Take a deep breath. You’ve finished the National Bible Bee Multiple Choice Test. You might be feeling a range of emotions right now: excited, worried, drained. You have been studying for weeks and at last you are on the other side of what most likely has seemed a daunting task. I encourage you to pause for a few minutes, close your eyes, and let your mind take a break after all the hard work you have done.
But your mind may still be racing. You may be riding adrenaline, still thinking about questions you are unsure of. You may be feeling the effects of studying for hours on end over the past few months. You may have already moved on to your passages, preparing for the next phase of testing in the oral rounds. But some of you may be wondering, “Now that the test is over, what can I be doing? How can I best allot my time now that I am not focusing on the looming MCT?”
Some of you may be reading this the day after the MCT. If so, take a little time, whether it be a few hours, an afternoon, or even the entire day, and just rest. Do something relaxing. Go on a walk and enjoy the beautiful fall weather. Pick up a book or watch a movie with your siblings. Choose a chore or something else that you have been putting off for a while and take a few minutes to work on it.
I am not saying to forget about your studies completely; there is still preparation and work to do! But doing something small, whether for pleasure or as work, can clear your mind and help it relax. It gives you a chance to rest and be rejuvenated before hitting the study grind again. Taking time for something fun lets your body rest as well as your brain. And even a chore, such as laundry or dishes, can be calming and give you an accomplished feeling once you have finished. Whatever you choose, it does not have to be something big, but it should give you enough time to feel renewed and rested.
Maybe it has been a few days since the MCT. Perhaps you have already taken the rest you need and just want to prepare yourself for the oral rounds. And that is perfectly fine. Get your shorter passages into order and organize them into groups of ten or twenty. Then work through those passages, both on your own and with an available friend or family member. At this point you will want to pinpoint any difficult or weak spots in your passages and work on them until you can’t get them wrong. Practice makes perfect, especially with those tricky passages.
I am not saying that you should work yourself into a frenzy, or that you should review until you are frustrated with that one passage that just won’t stick. Sometimes you have to step back, take a breath, and let a passage rest in your mind for a little while. That is where the importance of taking breaks between stacks of passages comes in. Once you have worked through a stack, step away for a little while. Take a little walk, do a chore, or have a conversation with a parent or sibling. Pushing yourself relentlessly will not help you perfect your passages faster, and skipping breaks will probably give you stress about the state of your progress. Pace yourself, give yourself grace to make mistakes, and do your best to correct them. And remember, you cannot do this in your own strength. Make sure you ask the Lord to give you the endurance and strength as you prepare to recite, and trust Him with your results.
Last of all, but most importantly, make sure you use this time before the oral rounds to rest yourself in the Word of God. The first way you can do this is by meditating on the passages you are reviewing and perfecting. “Oh how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.” – Psalm 119:97 Remember the beauty of the passages you are hiding in your heart. They are not simply historical facts, scientific data, or information to be used at a later time. They are the holy words of the Creator of the universe. It is how He comforts, teaches, and makes Himself known to each one of us. Give yourself time to be humbled as you recite or simply think on your passages. Then thank the Lord for giving His Word to us.
Another way you can rest in God’s Word is by reading through your study passage, but this time not simply to prepare for the MCT. This time do it slowly, noting the things that the passage says about the characters and how they have lived. Pay attention to what it says about how we should be living as followers of Christ in this broken world. But most importantly take to heart what it says about the Lord. Look for His justice, His goodness, His love. If you have time, take a journal and write down what the passage says about us, fallen sinners saved by God’s grace, and what it says about God, the righteous judge who became sin to save those He had made (2 Corinthians 5:21). And take time to thank Him for showering His love on us.
Last of all, spend time meditating on Isaiah 40:31. “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” You are probably feeling like fainting right now; believe me, I remember that feeling very well. But you are not alone. The Lord has promised to be with you and give you strength until the end of your National Bible Bee 2025 journey. You have dozens of fellow participants who are cheering you on, and many parents and alumni praying for you to finish well. Whatever amount of time you have spent in God’s Word this season, whatever Scriptures you have memorized, will not be wasted. You may not achieve fame or recognition for participating in the National Bible Bee Competition, but Scripture itself has been hidden in your heart, and the Lord will use that in the years to come to bring you closer to Himself.
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My Word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” – Isaiah 55:10-11
May you draw strength from the Word of God as you seek to make Him known!
Written by NBB Alumna: Rachael English
