfully complete the 100 series class.
This pre-requisite class was not just fluff and worthless material, but rather laid the basis for all that would come after. In many ways it set the stage on which the future course drama would unfold. Those who would seek to bypass this beginning class, thinking that they could fill in the blanks later were often sorely mistaken.
As we move forward in this wonderful adventure of getting to know our God by getting to know His revealed Word, we must see that He has also set forth a pre-requisite class when it comes to His revelation. We must remember that even before God reveals Himself to us through His Word, both written and Incarnate, He has revealed Himself to use through His creation.
The psalmist reminds us that the “Heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.” (Psalm 19:1-2) God has revealed Himself in and through His creation. That is not to say that God is His creation, which reeks of pantheism, but God has displayed much of His power and character in the things He has created. There is much we can learn as we walk amongst the giant redwoods, gaze into the deep black of a nighttime desert sky that is pierced by a million points of light. There is not a day that goes by that God is not making His voice known.
So, take time this week to enter the classroom of God’s creation and learn from Him. I guarantee you that all your future course work will benefit from meeting this pre-requisite.