“The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3).

Many are new to my posts. You have heard me speak of Karen. She was my wife for forty-five years before she went home to be with the Lord. Years ago, when Karen was a very young teacher, she substituted for a teacher in one of our “Release Time Religious Education” classes. Every week the state of New York allowed children to be released from school for one hour for Release Time. We couldn’t teach the children on the school campus. We were however allowed to bus students from several local school districts to our church. Young people who were being trained for ministry at a nearby Bible college staffed some of the teaching positions.

The school children often were not well behaved for the regular teachers. You know how they would act for substitutes. Our Christian Education direction and I stood outside Karen’s classroom ready to go in and rescue her as she substituted in one of our more difficult classrooms. She never needed us. Karen used the Jeremiah 31:3 concept of teaching. It made her a master teacher. She didn’t raise her voice to the students. She spoke very quietly and loved them with a love that wouldn’t give up on them. I’ve never forgotten the early days of her teaching. For forty years she has controlled large classes with boys and girls who had lots of energy using the principle of quiet lovingkindness, gracious authority, and absolute respect and confidence in the Word of God.

For today: It’s not only a good way to teach; it’s a wonderful way to live. Rejoice in the lovingkindness of the Lord. How will this play out in your life today?