Open Book Test: Life’s Cheat Code

The parent group chat was unusually lively tonight, buzzing with constant vibrations and notifications. Curious, I opened my phone to see what the commotion was about. Turns out, the kids had a Social Studies test the next morning, and parents were in a frenzy trying to figure out where the practice test was hiding online. Amid all this chaos, my daughter seemed unnervingly calm—cool as a cucumber, I tell you.

Suspicious, I called her over. “What’s this about a test tomorrow?” I asked, expecting panic or at least some mild concern. Instead, she shrugged and said, “I don’t need to study, Mom. It’s an open-book test.”

Y’all. My eyes spun in my head at least ten times like a cartoon character. When they finally settled, I unleashed my deepest Jamaican tone: “Guh study!” She huffed under her breath as she walked away, muttering, “This doesn’t even make sense. Why should I study if all the answers are in the book?”

Oh, but I wasn’t done. I called her back, sat her down, and gave her the life lecture of the century. “Listen, open-book tests are trickier than regular ones. You still have to know where to find the answers or understand the material or the time will run out, and you’ll fail. Don’t let the ‘open book’ fool you.” After sufficiently scaring her into cracking open her notes, it hit me:

Life is an open-book test.

The “book” is the Bible and the tests? Oh, they’re nonstop. If we don’t study the Word, if we don’t know what it says or where to find its truths, the enemy will catch us off guard every time. And let’s be honest—just having the Bible sitting on a shelf isn’t going to help us any more than my daughter relying on the idea of her textbook.

2 Timothy 2:15 reminds us: “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” This verse isn’t just about being a Bible trivia champ; it’s about understanding God’s Word so we can navigate life’s challenges without repeatedly failing the same tests.

So here’s my encouragement for us today: Study the Word of God. Joshua 1:8 tells us, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” The Bible isn’t just a book; it’s our roadmap, our guide, our cheat code for a life anchored in God.

Psalm 119:105 puts it beautifully: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Without it, we’re stumbling in the dark. And trust me, going into spiritual warfare without the sword of the Spirit (aka the Word of God) is like showing up to a knife fight with a spoon—you’re going to get eaten alive.

So here’s your challenge: Don’t just skim the Word—know it, live it, and let it transform you. As 2 Timothy 3:16-17 reminds us: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

Friends, life is tough, but God’s Word equips us to face it. Let’s not be caught unprepared. Study up—your open-book test is already in session.