Mary or Martha?

I'm sitting in Panera about to start translating the first 20 verses of Isaiah. Tomorrow I begin a two week class called Exegesis of Prophetical Books and for the last week or so (well ever since I saw the syllabus) I've been a good bit worried about this class. The first thing that induces stress is thinking about the Hebrew competency exam I need to pass. Let's just say my Hebrew skills aren't where they should be. The next thing that makes me start to sweat is the amount of translating and reading I need to do every day for two weeks in order to show my face in class.

So, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. But that's not what this post is about. It dawned on me this morning that I've been so worried about getting the work done that I've completely neglected the purpose for the course. How often do I complain about my workload and forget what a great privilege it is to have the opportunity to study? As I translate today, I pray the Lord will work in my heart and mind, reminding me that knowing the proper parsing of a Hebrew verb, while important for this class, is only a means to an end. May God use His word today to speak to me, mold me, and renew my mind. Lord, lead me to find joy in your Word and lose the worry of my work.